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
Fisheries dependent and independent data inform a capture technique for an emerging invasive fish species in the mainstem Mississippi River; Black Carp Mylopharyngodon piceus Fisheries dependent and independent data inform a capture technique for an emerging invasive fish species in the mainstem Mississippi River; Black Carp Mylopharyngodon piceus
Black Carp Mylopharyngodon piceus were imported into the United States in the 1970s and 1980s for use in aquaculture; escape occurred and reported wild captures increased. Lacking species-specific capture methods, we assessed fisheries dependent incidental Black Carp catches for a common method, hoop nets, by kernel density analysis to identify an area of increased reporting and compare...
Authors
Patrick Kroboth, Michael E. Colvin, Courtney Broaddus
Integrating climate change, biological invasions, and infectious wildlife diseases Integrating climate change, biological invasions, and infectious wildlife diseases
Climate change is likely to affect infectious diseases that are facilitated by biological invasions, with repercussions for wildlife conservation and zoonotic risks. Current invasion management and policy are underprepared for the future risks associated with such invasion-related wildlife diseases. By considering evidence from bioclimatology, invasion biology, and disease research, we...
Authors
David W. Thieltges, David B. Conn, Ross N. Cuthbert, Alison M. Dunn, Rosa Jolma, M. Camille Hopkins, Volodimir Sarabeev, Sander Smolders, Carol A. Stepien, K. Mathias Wegner, Patrick M. Kocovsky
Seasonal movements and demographics of the endangered White River Spinedace to inform restoration and translocation Seasonal movements and demographics of the endangered White River Spinedace to inform restoration and translocation
Objective Translocation is a tool being explored to restart extirpated populations or facilitate new populations of endangered spring-dependent fish populations. Our objective was to provide information on habitat requirements for endangered White River Spinedace Lepidomeda albivallis during all seasons of the year and the population demographics that are necessary to plan conservation
Authors
Summer M. Burdick, James F. Harter, Mark Beckstrand, Rachael Katelyn Paul-Wilson, Brian S. Hayes, Russell W. Perry, Collin D. Smith
Editorial: Parasite, host, and microbiome interactions in natural host systems Editorial: Parasite, host, and microbiome interactions in natural host systems
No abstract available.
Authors
Claire E. Couch, Raquel Xavier, Brianna R. Beechler
Regional patterns in U.S. wildfire activity: The critical role of ignition sources Regional patterns in U.S. wildfire activity: The critical role of ignition sources
As extreme wildfires increase globally, understanding their causes is critical for effective management. While climate and housing growth are commonly linked to rising fire activity, the role of specific ignition sources—particularly human-caused—remains understudied. Analyzing a 79-year dataset (1940–2019) from U.S. Forest Service regions across the continental United States, we found...
Authors
Alexandra D. Syphard, Jon E. Keeley, Erin Conlisk, Mike Gough
Causal effects verses causal mechanisms: Two traditions with different requirements and contributions towards causal understanding Causal effects verses causal mechanisms: Two traditions with different requirements and contributions towards causal understanding
The scientific aspiration of building causal knowledge has received little explicit discussion in ecology despite its fundamental importance. When methods are described as ‘causal’, emphasis is increasingly placed on statistical techniques for isolating associations so as to quantify causal effects. In contrast, natural scientists have historically approached the pursuit of causal...
Authors
James Grace, Nick Huntington-Klein, E. William Schweiger, Melinda Martinez, Michael Osland, Laura C. Feher, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Karen M. Thorne
USGS Environmental Health Program—Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) science activities [postcard] USGS Environmental Health Program—Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) science activities [postcard]
Introduction The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Environmental Health Program conducts various activities related to PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) to understand their impacts on human health and the environment. Through these activities, the program aims to provide critical information and resources to address the challenges posed by PFAS contamination.
Authors
Deborah D. Iwanowicz
Using DNA barcoding to evaluate freshwater mussel and fish-host relationships in the Flint River (Georgia, USA) Using DNA barcoding to evaluate freshwater mussel and fish-host relationships in the Flint River (Georgia, USA)
Freshwater mussels have a unique life history in which larval mussels (glochidia) act as obligate parasites to fish hosts. Host selectivity may be species specific, and identification of host fish is a critical step in conservation planning for individual mussel species. The Flint River harbors ~23% of the freshwater mussel (order Unionida) diversity in the state of Georgia, USA. Nine...
Authors
Hayley A. Robinson, John P. Wares, Gail M. Cowie, Shayla D. Williams, Ben F Scott, Matthew T. Rowe, Nathan Johnson, Peter D. Hazelton
Invasive African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) in Washington State: Status, response efforts, and lessons learned Invasive African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) in Washington State: Status, response efforts, and lessons learned
The African clawed frog (ACF, Xenopus laevis), which is indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa, is an aquatic invasive species known to have severe ecological impacts on native fauna when introduced into non-endemic regions. In 2015, ACFs were detected in Washington State, U.S. for the first time, and the species is now documented at three cities across western Washington: Lacey, Bothell, and...
Authors
Eveline J. Emmenegger, Rebecca A. Lavier, Emily J. Struck, Vasilisa P. Tyurina, Evan A. Eskew, Megan R. Friesen, Mark A. Taylor, Emma K. Bueren, David R. Kyle, Jesse M. Schultz, Allen Pleus, Richard H. Visser, Reed Ojala-Barbour, Christoper D. Anderson, Jeffrey S. Jensen, Martha Keller, Thomas S. Jenkinson, Katherine H. Haman, Tony R. Capps, Kenneth I. Warheit, Timothy Quinn, Justin Bush, Max R. Lambert
Object detection-assisted workflow facilitates cryptic snake monitoring Object detection-assisted workflow facilitates cryptic snake monitoring
Camera traps are an important tool used to study rare and cryptic animals, including snakes. Time-lapse photography can be particularly useful for studying snakes that often fail to trigger a camera's infrared motion sensor due to their ectothermic nature. However, the large datasets produced by time-lapse photography require labor-intensive classification, limiting their use in large...
Authors
Storm Miller, Michael Kirkland, Kristen Hart, Robert A. McCleery
Cardiac and behavioral responses to chemical and electrical immobilization in Lake Trout Cardiac and behavioral responses to chemical and electrical immobilization in Lake Trout
Objective Immobilizing or anesthetizing fish is important for promoting fish welfare in numerous routine activities that involve handling. Electroanesthesia, an alternative to traditional chemical anesthetics, uses weak electrical current to immobilize fish while current is applied, resulting in near-immediate induction and recovery. The physiological effects of electroanesthesia appear...
Authors
Tyler Reid Funnell, Thomas R. Binder, Christopher S. Vandergoot
Satellite-based evidence of recent decline in global forest recovery rate from tree mortality events Satellite-based evidence of recent decline in global forest recovery rate from tree mortality events
Climate-driven forest mortality events have been extensively observed in recent decades, prompting the question of how quickly these affected forests can recover their functionality following such events. Here we assessed forest recovery in vegetation greenness (normalized difference vegetation index) and canopy water content (normalized difference infrared index) for 1,699 well...
Authors
Yuchao Yan, Songbai Hong, Anping Chen, Josep Peñuelas, Craig D. Allen, William M. Hammond, Seth M. Munson, Ranga B. Myneni, Shilong Piao