Publications
Below are publications associated with the Southwest Biological Science Center's research.
If you are unable to access or download a product after you've clicked through the links below, email mhartwell@usgs.gov with your request. Please include the citation in your email and/or a link to the product. Note that each product has several link options once you click on the title.
Filter Total Items: 1505
Breeding by western Yellow-billed Cuckoos in xeroriparian habitat in southeastern Arizona Breeding by western Yellow-billed Cuckoos in xeroriparian habitat in southeastern Arizona
The identification of occupied habitat is an important component of recovery efforts for threatened and endangered species. The western population of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus), federally listed as a threatened distinct population segment, has long been considered a riparian-obligate, yet recent survey efforts in southeastern Arizona have documented cuckoos occurring...
Authors
Nicholas D. Beauregard, Tad C. Theimer, Charles A. Drost, Susan J. Sferra
Phenology forecasting models for detection and management of invasive annual grasses Phenology forecasting models for detection and management of invasive annual grasses
Non-native annual grasses can dramatically alter fire frequency and reduce forage quality and biodiversity in the ecosystems they invade. Effective management techniques are needed to reduce these undesirable invasive species and maintain ecosystem services. Well-timed management strategies, such as grazing, that are applied when invasive grasses are active prior to native plants can...
Authors
Janet S. Prevey, Ian Pearse, Dana M. Blumenthal, Armin J. Howell, Julie A. Kray, Sasha C. Reed, Mitchell B. Stephenson, Catherine S. Jarnevich
Oxidation is a potentially significant methane sink in land-terminating glacial runoff Oxidation is a potentially significant methane sink in land-terminating glacial runoff
Globally, aquatic ecosystems are one of the largest but most uncertain sources of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. It is unclear how climate change will affect methane emissions, but recent work suggests that glacial systems, which are melting faster with climate change, may be an important source of methane to the atmosphere. Currently, studies quantifying glacial emissions are limited...
Authors
Kristin E. Strock, Rachel Krewson, Nicole M. Hayes, Bridget Deemer
Temperature-driven convergence and divergence of ecohydrological dynamics in the ecosystems of a sky island mountain range Temperature-driven convergence and divergence of ecohydrological dynamics in the ecosystems of a sky island mountain range
Forest and woodland decline is predicted to be increasingly influenced by meteorological variation and climate change in the future. By determining how meteorological variation leads to similar versus differing ecohydrological dynamics of forest and woodland ecosystems, we can gain insight on how future climate-driven declines may be realized. We characterized 23 mixed conifer forest (MC...
Authors
M.D. Petrie, John B. Bradford, Daniel Rodolphe Schlaepfer
Aridity drives the response of soil total and particulate organic carbon to drought in temperate grasslands and shrublands Aridity drives the response of soil total and particulate organic carbon to drought in temperate grasslands and shrublands
The increasing prevalence of drought events in grasslands and shrublands worldwide potentially has impacts on soil organic carbon (SOC). We leveraged the International Drought Experiment to study how SOC, including particulate organic carbon (POC) and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) concentrations, responds to extreme drought treatments (1-in-100-year) for 1 to 5 years at 19...
Authors
Baoku Shi, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Alan K. Knapp, Melinda D. Smith, Sasha C. Reed, Brooke B. Osborne, Yolima Carrillo, Fernando T. Maestre, Yu Zhu, Anping Chen, Kate D Wilkins, Martin C. Holdrege, Andrew Kulmatiski, Catherine Picon-Cochard, Christiane Roscher, Sally A. Power, Kerry M. Byrne, Amber C. Churchill, Anke Jentsch, Hugh A. L. Henry, Karen H. Beard, Max A. Schuchardt, Nico Eisenhauer, Rafael Otfinowski, Yann Hautier, Huitao Shen, Yonghui Wang, Zhongwu Wang, Chengliang Wang, Daniela Francis Cusack, Alessandro Petraglia, Michele Carbognani, T'ai G.W. Forte, S. Luke Flory, Pengli Hou, Tao Zhang, Weifeng Gao, Wei Sun
Implementation of controlled floods for sediment management on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon under aridification Implementation of controlled floods for sediment management on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon under aridification
In addition to supplying water for agriculture, cities, and industry, the Colorado River traverses the Colorado Plateau, including several of the most unique and valued National Parks and Recreation Areas in the United States. Although the water needs of these landscapes were not considered at the time water allocations were first negotiated, these needs were recognized in subsequent...
Authors
Paul E. Grams, David J. Topping, Gerard Lewis Salter, Katherine Anne Chapman, Robert B. Tusso, Erich R. Mueller
Macroinvertebrate community responses to disturbance in a fragmented river with contrasting legacies of alteration Macroinvertebrate community responses to disturbance in a fragmented river with contrasting legacies of alteration
Flow is a critical factor determining the riverine ecosystem structure and function. Widespread hydrologic alteration, however, has impacted the ecological integrity of rivers in ways that are not well understood, including responses of biological communities to increasingly frequent and severe climatic disturbances. Our study compared the responses of invertebrate communities on woody...
Authors
Karen A. Baumann, Eric Arthur Scholl, Heidi M. Rantala, Matt R. Whiles
Characterizing variability in geochemistry and mineralogy of western US dust sources Characterizing variability in geochemistry and mineralogy of western US dust sources
Dust events originate from multiple sources in arid and semi-arid regions, making it difficult to quantify source contributions. Dust geochemical/mineralogical composition, if the sources are sufficiently distinct, can be used to quantify the contributions from different sources. To test the viability of using geochemical and mineralogical measurements to separate dust-emitting sites, we...
Authors
Abby L. Mangum, Gregory T. Carling, Barry R. Bickmore, Nicholas P. Webb, DeTiare L. Leifi, Janice Brahney, Diego P. Fernandez, Kevin A. Rey, Stephen T. Nelson, Landon Burgener, Joshua J. LeMonte, Alyssa N. Thompson, Beth A. Newingham, Michael C. Duniway, Zachary T. Aanderud
Adaptation and Response in Drylands (ARID): Community insights for scoping a NASA terrestrial ecology field campaign in drylands Adaptation and Response in Drylands (ARID): Community insights for scoping a NASA terrestrial ecology field campaign in drylands
Dryland ecosystems cover 40% of our planet's land surface, support billions of people, and are responding rapidly to climate and land use change. These expansive systems also dominate core aspects of Earth's climate, storing and exchanging vast amounts of water, carbon, and energy with the atmosphere. Despite their indispensable ecosystem services and high vulnerability to change...
Authors
Andrew F. Feldman, Sasha C. Reed, Cibele Amaral, Alicja Babst-Kostecka, Flurin Babst, Joel A. Biederman, Charles Devine, Zheng Fu, Julia K. Green, Jessica Guo, Niall P. Hanan, Raymond F. Kokaly, Marcy Litvak, Natasha MacBean, David Moore, Dennis S. Ojima, Benjamin Poulter, Russell L. Scott, William K. Smith, Robert Swap, Compton J. Tucker, Lixin Wang, Jennifer D. Watts, Konrad Wessels, Fangyue Zhang, Wen Zhang
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
Dynamic occupancy modelling of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) reveals increasing landscape use in Nepal Dynamic occupancy modelling of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) reveals increasing landscape use in Nepal
Large mammals with general habitat needs can persist throughout mixed used landscapes, however, human-wildlife conflict frequently leads to their restriction to protected areas. Conservation efforts, especially for reducing conflicts with humans, can enhance tolerance of humans towards species like Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in human-dominated landscapes. Here, we examine how...
Authors
Ashok Kumar Ram, Babu Ram Lamichhane, Naresh Subedi, Nabin Kumar Yadav, Ajay Karki, Bivash Pandav, Cory Brown, Top B. Khatri, Charles Yackulic