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: 3792
Fire as an ecosystem process: Chapter 3 Fire as an ecosystem process: Chapter 3
This long-anticipated reference and sourcebook for California’s remarkable ecological abundance provides an integrated assessment of each major ecosystem type—its distribution, structure, function, and management. A comprehensive synthesis of our knowledge about this biologically diverse state, Ecosystems of California covers the state from oceans to mountaintops using multiple lenses...
Authors
Jon E. Keeley, Hugh D. Safford
Managed island ecosystems Managed island ecosystems
This long-anticipated reference and sourcebook for California’s remarkable ecological abundance provides an integrated assessment of each major ecosystem type—its distribution, structure, function, and management. A comprehensive synthesis of our knowledge about this biologically diverse state, Ecosystems of California covers the state from oceans to mountaintops using multiple lenses...
Authors
Kathryn McEachern, Tanya Atwater, Paul W. Collins, Kate R. Faulkner, Daniel V. Richards
Exotic annual Bromus invasions: Comparisons among species and ecoregions in the western United States Exotic annual Bromus invasions: Comparisons among species and ecoregions in the western United States
Exotic annual Bromus species are widely recognized for their potential to invade, dominate, and alter the structure and function of ecosystems. In this chapter, we summarize the invasion potential, ecosystem threats, and management strategies for different Bromus species within each of five ecoregions of the western United States. We characterize invasion potential and threats in terms...
Authors
Matthew L. Brooks, Cynthia S. Brown, Jeanne C. Chambers, Carla M. D'Antonio, Jon E. Keeley, Jayne Belnap
Montane Forests Montane Forests
This long-anticipated reference and sourcebook for California’s remarkable ecological abundance provides an integrated assessment of each major ecosystem type—its distribution, structure, function, and management. A comprehensive synthesis of our knowledge about this biologically diverse state, Ecosystems of California covers the state from oceans to mountaintops using multiple lenses...
Authors
Malcolm P. North, Brandon M. Collins, Hugh D. Safford, Nathan L. Stephenson
Wildfire, climate, and invasive grass interactions negatively impact an indicator species by reshaping sagebrush ecosystems Wildfire, climate, and invasive grass interactions negatively impact an indicator species by reshaping sagebrush ecosystems
Iconic sagebrush ecosystems of the American West are threatened by larger and more frequent wildfires that can kill sagebrush and facilitate invasion by annual grasses, creating a cycle that alters sagebrush ecosystem recovery post disturbance. Thwarting this accelerated grass–fire cycle is at the forefront of current national conservation efforts, yet its impacts on wildlife populations
Authors
Peter S. Coates, Mark A. Ricca, Brian G. Prochazka, Matthew L. Brooks, Kevin E. Doherty, Travis Kroger, Erik J. Blomberg, Christian A. Hagen, Michael L. Casazza
Habitat edges have weak effects on duck nest survival at local spatial scales Habitat edges have weak effects on duck nest survival at local spatial scales
Edge effects on nesting success have been documented in breeding birds in a variety of contexts, but there is still uncertainty in how edge type and spatial scale determine the magnitude and detectability of edge effects. Habitat edges are often viewed as predator corridors that surround or penetrate core habitat and increase the risk of predation for nearby nests. We studied the effects...
Authors
Amelia J Raquel, Kevin M. Ringelman, Joshua T. Ackerman, John M. Eadie
Science foundation Chapter 5 Appendix 5.1: Case study shore birds: Western sandpipers (Calidris mauri) and American avocets (Recurvirostra Americana) Science foundation Chapter 5 Appendix 5.1: Case study shore birds: Western sandpipers (Calidris mauri) and American avocets (Recurvirostra Americana)
Western sandpipers (Calidris mauri) are small (22-35 g) sexually dimorphic sandpipers, with males typically smaller than females. Western sandpipers frequently occur in mixed species flocks along with other Calidris species, including least sandpipers (Calidris minutilla) and dunlin (Calidris alpina), in the San Francisco Bay Estuary (SFBE) and are the most abundant shorebird species...
Authors
Cheryl Strong, Joshua T. Ackerman
Science foundation Chapter 5 Appendix 5.1: Case study diving ducks Science foundation Chapter 5 Appendix 5.1: Case study diving ducks
Diving ducks are the most abundant group of waterfowl that overwinter in the open bays and ponds of San Francisco Bay (SFB). Species within this group are primarily benthivores that dive to obtain their macroinvertebrate prey in bottom sediments, although at times they may eat plant matter or forage in the water column. These migratory species include bay ducks (lesser scaup Aythya...
Authors
John Y. Takekawa, Susan De La Cruz, Joshua T. Ackerman, Gregory S. Yarris
Science foundation Chapter 5 Appendix 5.1: Case study dabbling ducks Science foundation Chapter 5 Appendix 5.1: Case study dabbling ducks
Dabbling ducks are the most abundant group of waterfowl that overwinter in the shallow wetlands and ponds of San Francisco Bay (SFB). Species within this group are primarily omnivorous, feeding on both plant material and macroinvertebrate prey by “tipping” to access benthic foods in bottom sediments or by foraging in the water column. Although the majority of these ducks are migratory...
Authors
Gregory S. Yarris, Joshua T. Ackerman
Blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima Torr.): State of our knowledge and future challenges Blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima Torr.): State of our knowledge and future challenges
Covering 130,000 square miles and a wide range of elevations from desert to alpine in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, the Colorado Plateau has long fascinated researchers. The Colorado Plateau VI provides readers with a plethora of updates and insights into land conservation and management questions currently surrounding the region. The Colorado Plateau VI’s contributors show...
Authors
Rosemary L. Pendleton, Burton K. Pendleton, Susan E. Meyer, Bryce A. Richardson, Todd C. Esque, Stanley G. Kitchen
Science foundation Chapter 5 Appendix 5.1: Case study marsh macroinvertebrates Science foundation Chapter 5 Appendix 5.1: Case study marsh macroinvertebrates
This case study includes representative macroinvertebrates that live in the marsh plain, its associated channels and pannes (ponds), and the marsh-upland transition zone. While less visible than animals such as birds, invertebrates play important roles in physical and biological processes (e.g., burrowing activity and channel bank erosion, and detritivores breaking down organic matter)...
Authors
Elizabeth Brusati, Isa Woo