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: 42871
Density estimation of sound-producing terrestrial animals using single automatic acoustic recorders and distance sampling Density estimation of sound-producing terrestrial animals using single automatic acoustic recorders and distance sampling
Obtaining accurate information on the distribution, density, and abundance of animals is an important first step toward their conservation. Methodological approaches using automatic acoustic recorders for species that communicate acoustically are gaining increased interest because of their advantages over traditional sampling methods. In this study, we created and evaluated a protocol to...
Authors
Esther Sebastian-Gonzalez, Richard J. Camp, Ann M. Tanimoto, Priscilla Monteiro de Oliveira, Bruna Barreto Lima, Tiago A. Marques, Patrick J. Hart
The influence of spatiotemporally decoupled land use on honey bee colony health and pollination service delivery The influence of spatiotemporally decoupled land use on honey bee colony health and pollination service delivery
Societal dependence on insects for pollination of agricultural crops has risen amidst concerns over pollinator declines. Habitat loss and lack of forage have been implicated in the decline of both managed and native pollinators. Land use changes in the Northern Great Plains of the US, a region supporting over 1 million honey bee colonies annually, have shifted away from historical...
Authors
Matthew Smart, Clint Otto, Benjamin Carlson, Cali L. Roth
Impacts of hatchery-reared mandarin fish Siniperca chuatsi stocking on wild fish community and water quality in a shallow Yangtze lake Impacts of hatchery-reared mandarin fish Siniperca chuatsi stocking on wild fish community and water quality in a shallow Yangtze lake
Mandarin fish Siniperca chuatsi, a valuable piscivorous fish, have been stocked into many lakes in China since the 1990s. This study did the first attempt to evaluate the ecological effects of hatchery-reared mandarin fish stocking in the Yangtze River basin lakes. Our study demonstrated a significant change in fish community composition after mandarin fish stocking, but no fish...
Authors
Wei Li, Brendan J. Hicks, Mingli Lin, Chuanbo Guo, Tanglin Zhang, Jiashou Liu, Zhongjie Li, David A. Beauchamp
Everglades Invasive Reptile and Amphibian Monitoring Program Everglades Invasive Reptile and Amphibian Monitoring Program
The Everglades Invasive Reptile and Amphibian Monitoring Program (EIRAMP) provides a scientific framework for integrated EDRR, outreach, and monitoring for invasive wildlife in South Florida. EIRAMP also monitors native reptiles, amphibians and mammals to assess impacts of invasive species. South Florida has more nonnative species of reptiles and amphibians than anywhere else in the...
Authors
Rebecca G. Harvey, Mike Rochford, Jennifer Ketterlin Eckles, Edward Metzger, Jennifer Nestler, Frank J. Mazzotti
Quantification of the indirect use value of functional group diversity based on the ecological role of species in the ecosystem Quantification of the indirect use value of functional group diversity based on the ecological role of species in the ecosystem
An important issue in biodiversity valuation is gaining a better understanding of how biodiversity conservation affects economic activities and human welfare. Quantifying the economic benefits of biodiversity for human well-being is not straightforward. Here, we expand the ecosystem service cascade by (i) attributing a methodology to the different steps of the cascade to assess the...
Authors
Silvie Daniels, J Ryan Bellmore, Joseph R. Benjamin, Nele Witters, Jaco Vangronsveld, Steven Van Passel
Post-breeding movement and habitat use by wood frogs along an Arctic–Subarctic ecotone Post-breeding movement and habitat use by wood frogs along an Arctic–Subarctic ecotone
By altering essential micro- and macrohabitat conditions for many organisms, climate change is already causing disproportionately greater impacts on Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems. Yet there is a lack of basic information about many species in northern latitudes, including amphibians. We used radio telemetry to study the post-breeding movements and habitat use of wood frogs (Rana [...
Authors
Stephanie Bishir, Blake R. Hossack, LeeAnn Fishback, J. M. Davenport
Mississippi Delta: Chapter G in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010 Mississippi Delta: Chapter G in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010
The Mississippi River Delta, the tip of the longest river in North America, is located in the coastal plains of southeastern Louisiana. The study area included in the Mississippi River Delta vignette of southeastern Louisiana follows the Mississippi River southward from Port Sulphur within the modern Plaquemines-Balize Delta lobe (Figure 1). It extends eastward through Long Bay into...
Authors
Lawrence Handley, Kathryn A. Spear, Mirka Zapletal, Cindy A. Thatcher, William R. Jones, Scott A. Wilson
Snowmelt timing regulates community composition, phenology, and physiological performance of alpine plants Snowmelt timing regulates community composition, phenology, and physiological performance of alpine plants
The spatial patterning of alpine plant communities is strongly influenced by the variation in physical factors such as temperature and moisture, which are strongly affected by snow depth and snowmelt patterns. Earlier snowmelt timing and greater soil-moisture limitations may favor wide-ranging species adapted to a broader set of ecohydrological conditions than alpine-restricted species...
Authors
Daniel E. Winkler, Ramona J. Butz, Matthew J. Germino, Keith Reinhardt, Lara M. Kueppers
Effectiveness of a fish ladder for two Neotropical migratory species in the Paraná River Effectiveness of a fish ladder for two Neotropical migratory species in the Paraná River
We evaluated fish ladder effectiveness at Porto Primavera Dam in the Upper Paraná River, for two Neotropical migratory fish species. Overall, 564 fish (448 Megaleporinus obtusidens and 116 M. piavussu) were PIT-tagged, released in upstream and downstream areas (on the left and right banks), and monitored continuously for 4 years. The fish performed two-way movements through the fish...
Authors
Carola Gutfreund, Sergio Makrakis, Theodore R. Castro-Santos, Leandro Celestino, Joao Henrique Pinheiro Dias, Maristela Cavicchioli Makrakis
Geomorphology and vegetation change at Colorado River campsites, Marble and Grand Canyons, Arizona Geomorphology and vegetation change at Colorado River campsites, Marble and Grand Canyons, Arizona
Sandbars along the Colorado River are used as campsites by river runners and hikers and are an important recreational resource within Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Regulation of the flow of river water through Glen Canyon Dam has reduced the amount of sediment available to be deposited as sandbars, has reduced the magnitude and frequency of flooding events, and has increased the...
Authors
Daniel R. Hadley, Paul E. Grams, Matthew A. Kaplinski, Joseph E. Hazel, Roderic A. Parnell
Ghost forests of Marco Island: Mangrove mortality driven by belowground soil structural shifts during tidal hydrologic alteration Ghost forests of Marco Island: Mangrove mortality driven by belowground soil structural shifts during tidal hydrologic alteration
Land use changes often create in situ stress and eventual mortality in mangroves as unsuitable hydroperiods are created through tidal flow alterations. Here, we document mangrove forest and soil structural changes within transects established in tidally restricted areas on Marco Island (Collier County, Florida, USA), which has broad swaths of dead-standing or unhealthy mangroves (“ghost...
Authors
Ken W. Krauss, Amanda W.J. Demopoulos, Nicole Cormier, Andrew From, Jennifer P. McClain-Counts, Roy R. Lewis
Vertical zonation and niche breadth of tidal marsh plants along the Northeast Pacific coast Vertical zonation and niche breadth of tidal marsh plants along the Northeast Pacific coast
The distribution patterns of sessile organisms in coastal intertidal habitats typically exhibit vertical zonation, but little is known about variability in zonation among sites or species at larger spatial scales. Data on such heterogeneity could inform mechanistic understanding of factors affecting species distributions as well as efforts to assess and manage coastal species and habitat
Authors
Christopher N. Janousek, Karen M. Thorne, John Y. Takekawa