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: 42704
A bioassay assessment of a zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) eradication treatment A bioassay assessment of a zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) eradication treatment
Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha, Pallas, 1771) are an aquatic invasive species in the United States, and new infestations of zebra mussels can rapidly expand into dense colonies. Zebra mussels were first reported in Marion Lake, Dakota County, Minnesota, in September 2017, and surveys indicated the infestation was likely isolated near a public boat access. A 2.4-hectare area...
Authors
Matthew Barbour, Jeremy K. Wise, James A. Luoma
Identifying optimal hauling densities for adult Chinook Salmon trap and haul operations Identifying optimal hauling densities for adult Chinook Salmon trap and haul operations
Trap and haul programs are used to conserve fish populations by circumventing high mortality locations or events, and enhancing population abundance by reintroducing fish to historical habitats and mitigating for fish passage limitations. Spring run Chinook Salmon are transported in trucks upstream of barrier dams in Willamette River Tributaries as part of fish conservation efforts. Fish
Authors
Michael Colvin, James Peterson, Cameron Sharpe, Michael L. Kent, Carl B. Schreck
Characterizing residence patterns of North Atlantic right whales in the southeastern U.S. with a multistate open robust design model Characterizing residence patterns of North Atlantic right whales in the southeastern U.S. with a multistate open robust design model
Effective conservation of endangered North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) requires information about their spatio-temporal distribution. Understanding temporal distribution is particularly important, because a portion of the population migrates between high latitude summer feeding grounds off the northeastern U.S. and Canadian Maritimes coasts and lower latitude calving and...
Authors
A.M. Krystan, T.A. Gowan, William L. Kendall, Julien Martin, J.G. Ortega-Ortiz, K.B. Jackson, A.R. Knowlton, P. Naessig, M. Zani, D.W. Schulte, C.R. Taylor
Exclusion of small mammals and lagomorphs invasion interact with human-trampling to drive changes in topsoil microbial community structure and function in semiarid Chile Exclusion of small mammals and lagomorphs invasion interact with human-trampling to drive changes in topsoil microbial community structure and function in semiarid Chile
Species losses and additions can disrupt the relationship between resident species and the structure and functioning of ecosystems. Persistent human-trampling, on the other hand, can have similar effects through the disruption of biocrusts on surface soils of semiarid systems, affecting soil stability and fixation of carbon and nitrogen. Here, we tested the interactive and synergistic...
Authors
Fernando D. Alfaro, Marlene Manzano, Sebastian Abades, Nicole Trefault, Rodrigo de la Iglesia, Aurora Gaxiola, Pablo A. Marquet, Julio R. Gutierrez, Peter L. Meserve, Douglas A. Kelt, Jayne Belnap, Juan J. Armesto
Designing a protected area to safeguard imperiled species from urbanization Designing a protected area to safeguard imperiled species from urbanization
Reserve design is a process that can address ecological, social, and political factors to identify parcels of land needed to sustain wildlife populations and other natural resources. Acquisition of parcels for a large terrestrial reserve is difficult because it typically occurs over a long timeframe and thus invokes consideration of future conditions such as climate and urbanization...
Authors
Stephanie S. Romanach, Bradley Stith, Fred A. Johnson
Hierarchical patch delineation in fragmented landscapes Hierarchical patch delineation in fragmented landscapes
Purpose We developed a tool, FragPatch (FP), to delineate habitat patches for highly fragmented landscapes from a user-defined suitability map and two landscape perception values for a species of interest. Methods We wrote a Python script in ArcGIS to delineate habitat patch networks using the user inputs and ArcGIS tools such as Euclidean distance, focal maximum, and reclassify. We...
Authors
Chellby R. Kilheffer, H. Brian Underwood
Life history characteristics may be as important as climate projections for defining range shifts: An example for common tree species in the intermountain western US Life history characteristics may be as important as climate projections for defining range shifts: An example for common tree species in the intermountain western US
Aim Predictions of future suitable habitat for plant species with climate change are known to be affected by uncertainty associated with statistical approaches, climate models and occurrence records. However, life history characteristics related to dispersal and establishment processes as well as sensitivity to barriers created by land‐use may also play important roles in shaping future
Authors
Stella M. Copeland, John B. Bradford, Michael C. Duniway, Bradley J. Butterfield
STEPWAT2: An individual‐based model for exploring the impact of climate and disturbance on dryland plant communities STEPWAT2: An individual‐based model for exploring the impact of climate and disturbance on dryland plant communities
The combination of climate change and altered disturbance regimes is directly and indirectly affecting plant communities by mediating competitive interactions, resulting in shifts in species composition and abundance. Dryland plant communities, defined by low soil water availability and highly variable climatic regimes, are particularly vulnerable to climatic changes that exceed their...
Authors
Kyle A. Palmquist, John B. Bradford, Trace E. Martin, Daniel R. Schlaepfer, William K. Lauenroth
Increasing connectivity between metapopulation ecology and landscape ecology Increasing connectivity between metapopulation ecology and landscape ecology
Metapopulation ecology and landscape ecology aim to understand how spatial structure influences ecological processes, yet these disciplines address the problem using fundamentally different modeling approaches. Metapopulation models describe how the spatial distribution of patches affects colonization and extinction, but often do not account for the heterogeneity in the landscape between...
Authors
Paige E. Howell, Erin L. Muths, Blake Hossack, Brent Sigafus, Richard Chandler
Amendments fail to hasten biocrust recovery or soil stability at a disturbed dryland sandy site Amendments fail to hasten biocrust recovery or soil stability at a disturbed dryland sandy site
In most drylands, biological soil crusts (biocrusts), an assemblage of lichens, bryophytes, fungi, green algae, and cyanobacteria, are critical to healthy ecosystem function. However, they are extremely sensitive to disturbance and attempts to facilitate their recovery have had variable success. In this study, we applied soil amendments designed to improve soil surface stability and...
Authors
David G. Chandler, Natalie K. Day, Matthew D. Madsen, Jayne Belnap
Biocrusts: The living skin of the Earth Biocrusts: The living skin of the Earth
Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) form a “living skin” at the soil surface in many low productivity ecosystems around the world including water- and cold-limited environments, and early successional seres (Belnap et al. 2003). They may be composed of any configuration of soil surface-dwelling cyanobacteria, eukaryotic algae, lichens, mosses or liverworts, and support assemblages of...
Authors
Matthew A. Bowker, Sasha C. Reed, Fernando T. Maestre, David J. Eldridge
Beyond traditional ecological restoration on the Colorado Plateau Beyond traditional ecological restoration on the Colorado Plateau
The Colorado Plateau is one of North America's five major deserts, encompassing 340,000 km2 of the western U.S., and offering many opportunities for restoration relevant to researchers and land managers in drylands around the globe. The Colorado Plateau is comprised of vast tracts of public land managed by local, state, and federal agencies that oversee a wide range of activities (e.g...
Authors
Daniel E. Winkler, Dana M. Backer, Jayne Belnap, John B. Bradford, Bradley J. Butterfield, Stella M. Copeland, Michael C. Duniway, Akasha M. Faist, Stephen E. Fick, Scott L. Jensen, Andrea T. Kramer, Rebecca Mann, Robert Massatti, Molly L. McCormick, Seth M. Munson, Peggy Olwell, Steve D. Parr, Alix Pfennigwerth, Adrienne M. Pilmanis, Bryce A. Richardson, Ella Samuel, Kathy See, Kristina E. Young, Sasha C. Reed