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: 42702
Effects of elk and bison herbivory on narrowleaf cottonwood Effects of elk and bison herbivory on narrowleaf cottonwood
Ungulate browsing influences the structure and composition of woody plant communities, including species composition and biomass production as well as age distribution, recruitment, and mortality. We evaluated effects of elk and bison herbivory on narrowleaf cottonwood (Populus angustifolia) communities in a semiarid ecosystem in southern Colorado. Cottonwoods in this ecosystem have been...
Authors
Linda C. Zeigenfuss, Kathryn A. Schoenecker
Land conversion and pesticide use degrade forage areas for honey bees in America’s beekeeping epicenter Land conversion and pesticide use degrade forage areas for honey bees in America’s beekeeping epicenter
A diverse range of threats have been associated with managed bee declines globally. Recent increases of two known threats, land-use change and pesticide use, have resulted from agricultural expansion and intensification notably in the top honey producing state in the United States (U.S.): North Dakota. This study investigated the dual threat from land conversion and pesticide use...
Authors
Dan J. Dixon, Haochi Zheng, Clint Otto
Demographic responses to density-dependence by two populations of the Florida Tree Snail, Liguus fasciatus (Gastropoda: Orthalicidae), in Everglades National Park Demographic responses to density-dependence by two populations of the Florida Tree Snail, Liguus fasciatus (Gastropoda: Orthalicidae), in Everglades National Park
During May-October 1996, we captured and individually marked and released Florida Tree Snails, Liguus fasciatus, from two sites, a subclimax hammock and a large isolated wild tamarind tree, in the Long Pine Key region of Everglades National Park. Populations shared the same two dominant morphs, castaneozonatus and. cingulatus, both of which are strong colonizers. Monthly survivorship...
Authors
Walter E. Meshaka, Kenneth G. Rice, Oron L. Bass, Hardin Waddle
Species and population specific gene expression in blood transcriptomes of marine turtles Species and population specific gene expression in blood transcriptomes of marine turtles
Background Transcriptomic data has demonstrated utility to advance the study of physiological diversity and organisms’ responses to environmental stressors. However, a lack of genomic resources and challenges associated with collecting high-quality RNA can limit its application for many wild populations. Minimally invasive blood sampling combined with de novo transcriptomic approaches...
Authors
Shreya M. Banjeree, Jamie Adkins Stoll, Camryn D. Allen, Jennifer M. Lynch, Heather S. Harris, Lauren Kenyon, Richard E. Connon, Eleanor J. Sterling, Eugenia Naro-Maciel, Kathryn McFadden, Margaret Lamont, James Benge, Nadia B. Fernandez, Jeffrey A. Seminoff, Scott R. Benson, Rebecca L. Lewison, Tomoharu Eguchi, Tammy M. Summers, Jessy R. Hapdei, Marc R. Rice, Summer Martin, T. Todd Jones, Peter H. Dutton, George H. Balazs, Lisa M. Komoroske
Trophic transfer efficiency in the Lake Superior food web: Assessing the impacts of non-native species Trophic transfer efficiency in the Lake Superior food web: Assessing the impacts of non-native species
Ecosystem-based management relies on understanding how perturbations influence ecosystem structure and function (e.g., invasive species, exploitation, abiotic changes). However, data on unimpacted systems are scarce; therefore, we often rely on impacted systems to make inferences about ‘natural states.’ Among the Laurentian Great Lakes, Lake Superior provides a unique case study to...
Authors
Bryan G. Mathias, Thomas R. Hrabik, Joel C. Hoffman, Owen Gorman, Michael J. Seider, Michael E. Sierszen, Mark Vinson, Daniel L. Yule, Peder M. Yurista
Dynamic landscapes in northwestern North America structured populations of wolverines (Gulo gulo) Dynamic landscapes in northwestern North America structured populations of wolverines (Gulo gulo)
Cyclic climatic and glacial fluctuations of the Late Quaternary produced a dynamic biogeographic history for high latitudes. To refine our understanding of this history in northwestern North America, we explored geographic structure in a wide-ranging carnivore, the wolverine (Gulo gulo). We examined genetic variation in populations across mainland Alaska, coastal Southeast Alaska, and...
Authors
Dianna M Krejsa, Sandra L. Talbot, George K. Sage, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Thomas S Jung, Audrey J Magoun, Joseph A. Cook
Intensity of grass invasion negatively correlated with population density and age structure of an endangered dune plant across its range Intensity of grass invasion negatively correlated with population density and age structure of an endangered dune plant across its range
Invasive species are a global threat to ecosystem biodiversity and function; non-native grass invasion has been particularly problematic in sparsely vegetated ecosystems such as open dunes. Native plant population responses to invasion, however, are infrequently translated to landscape scales, limiting the effectiveness of these data for addressing conservation issues. We quantified...
Authors
Scott Jones, Anna Kennedy, Chase M. Freeman, Karen M. Thorne
Cross-ecosystem fluxes of pesticides from prairie wetlands mediated by aquatic insect emergence: Implications for terrestrial insectivores Cross-ecosystem fluxes of pesticides from prairie wetlands mediated by aquatic insect emergence: Implications for terrestrial insectivores
Contaminants alter the quantity and quality of insect prey available to terrestrial insectivores. In agricultural regions, the quantity of aquatic insects emerging from freshwaters can be impacted by insecticides originating from surrounding croplands. We hypothesized that, in such regions, adult aquatic insects could also act as vectors of pesticide transfer to terrestrial food webs. To...
Authors
Johanna M. Kraus, Kathryn Kuivila, Michelle L. Hladik, Neil Shook, David M. Mushet, Kelen Dowdy, Rachel Harrington
Using uncrewed aerial vehicles for identifying the extent of invasive Phragmites australis in treatment areas enrolled in an adaptive management program Using uncrewed aerial vehicles for identifying the extent of invasive Phragmites australis in treatment areas enrolled in an adaptive management program
Higher spatial and temporal resolutions of remote sensing data are likely to be useful for ecological monitoring efforts. There are many different treatment approaches for the introduced European genotype of Phragmites australis, and adaptive management principles are being integrated in at least some long-term monitoring efforts. In this paper, we investigated how natural color and a...
Authors
Colin N. Brooks, Charlotte B. Weinstein, Andrew F. Poley, Amanda G. Grimm, Nicholas P. Marion, Laura Bourgeau-Chavez, Dana Hansen, Kurt P. Kowalski
A renewed philosophy about supplemental sea lamprey controls A renewed philosophy about supplemental sea lamprey controls
Invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) populations in the Laurentian Great Lakes have been reduced by up to 90% through the use of selective pesticides (lampricides) and physical sea lamprey barriers that block spawning migrations. Nevertheless, other control methods are needed to achieve integrated pest management objectives, delay biological resistance, and address societal pressure...
Authors
Michael J. Siefkes, Nicholas S. Johnson, Andrew M. Muir
The tundra phenology database: More than two decades of tundra phenology responses to climate change The tundra phenology database: More than two decades of tundra phenology responses to climate change
Observations of changes in phenology have provided some of the strongest signals of the effects of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems. The International Tundra Experiment (ITEX), initiated in the early 1990s, established a common protocol to measure plant phenology in tundra study areas across the globe. Today, this valuable collection of phenology measurements depicts the...
Authors
Janet S. Prevey, Sarah Claire Elmendorf, Anne Bjorkman, J. M. Alatalo, Isabel Ashton, Jakob J. Assmann, Robert G Bjork, Mats P. Bjorkman, Nicoletta Cannone, Michele Carbognani, Chelsea Chisholm, Karin Clark, Courtney G. Collins, Elisabeth J. Cooper, Bo Elberling, Esther R. Frei, Greg Henry, Robert D. Hollister, Toke Thomas Hoye, Ingibjorg Svala Jonsdottir, Jeffrey T. Kerby, Kari Klanderud, Christopher Kopp, Esther Levesque, Marguerite Mauritz, Ulf Molau, Isla H. Myers-Smith, Susan M. Natali, Steven F. Oberbauer, Zoe Panchen, Alessandro Petraglia, Eric Post, Christian Rixen, Heidi Rodenhizer, Sabine B. Rumpf, Niels Martin Schmidt, Ted Schuur, Philipp R. Semenchuk, Jane Griffin Smith, Katharine Suding, Ørjan Totland, Tiffany G. Troxler, Henrik Wahren, Jeffrey M. Welker, Sonja Wipf, Yue Yang
Great Lakes harmful algal blooms: Current knowledge gaps Great Lakes harmful algal blooms: Current knowledge gaps
Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) pose serious risks throughout the world to drinking water, recreation, and ecosystem health. The Great Lakes, which contain nearly 20% of the world’s available surface freshwater, have been experiencing an increase in HABs since the 1990s. Knowledge gaps relating to HABs remain even after extensive and ongoing research efforts. These knowledge gaps...
Authors
Gregory L. Boyer, Mary Anne Evans, Timothy Maguire, Silvia Newell, Heather Raymond, Dale M. Robertson, Katie Stammler, Nicole Zacharda, Kenneth J. Gibbons