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: 42697
The Conservation Efforts Database: Improving our knowledge of landscape conservation actions The Conservation Efforts Database: Improving our knowledge of landscape conservation actions
The Conservation Efforts Database (CED) is a secure, cloud-based tool that can be used to document and track conservation actions across landscapes. A recently released factsheet describes this tool ahead of the rollout of CED version 2.0. The CED was developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the USGS, and the Great Northern Landscape Conservation Cooperative to support the 2015...
Authors
Matthew M. Heller, Justin L. Welty, Lief A. Wiechman
Increased pheromone signaling by small male sea lamprey has distinct effects on female mate search and courtship Increased pheromone signaling by small male sea lamprey has distinct effects on female mate search and courtship
Male body size affects access to mates in many animals. Attributes of sexual signals often correlate with body size due to physiological constraints on signal production. Larger males generally produce larger signals, but costs of being large or compensation by small males can result in smaller males producing signals of equal or greater magnitude. Female choice following multiple male...
Authors
Tyler J. Buchinger, Ugo Bussy, Ethan G. Buchinger, Skye D. Fissette, Weiming Li, Nicholas S. Johnson
Vertical distribution of alewife in the Lake Ontario offshore: Implications for resource use Vertical distribution of alewife in the Lake Ontario offshore: Implications for resource use
Oligotrophication of Lake Ontario has led to increased water clarity and an increased proportion of zooplankton residing in the metalimnion during the day, which may affect the utilization of different depth regions for planktivorous fish. We investigated day and night distributions of fish using hydroacoustics and suspended vertical gillnets during the summer of 2013 when a deep...
Authors
Milan Riha, Maureen Walsh, Michael J. Connerton, Jeremy Holden, Brian Weidel, Patrick J. Sullivan, Toby J. Holda, Lars G. Rudstam
Wildlife and environmental pollution Wildlife and environmental pollution
No abstract available.
Authors
Barnett A. Rattner
Compositional signatures in acoustic backscatter over vegetated and unvegetated mixed sand-gravel riverbeds Compositional signatures in acoustic backscatter over vegetated and unvegetated mixed sand-gravel riverbeds
Multibeam acoustic backscatter has considerable utility for remote characterization of spatially heterogeneous bed sediment composition over vegetated and unvegetated riverbeds of mixed sand and gravel. However, the use of high-frequency, decimeter-resolution acoustic backscatter for sediment classification in shallow water is hampered by significant topographic contamination of the...
Authors
Daniel D. Buscombe, Paul E. Grams, Matthew A. Kaplinski
Anura—Frogs Anura—Frogs
No abstract available.
Authors
Darrel R. Frost, Emily Moriarty Lemmon, Roy W. McDiarmid, Joseph R. Mendelson III
The pathogenesis of clade 2.3.4.4 H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) and Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) The pathogenesis of clade 2.3.4.4 H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) and Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)
Waterfowl are the natural hosts of avian influenza virus (AIV) and disseminate the virus worldwide through migration. Historically, surveillance and research efforts for AIV in waterfowl have focused on dabbling ducks. The role of diving ducks in AIV ecology has not been well characterized. In this study, we examined the relative susceptibility and pathogenicity of clade 2.3.4.4 H5...
Authors
Erica Spackman, Diann J. Prosser, Mary J. Pantin-Jackwood, Alicia Berlin, Christopher B. Stephens
Salvator merianae (Argentine Tegu). Attempted Predation. Salvator merianae (Argentine Tegu). Attempted Predation.
No abstract available.
Authors
Emma Hanslowe, Charles V. Calafiore, Kathryn N. Sykes, Noah Van Ee, Bryan Falk, Amy Yackel, Robert Reed
Restricted gene flow between resident Oncorhynchus mykiss and an admixed population of anadromous steelhead Restricted gene flow between resident Oncorhynchus mykiss and an admixed population of anadromous steelhead
The species Oncorhynchus mykiss is characterized by a complex life history that presents a significant challenge for population monitoring and conservation management. Many factors contribute to genetic variation in O. mykiss populations, including sympatry among migratory phenotypes, habitat heterogeneity, hatchery introgression, and immigration (stray) rates. The relative influences of...
Authors
Andrew P. Matala, Brady Allen, Shawn R. Narum, Elaine Harvey
Durable terrestrial bedrock predicts submarine canyon formation Durable terrestrial bedrock predicts submarine canyon formation
Though submarine canyons are first-order topographic features of Earth, the processes responsible for their occurrence remain poorly understood. Potentially analogous studies of terrestrial rivers show that the flux and caliber of transported bedload are significant controls on bedrock incision. Here we hypothesize that coarse sediment load could exert a similar role in the formation of...
Authors
Elliot Smith, Noah J. Finnegan, Erich R. Mueller, Rebecca J. Best
Age, year‐class strength variability, and partial age validation of Kiyis from Lake Superior Age, year‐class strength variability, and partial age validation of Kiyis from Lake Superior
ge estimates of Lake Superior Kiyis Coregonus kiyi from scales and otoliths were compared and 12 years (2003–2014) of length frequency data were examined to assess year‐class strength and validate age estimates. Ages estimated from otoliths were precise and were consistently older than ages estimated from scales. Maximum otolith‐derived ages were 20 years for females and 12 years for...
Authors
Taylor A. Lepak, Derek H. Ogle, Mark Vinson
Spatial and temporal patterns in golden eagle diets in the western United States, with implications for conservation planning Spatial and temporal patterns in golden eagle diets in the western United States, with implications for conservation planning
Detailed information on diets and predatory ecology of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) is essential to prioritize prey species management and to develop landscape-specific conservation strategies, including mitigation of the effects of energy development across the western United States. We compiled published and unpublished data on Golden Eagle diets to (1) summarize available...
Authors
Geoffrey Bedrosian, James W. Watson, Karen Steenhof, Michael N. Kochert, Charles R. Preston, Brian Woodbridge, Gary E. Williams, Kent R. Keller, Ross H. Crandall