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: 42710
Design, development, and implementation of IsoBank: A centralized repository for isotopic data Design, development, and implementation of IsoBank: A centralized repository for isotopic data
Stable isotope data have made pivotal contributions to nearly every discipline of the physical and natural sciences. As the generation and application of stable isotope data continues to grow exponentially, so does the need for a unifying data repository to improve accessibility and promote collaborative engagement. This paper provides an overview of the design, development, and...
Authors
Oliver N. Shipley, Anna J. Dabrowski, Gabriel J. Bowen, Brian Hayden, Jonathan N. Pauli, Christopher Jordan, Lesleigh Anderson, Adriana Bailey, Clement P. Bataille, Carla Cicero, Hilary G. Close, Craig Cook, Joseph A. Cook, Ankur R. Desai, Jaivime Evaristo, Tim R. Filley, Christine France, Sora Lee Kim, Sebastian H. Kopf, Julie Loisel, Philip J. Manlick, Jamie M. McFarlin, Bailey C. McMeans, Tamsin C. O’Connel, Brice X. Semmens, Chris Stantis, Paul Szejner, Suzanne E. Pilaar Birch, Annie L. Putman, Craig A. Stricker, Tara L.E. Trammell, Mark D. Uhen, Samantha Weintraub-Leff, Matthew J. Wooller, John W. Williams, Christopher T. Yarnes, Hanna B. Vander Zanden, Seth D. Newsome
Life on land needs fresh water (SDG 15) Life on land needs fresh water (SDG 15)
Terrestrial ecosystems, such as forests, and the inland waters within them, such as bogs, floodplains, lakes, rivers, springs, and wetlands, are foundational for life on earth. They provide critical ecosystem services such as carbon storage and sequestration, clean water, primary production, pollination, soil fertility, and erosion control. The human footprint on terrestrial and...
Authors
Gretchen L. Stokes, Abigail J. Lynch, Samuel J. Smidt, E. Ashley Steel, Scott Dowd, Robert Britton, Xue Bai, Trista Brophy Cerquera, Genaro Guerrero, Jeantel Cheramy, Aaron A. Koning, Fatemeh F. Maghsood, Ashley M. Piccillo, Grace Schuppie
Aspects of the demography of a relict population of southwestern pond turtles (Actinemys pallida) in a West Mojave Desert stream in California Aspects of the demography of a relict population of southwestern pond turtles (Actinemys pallida) in a West Mojave Desert stream in California
We studied Actinemys pallida (Southwestern Pond Turtle) in Amargosa Creek, near Palmdale, CA, from 1997 to 2023. The population in the upper creek was the focus of a mark–recapture study from 1997 to 2003 during monitoring required by a road-construction project. An estimated 193 (95% CI = 142–256) turtles were present in 1997 or recruited to the upper creek population between 1997 and...
Authors
David Muth, Jeffrey E. Lovich, Rodrigo Macip-Rios, Doug Gomez, Kristy L. Cummings, Michele R. Puffer, Charles Yackulic
Testing food web theory in a large lake: The role of body size in habitat coupling in Lake Michigan Testing food web theory in a large lake: The role of body size in habitat coupling in Lake Michigan
The landscape theory of food web architecture (LTFWA) describes relationships among body size, trophic position, mobility, and energy channels that serve to couple heterogenous habitats, which in turn promotes long-term system stability. However, empirical tests of the LTFWA are rare and support differs among terrestrial, freshwater, and marine systems. Further, it is unclear whether the...
Authors
Bryan M. Maitland, Harvey A. Bootsma, Charles R. Bronte, David Bunnell, Zachary S. Feiner, Kari Fenske, William Fetzer, Carolyn Foley, Brandon Gerig, Austin Happell, Tomas O. Hook, Friedrich W. Keppeler, Matthew Kornis, Ryan F. Lepak, Andrew McNaught, Brian Roth, Ben Turschak, Joel C. Hoffman, Olaf P. Jensen
Combining storm flood water level and topography to prioritize inter-basin transfer of non-native aquatic species in the United States Combining storm flood water level and topography to prioritize inter-basin transfer of non-native aquatic species in the United States
Flooded areas can create temporary connections between adjacent drainages and are a relatively understudied pathway for the spread of aquatic invasive species. The Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database’s Flood and Storm Tracker maps were developed to help natural resource managers with post-storm aquatic invasive species detection and assessment efforts. As of the summer of 2023, 16...
Authors
Ian Pfingsten, Kristen M. Reaver, Emily Marie Dean, Matthew Neilson, Bogdan Chivoiu, Wesley Daniel
Chronic effects of metal releases from historical mining on threatened crayfish in Madison County Missouri, USA Chronic effects of metal releases from historical mining on threatened crayfish in Madison County Missouri, USA
The Little St. Francis River and its tributaries drain metals-contaminated areas of the Madison County Mines National Priority List Superfund site (MCM) which was designated in 2003 to facilitate remediation of metals contamination within the MCM. One concern for natural resource trustees in the MCM is the potential effects of elevated metals concentrations on the federally threatened St...
Authors
Ann Allert, Danielle M. Cleveland, Robert J. DiStefano, Mark L. Wildhaber, Leslie K. Lueckenhoff
Flooding and dam operations facilitate rapid upstream migrations of native and invasive fish species on a regulated large river Flooding and dam operations facilitate rapid upstream migrations of native and invasive fish species on a regulated large river
Dams commonly restrict fish movements in large rivers but can also help curtail the spread of invasive species, such as invasive bigheaded carps (Hypophthalmichthys spp). To determine how dams in the upper Mississippi River (UMR) affect large-scale invasive and native fish migrations, we tracked American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) and bigheaded carp across > 600 river km (rkm) and 16...
Authors
Mark W. Fritts, Daniel Gibson-Reinemer, Douglas Appel, Katharine Lieder, Cody Henderson, Amanda S. Milde, Marybeth K. Brey, James T. Lamer, Dominque Turney, Zachary Witzel, Emily Szott, Grace Loppnow, Joel Stiras, Kayla Zankle, Devon Oliver, John Hoxmeier, Andrea K. Fritts
Managing climate-change refugia to prevent extinctions Managing climate-change refugia to prevent extinctions
Earth is facing simultaneous biodiversity and climate crises. Climate-change refugia – areas that are relatively buffered from climate change – can help address both of these problems by maintaining biodiversity components when the surrounding landscape no longer can. However, this capacity to support biodiversity is often vulnerable to severe climate change and other stressors. Thus...
Authors
Gunnar Keppel, Diana Stralberg, Toni Lyn Morelli, Zoltán Bátori
Current and future potential net greenhouse gas sinks of existing, converted, and restored marsh and mangrove forest habitats Current and future potential net greenhouse gas sinks of existing, converted, and restored marsh and mangrove forest habitats
Marsh and mangrove forest habitats are productive at capturing and storing carbon, thus actions to protect and create coastal blue carbon sinks could help mitigate global warming. Dredged material is often used to create coastal habitats and evaluating the carbon impact of placement alternatives (PA) could help inform restoration and climate policies. Output from a Delft3D-FM...
Authors
Melissa Millman Baustian, Hoonshin Jung, Bingqing Liu, Leland C. Moss, Madeline R. Foster-Martinez, Christopher R. Esposito, Ioannis Y. Georgiou, Martijn C. Bregman, Diana R. Di Leonardo, Brett McMann, Scott A. Hemmerling, Michael D. Miner
Predicting the persistence of salamanders: consequences of phenological shifts for species of management concern on DoD lands Predicting the persistence of salamanders: consequences of phenological shifts for species of management concern on DoD lands
As climate change effects intensify, key life history events may become decoupled from necessary biotic and abiotic resources. For species of management concern on Department of Defense (DoD) lands, these shifts in phenology may prove difficult to address without a mechanistic understanding of the drivers of such changes. We sought to determine the causes and effects of phenological...
Authors
Susan Walls, Thomas L. Anderson, Houston C. Chandler, Carola A. Haas, Jon M. Davenport
Evidence of longitudinal differences in spring migration strategies of an Arctic-nesting goose Evidence of longitudinal differences in spring migration strategies of an Arctic-nesting goose
During spring, migratory birds are required to optimally balance energetic costs of migration across heterogeneous landscapes and weather conditions to survive and reproduce successfully. Therefore, an individual's migratory performance may influence reproductive outcomes. Given large-scale changes in land use, climate, and potential carry-over effects, understanding how individuals...
Authors
Jay Alan VonBank, Kevin J. Kraai, Daniel P. Collins, Paul T. Link, Mitch D. Weegman, Lei Cao, Bart M. Ballard
2023-2024 Coastal sage scrub and chaparral community monitoring for western San Diego County 2023-2024 Coastal sage scrub and chaparral community monitoring for western San Diego County
Western San Diego County is dominated by shrublands supporting biologically diverse native plant and animal communities. Widespread urbanization has led to regional habitat loss and fragmentation, and many species in these shrubland communities are rare, threatened, or endangered. Large-scale, multiple-species conservation planning has resulted in a regional preserve system that focuses...
Authors
Emily E. Perkins, Philip Robert Gould, Jennifer Kingston, Christopher W. Brown, Kristine L. Preston, Robert N. Fisher