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
Environmental DNA monitoring of invasive Central American boas in St. Croix at Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve (SARI) Environmental DNA monitoring of invasive Central American boas in St. Croix at Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve (SARI)
Invasive Central American boas (Boa imperator) have established a reproducing population on the western side of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands but prevalence throughout the island is largely unknown. The large snakes threaten endemic and endangered species through competition and predation, jeopardizing island biodiversity. Environmental DNA (eDNA) methods were used to investigate...
Authors
Caitlin Beaver, Alexis B. Tays, Wilfre Fuentes Santos, Madison E.A. Harman, Kristen A. Ewen, Evan L. Gwilliam, Margaret Hunter
Evaluating mountain goat population structure in Glacier National Park and Waterton Lakes National Park Evaluating mountain goat population structure in Glacier National Park and Waterton Lakes National Park
Mountain goats are an iconic, climate-sensitive species across their North American alpine range. Among its nearly complete complement of native wildlife, no single species embodies Glacier National Park (GNP) more than the mountain goat. They play an important role as an alpine food source for many of the park’s carnivores including wolverines, mountain lions, and grizzly bears...
Authors
Tabitha A. Graves, Eliza Stein, Lindsay M Dose, Rachel S. Crowhurst, Heather Thomas, Clinton W. Epps, Rob Found, Jami Belt, Mark Biel
Predicting niche spaces of expanding Evening Bat (Nycticeius humeralis) populations following white-nose syndrome establishment Predicting niche spaces of expanding Evening Bat (Nycticeius humeralis) populations following white-nose syndrome establishment
Observations of the Evening Bat (Nycticeius humeralis), a species historically distributed abundantly throughout the southeastern United States, are speculated to have increased in the Midwest. One hypothesis for this expansion in geographic distribution is that local extirpations of other bat species resulted in the expanded realized niche spaces for evening bats. In Indiana, such niche...
Authors
Sally B. Martinez, Laura D’Acunto, Bradford J. Westrich, Scott M. Bergeson, Patrick A. Zollner
Developing eRNA assays for spawning and juvenile bigheaded carps Developing eRNA assays for spawning and juvenile bigheaded carps
No abstract available.
Authors
Stephen Frank Spear
Leveraging an observed-data likelihood improves the use of machine learning labels in a Bayesian hierarchical model for bioacoustic data Leveraging an observed-data likelihood improves the use of machine learning labels in a Bayesian hierarchical model for bioacoustic data
Classification of massive datasets by machine learning (ML) algorithms is promising for many scientific domains, especially wildlife monitoring programs that rely on passive acoustic surveys for detecting species. However, treating ML-predicted class labels (e.g., species identity) as truth biases inferences of focal parameters within common modeling frameworks. One solution is to model...
Authors
Jacob Oram, Katharine M. Banner, Christian Stratton, Andrew Hoegh, Kathryn Irvine
Environmental DNA metabarcoding for monitoring fish biodiversity in remote lakes Environmental DNA metabarcoding for monitoring fish biodiversity in remote lakes
Objective Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding provides an attractive option for monitoring biodiversity in remote freshwater ecosystems, where the deployment of conventional gears encounters major logistical constraints. We evaluated eDNA metabarcoding for monitoring fish communities and early detection of nonnative species in three remote lakes on Isle Royale, Michigan, USA. Methods...
Authors
Nicholas J. Iacaruso, Jared Thomas Myers, Michael J. Seider, Mark A. Davis
Range-wide population trend analysis for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)—Updated 1960–2024 Range-wide population trend analysis for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)—Updated 1960–2024
Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter sage-grouse) are at the center of State and national land-use policies largely because of their unique life-history traits as an ecological indicator for the health of sagebrush ecosystems. This updated population trend analysis provides State and Federal land and wildlife managers with the best available science to help guide...
Authors
Brian G. Prochazka, Peter S. Coates, Cameron L. Aldridge, Michael S. O’Donnell, David R. Edmunds, Adrian P. Monroe, Steve E. Hanser, Lief A. Wiechman, Michael P. Chenaille
Adult and hatch-year survival and fidelity of Piping Plovers Charadrius melodus in the lower Platte River system, Nebraska, USA Adult and hatch-year survival and fidelity of Piping Plovers Charadrius melodus in the lower Platte River system, Nebraska, USA
Knowledge of vital rates informs the conservation and management of threatened and endangered species. In the northern Great Plains, USA, the federally threatened Piping Plover Charadrius melodus uses a variety of nesting habitats including natural river sandbars and human-created sites in the lower Platte River system, Nebraska. In this area, off-river sandpit sites (i.e., active sand...
Authors
Elsa M. Forsberg, Larkin A. Powell, Rose J. Swift, Joel G. Jorgensen, Mark P. Vrtiska
Sentinel-2 based estimates of rangeland fractional cover and canopy gap class for the western United States Sentinel-2 based estimates of rangeland fractional cover and canopy gap class for the western United States
Rangelands are extensive ecosystems, providing important ecosystem services while undergoing continuous change. As a result, improved monitoring technologies can help better characterize vegetation change. Satellite remote sensing has proven effective in this regard, tracking vegetation dynamics at broad and fine scales. We leveraged the spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution of...
Authors
Brady W. Allred, Sarah E. McCord, Timothy J. Assal, Brandon T. Bestelmeyer, Chad S. Boyd, Alexander C. Brooks, Samantha M. Cady, Michael C. Duniway, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf, Shane A. Green, Georgia R. Harrison, Eric R. Jensen, Emily J. Kachergis, Anna C. Knight, Chloe M. Mattilio, Brian A. Mealor, David E. Naugle, Dylan O’Leary, Peter J. Olsoy, Erika S. Peirce, Jason R. Reinhardt, Robert K. Shriver, Joseph T. Smith, Jason D. Tack, Ashley M. Tanner, Evan P. Tanner, Dirac Twidwell, Nicholas P. Webb, Scott L. Morford
Rare milkvetch (Astragalus) persistence at a utility-scale solar energy facility in the Mojave Desert Rare milkvetch (Astragalus) persistence at a utility-scale solar energy facility in the Mojave Desert
Utility-scale solar energy (USSE) development is driving the projected growth in global renewable energy capacity but comes with environmental tradeoffs. New, alternative construction methods are promoted to minimize impacts to soils, vegetation, and hydrology; however, the disturbance created by these methods requires further investigation. We evaluated the population of a rare annual...
Authors
Tiffany J. Pereira, Claire C Karban, Lara A. Kobelt, Seth M. Munson
The effects of carnivory and herbivory on the energy balance of Arctic grizzly bears The effects of carnivory and herbivory on the energy balance of Arctic grizzly bears
Omnivores often face tradeoffs between selecting for spatially dispersed energy-dense vertebrate prey versus densely distributed herbivorous resources that have limited energetic value per unit intake. Arctic grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) are large omnivores within a resource-limited ecosystem that are known to exhibit smaller body masses and occur at lower densities than grizzly bears in...
Authors
Anthony M. Pagano, Karyn D. Rode, Kerry L. Nicholson, William B. Leacock, Craig A. Stricker, Charles T. Robbins
Potential thiamine deficiency of phytoplankton across a productivity gradient and seasons in Ohio lakes Potential thiamine deficiency of phytoplankton across a productivity gradient and seasons in Ohio lakes
Although nitrogen and phosphorus deficiency of algal blooms have been the focus of substantial attention, organic nutrients can limit algal growth in aquatic systems. Growing evidence indicates thiamine (vitamin B1) can influence the community of primary producers in marine systems, but comparatively little is known about the effect of thiamine on freshwater algal productivity.We...
Authors
Freya Elizabeth Rowland, Michael J. Vanni, Nicole M. Hayes, Clifford E. Kraft