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: 42712
Habitat associations of riverine fishes among rocky shoals Habitat associations of riverine fishes among rocky shoals
Understanding species' associations with physical habitat conditions is a fundamental goal of ecology. For organisms that occupy lotic ecosystems, relationships to streamflow are of particular importance, but these associations are unstudied for most species. We tested the predictability of fish–microhabitat relationships in river shoals (shallow, rocky areas with relatively swift water...
Authors
Anna Y. Baynes, Mary Freeman, S. Kyle McKay, Seth J. Wenger
Interaction between transect design and animal distribution in distance sampling of deer Interaction between transect design and animal distribution in distance sampling of deer
We conducted a simulation study to evaluate the consequences of violating statistical assumptions of distance sampling (DS) on the bias and precision of population estimates of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Distance sampling is a method for estimating the density of organisms using a distribution of observed distances to individuals. A key assumption of DS is that sampling...
Authors
Nicholas S. Green, Mark L. Wildhaber, Janice L. Albers
Ecologically relevant moisture and temperature metrics for assessing dryland ecosystem dynamics Ecologically relevant moisture and temperature metrics for assessing dryland ecosystem dynamics
In drylands, water-limited regions that cover ~40% of the global land surface, ecosystems are primarily controlled by access to soil moisture and exposure to simultaneously hot and dry conditions. Quantifying ecologically relevant environmental metrics is difficult in drylands because the response of vegetation to moisture and temperature conditions is not easily explained solely by...
Authors
D. A. Chenoweth, Daniel Rodolphe Schlaepfer, J. C. Chambers, J. L. Brown, A. K. Urza, Brice Hanberry, D. Board, M. Crist, John B. Bradford
Dabbling duck eggs hatch after nest abandonment in the wild Dabbling duck eggs hatch after nest abandonment in the wild
In most birds, parental incubation of eggs is necessary for embryo development and survival. Using a combination of weekly nest visits, temperature dataloggers, infrared video cameras, and GPS tracking of hens, we documented several instances of duck eggs hatching after being abandoned by the incubating female. Of 2826 Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and Gadwall (Mareca strepera) nests...
Authors
Carley Rose Schacter, Brady Lynn Fettig, Sarah H. Peterson, C. Alex Hartman, Mark P. Herzog, Michael L. Casazza, Josh T. Ackerman
Brown bear–sea otter interactions along the Katmai coast: Terrestrial and nearshore communities linked by predation Brown bear–sea otter interactions along the Katmai coast: Terrestrial and nearshore communities linked by predation
Sea otters were extirpated throughout much of their range by the maritime fur trade in the 18th and 19th centuries, including the coast of Katmai National Park and Preserve in southcentral Alaska. Brown bears are an important component of the Katmai ecosystem where they are the focus of a thriving ecotourism bear-viewing industry as they forage in sedge meadows and dig clams in the...
Authors
Daniel Monson, Rebecca L. Taylor, Grant Hilderbrand, Joy Erlenbach, Heather Coletti, James L. Bodkin
Framework for assessing and mitigating the impacts of offshore wind energy development on marine birds Framework for assessing and mitigating the impacts of offshore wind energy development on marine birds
Offshore wind energy development (OWED) is rapidly expanding globally and has the potential to contribute significantly to renewable energy portfolios. However, development of infrastructure in the marine environment presents risks to wildlife. Marine birds in particular have life history traits that amplify population impacts from displacement and collision with offshore wind...
Authors
Donald A Croll, Aspen A Ellis, Josh Adams, Aonghais S. C. P. Cook, Stefan Garthe, Morgan Wing Goodale, C. Scott Hall, Elliott L. Hazen, Bradford S. Keitt, Emily C. Kelsey, Jeffery B Leirness, Don E Lyons, Matthew W. McKown, Astrid Potiek, Kate R Searle, Floor H. Soudjin, R. Cotton Rockwood, Bernie R. Tershy, Martin Tinker, Eric A. Vanderwerf, Kathryn A Williams, Lindsay C. Young, Kelly Zilliacus
Trends in vegetation and height of the topographic surface in a tidal freshwater swamp experiencing rooting zone saltwater intrusion Trends in vegetation and height of the topographic surface in a tidal freshwater swamp experiencing rooting zone saltwater intrusion
A decrease in the ground surface height of coastal wetlands is of worldwide concern because of its relationship to peat loss, coastal carbon, and biodiversity in freshwater wetlands. We asked if it is possible to determine indicators of impending transitions of freshwater swamps to other coastal types by examining long-term changes in the environment and vegetation. In a tidal Taxodium...
Authors
Beth Middleton, John L. David
Ecological and socioeconomic factors associated with the human burden of environmentally mediated pathogens: A global analysis Ecological and socioeconomic factors associated with the human burden of environmentally mediated pathogens: A global analysis
Background Billions of people living in poverty are at risk of environmentally mediated infectious diseases—that is, pathogens with environmental reservoirs that affect disease persistence and control and where environmental control of pathogens can reduce human risk. The complex ecology of these diseases creates a global health problem not easily solved with medical treatment alone...
Authors
Susanne H. Sokolow, Nicole Nova, Isabel J. Jones, Chelsea L. Wood, Kevin D. Lafferty, Andres Garchitorena, Skylar R. Hopkins, Andrea J Lund, Andrew J MacDonald, Christopher LeBoa, Alison J. Peel, Erin A. Mordecai, Meghan E Howard, Julia C Buck, David Lopez-Carr, Michele Barry, Matthew H Bonds, Giulio A. De Leo
Invasive corallimorpharians at Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge are no match for lye and heat Invasive corallimorpharians at Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge are no match for lye and heat
Invasive marine species are well documented but options to manage them are limited. At Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (Central North Pacific), native invasive corallimorpharians, Rhodactis howesii, have smothered live native corals since 2007. Laboratory and field trials were conducted evaluating two control methods to remove R. howesii overgrowing the benthos at Palmyra Atoll...
Authors
Thierry M. Work, Renee Breeden, Robert Rameyer, Vernon Born, Tim Clark, Jeremy Rainal, Chris Gillies, Julia Rose, Alex Wegmann, Stefan Kropidlowski
Growth, survival, and cohort formation of juvenile Lost River (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose suckers (Chasmistes brevirostris) in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and Clear Lake Reservoir, California—2020 monitoring report Growth, survival, and cohort formation of juvenile Lost River (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose suckers (Chasmistes brevirostris) in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and Clear Lake Reservoir, California—2020 monitoring report
Executive Summary Populations of federally endangered Lost River (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose suckers (Chasmistes brevirostris) in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and Clear Lake Reservoir (hereinafter, Clear Lake), California, are experiencing long-term decreases in abundance. Upper Klamath Lake populations are decreasing not only because of adult mortality, which is relatively low, but...
Authors
Barbara A. Martin, Caylen M. Kelsey, Summer M. Burdick, Ryan J. Bart
Training and capacity building activities of Climate Adaptation Science Centers for the benefit of Tribal and Indigenous communities, 2010–2019 Training and capacity building activities of Climate Adaptation Science Centers for the benefit of Tribal and Indigenous communities, 2010–2019
Tribal nations and Indigenous communities are key collaborators on adaptation work within the Climate Adaptation Science Center (CASC) network. The centers have partnered with numerous Tribal and Indigenous communities on projects or activities to better understand the communities’ specific knowledge of and exposure to impacts of climate change, to increase or assist with capacity to...
Authors
Tori Pfaeffle, Robin O’Malley, Aparna Bamzai-Dodson, Stefan Tangen
Resource guide and literature review for addressing the problem of tag predation in salmonid studies in the Central Valley of California Resource guide and literature review for addressing the problem of tag predation in salmonid studies in the Central Valley of California
No abstract available.
Authors
Jacob Ryan Kelley, Steven L. Whitlock, Rebecca A. Buchanan, Russell Perry