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: 42710
Dynamic riskscapes for prey: Disentangling the impact of human and cougar presence on deer behavior using GPS smartphone locations Dynamic riskscapes for prey: Disentangling the impact of human and cougar presence on deer behavior using GPS smartphone locations
Prey species adjust their behavior along human-use gradients by balancing risks from predators and humans. During hunting seasons, prey often exhibit strong antipredator responses to humans but may develop tolerance in suburban areas to exploit human-mediated resources. Additionally, areas with high human activity may offer reduced predation risk if apex predators avoid such locations...
Authors
Heather Abernathy, Mark Dittmer, David Stoner, Kent Hersey, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Pat Jackson, Kristin Engebretsen, Julie Young, George Wittemyer
Practical genetic diversity protection: an accessible framework for IUCN subpopulation and Evolutionarily Significant Unit identification Practical genetic diversity protection: an accessible framework for IUCN subpopulation and Evolutionarily Significant Unit identification
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) sets global conservation standards, including the Red List of Threatened Species and the Green Status of Species. Recent analyses showed that genetic diversity has not been effectively considered by IUCN species assessments, despite being fundamental to species’ fitness and adaptive potential. Incorporation of genetic diversity...
Authors
Julia C. Geue, Laura D. Bertola, Paulette Bloomer, Anna Bruniche-Olsen, Jessica M. da Silva, J. Andrew DeWoody, Ancuta Fedorca, Jose A. Godoy, Catherine E. Grueber, Margaret Hunter, Christina Hvilsom, Isa-Rita M. Russo, Evelyn L. Jensen, Alexander Kopatz, Anna J. MacDonald, Silvia Pérez-Espona, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Jennifer C. Pierson, Helen Senn, Gernot Segelbacher, Paul Sunnucks, Cock van Oosterhout, Deborah M. Leigh
Tradeoffs and win-wins between large landscape conservation and wildlife viewing in protected areas Tradeoffs and win-wins between large landscape conservation and wildlife viewing in protected areas
Wildlife conservation around protected areas is critical and costly, yet its beneficiaries—particularly protected area visitors who enjoy viewing wide-ranging wildlife—rarely contribute towards landscape-scale conservation. We characterize the importance of wildlife viewing in two U.S. protected areas: Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. We surveyed park visitors (N = 991) and...
Authors
Hilary Byerly Flint, Aaron Joey Enriquez, Drew Bennett, Leslie Richardson, Arthur Middleton
Spatially explicit capture-mark-recapture to evaluate demographic status of the Louisiana black bear Spatially explicit capture-mark-recapture to evaluate demographic status of the Louisiana black bear
Louisiana black bears (Ursus americanus luteolus) occur in semi-isolated fragments of bottomland hardwood forest in the lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley and were listed as threatened under the United States Endangered Species Act in 1992. A population viability analysis based on radio-telemetry and capture-mark-recapture (CMR) data collected from 2002 to 2012 revealed that the...
Authors
Joseph D. Clark, Heidi L. Adams, Ben Augustine, John R. Berry, Dustin Champagne, Maria Davidson, John Hanks, Jared S. Laufenberg, Sean M. Murphy
Status and trends of the Lake Huron prey fish community, 1976-2024 Status and trends of the Lake Huron prey fish community, 1976-2024
The U. S. Geological Survey-Great Lakes Science Center has monitored annual changes in the offshore (depth > 9m) prey fish community of Lake Huron since 1973. Monitoring of prey fish populations in Lake Huron is based on a bottom trawl survey that targets demersal species (i.e., those predominantly or intermittently associated with the lake bottom) and an acoustic-midwater trawl survey...
Authors
Darryl W. Hondorp, Robin L. DeBruyne, Cory Brant, Peter C. Esselman, Timothy P. O’Brien
U.S. Geological Survey Colorado River Basin science and technology collaboration meetings on drought (2021)—Synthesis of findings U.S. Geological Survey Colorado River Basin science and technology collaboration meetings on drought (2021)—Synthesis of findings
Ongoing, prolonged, and severe drought and water overuse during the first two decades of the 21st century have reduced water supplies of the Colorado River Basin, with effects cascading to ecosystems and human communities throughout the basin. In June and July 2021, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Colorado River Basin Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and Technology...
Authors
Adrian Pierre-Frederic Monroe, Jason S. Alexander, Eric D. Anderson, Patrick J. Anderson, William J. Andrews, Jessica M. Driscoll, Rebecca J. Frus, Joseph A. Hevesi, Daniel K. Jones, Kathryn A. Thomas, Anne C. Tillery, Alicia A. Torregrosa, Katharine G. Dahm
Monitoring recreation on federally managed lands and waters—Visitation estimation Monitoring recreation on federally managed lands and waters—Visitation estimation
Federally managed public lands and waters attract millions of visitors each year, generating significant economic benefits for surrounding communities. Accurate visitation data are crucial for guiding policy decisions and managing resources effectively. This report explores the methods employed by agencies to collect and use data on recreational visitation to Federal lands and waters...
Authors
Dieta Hanson, Emily J. Wilkins, Spencer H. Wood, Christian S.L. Crowley, Whitney Boone, Rudy Schuster
USGS critical minerals review USGS critical minerals review
No abstract available.
Authors
Graham W. Lederer, James V. Jones, Darcy McPhee, Patricia J Loferski, Robert R. Seal, Paul A. Bedrosian, Patricia Grace Macqueen, V. J. S. Grauch, Federico Solano, Joshua Mark Rosera, David George Pineault
2022–2024 Status and trends of the Palila (Loxioides bailleui) 2022–2024 Status and trends of the Palila (Loxioides bailleui)
Palila (Loxioides bailleui) are critically endangered Hawaiian honeycreepers specializing on the seedpods of māmane (Sophora chrysophylla) and restricted to Mauna Kea volcano on the Island of Hawaiʻi. A previous analysis of survey data estimated an 89% population decline between 1998 and 2021. Using the most recent annual survey data from 2022, 2023, and 2024, we report updated annual...
Authors
Noah Hunt, Chauncey K. Asing, Lindsey Nietmann, Paul C. Banko, Richard J. Camp
Trade-offs in designing a participatory acoustic study of bats: Comparison of user engagement and data quality between two ultrasonic detectors Trade-offs in designing a participatory acoustic study of bats: Comparison of user engagement and data quality between two ultrasonic detectors
Technology for the acoustic detection of animals has advanced rapidly over the past few decades. Due to ease of use, consistency, and safety, acoustic methods are particularly useful for science applications that engage the public. In this study, we evaluated the technological and educational trade-offs between 2 acoustic bat detectors in a participatory science application along the...
Authors
Anya Metcalfe, Theodore J. Weller, Carol Fritzinger, Brandon P. Holton, Theodore Kennedy
Vegetation community monitoring: Forest structure in Klamath Network parks Vegetation community monitoring: Forest structure in Klamath Network parks
The Klamath Network, comprising six national park units in northern California and southern Oregon, initiated a vegetation monitoring protocol in 2011 to discern ecologically significant vegetation trends in these parks. The premise of the protocol is that multivariate analyses of species composition data is the most robust means for early detection of vegetation change over time. Here...
Authors
Sean Smith, Lauren N. Youngblood, Micah Wright, Phillip J. van Mantgem
Cgsim: An R package for simulation of population genetics for conservation and management applications Cgsim: An R package for simulation of population genetics for conservation and management applications
Wildlife conservation and management increasingly considers genetic information to plan, understand and evaluate implemented population interventions. These actions commonly include conservation translocation and population reductions through removals. Change in genetic variation in response to management actions can be unintuitive due to the influence of multiple interacting drivers (e...
Authors
Shawna J Zimmerman, Sara J. Oyler-McCance