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: 42700
Lingering impacts of the 2014-2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave on seabird demography in Cook Inlet, Alaska (USA) Lingering impacts of the 2014-2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave on seabird demography in Cook Inlet, Alaska (USA)
A protracted period (2014-2016) of anomalously warm water in the northeast Pacific Ocean precipitated an extensive die-off of common murres Uria aalge (hereafter ‘murres’) during 2015-2016, accompanied by reduced colony attendance and reproductive success of murres and black-legged kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla (‘kittiwakes’) starting in 2015. Most murres died of starvation following a...
Authors
Sarah K. Schoen, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, Caitlin Elizabeth Marsteller, John F. Piatt
Sharing knowledge to improve ecological restoration outcomes Sharing knowledge to improve ecological restoration outcomes
Ecological restoration efforts are likely to be more successful when project components are informed by relevant stakeholders. However, key stakeholders are often not included in restoration design and deployment. This is largely driven by a lack of practitioner knowledge of and experience with stakeholder relations. However, inclusion of stakeholders across the entire restoration...
Authors
Elise S Gornish, Molly L. McCormick, Marquel Begay, Mlungele M Nsikani
A scaled Denil fishway for upstream passage of Arctic Grayling A scaled Denil fishway for upstream passage of Arctic Grayling
Denil fishways have been used with varying success to help fish pass impediments to upstream passage such as low head dams or irrigation diversion structures. They have been tested for hydraulic and fish passage performance in laboratory and field settings, usually with only minor modifications to the fishway geometry or dimensions. We tested a reduced (0.6) scale prototype of the...
Authors
Katey Plymesser, Matt Blank, Megan Conley, Kevin Kappenman, Joel Cahoon, David Dockery, Alexander V. Zale
Do pharmaceuticals in the environment pose a risk to wildlife? Do pharmaceuticals in the environment pose a risk to wildlife?
The vast majority of knowledge related to the question of, “To what extent do pharmaceuticals in the environment pose a risk to wildlife?”, stems from the Asian vulture crisis (>99% decline of some species of old-world vultures on the Indian subcontinent related to the veterinary use of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac). The hazard of diclofenac and other...
Authors
Thomas G. Bean, Elizabeth A. Chadwick, Marta Herrero-Villar, Rafael Mateo, Vinny Naidoo, Barnett A. Rattner
The vegetation dynamics of the monsoonal wetland of the Keoladeo National Park, India: A reassessment The vegetation dynamics of the monsoonal wetland of the Keoladeo National Park, India: A reassessment
As a result of a field trip in 1980 to the monsoonal wetland of the Keoladeo National Park, India, which was organized by Dr. Brij Gopal, a study of the vegetation dynamics of this wetland was initiated. The original hypothesis for this study was that the seasonal vegetation changes caused by the annual summer monsoon was a compressed habitat cycle. Habitat cycles are a characteristic of...
Authors
Arnold G. van der Valk, Beth Middleton
Autonomous samplers and environmental DNA metabarcoding: Sampling day and primer choice have greatest impact on fish detection probabilities Autonomous samplers and environmental DNA metabarcoding: Sampling day and primer choice have greatest impact on fish detection probabilities
Unprecedented rates of biodiversity loss and ecosystem function necessitate the use of rapid, efficacious, and cost-effective biomonitoring tools. The combination of autonomous samplers and high throughput sequencing (i.e., “metabarcoding”) of environmental DNA (eDNA) samples enables characterization of entire communities at high frequency and can be an important tool for conservation...
Authors
Devin Nicole Jones-Slobodian, Ben Augustine, Patrick Ross Hutchins, James M. Birch, Kevan Yamahara, Scott L. Jensen, Rodney T. Richardson, Regina Trott, James Campbell, Elliott Barnhart, Adam Sepulveda
Efficient mammal biodiversity surveys for ecological restoration monitoring Efficient mammal biodiversity surveys for ecological restoration monitoring
Efficient biodiversity surveys are critical for successful restoration monitoring and management. We studied the effect of varying sampling effort on the observed species richness of surveys of small mammals (trapping transects), bats (passive acoustic detection), and medium to large mammals (trail cameras). Field studies provided mammalian biodiversity data for 4 bottomland hardwood...
Authors
Nicholas S. Green, Mark L. Wildhaber, Janice L. Albers, Thomas W. Pettit, Michael J. Hooper
Estimates of Southern White-tailed Ptarmigan daily nest survival from multiple sites in the Southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado Estimates of Southern White-tailed Ptarmigan daily nest survival from multiple sites in the Southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado
Estimating vital rates of avian species is important to understand population dynamics and develop potential conservation strategies that target rates for management. Avian species have reduced potential for high annual fecundity in alpine ecosystems due to a short breeding window and harsh weather conditions. We located nests from Southern White-tailed Ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura...
Authors
Gregory T. Wann, Amy E. Seglund, Phillip A. Street, Nicholas J. Parker, Shelley L. Nelson, Jonathan P. Runge, Clait E. Braun, Cameron L. Aldridge
Estimating occupancy of focal bee species Estimating occupancy of focal bee species
Current bee monitoring efforts have a limited capacity for understanding factors affecting wild bee population changes, including the effects of management. To improve the effectiveness of wild bee monitoring, we first discuss principles of biological monitoring and provide a framework to design monitoring projects to estimate species occupancy, where occupancy is defined as the...
Authors
Clint Otto, Larissa L. Bailey, Brianne Du Clos, Tamara Smith, Elaine Evans, Ian S. Pearse, Saff Killingsworth, Sarina Jepsen, Hollis Woodard
Individual-based ecological particle tracking model (ECO-PTM) for simulating juvenile chinook salmon migration and survival through the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta Individual-based ecological particle tracking model (ECO-PTM) for simulating juvenile chinook salmon migration and survival through the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta
Recovery of endangered salmon species in the Central Valley of California amidst prolonged drought and climate change necessitates innovative water management actions that balance species recovery and California's water demands. We describe an individual-based ecological particle tracking model (ECO-PTM) that can be used to assess the efficacy of proposed actions. Based on a random walk...
Authors
Xiaochun Wang, Russell W. Perry, Adam Pope, Doug Jackson, Dalton Hance
Evaluation of fish passage for assessment of invasive carp deterrents at locks in the upper Mississippi River Evaluation of fish passage for assessment of invasive carp deterrents at locks in the upper Mississippi River
No abstract available.
Authors
Andrea K. Fritts, James T. Lamer, Joshua Abner, Mark W. Fritts, Mark Cornish, Marybeth K. Brey
Variable climate-growth relationships of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) among Sky Island mountain ranges in the Great Basin, Nevada, USA Variable climate-growth relationships of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) among Sky Island mountain ranges in the Great Basin, Nevada, USA
The Great Basin is an arid province located in the interior western United States. The region encompasses millions of hectares and quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) forests comprise a minor portion of the total area. However, montane aspen forests play a disproportionately large role in providing ecosystem services in the region, including water retention, biodiversity, wildlife...
Authors
Martin Senfeldr, Douglas J. Shinneman, Susan McIlroy, Paul Rogers, R. Justin DeRose