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: 42871
Toward a national eDNA strategy for the United States Toward a national eDNA strategy for the United States
Environmental DNA (eDNA) data make it possible to measure and monitor biodiversity at unprecedented resolution and scale. As use-cases multiply and scientific consensus grows regarding the value of eDNA analysis, public agencies have an opportunity to decide how and where eDNA data fit into their mandates. Within the United States, many federal and state agencies are individually using...
Authors
Ryan Kelly, David M. Lodge, Kai Lee, Susanna Theroux, Adam Sepulveda, Chris Scholin, Joseph M. Craine, Elizabeth Allan, Krista M. Nichols, Kim M. Parsons, Kelly D Goodwin, Zachary Gold, Francisco P. Chavez, Rachel T. Noble, Cathryn Abbott, Melinda R. Baerwald, Amanda Naaum, Peter Thielen, Ariel Simons, Christopher L. Jerde, Jeffrey J. Duda, Margaret Hunter, John Hagan, Rachel Meyer, Joshua Steele, Mark Stoeckle, Holly Bik, Christopher Meyer, Eric D. Stein, Karen James, Austen Thomas, Elif Demir-Hilton, Molly Timmers, John Griffith, Michael J Weise, Steve Weisberg
The Science Application for Risk Reduction (SAFRR) Scenario Retrospective 2006–21 The Science Application for Risk Reduction (SAFRR) Scenario Retrospective 2006–21
The U.S. Geological Survey Science Application for Risk Reduction (SAFRR) Project has created four major hazard scenarios—ShakeOut, ARkStorm, Tsunami Scenario, and HayWired—with multidisciplinary teams of scientists, academics, and practitioners. By presenting a clear and highly detailed narrative of potential damage from earthquakes, tsunamis, and winter storms, the scenarios are...
Authors
Nora Lynn Smithhisler, Nina Burkardt
Application of electricity and underwater acoustics to clear fish from a navigation lock during maintenance Application of electricity and underwater acoustics to clear fish from a navigation lock during maintenance
The presence of fish within navigation locks can introduce an environmental challenge for construction crews when maintenance is required. This study examined the effectiveness of a dual-deterrent fish herding technique using electricity and acoustic stimuli to reduce the abundance of fish within a navigation lock before a scheduled dewatering for maintenance. Fixed-location multi-beam...
Authors
Jose Rivera, Aaron R. Cupp, Josey Lee Ridgway, Duane Chapman, Bethany E Hoster, Matthew Ross Acre, Robin D. Calfee, Jesse Robert Fischer, James J. Duncker
Influence of increased freshwater inflow on nitrogen and phosphorus budgets in a dynamic subtropical estuary, Barataria Basin, Louisiana Influence of increased freshwater inflow on nitrogen and phosphorus budgets in a dynamic subtropical estuary, Barataria Basin, Louisiana
Coastal Louisiana is currently experiencing high rates of wetland loss and large-scale ecosystem restoration is being implemented. One of the largest and most novel restoration projects is a controlled sediment diversion, proposed to rebuild and sustain wetlands by diverting sediment- and nutrient-rich water from the Mississippi River. However, the impact of this proposed sediment...
Authors
Hoonshin Jung, William K. Nuttle, Melissa Millman Baustian, Tim J. B. Carruthers
Spatiotemporal patterns and environmental drivers of eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) abundance along the Missouri River, USA Spatiotemporal patterns and environmental drivers of eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) abundance along the Missouri River, USA
Context: Changes in disturbance regimes, including reductions in flooding and geomorphic dynamism from dam construction and flow regulation, have facilitated invasion by eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L.), an upland tree species, in the understory of floodplain forests along the Missouri National Recreational River (MNRR). Objectives: Our aim was to determine the spatiotemporal...
Authors
Nadeesha D. Illeperuma, Mark D. Dixon, Caroline M. Elliott, Kimberly I. Magnuson, Miyuraj H H. Withanage, James E. Vogelmann
Captivity, reintroductions, and the rewilding of amphibian-associated bacterial communities Captivity, reintroductions, and the rewilding of amphibian-associated bacterial communities
Many studies have noted differences in microbes associated with animals reared in captivity compared to their wild counterparts, but few studies have examined how microbes change when animals are reintroduced to the wild after captive rearing. As captive assurance populations and reintroduction programs increase, a better understanding of how microbial symbionts respond during animal
Authors
Timothy Korpita, Erin L. Muths, Mary Kay Watry, Valerie J. McKenzie
No evidence for cottonwood forest decline along a flow-augmented western U.S. river No evidence for cottonwood forest decline along a flow-augmented western U.S. river
In contrast to many other arid region rivers, streamflow in the South Platte River is heavily augmented by trans-basin water imports and irrigation return flows. Hydrological changes began in the 1880s, resulting in channel narrowing and the development of a continuous Populus-Salix forest by the mid-twentieth century. We assessed the composition, structure and regeneration status of the...
Authors
Cetan Christensen, Gabrielle L. Katz, Jonathan M. Friedman, Miranda D. Redmond, Andrew S. Norton
Taming wildfires in the context of climate change: The case of the United States Taming wildfires in the context of climate change: The case of the United States
This report provides a global assessment and outlook on wildfire risk in the context of climate change. It discusses the drivers behind the growing incidence of extreme wildfires and the attribution effect of climate change. It outlines the environmental, social and economic impacts of wildfires by illustrating the losses and costs observed during recent extreme wildfire events. Building...
Authors
Emily Ann Orzechowski, Shawn Carter
People need freshwater biodiversity: Nine reasons freshwater biodiversity is important for humans People need freshwater biodiversity: Nine reasons freshwater biodiversity is important for humans
Freshwater biodiversity, from fish to frogs and microbes to macrophytes, provides a vast array of services to people. These services are under a growing threat as human-related pressure threatens freshwater biodiversity on multiple fronts. Here, Abigail Lynch and colleagues discuss nine fundamental ecosystem services that freshwater biodiversity provide to people. Given the importance of
Authors
Abigail Lynch, Karen J. Murchie, Steven J. Cooke
User engagement testing with a pilot decision support tool aimed to support species managers User engagement testing with a pilot decision support tool aimed to support species managers
Species status assessments (SSAs) are required for endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and focus on the resiliency, redundancy, and representation of endangered species. SSAs must include climate information, because climate is a factor that will impact species in the future. To aid in the inclusion of climate information, a decision support system (DSS) entitled...
Authors
Haven J. Cashwell, Karen S. McNeal, Kathie Dello, Ryan Boyles, Corey Davis
People need freshwater biodiversity People need freshwater biodiversity
Freshwater biodiversity, from fish to frogs and microbes to macrophytes, provides a vast array of services to people. Mounting concerns focus on the accelerating pace of biodiversity loss and declining ecological function within freshwater ecosystems that continue to threaten these natural benefits. Here, we catalog nine fundamental ecosystem services that the biotic components of...
Authors
Abigail Lynch, Steven J. Cooke, Angela H. Arthington, Claudio Baigun, Lisa Bossenbroek, Chris Dickens, Ian Harrison, Ismael Kimirei, Simone D. Langhans, Karen J. Murchie, Julian Olden, Steve J. Ormerod, Margaret Owuor, Rajeev Raghavan, Michael J. Samways, Rafaela Schinegger, Subodh Sharma, Ram-Devi Tachamo-Shah, David Tickner, Denis Tweddle, Nathan Young, Sonja C. Jahnig
High resolution lidar data shed light on inter-island translocation of endangered bird species in the Hawaiian Islands High resolution lidar data shed light on inter-island translocation of endangered bird species in the Hawaiian Islands
Translocation, often a management solution reserved for at-risk species, is a highly time-sensitive intervention in the face of a rapidly changing climate. The definition of abiotic and biotic habitat requirements is essential to the selection of appropriate release sites in novel environments. However, field-based approaches to gathering this information are often too time intensive...
Authors
Erica M. Gallerani, Jeffrey Burgett, Nicolas R. Vaughn, Lucas Berio Fortini, Geoffrey A. Fricker, Hanna L. Mounce, Thomas W. Gillespie, Lisa H. Crampton, David Knapp, Justin M. Hite, Roy Gilb