Publications
This list of publications includes peer-review journal articles, official USGS publications series, reports and more authored by scientists in the Ecosystems Mission Area. A database of all USGS publications, with advanced search features, can be accessed at the USGS Publications Warehouse.
Filter Total Items: 43069
A simplified two-station approach for modeling metabolism in dam tailwaters subject to diel flow variation A simplified two-station approach for modeling metabolism in dam tailwaters subject to diel flow variation
Tailwaters are ubiquitous and highly managed ecosystems whose food webs often rely disproportionately on autochthonous energy. In situ continuous dissolved oxygen data are increasingly being used to estimate gross primary productivity and ecosystem respiration in rivers, but this approach is complicated in tailwaters, where upriver discontinuities (i.e., dams) violate commonly employed...
Authors
Ian Wesley Bishop, Bridget Deemer, Theodore Kennedy, Robert A. Payn, Robert O. Hall, Charles B. Yackulic
Mercury biomagnification across food webs with varying non-native fish presence: Implications for native fish conservation in the upper Colorado River Basin Mercury biomagnification across food webs with varying non-native fish presence: Implications for native fish conservation in the upper Colorado River Basin
Environmental contaminants and non-native species introductions negatively affect aquatic ecosystem conservation. Mercury (Hg) accumulates within food webs where it can biomagnify to toxic concentrations, which can be affected by altered trophic relationships from non-native species. This study examined Hg concentrations (n samples = 655) and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope (n = 746)
Authors
Charles F. Wahl, Natalie K. Day, Travis S. Schmidt, James J. Roberts, Jessica E. Brandt, Craig A. Stricker
Perceptions of parcel-level wildfire risk differ between homeowners and trained assessors in wildland-urban interface communities across the western United States Perceptions of parcel-level wildfire risk differ between homeowners and trained assessors in wildland-urban interface communities across the western United States
Wildfire risk mitigation on private property is central to reducing community wildfire vulnerability. Homeowners have control over many of the key factors that contribute to wildfire risk on their parcels, yet vulnerable conditions persist. One potential explanation is a misalignment between homeowners' and trained assessors' perceptions of parcel-level wildfire risk. Prior research has...
Authors
Kelly Wallace, Grant Webster, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Patricia A. Champ, Colleen Donovan, Carolyn Wagner, Christopher M. Barth, Josh Kuehn, Suzanne Wittenbrink, James R. Meldrum
Abundance, trends, and challenges facing mountain goats throughout their North American distribution Abundance, trends, and challenges facing mountain goats throughout their North American distribution
Recent declines among some mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) populations have heightened concern about their current status and ability to cope with future challenges. We conducted a range-wide assessment of the status of mountain goats across their distribution to understand the extent and patterns of change in recent years. We queried states, provinces, National Parks, and Indigenous
Authors
Richard B. Harris, Steve Bethune, Mark Biel, Roy T. Churchwell, Julie Cunningham, Rob Found, Tabitha A. Graves, Anne Hubbs, Tyler Jessen, Bill Jex, Joshua Kirk, Meghan Larivee, Chadwick P. Lehman, Brian MacBeth, Hollie Miyasaki, Tony W. Mong, William Moore, Susan Oehlers, Todd Rinaldi, Kristin M. Rine, Rusty Robinson, Zachary L. Robinson, Jennifer Sevigny, Michael Sevigny, Kyle Smith, David Vales, Kevin White, Don Whittaker, Carmen Wong, Travis Wyman
Landscape change and age ratios for mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) herd units in Wyoming,1980-2019 Landscape change and age ratios for mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) herd units in Wyoming,1980-2019
No abstract available.
Authors
Teagan A. Hayes, Aaron N. Johnston, L. Embere Hall, Jill Randall, Matthew J. Kauffman, Christopher Keefe, Kevin Monteith, Tabitha A. Graves
Incorporating location uncertainty improves inference with stop-level North American Breeding Bird Survey data Incorporating location uncertainty improves inference with stop-level North American Breeding Bird Survey data
Ecological models should account for uncertainty to be most effective and useful. Yet, uncertainty from model covariates—unlike that from other sources, such as sampling error or process variability—is seldom explicitly incorporated. This can cause underestimates of uncertainty to cascade through model parameter estimates, predictions, and downstream uses. Burner et al. proposed a method...
Authors
Ryan C. Burner, J. A. Hostetler, Alan Kirschbaum
Bright spot in eDNA monitoring: Early detection of invasive New Zealand mudsnails (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) prompted effective rapid response for fish hatchery Bright spot in eDNA monitoring: Early detection of invasive New Zealand mudsnails (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) prompted effective rapid response for fish hatchery
The New Zealand mudsnail (NZMS; Potamopyrgus antipodarum) is a widespread aquatic invasive species that is parthenogenic, requiring only a single individual to initiate an infestation. Fish hatcheries–which are critical infrastructure that raise fish to support conservation, recreation, and subsistence fisheries–frequently use local water sources to provide cool water and are especially...
Authors
Devin Slobodian, Patrick R. Hutchins, Jennifer Graves, Adam Sepulveda
Potential flood events in the lower Missouri River basin over multiple centuries identified using tree-ring based multi-model streamflow reconstructions Potential flood events in the lower Missouri River basin over multiple centuries identified using tree-ring based multi-model streamflow reconstructions
The Missouri River basin (MRB), the largest river basin in the United States, presents major water management challenges due to its complex topology and extensive infrastructure designed to manage high annual flows. Severe hydroclimatic events, particularly floods in 1993, 2011, and 2019, have highlighted vulnerabilities, leading the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to enhance flood risk...
Authors
Subhrendu Gangopadhyay, Edward R. Cook, Gregory T. Pederson, Connie A. Woodhouse, Gregory J. McCabe, Matthew P. Dannenberg, Victoria M. Harris, Erika K. Wise, Jeffrey P. Niehaus, Upmanu Lall
A genomic tool to tackle cryptic diversity demonstrates the potential for off-target use of GT-seq panels A genomic tool to tackle cryptic diversity demonstrates the potential for off-target use of GT-seq panels
A comprehensive understanding of life history is vital to successful species conservation and management. When different life history stages are accompanied by considerable morphological or cryptic variation, such as the egg and larval phases exhibited by most fishes, genomic tools are essential for identifying species so that early-life ecology questions can be studied. Genotyping-in...
Authors
Amanda Susanne Ackiss, Mark R. Vinson, Ann J. Ropp, Kristen M. Gruenthal, Trevor J. Krabbenhoft, Joseph V. Siegel, Wendylee Stott, Daniel L. Yule, Wesley A. Larson
Availability of dark daytime refuge may limit mysid abundance in the Laurentian Great Lakes Availability of dark daytime refuge may limit mysid abundance in the Laurentian Great Lakes
The zooplankton Mysis diluviana is a major component of the Laurentian Great Lakes food web and has recently declined in abundance in both lakes Michigan and Huron. Drivers of these declines are not well understood. Here, we explore the hypothesis that recent increases in water clarity have contributed to the decline of M. diluviana (mysids) by limiting the availability of daytime dark...
Authors
Kayden C. Nasworthy, James M. Watkins, Thomas M. Evans, Hannah B. Blair, Sarah D. Lawhun, Suresh A. Sethi, Timothy P. O’Brien, David M. Warner, Steven A. Pothoven, Anne E. Scofield, Peter C. Esselman, Lars G. Rudstam
On the importance of ichthyoplankton monitoring for invasive grass carp control in the Laurentian Great Lakes On the importance of ichthyoplankton monitoring for invasive grass carp control in the Laurentian Great Lakes
Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) is an invasive herbivore observed in small numbers in the Laurentian Great Lakes since the 1980 s with records from all lakes except Lake Superior. Identification of diploid, age-1 + grass carp from the Sandusky River, a Lake Erie tributary, in 2012, prompted targeted efforts to evaluate the status of grass carp reproduction in the Lake Erie Basin. In...
Authors
Corbin David Hilling, Ryan E. Brown, Holly Susan Embke, Kristina D. Flanigan, Nicole R. King, Amy E. George, Robert D. Hunter, P. Ryan Jackson, Christine M. Mayer, Jeremy J Pritt, Song S. Qian, Catherine A. Richter, James J. Roberts, Patrick Kocovsky
Characterizing the annual cycle of steroid hormones in males from an invasive vertebrate (Python bivittatus) of management concern Characterizing the annual cycle of steroid hormones in males from an invasive vertebrate (Python bivittatus) of management concern
South Florida's subtropical climate has facilitated the establishment of numerous invasive species, including the Burmese python (Python bivittatus). Despite decades of efforts to manage the invasive python population across South Florida, we lack a comprehensive understanding of their reproductive physiology, limiting the development of targeted control strategies. Here, we...
Authors
Gabriela Logo, Mark Robert Sandfoss, Natalie Claunch, Andrea F. Currylow, Ian A. Bartoszek, Ian Easterling, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Christina Romagosa