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
Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi (Valley Gartersnake). Coloration. Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi (Valley Gartersnake). Coloration.
During surveys for Thamnophis gigas (Giant Gartersnake), I observed an adult T. sirtalis fitchi with unusual coloration— a yellow-cream background color with some typical red coloration laterally, but with very minimal amounts of the dark slate-black (along the sides of the yellow dorsal stripe and on top of the head) that normally predominates in this subspecies (Fig. 1; LACM [Natural...
Authors
Alexandria M. Fulton
Flood effects on soil thermal regimes in contrasting cold‐desert river floodplains (Yampa and Green rivers, Colorado) Flood effects on soil thermal regimes in contrasting cold‐desert river floodplains (Yampa and Green rivers, Colorado)
Heat transfer theory suggests that floodplain soils in dryland riverine ecosystems can be cooled by hyporheic flows generated during spring floods. I compared soil temperature cycles and associated hydrologic factors on a free‐flowing river to those on a river where flows and surface water temperatures are now regulated. Spring surface water temperatures were comparable on the 2 rivers...
Authors
Douglas C. Andersen
A multi-species synthesis of satellite telemetry data in the Pacific Arctic (1987–2015): Overlap of marine mammal distributions and core use areas A multi-species synthesis of satellite telemetry data in the Pacific Arctic (1987–2015): Overlap of marine mammal distributions and core use areas
We collated available satellite telemetry data for six species of ice-associated marine mammals in the Pacific Arctic: ringed seals (Pusa hispida; n = 118), bearded seals(Erignathus barbatus, n = 51), spotted seals (Phoca largha, n = 72), Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens, n = 389); bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus, n = 46), and five Arctic and sub-arctic stocks of beluga...
Authors
John J. Citta, Lloyd F. Lowry, Lori T. Quakenbush, Brendan P. Kelly, Anthony S. Fischbach, Josh M. London, Chadwick V. Jay, Kathryn J. Frost, Gregory O’Corry Crowe, Justin A. Crawford, Peter L. Boveng, Michael Cameron, Andrew L. Von Duyke, Mark Nelson, Lois A. Harwood, Pierre Richard, Robert Suydam, Mads Peter Heide-Jorgensen, Roderick C. Hobbs, Dennis I. Litovka, Marianne Marcoux, Alex Whiting, Amy S. Kennedy, John C. George, Jack Orr, Tom Gray
Wildland–urban interface residents’ relationships with wildfire: Variation within and across communities Wildland–urban interface residents’ relationships with wildfire: Variation within and across communities
Social science offers rich descriptions of relationships between wildland–urban interface residents and wildfire, but syntheses across different contexts might gloss over important differences. We investigate the potential extent of such differences using data collected consistently in sixty-eight Colorado communities and hierarchical modeling. We find substantial variation across...
Authors
James Meldrum, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Patricia A. Champ, Lilia C. Falk, Pamela Wilson, Christopher M. Barth
Actinemys marmorata (Western Pond Turtle): Suspected predation/scavenging Actinemys marmorata (Western Pond Turtle): Suspected predation/scavenging
No abstract available.
Authors
Mickey Agha, Brian D. Todd, Shannon Skalos, Matthew J. Falcon, Michael L. Casazza, Olivia Wang
Estimating freshwater productivity, overwinter survival, and migration patterns of Klamath River Coho Salmon Estimating freshwater productivity, overwinter survival, and migration patterns of Klamath River Coho Salmon
An area of great importance to resource management and conservation biology in the Klamath Basin is balancing water usage against the life history requirements of threatened Coho Salmon. One tool for addressing this topic is a freshwater dynamics model to forecast Coho Salmon productivity based on environmental inputs. Constructing such a forecasting tool requires local data to quantify...
Authors
Christopher V. Manhard, Nicholas A. Som, Russell W. Perry, Jimmy Faukner, Toz Soto
Trophic compression of lake food webs under hydrologic disturbance Trophic compression of lake food webs under hydrologic disturbance
The need to protect biostructure is increasingly recognized, yet empirical studies of how human exploits affect ecological networks are rare. Studying the effects of variation in human disturbance intensity from decades past can help us understand and anticipate ecosystem change under alleviated or amplified disturbance over decades to come. Here, we use stable isotopes and an innovative
Authors
Adam G. Hansen, Jennifer R. Gardner, Kristin A. Connelly, Matt Polacek, David A. Beauchamp
The utility of point count surveys to predict wildlife interactions with wind energy facilities: An example focused on golden eagles The utility of point count surveys to predict wildlife interactions with wind energy facilities: An example focused on golden eagles
Wind energy development is rapidly expanding in North America, often accompanied by requirements to survey potential facility locations for existing wildlife. Within the USA, golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) are among the most high-profile species of birds that are at risk from wind turbines. To minimize golden eagle fatalities in areas proposed for wind development, modified point...
Authors
Maitreyi Sur, James R. Belthoff, Emily R. Bjerre, Brian A. Millsap, Todd E. Katzner
Northern spotted owl habitat and populations: Status and threats Northern spotted owl habitat and populations: Status and threats
The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1990 (USFWS 1990). Providing adequate amounts of suitable forest cover to sustain the subspecies was a major component of the first recovery plan for northern spotted owls (USFWS 1992) and a driver in the basic reserve design and old-forest restoration under the Northwest...
Authors
Damon B. Lesmeister, Ramond J Davis, Peter H Singleton, David Wiens
Estimation of stream conditions in tributaries of the Klamath River, northern California Estimation of stream conditions in tributaries of the Klamath River, northern California
Because of their critical ecological role, stream temperature and discharge are requisite inputs for models of salmonid population dynamics. Coho Salmon inhabiting the Klamath Basin spend much of their freshwater life cycle inhabiting tributaries, but environmental data are often absent or only seasonally available at these locations. To address this information gap, we constructed daily...
Authors
Christopher V. Manhard, Nicholas A. Som, Edward C. Jones, Russell W. Perry
Ecological resilience indicators for mangrove ecosystems Ecological resilience indicators for mangrove ecosystems
Mangrove ecosystems are coastal wetland ecosystems dominated by mangrove species that are typically found in the intertidal zone, characterized by frequently flooded saline soil conditions. The majority of the approximately 500,000 acres of mangrove ecosystem in the United States occurs in the NGoM, and almost all of that is in Florida, with over 90 percent in the four southern counties...
Authors
Richard H. Day, Scott T. Allen, Jorge Brenner, Kathleen Goodin, Don Faber-Langendoen, Katherine Wirt Ames
Ecological resilience indicators for salt marsh ecosystems Ecological resilience indicators for salt marsh ecosystems
Salt marshes are coastal ecosystems within the intertidal zone, characterized by hypoxic, saline, soil conditions and low biodiversity. Low diversity arises from frequent disturbance and stressful conditions (i.e., high salinity and hypoxia), where vegetative reproduction and low competition result in mostly monotypic stands, with some differences in plant community influenced by...
Authors
Scott T. Allen, Camille L. Stagg, Jorge Brenner, Kathleen L. Goodin, Don Faber-Langendoen, Christopher A. Gabler, Katherine Wirt Ames