Publications
Below is a list of WERC's peer-reviewed publications. If you are searching for a specific publication and cannot find it in this list, please contact werc_web@usgs.gov
Filter Total Items: 3745
Transcriptomics as an early warning of domoic acid exposure in Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula) Transcriptomics as an early warning of domoic acid exposure in Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula)
As oceans warm, harmful algal blooms (HABs) are expected to increase, including blooms of Pseudo-nitzschia, a diatom that produces domoic acid (DA), which is a potent neurotoxin. Regulatory limits for human consumption (0.075–0.1 mg/kg/day; acute exposure) exist for the Pacific razor clam; however, fisheries currently do not have regulatory limits for chronic low-level exposure to DA...
Authors
Lizabeth Bowen, Shannon C. Waters-Dynes, Brenda Ballachey, Heather Coletti, Zachary Forster, Ji Li, Bradley Jenner
Nature-based solutions could offset coastal squeeze of tidal wetlands from sea-level rise on the U.S. Pacific coast Nature-based solutions could offset coastal squeeze of tidal wetlands from sea-level rise on the U.S. Pacific coast
In this study, we explored the opportunities for tidal wetland landward migration in response to sea-level rise on the Pacific Coast of the United States. By employing a systematic spatial approach, we quantified the available space for wetland migration with sea-level rise across 61 estuarine drainage areas. Although many of the existing tidal wetlands are small patches, our analyses...
Authors
Karen M. Thorne, Kevin J. Buffington, Michael Osland, Bogdan Chivoiu, James Grace, Nicholas Enwright, Glenn R. Guntenspergen
The effects of breeding status on common raven movement, home range, and habitat selection The effects of breeding status on common raven movement, home range, and habitat selection
Anthropogenic infrastructure has contributed to increasing common raven (Corvus corax) abundance across the Great Basin region of the United States, particularly in sagebrush ecosystems, where high raven densities are correlated with reduced sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) nest survival. Our understanding of how raven reproductive behavior affects sage-grouse nest predation is...
Authors
Julia C. Brockman, Peter S. Coates, John C. Tull, Pat J. Jackson, Shawn T. O’Neil, Perry J. Williams
Do watershed conditions or local climate play a larger role in determining regional stream salamander distributions? Do watershed conditions or local climate play a larger role in determining regional stream salamander distributions?
Anthropogenic influences like land use and climate variability interact with natural heterogeneity to influence the persistence of stream salamanders. Using occupancy modeling in the southern Appalachian Mountains, we investigated the influence of land use, climate, and physical context (e.g., drainage area, elevation) on stream salamander occupancy, noting species, and life stage...
Authors
Kristen K. Cecala, Brian J. Halstead, James S. McGrory, John C. Maerz
Effects of invasive American bullfrogs and their removal on Northwestern pond turtles Effects of invasive American bullfrogs and their removal on Northwestern pond turtles
The American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) is an invasive species globally significant for its role as a generalist predator in freshwater systems. Native turtles are among the species eaten by bullfrogs, and turtle populations are slow to recover from this impact. We examined the effects of bullfrogs and their removal on Northwestern pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata) at four sites in...
Authors
Sidney M. Woodruff, Robert L. Grasso, Brian J. Halstead, Brian D. Todd
Blue carbon stocks along the Pacific Coast of North America are mainly driven by local rather than regional factors Blue carbon stocks along the Pacific Coast of North America are mainly driven by local rather than regional factors
Coastal wetlands, including seagrass meadows, emergent marshes, mangroves, and temperate tidal swamps, can efficiently sequester and store large quantities of sediment organic carbon (SOC). However, SOC stocks may vary by ecosystem type and along environmental or climate gradients at different scales. Quantifying such variability is needed to improve blue carbon accounting, conservation...
Authors
Christopher N. Janousek, Johannes Krause, Judith Z. Drexler, Kevin J. Buffington, Katrina L. Poppe, Erin K. Peck, Fernanda Adame, Elizabeth Watson, James Holmquist, Scott D. Bridgham, Scott F. Jones, Melissa Ward, Cheryl A. Brown, Lisa Beers, Matthew T. Costa, Heida L. Diefenderfer, Amy B. Borde, Lindsey Sheehan, John M Rybczyk, Carolyn Prentice, Andrew Gray, Alejandro Hinojosa-Corona, Ana Carolina Ruiz-Fernandez, Joan-Albert Sanchez-Cabeza, Karen E. Kohfeld, Paula Ezcurra, Jonathan Ochoa-Gomez, Karen M. Thorne, Marlow G. Pellatt, Aurora M. Ricart, Amanda M. Nahlik, Laura S. Brophy, Richard F. Ambrose, Mira Lutz, Craig Cornu, Steve Crooks, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Margot Hessing-Lewis, Fred Short, Stephen Chastain, Trevor Williams, Tristan Douglas, Elizabeth Fard, Lauren N. Brown, Michelle F. Goman
Biodiversity surveys of Wake Atoll—Featuring field guides for plants, arthropods, and herpetofauna Biodiversity surveys of Wake Atoll—Featuring field guides for plants, arthropods, and herpetofauna
Authors
Stacie A. Hathaway, James D. Jacobi, Robert Peck, Adam R. Backlin, Cynthia J. Hitchcock, Robert N. Fisher
Climate and dispersal ability limit future habitats for Gila monsters in the Mojave Desert Climate and dispersal ability limit future habitats for Gila monsters in the Mojave Desert
Describing future habitat for sensitive species can be helpful in planning conservation efforts to ensure species persistence under new climatic conditions. The Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) is an iconic lizard of the southwestern United States. The northernmost range of Gila monsters is the Mojave Desert, an area experiencing rapid human population growth and urban sprawl. To...
Authors
Steven J. Hromada, Jason L. Jones, Jocelyn B. Stalker, Dustin A. Wood, Amy G. Vandergast, C. Richard Tracy, C.M. Gienger, Kenneth E. Nussear
Iguanas rafted more than 8,000 km from North America to Fiji Iguanas rafted more than 8,000 km from North America to Fiji
Founder-event speciation can occur when one or more organisms colonize a distant, unoccupied area via long-distance dispersal, leading to the evolution of a new species lineage. Species radiations established by long-distance, and especially transoceanic, dispersal can cause substantial shifts in regional biodiversity. Here, we investigate the occurrence and timing of the greatest known...
Authors
Simon G. Scarpetta, Robert D. Fisher, Benjamin R. Karin, Jone B. Niukula, Ammon Corl, Todd R. Jackman, Jimmy A. McGuire
Dynamic and context-dependent keystone species effects in kelp forests Dynamic and context-dependent keystone species effects in kelp forests
Sea otters are an iconic keystone predator that can maintain kelp forests by preying on grazing invertebrates such as sea urchins. However, the effects of sea otters on kelp forests vary over their geographic range. Here, we analyze two 30-y datasets on kelp forest communities during the reintroduction of sea otters along the west coast of Vancouver Island, BC, Canada, and around San...
Authors
Ryan E. Langendorf, James A. Estes, Jane C. Watson, Michael C. Kenner, Brian B. Hatfield, M. T. Tinker, Ellen Waddle, Megan L. DeMarche, Daniel F. Doak
Actinemys pallida (Southwestern Pond Turtle). Mechanical injury Actinemys pallida (Southwestern Pond Turtle). Mechanical injury
No abstract available.
Authors
Andrew John Louros, Spencer James Williams, Katherine L. Baumberger, Jared Nicholas Heath, Gage L. Hollingsworth, Elizabeth Gallegos, Adam R. Backlin, Robert D. Fisher
Aspidoscelis tigris (Tiger Whiptail). Diet Aspidoscelis tigris (Tiger Whiptail). Diet
No abstract available.
Authors
Spencer James Williams, Andrew John Louros, Robert D. Fisher