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
Using carbon isotope ratios to verify predictions of a model simulating the interaction between coastal plant communities and their effect on ground water salinity Using carbon isotope ratios to verify predictions of a model simulating the interaction between coastal plant communities and their effect on ground water salinity
As sea level rises in low-lying coastal islands, salt-tolerant (halophytic) coastal vegetation communities may be able to migrate inland, replacing the freshwater vegetation that is unable to tolerate salt stress. The pace of such shifts may be accelerated by a self-reinforcing feedback between the halophytic vegetation and salinity, as well as by frequent and intensified salinity pulses
Authors
Suresh C. Subedi, Leonel Sternberg, Donald L. DeAngelis, Michael S. Ross, Danielle Ogarcak
Evidence of limited recruitment of Pallid Sturgeon in the Lower Missouri River Evidence of limited recruitment of Pallid Sturgeon in the Lower Missouri River
Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus are endemic to the Missouri and Mississippi river basins and are rare throughout their range. The species was listed as federally endangered with little to no evidence of natural recruitment. Since population augmentation was initiated as a recovery objective in the early 1990s, thousands of hatchery-origin Pallid Sturgeon have been stocked in the...
Authors
Kirk D. Steffensen, Kimberly Chojnacki, Jeffery A. Kalie, Meredith L. Bartron, Edward J. Heist, Kyle R. Winders, Nathan C. Loecker, Wyatt J. Doyle, Timothy L. Welker
Species profile: Quercus parvula Species profile: Quercus parvula
No abstract available.
Authors
Emily Beckman, Ian Pearse, Abby Meyer, Murphy Westwood
Agri-tourism and rural outdoor recreation in the US: A framework for understanding economic and employment dynamics Agri-tourism and rural outdoor recreation in the US: A framework for understanding economic and employment dynamics
Agri-tourism and rural outdoor recreation are positioned at an important intersection between agricultural, natural resource, economic development and rural issues. This chapter summarizes some of the important dynamics of these sectors, including the role of land use, regional drivers, motivations for farmers and travelers, and economic impacts. As a means to illustrate several key...
Authors
Dawn Thilmany, Rebecca Hill, Michelle Haefele, Anders van Sandt, Catherine Cullinane Thomas, Martha Sullins, Sarah Low
U.S. Geological Survey response to chronic wasting disease U.S. Geological Survey response to chronic wasting disease
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is focused on the development of early detection and effective response tools that promote an adaptive management approach to chronic wasting disease (CWD). USGS scientists across the United States are working to understand the biology of CWD, assess and predict the spread and persistence in wildlife and the environment, and develop tools for early...
Authors
M. Camille Hopkins, Suzanna C. Soileau
Fire severity and changing composition of forest understory plant communities Fire severity and changing composition of forest understory plant communities
Questions Gradients of fire severity in dry conifer forests can be associated with variation in understory floristic composition. Recent work in dry conifer forests in California, USA, has suggested that more severely burned stands contain more thermophilic taxa (those associated with warmer and drier conditions), and that forest disturbance may therefore accelerate floristic shifts...
Authors
Jens Stevens, Jesse Miller, Paula J. Fornwalt
Toward sustainable environmental quality: Priority research questions for North America Toward sustainable environmental quality: Priority research questions for North America
Anticipating, identifying, and prioritizing strategic needs represent essential activities by research organizations. Decided benefits emerge when these pursuits engage globally important environment and health goals, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. To this end, horizon scanning efforts can facilitate identification of specific research needs to address grand...
Authors
Anne Fairbrother, Derek Muir, Keith R. Solomon, Gerald T. Ankley, Murray A. Rudd, Alistair B. A. Boxall, William J. Adams, Jennifer N. Apell, Kevin L. Armbrust, Bonnie J. Blalock, Sarah R. Bowman, Linda M. Campbell, George P. Cobb, Kristin A. Connors, David A. Dreier, Marlene S. Evans, Carol J. Henry, Robert A. Hoke, Magali Houde, Stephen J. Klaine, Rebecca D. Klaper, Sigrun A. Kullik, Roman P. Lanno, Charles Meyer, Mary Ann Ottinger, Elias Oziolor, Elijah J. Petersen, Helen C. Poynton, Pamela J. Rice, Gabriela Rodriguez-Fuentes, Alan Samel, Joseph R. Shaw, Jeffery A. Steevens, Tim A. Verslycke, Doris E. Vidal-Dorsch, Scott M. Weir, Peter Wilson, Bryan W. Brooks
Using full and partial unmixing algorithms to estimate the inundation extent of small, isolated stock ponds in an arid landscape Using full and partial unmixing algorithms to estimate the inundation extent of small, isolated stock ponds in an arid landscape
Many natural wetlands around the world have disappeared or been replaced, resulting in the dependence of many wildlife species on small, artificial earthen stock ponds. These ponds provide critical wildlife habitat, such that the accurate detection of water and assessment of inundation extent is required. We applied a full (linear spectral mixture analysis; LSMA) and partial (matched...
Authors
Christopher Jarchow, Brent H. Sigafus, Erin L. Muths, Blake R. Hossack
Assessing the impact of charr research past, present, and future Assessing the impact of charr research past, present, and future
The 9th International Charr Symposium convened on 18–21 June 2018, in Duluth, Minnesota, USA to gather scientists with an interest in charr biology and management from the entire geographical range of the genus Salvelinus. The symposium was attended by 169 individuals from six countries, and included 99 oral and 32 poster presentations, 28 of which were published in the ensuing...
Authors
Michael J. Hansen, Charles C. Krueger, Andrew M. Muir, Anders Klemetsen, Michael Power
Supporting the development and use of native plant materials for restoration on the Colorado Plateau (Fiscal Year 18 Report) Supporting the development and use of native plant materials for restoration on the Colorado Plateau (Fiscal Year 18 Report)
Introduction A primary focus of the Colorado Plateau Native Plant Program (CPNPP) is to identify and develop appropriate native plant materials (NPMs) for current and future restoration projects. Multiple efforts have characterized the myriad challenges inherent in providing appropriate seed resources to enable effective, widespread restoration and identified a broad suite of research...
Authors
Robert Massatti, Daniel Winkler, Sasha Reed, Michael Duniway, Seth Munson, John Bradford
Alternative sea lamprey barrier technologies: History as a control tool Alternative sea lamprey barrier technologies: History as a control tool
Currently, application of lampricides and installation of low-head barriers are the only proven means of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) control in the Great Lakes. While sea lamprey cannot climb or jump over low-head barriers, many desirable migratory species also cannot traverse barriers and are unintentionally blocked. Recently, there has been a push to reduce reliance on chemical...
Authors
Daniel P. Zielinski, Robert McLaughlin, Theodore R. Castro-Santos, Bhuwani Paudel, Pete J. Hrodey, Andrew M. Muir
Impacts of suspended sediment on nearshore benthic light availability following dam removal in a small mountainous river:In situ observations and statistical modeling Impacts of suspended sediment on nearshore benthic light availability following dam removal in a small mountainous river:In situ observations and statistical modeling
The 2011–2014 removal of two dams from the Elwha River, WA, delivered ~ 19 Mt of sediment to the marine environment, creating an opportunity to study the sensitivity of a coastal ecosystem to large-scale sediment input. Macroalgae, the primary habitat-forming species in the nearshore, disappeared from the region. It was hypothesized that this mortality event was caused by a reduction in...
Authors
H E Glover, A S Ogston, I M Miller, E F Eidam, Steve Rubin, H D Berry