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: 43280
Aspergillosis (Avian) case definition for wildlife Aspergillosis (Avian) case definition for wildlife
Diagnostic laboratories receive carcasses and samples for diagnostic evaluation and pathogen/toxin detection. Case definitions bring clarity and consistency to the evaluation process. Their use within and between organizations allows more uniform reporting of diseases and etiologic agents. The intent of a case definition is to provide scientifically based criteria for determining: (a) if...
Authors
Valerie Shearn-Bochsler, Brian Stevens, E. Jane Parmley, Kimberli J.G. Miller
End-user needs for remote sensing wetlands of the Prairie Pothole Region of North America End-user needs for remote sensing wetlands of the Prairie Pothole Region of North America
The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America comprises globally important grassland and wetland ecosystems critical for numerous populations of migratory birds. Due to the importance of this region for migratory birds, and particularly waterfowl, and the threats of habitat loss due to intensifying agriculture, there is a mature and diverse system of conservation organizations...
Authors
Michael J. Anteau, Kaylan M Kemink, Josh L. Vest, Owen P. McKenna, Audrey Claire Lothspeich, Vanessa B Harriman, Lauren E Bortolotti, Macayla Greider
Resurvey of the Marble Canyon and Bridge Canyon dam sites in Grand Canyon National Park—Changes in sediment storage and evidence supporting the occurrence of bedrock incision through the mid-20th century Resurvey of the Marble Canyon and Bridge Canyon dam sites in Grand Canyon National Park—Changes in sediment storage and evidence supporting the occurrence of bedrock incision through the mid-20th century
The Bureau of Reclamation developed an extensive plan for a network of dams, water tunnels, and hydropower plants in and around Grand Canyon, Arizona, in the 1940s through 1960s. The two largest of these planned dams were the Marble Canyon and Bridge Canyon Dams on the Colorado River. Though these dams were ultimately never built, Reclamation conducted extensive topographic, bathymetric...
Authors
David J. Topping, Joseph E. Hazel, Matthew A. Kaplinski, Paul E. Grams
Perspectives and insights gained from applying landscape ecological approaches to the Upper Mississippi riverscape Perspectives and insights gained from applying landscape ecological approaches to the Upper Mississippi riverscape
Advances in remote sensing, spatial data collection, hydraulic and geospatial models, and the maturation of landscape ecology during the early 2000s spurred the concept of rivers as landscapes or ‘riverscapes’. Since that time, the Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Program - one of the world’s longest running large-river ecosystem restoration and monitoring programs - has...
Authors
Nathan R. De Jager
Applying a metapopulation model to compare native and invasive fish passage scenarios in the Upper Mississippi River Applying a metapopulation model to compare native and invasive fish passage scenarios in the Upper Mississippi River
The U.S. Geological Survey assessed the ability of metapopulation models to evaluate population-level effects of fish passage projects in the Upper Mississippi River for six native species: Ictalurus furcatus (Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1840; blue catfish), Ictiobus cyprinellus (Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1844; bigmouth buffalo), Acipenser fulvescens...
Authors
Morganne Borsh, Charles J. Labuzzetta, Marybeth K. Brey, Mark Cornish, Alison Coulter, Andrea K. Fritts, David Smith, Richard A. Erickson
Listening for extinction: Range-wide occupancy highlights critical risks and priorities for northern spotted owls Listening for extinction: Range-wide occupancy highlights critical risks and priorities for northern spotted owls
The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) continues to decline across its range, threatened by habitat disturbances and invasive barred owls (Strix varia). We conducted a range-wide spotted owl occupancy assessment using 2.1 million h of passive acoustic recordings from 4081 survey stations within 1027 randomly selected 5-km2 hexagons across six physiographic regions...
Authors
Damon B. Lesmeister, Julianna M.A. Jenkins, Raymond J. Davis, Natalie M. Rugg, Cara L. Appel, Larissa L. Bailey, Erin Bayne, Chestnut Tara, Leila S. Duchac, Katie M. Dugger, Taylor D. Ellis, Alan B. Franklin, Scott A. Gremel, Aaron Henderson, Edward Henson, J. Mark Higley, James E. Hines, Bruce A. Hollen, William L. Kendall, Taal Levi, Darryl I. MacKenzie, Christopher E. McCafferty, Thomas Munger, David Press, Caroline Provost, Suzanne Reffler, Zachary J. Ruff, James K. Swingle, Erica Tevini, Alaina D. Thomas, Matthew J. Weldy, Kirsten Wert, Angela White, Charles B. Yackulic
The effect of solar energy development on plant diversity across spatial scales The effect of solar energy development on plant diversity across spatial scales
Utility-scale solar energy development is a novel and rapidly expanding land-use with largely unknown consequences for plant diversity. Construction disturbance and associated increases in environmental heterogeneity in solar facilities relative to undisturbed ecosystems can affect plant diversity at multiple spatial scales. We assessed the effects of modified construction methods...
Authors
Timothy J. Ohlert, Claire C. Karban, Seth M. Munson, Melinda D. Smith
Invasive hybridization has unpredicted and variable effects on trout survival in contrasting environments Invasive hybridization has unpredicted and variable effects on trout survival in contrasting environments
Invasive hybridization between native and introduced species is widespread, especially in fishes, yet its effects on fitness-related traits across environments remain poorly understood. We combined individual genetic admixture estimates with capture–recapture data to quantify how hybridization between native Westslope Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus lewisi) and invasive Rainbow Trout...
Authors
Jeffrey T. Strait, Ryan P. Kovach, Lisa A Eby, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Matthew C. Boyer, Stephen J. Amish, Paul M. Luckas, Winsor H. Lowe, Gordon Luikart
When best intentions are not enough - A collaboration between scientists, policymakers, and an agricultural community When best intentions are not enough - A collaboration between scientists, policymakers, and an agricultural community
Rocky Mountain National Park is a Congressionally mandated Clean Air Act Class I Area, but years of research have documented evidence of biogeochemical and ecological change caused by atmospheric deposition of nitrogen. A coalition of government agencies—National Park Service, the Environmental Protection Agency Region 8, and the State of Colorado—developed the 2007 Nitrogen Deposition...
Authors
Jill Baron, Sarah Lindley, Jeffrey Collett, Lillian Naimie
Future of the Colorado River phase 2: Integrated operation of the Powell/Grand Canyon/Mead segment for water supply, hydropower, and river ecosystems Future of the Colorado River phase 2: Integrated operation of the Powell/Grand Canyon/Mead segment for water supply, hydropower, and river ecosystems
State and federal agencies are negotiating water-supply agreements that may govern water supply and storage in the Colorado River Basin through 2046. Current operating policies in the Colorado River primarily focus on water supply implications with less focus on the potential effects to other resources. Models that forecast the response of multiple resources over the short- and long-term...
Authors
John C. Schmidt, Charles B. Yackulic
BioShifts v2 and BioShiftR: Tools for navigating and analysing species range shift data BioShifts v2 and BioShiftR: Tools for navigating and analysing species range shift data
Species are redistributing their ranges globally in response to climate change, but the fragmented and complex nature of the documented responses make them challenging to track and analyze. Synthesis of species’ range shifts requires careful integration and consideration of varying methods and scales of study. Here, we present an updated database that combines two previous data...
Authors
Jake A. Lawlor, Brunno Oliviera, Nikki Moore, Jonathan Lenoir, R. M.W.J. Bandara, R. Bertrand, I-Ching Chen, Sarah E. Diamond, G. Grenouillet, Lesley T. Lancaster, Malin Pinsky, Jonathan Rolland, Brett R. Scheffers, Fabricio Villalobos, Barrett Wolfe, Jennifer Sunday, Sarah R. Weiskopf, Lise Comte
Bayesian hierarchical model of lake whitefish cohort strength from sparse trawl data Bayesian hierarchical model of lake whitefish cohort strength from sparse trawl data
Recruitment indices for rare or intermittently recruiting fishes are needed to compare year classes and evaluate recruitment drivers, but sparse trawl data with many zero-catch observations complicate estimation. We used fall bottom trawl data from New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio surveys in Lake Erie's central and eastern basins to estimate annual relative cohort strength of age-0 lake...
Authors
Zachary J Amidon, Song S. Qian, Robin L. DeBruyne, Mark Richard Dufour, Christine M. Mayer, Edward Roseman, Alexis McCarter