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
An invasive prey provides long-lasting silver spoon effects for an endangered predator An invasive prey provides long-lasting silver spoon effects for an endangered predator
The natal environment can have long-term fitness consequences for individuals, particularly via ‘silver spoon’ or ‘environmental matching’ effects. Invasive species could alter natal effects on native species by changing species interactions, but this potential remains unknown. Using 17 years of data on 2588 individuals across the entire US breeding range of the endangered snail kite...
Authors
Caroline L. Poli, Ellen P. Robertson, Julien Martin, Abby Powell, Robert J. Fletcher
Rare window into an ancient struggle Rare window into an ancient struggle
No abstract available.
Authors
Megan Carolyn Petersohn, Shannon Barber-Meyer
The Prairie Pothole Region: A duck factory, and a bee factory too The Prairie Pothole Region: A duck factory, and a bee factory too
No abstract available.
Authors
Stacy C. Simanonok, Clint Otto
Assessing runoff and erosion on woodland-encroached sagebrush steppe using the Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model Assessing runoff and erosion on woodland-encroached sagebrush steppe using the Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model
The transition of sagebrush-dominated (Artemisia spp.) shrublands to pinyon (Pinus spp.) and juniper (Juniperus spp.) woodlands markedly alters resource-conserving vegetation structure typical of these landscapes. Land managers and scientists in the western United States need knowledge and predictive tools for assessment and effective targeting of tree-removal treatments to conserve or...
Authors
C. Jason Williams, Frederick B. Pierson, Osama Z. Al-Hamdan, S. Kossi Nouwakpo, Justin C. Johnson, Viktor O. Polyakov, Patrick R. Kormos, Scott Shaff, Kenneth E. Spaeth
What is a biocrust? A refined, contemporary definition for a broadening research community What is a biocrust? A refined, contemporary definition for a broadening research community
Studies of biological soil crusts (biocrusts) have proliferated over the last few decades. The biocrust literature has broadened, with more studies assessing and describing the function of a variety of biocrust communities in a broad range of biomes and habitats and across a large spectrum of disciplines, and also by the incorporation of biocrusts into global perspectives and...
Authors
Bettina Weber, Jayne Belnap, Burkhard Budel, Anita J. Antoninka, Nichole N. Barger, V Bala Chaudhary, Anthony Darrouzet-Nardi, David J. Eldridge, Akasha M. Faist, Scott Ferrenberg, Caroline Havrilla, Elisabeth Huber-Sannwald, Oumarou Malam Issa, Fernando T. Maestre, Sasha C. Reed, Emilio Rodriguez-Caballero, Colin L Tucker, Kristina E. Young, Yuanming Zhang, Yunge Zhao, Xiaobing Zhou, Matthew A. Bowker
Primary production responses to extreme changes in North American Monsoon precipitation vary by elevation and plant functional composition through time Primary production responses to extreme changes in North American Monsoon precipitation vary by elevation and plant functional composition through time
Primary production in dryland ecosystems is limited by water availability and projected to be strongly affected by future shifts in seasonal precipitation. Warm-season precipitation derived from the North American Monsoon contributes 40% of annual precipitation to dryland ecosystems in the southwestern U.S. and is projected to become more variable. However, there is large uncertainty on...
Authors
Seth M. Munson, John B. Bradford, Bradley J. Butterfield, Jennifer R. Gremer
Resisting-accepting-directing: Ecosystem management guided by an ecological resilience assessment Resisting-accepting-directing: Ecosystem management guided by an ecological resilience assessment
As anthropogenic influences push ecosystems past tipping points and into new regimes, complex management decisions are complicated by rapid ecosystem changes that may be difficult to reverse. For managers who grapple with how to manage ecosystems under novel conditions and heightened uncertainty, advancing our understanding of regime shifts is paramount. As part of an ecological...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Nathan R. De Jager, Jeffrey N. Houser
Data-driven modeling of wind waves in upper Delaware Bay with living shorelines Data-driven modeling of wind waves in upper Delaware Bay with living shorelines
Living shoreline projects have been built to preserve coastal ecosystems under future climate change and sea level rise. To quantify the wave power variation across living shorelines, the wave characteristics around the constructed oyster reefs (CORs) in upper Delaware Bay were investigated in this study. Wave parameters seaward and shoreward of CORs were recorded by wave gauges in early...
Authors
Nan Wang, Q. Chen, Ling Zhu, Hongqing Wang
Assessing wave attenuation with rising sea levels for sustainable oyster reef-based living shorelines Assessing wave attenuation with rising sea levels for sustainable oyster reef-based living shorelines
In densely populated coastal areas with sea-level rise (SLR), protecting the shorelines against erosion due to the wave impact is crucial. Along with many engineered structures like seawalls and breakwaters, there are also green structures like constructed oyster reefs (CORs) that can not only attenuate the incident waves but also grow and maintain pace with SLR. However, there is a lack...
Authors
Reza Salatin, Hongqing Wang, Q. Chen, Ling Zhu
Hidden in plain sight: Migration routes of the elusive Anadyr bar-tailed godwit revealed by satellite tracking Hidden in plain sight: Migration routes of the elusive Anadyr bar-tailed godwit revealed by satellite tracking
Satellite and GPS tracking technology continues to reveal new migration patterns of birds which enables comparative studies of migration strategies and distributional information useful in conservation. Bar-tailed godwits in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Limosa lapponica baueri and L. l. menzbieri are known for their long non-stop flights, however these populations are in steep...
Authors
Ying-Chi Chan, T. Lee Tibbitts, Dmitry Dorofeev, Chris J. Hassell, Theunis Piersma
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI): An emerging disease threat in North America Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI): An emerging disease threat in North America
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is an ecologically and economically significant avian disease that is quickly spreading among wild and domestic birds throughout North America. In this blog post, we provide information and resources that can help you to be informed, be prepared, and be ready to take appropriate action should you observe wild birds that may be affected by HPAI.
Authors
Andrew M. Ramey, Colleen M. Handel
Reference values and comparison of blood chemistry and plasma protein values between gold standard analyzers and four point-of-care devices in free-ranging canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) Reference values and comparison of blood chemistry and plasma protein values between gold standard analyzers and four point-of-care devices in free-ranging canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria)
Accurate, timely, and cost-effective blood chemistry analysis is an essential tool for directing emergency treatment, monitoring the health status of captive and free-ranging individuals and flocks, and improving the efficacy of conservation actions. Blood samples were obtained from 52 canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) that were captured on San Francisco Bay, California, during December...
Authors
Nancy L. Anderson, Susan E.W. De La Cruz, Maris Brenn-White, Greg Frankfurter, Michael H. Ziccardi, Beatriz Martinez-Lopez