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: 42874
Assessment of trace element accumulation by earthworms in an orchard soil remediation study using soil amendments Assessment of trace element accumulation by earthworms in an orchard soil remediation study using soil amendments
This study assessed potential bioaccumulation of various trace elements in grasses and earthworms as a consequence of soil incorporation of organic amendments for in situ remediation of an orchard field soil contaminated with organochlorine and Pb pesticide residues. In this experiment, four organic amendments of differing total organic carbon content and quality (two types of composted...
Authors
Tiziana Centofantia, Rufus L. Chaney, W. Nelson Beyer, Laura L. McConnell, A. P. Davis, Dana Jackson
Anti-dog IgG secondary antibody successfully detects IgG in a variety of aquatic mammals Anti-dog IgG secondary antibody successfully detects IgG in a variety of aquatic mammals
Serological tests play an important role in the detection of wildlife diseases. However, while there are many commercial assays and reagents available for domestic species, there is a need to develop efficient serological assays for wildlife. In recent years, marine mammals have represented a wildlife group with emerging infectious diseases, such as influenza, brucellosis, and...
Authors
Katherine Roehl, Mark D. Jankowski, Erik K. Hofmeister
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) subsidize gray wolves (Canis lupus) during a moose (Alces americanus) decline: A case of apparent competition? White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) subsidize gray wolves (Canis lupus) during a moose (Alces americanus) decline: A case of apparent competition?
Moose (Alces americanus) in northeastern Minnesota have declined by 55% since 2006. Although the cause is unresolved, some studies have suggested that Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) contributed to the decline. After the Moose decline, wolves could either decline or switch prey. To determine which occurred in our study area, we compared winter wolf counts and summer diet before and after the...
Authors
Shannon Barber-Meyer, L. David Mech
Latent spatial models and sampling design for landscape genetics Latent spatial models and sampling design for landscape genetics
We propose a spatially-explicit approach for modeling genetic variation across space and illustrate how this approach can be used to optimize spatial prediction and sampling design for landscape genetic data. We propose a multinomial data model for categorical microsatellite allele data commonly used in landscape genetic studies, and introduce a latent spatial random effect to allow for...
Authors
Ephraim M. Hanks, Mevin Hooten, Steven T. Knick, Sara J. Oyler-McCance, Jennifer A. Fike, Todd B. Cross, Michael K. Schwartz
Development of a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle stock assessment model Development of a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle stock assessment model
We developed a Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) stock assessment model to evaluate the relative contributions of conservation efforts and other factors toward this critically endangered species’ recovery. The Kemp’s ridley demographic model developed by the Turtle Expert Working Group (TEWG) in 1998 and 2000 and updated for the binational recovery plan in 2011 was modified for use as...
Authors
Benny J. Gallaway, William Gazey, Charles W. Caillouet, Pamela T. Plotkin, F. Alberto Abreu Grobois, Anthony F. Amos, Patrick M. Burchfield, Raymond R. Carthy, Marco A. Castro Martinez, John G. Cole, Andrew T. Coleman, Melissa Cook, Steven F. DiMarco, Sheryan P. Epperly, Masami Fujiwara, Daniel Gomez Gamez, Gary L. Graham, Wade L. Griffin, Francisco Illescas Martinez, Margaret M. Lamont, Rebecca L. Lewison, Kenneth J. Lohmann, James M. Nance, Jonathan Pitchford, Nathan Freeman Putman, Scott W. Raborn, Jeffrey K. Rester, Jack J. Rudloe, Laura Sarti Martinez, Mark Schexnayder, Jeffrey R. Schmid, Donna J. Shaver, Christopher Slay, Anton D. Tucker, Mandy Tumlin, Thane Wibbels, Blanca M. Zapata Najera
Genetic variation and structure in remnant population of critically endangered Melicope zahlbruckneri Genetic variation and structure in remnant population of critically endangered Melicope zahlbruckneri
The distribution and amount of genetic variation within and between populations of plant species are important for their adaptability to future habitat changes and also critical for their restoration and overall management. This study was initiated to assess the genetic status of the remnant population of Melicope zahlbruckneri–a critically endangered species in Hawaii, and determine the...
Authors
J. A. Raji, Carter T. Atkinson
Modeling the effects of land cover and use on landscape capability for urban ungulate populations Modeling the effects of land cover and use on landscape capability for urban ungulate populations
Expanding ungulate populations are causing concerns for wildlife professionals and residents in many urban areas worldwide. Nowhere is the phenomenon more apparent than in the eastern US, where urban white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations are increasing. Most habitat suitability models for deer have been developed in rural areas and across large (>1000 km2) spatial...
Authors
H. Brian Underwood, Chellby R. Kilheffer
Nitrapyrin in streams: The first study documenting off-field transport of a nitrogen stabilizer compound Nitrapyrin in streams: The first study documenting off-field transport of a nitrogen stabilizer compound
Nitrapyrin is a bactericide that is co-applied with fertilizer to prevent nitrification and enhance corn yields. While there have been studies of the environmental fate of nitrapyrin, there is no documentation of its off-field transport to streams. In 2016, 59 water samples from 11 streams across Iowa were analyzed for nitrapyrin and its degradate, 6-chloropicolinic acid (6-CPA), along...
Authors
Emily E. Woodward, Michelle Hladik, Dana W. Kolpin
Status of knowledge of the Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus Forbes and Richardson, 1905) Status of knowledge of the Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus Forbes and Richardson, 1905)
The Pallid Sturgeon is listed as federally endangered under the Endangered Species Act in the United States. When the species was listed in 1990 it was considered extremely rare and was poorly understood. Habitat alteration, commercial harvest, environmental contaminants, and other factors were identified as threats. Today our scientific understanding of the species and its life history
Authors
G. R. Jordan, E.J. Heist, Patrick Braaten, Aaron J. DeLonay, P. Hartfield, D.P. Herzog, K.M. Kappenman, M.A.H. Web
Hanging out at the airport: Unusual upside-down perching behavior by Eurasian Jackdaws (Corvus monedula) in a human-dominated environment Hanging out at the airport: Unusual upside-down perching behavior by Eurasian Jackdaws (Corvus monedula) in a human-dominated environment
Animals occupying human-dominated environments show the capacity for behavioral flexibility. Corvids are among the most intelligent synanthropic bird species. During a layover at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands, I photographically documented Eurasian Jackdaws (Corvus monedula) perching upside down from a building cornice. In contrast to other reports of hanging birds, these...
Authors
Todd E. Katzner
Spatially intensive sampling by electrofishing for assessing longitudinal discontinuities in fish distribution in a headwater stream Spatially intensive sampling by electrofishing for assessing longitudinal discontinuities in fish distribution in a headwater stream
Spatially intensive sampling by electrofishing is proposed as a method for quantifying spatial variation in fish assemblages at multiple scales along extensive stream sections in headwater catchments. We used this method to sample fish species at 10-m2 points spaced every 20 m throughout 5 km of a headwater stream in France. The spatially intensive sampling design provided information at...
Authors
Celine Le Pichon, Evelyne Tales, Jerome Belliard, Christian E. Torgersen
Bed texture mapping in large rivers using recreational-grade sidescan sonar Bed texture mapping in large rivers using recreational-grade sidescan sonar
The size-distribution and spatial organization of bed sediment, or bed ‘texture’, is a fundamental attribute of natural channels and is one important component of the physical habitat of aquatic ecosystems. ‘Recreational-grade’ sidescan sonar systems now offer the possibility of imaging, and subsequently quantifying bed texture at high resolution with minimal cost, or logistical effort...
Authors
Daniel Hamill, Joseph M. Wheaton, Daniel D. Buscombe, Paul E. Grams, Theodore S. Melis