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Publications

Browse publications authored by our scientists.  Publications available are: USGS-authored journal articles, series reports, book chapters, other government publications, and more. **Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

Filter Total Items: 5011

Adoption of non‐related goslings and intergenerational family cohesion among Greenland White‐fronted Geese (Anser albifrons flavirostris) Adoption of non‐related goslings and intergenerational family cohesion among Greenland White‐fronted Geese (Anser albifrons flavirostris)

Greenland White-fronted Geese Anser albifrons flavirostris exhibit prolonged parent–offspring and sibling–sibling associations, suggesting fitness advantages to such behaviour, so we used reduced representation genome sequence data to determine the degree to which marked flock members observed associating in apparent parent–offspring and sibling–sibling relationships in the field were...
Authors
Robert E. Wilson, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Alyn J. Walsh, Anthony D. Fox

Sustainability trade-offs across modeled floating solar waterscapes of the Northeastern United States Sustainability trade-offs across modeled floating solar waterscapes of the Northeastern United States

Expansion of floating photovoltaic (FPV) solar systems provides a low-conflict renewable energy option to help mitigate climate change while sparing land, but potential sustainability trade-offs remain unquantified. We compare the technical potential of maximum FPV deployment to address the climate crisis with FPV-buildout scenarios that prioritize biodiversity and social values across...
Authors
Adam Gallaher, Elizabeth L. Kalies, Steven Mark Grodsky

U.S. Geological Survey Pollinator Science Strategy, 2025–35—A Review and Look Forward U.S. Geological Survey Pollinator Science Strategy, 2025–35—A Review and Look Forward

This “U.S. Geological Survey Pollinator Science Strategy, 2025–35—A Review and Look Forward” (“Pollinator Science Strategy”) describes the science vision of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to support management, conservation, and policy decisions on animal pollinators and their habitats. As the science arm of the Department of the Interior, the USGS has a primary role in providing...
Authors
Clint Otto, Tabitha A. Graves, Desi Robertson-Thompson, Ian S. Pearse, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Caroline E. Murphy, Elisabeth B. Webb, Sam Droege, Melanie J. Steinkamp, Ralph Grundel

Expanding national-scale wildlife disease surveillance systems with research networks Expanding national-scale wildlife disease surveillance systems with research networks

Efficient learning about disease dynamics in free-ranging wildlife systems can benefit from active surveillance that is standardized across different ecological contexts. For example, active surveillance that targets specific individuals and populations with standardized sampling across ecological contexts (landscape-scale targeted surveillance) is important for developing a mechanistic
Authors
Kim M. Pepin, Matthew A. Combs, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau, M.E. Craft, Paul C. Cross, M.A. Diuk-Wasser, R.B. Gagne, Travis Gallo, Tyler Garwood, J.D. Heale, J. Hewitt, J. Hoy-Petersen, Jennifer L. Malmberg, Jennifer M. Mullinax, L. Plimpton, Lauren Smith, M.C. VanAcker, J.C. Chandler, W. David Walter, Grete WIlson-Henjum, George Wittemyer, Kezia R. Manlove

Co-location of sheep grazing and solar energy production yields agrotechnological synergies Co-location of sheep grazing and solar energy production yields agrotechnological synergies

CONTEXT Agrivoltaics—the co-location of solar energy and agricultural production—may reduce land-use competition and boost revenues for landowners. Sheep grazing in solar facilities (i.e., solar grazing/agrivoltaic grazing systems) is increasingly common in agricultural areas. Solar grazing can provide land access to flock owners and support agricultural viability via payments for...
Authors
Nikola Kochendoerfer, A. Sophie Westbrook, Christina E. McMillan, P. Andrew Lapierre, Muhammad A. Zaman, Scott H. Morris, Antonio DiTommaso, Steven Mark Grodsky

Experimental drought suppresses amphibian pathogen yet intensifies transmission and disrupts protective skin microbiome Experimental drought suppresses amphibian pathogen yet intensifies transmission and disrupts protective skin microbiome

Shifting precipitation regimes driven by global climate change can alter vertebrate behavior and host-symbiont relationships, potentially compromising host resistance to pathogen invasion. In Brazil's Atlantic Forest, a biodiversity hotspot, prior research identified drought as a key factor disrupting the skin microbiome, contributing to a die-off of pumpkin toadlets due to the invasive...
Authors
Shannon Buttimer, Daniel Medina, Renato A. Martins, Ana Gabrielle Morais da Silva, Wesley J. Neely, Célio F.B. Haddad, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo, Alessandro Catenazzi, Rayna C. Bell, C. Guilherme Becker

Reevaluation of an adaptive management framework for invasive Grass Carp within Lake Erie Reevaluation of an adaptive management framework for invasive Grass Carp within Lake Erie

Objective Response efforts to control invasive species frequently require making decisions in the face of substantial uncertainty. Adaptive management, which emphasizes learning during the process of managing, can be useful in cases where uncertainty impedes the decision-making process. Here, we describe how technical and institutional learning led to reformulating decision-making...
Authors
Justin Bopp, Kelly Filer Robinson, Lucas Nathan, Seth Herbst, Travis O. Brenden, Christine M. Mayer, John M. Dettmers

The Grouse & Grazing Project: Effects of cattle grazing on demographic traits of greater sage-grouse The Grouse & Grazing Project: Effects of cattle grazing on demographic traits of greater sage-grouse

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) were once widespread within sagebrush -grassland ecosystems of western North America, but populations have declined since the mid-1960s. Though sage-grouse were not listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), when examined in 2015, they remain a species of interest and concern. Roughly half of the sage-grouse...
Authors
Courtney J. Conway, Cody A. Tisdale, Karen L. Launchbaugh, Bryan S. Stevens, Grace E. Overlie, Sanford D. Eigenbrode, Paul D. Makela, Shane B. Roberts

Using angler-submitted records to interpret the spatial seasonality of a large predator (Black bass, Micropterus spp.) Using angler-submitted records to interpret the spatial seasonality of a large predator (Black bass, Micropterus spp.)

In addition to having cultural, social, and economic significance, large predatory fish affect aquatic communities from the top down and serve as markers of ecosystem health. A focus on large predators is critical for managing ecosystems, conserving species, and guaranteeing the sustainability of aquatic resources. Recreational fishing is inherently biased towards large fish, and anglers...
Authors
Leandro E. Miranda, Frank Griffin, J. Wesley Neal, Thomas J. Lang, Natalie Goldstrohm, Michael Mehlmanne

Population dynamics of White Sturgeon in the upper Snake River, Idaho: Evaluation of management options for a harvest fishery Population dynamics of White Sturgeon in the upper Snake River, Idaho: Evaluation of management options for a harvest fishery

Objective Understanding how fish populations will respond to management actions is critical for making effective management ­decisions. This study provides important information regarding population demographics for a nonnative, hatchery-implemented population of White Sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus. We investigated the population dynamics of White Sturgeon in the upper Snake River...
Authors
Donavan Maude, Brett J. Bowersox, Matthew P. Corsi, Patrick Kennedy, Brett High, Mike Peterson, Carson J. Watkins, Michael Quist

O Romeo! Environmental DNA could prevent a tragedy for the elusive Chucky Madtom (Noturus crypticus) O Romeo! Environmental DNA could prevent a tragedy for the elusive Chucky Madtom (Noturus crypticus)

Using environmental DNA (eDNA) surveillance methods, we report the first evidence of the persistence of the Chucky Madtom (Noturus crypticus) in Little Chucky Creek, Tennessee, which has been absent from conventional surveys since 2004, and in Dunn Creek, Tennessee, where it was last collected in 1940. This highlights the utility of eDNA for detecting cryptic, rare fish species that may...
Authors
Robert T. Paine, Hannah Swain-Menzel, Amanda E. Rosenberger, Auburn Velasquez

Relationships between larval fish drift, time of day and discharge in an Ozark stream Relationships between larval fish drift, time of day and discharge in an Ozark stream

We examined the relationship between larval fish numbers and discharge during a high flow event in Bear Creek, Arkansas, a small Ozark stream. Additionally, we examined the relationship between fish numbers and time of day, and the spatial distribution of families and size classes. A total of 3,083 fish from five families were collected. Leuciscidae was the dominant family collected...
Authors
Daniel D. Magoulick, Christy L. Graham
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