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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: 42675

GlASS - Global Aggregation of Stream Silica GlASS - Global Aggregation of Stream Silica

Riverine silicon (Si) plays a vital role in governing primary production, water quality, and carbon cycling. Climate and land cover change have altered how dissolved Si (DSi) is processed on land, transported to rivers, and cycled through aquatic ecosystems. The Global Aggregation of Stream Silica (GlASS) database was constructed to assess changes in river Si concentrations and fluxes...
Authors
Kathi Jankowski, Keira Johnson, Nicholas Lyon, Sidney Bush, Paul Julian, Lienne Sethna, Diane McKnight, William McDowell, Adam Wymore, Pirkko Kortelainen, Hjalmar Laudon, Ruth Heindel, Amanda Poste, Arial Shogren, Fred Worrall, Luke Mosley, Pamela Sullivan, Joanna Carey

Weather drivers of reproductive variability in perennial plants and their implications for climate change risks Weather drivers of reproductive variability in perennial plants and their implications for climate change risks

Seed production in perennial plants often shows strong year-to-year variation, a phenomenon known as masting. Masting is typically adaptive and driven by weather cues that synchronize reproduction by promoting or suppressing flowering and seed set. These cues, involving temperature, precipitation, and drought, differ across species and regions, yet a global synthesis is needed...
Authors
Valentin Journé, Dave Kelly, Andrew Hacket-Pain, Ian Pearse, Jakob Szymkiowak, Jessie Foest, Katarzyna Kondrat, Iris Oberklammer, Mario Pesendorfer, Akiko Satake, Michal Bogdziewicz

Challenges and opportunities in mitigating sarcoptic mange in wild South American camelids Challenges and opportunities in mitigating sarcoptic mange in wild South American camelids

Vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna) and guanacos (Lama guanicoe) are the two species of wild South American camelids whose distributions range from Peru to northern Argentina and southern Peru to southern Argentina, respectively. Listed as critically endangered in the 1960s due to poaching, vicuña numbers had been gradually recovering; however, new concerns about population stability have arisen...
Authors
Alynn Martin, Emiliana Isasi-Catalá, Marilia Salgado-Caxito, Ana Gallegos, Leonardo Hostos-Olivera, Paulo Colchao-Claux, Steven Smith, Fabian Beltran-Saavedra, Catherine Dougnac, Camila Germana, Mariana Montoya, Scott Carver, Paul C. Cross, Chris Walzer

Advancing climate adaptation for inland fish and fisheries Advancing climate adaptation for inland fish and fisheries

Climate change was barely a blip on the radar for inland fisheries management 20 years ago. Today, it's a central focus. A 2016 paper helped shift conversations, sparked adaptation efforts across fisheries management. The future is still uncertain, but adaptation is key to sustaining these important resources.
Authors
Abigail Lynch, T. Douglas Beard, Craig Paukert

Do bighorn sheep use desert tortoise burrow spoil piles as mineral licks in southern California? Do bighorn sheep use desert tortoise burrow spoil piles as mineral licks in southern California?

In a previous study, bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) were periodically photographed by trail cameras when they visited desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) burrows in the San Bernardino Mountains near Palm Springs, California, USA. The authors suggested that bighorn sheep may utilize the excavated spoil material from burrows as a mineral lick. To test that supposition, we collected soil...
Authors
Jeffrey Lovich, Danielle Cleveland, Charles Yackulic, Kristy Cummings, Michele Puffer, Molly Bechtel, Christopher Tracy, William Hoese, Gerardo Avila, Megan Peukert, Samantha Hubbard

Tracing invasion routes of Cuban treefrogs into Louisiana using mitochondrial DNA Tracing invasion routes of Cuban treefrogs into Louisiana using mitochondrial DNA

Understanding the origin and spread of invasive species is critical for predicting when and where new introductions will establish, and impact native species. However, due to the complexity of contributing factors such as multiple introductions, dispersal method, genetic admixture in founding populations, and variable propagule pressure, genetic patterns observed in invasive species may...
Authors
Erin Brosnan, Karen Paniagua Torres, Katerine Martin, Matthew Atkinson, Brad Glorioso, Hardin Waddle, Robert Mendyk, Anna Savage

Quantifying benthic flux of Mysis biomass through diel vertical migration at the ecosystem scale Quantifying benthic flux of Mysis biomass through diel vertical migration at the ecosystem scale

Mysis diluviana is a macroinvertebrate that couples benthic and pelagic habitats on a daily timescale through diel vertical migration (DVM). However, quantifying how much Mysis biomass is exchanged between benthic and pelagic habitats at an ecosystem scale is difficult because of sampling limitations and variability in Mysis DVM behavior related to light and depth. Although Mysis are...
Authors
Brian O’Malley, Georgia Hoffman, Rosaura Chapina, Jason Stockwell, Collin Farrell

Re-oligotrophy in the Upper Mississippi River, USA, occurred in just a few years Re-oligotrophy in the Upper Mississippi River, USA, occurred in just a few years

Ecological systems can undergo large changes and regime shifts that are either catastrophic, neutral, or desirable. Rivers worldwide have recently undergone desirable regime shifts related to re-oligotrophy, which is a notable and ongoing reduction in concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS), total N, total P, or phytoplankton. For example, the Upper Mississippi River, USA, has...
Authors
Killian Davis, Wako Bungula, Danelle Larson

Variation in detection distance of Eastern Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis) vocalizations by autonomous recording units Variation in detection distance of Eastern Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis) vocalizations by autonomous recording units

Autonomous recording units (ARUs) are an emerging technology that allows for passive monitoring of soniferous animals and soundscapes. Over the past decade, ARUs have become a popular tool for monitoring birds for their potential to reduce the labor and costs of traditional in-person sampling procedures. However, uncertainty surrounding factors affecting detection of avian taxa using...
Authors
Blake Lamb, Heather Levy, Elizabeth Beilke, Chelsea Kross, Peter Kappes, Matt Sukiennik, James Cox, Jennifer Wilson, Jarrett Woodrow, Matthew Butler, Theodore Zenzal, Auriel Fournier, Mark Woodrey

Lake depth and light conditions alter Mysis vertical distributions Lake depth and light conditions alter Mysis vertical distributions

Light regulates the vertical migration of many aquatic organisms. Mysis species couple pelagic and benthic habitats in lakes by diel vertical migrations (DVM), transporting energy and nutrients through the water column and food web. Although Mysis are generally assumed to remain on the bottom during the day, some have been observed in the pelagic zone during the day, indicating...
Authors
Rosaura Chapina, Brian O’Malley, Kelly Bowen, Martta Viljanen, Zachary Bess, Daniel Yule, Jens Nejstgaard, Stella Berger, Michael Rennie, Michael Paterson, Steven Pothoven, James Watkins, Lars Rudstam, Sudeep Chandra, Jason Stockwell

Exploring the exploitation of migratory moths by radio-marked grizzly bears in Wyoming Exploring the exploitation of migratory moths by radio-marked grizzly bears in Wyoming

Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) feeding on migratory army cutworm moths (Euxoa auxiliaris) was first documented by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) during the early 1980s in the southeastern portion of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Since those initial observations, use of this seasonally available food resource by grizzly bears has grown substantially. As of 2023...
Authors
Justin Clapp, Mark Haroldson, Justin Dellinger, Daniel D. Bjornlie, Daniel Thomposon, Frank van Manen

Does tidal marsh restoration lead to the recovery of trophic pathways that support estuarine fishes? Does tidal marsh restoration lead to the recovery of trophic pathways that support estuarine fishes?

Evaluation of tidal marsh restoration success is typically based on the recovery of habitat size and target species. However, food-web structure may provide valuable insight into ecosystem functioning trajectories. Here, we studied restored tidal marshes of different ages (new, young, old; spanning 1–150 years) in comparison with nearby reference sites along the San Francisco Estuary. We...
Authors
Megan Pagliaro, Susan De La Cruz, Isa Woo, Jake Sousa, Natalie Rich, Lenny Grimaldo, Denise Colombano, Albert Ruhí
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