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
Greater white-fronted goose habitat use in Louisiana provides water depth management insights Greater white-fronted goose habitat use in Louisiana provides water depth management insights
Numerous waterfowl species have altered their geographic distribution in recent decades. The greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons) has shifted its wintering distribution from coastal marshes in Texas and Louisiana, USA, to interior landscapes, creating challenges for conservation managers. Although the range shift has been primarily attributed to landscape-scale changes in rice...
Authors
William S. Beatty, Paul T. Link, Brett Leach, Steven C. Houdek, Elisabeth B. Webb
Rising rates of wildfire building destruction in the conterminous United States Rising rates of wildfire building destruction in the conterminous United States
Many regions of the world have seen an increase in highly destructive wildfires, driven by well-documented increases in burned area and growth of housing in the wildland–urban interface (WUI), which exposes more homes to fire. However, it is unclear whether wildfires are also becoming more destructive due to changes in wildfire behavior or in the development patterns of exposed...
Authors
Amanda Renee Carlson, Todd Hawbaker, Miranda H. Mockrin, Volker C. Radeloff, Lucas Bair, Mike Caggiano, James R. Meldrum, Patricia Alexandre, H. Anu Kramer, Paul F. Steblein
Effects of ungulate browsing on forest assisted migration strategies to conserve ecosystem function Effects of ungulate browsing on forest assisted migration strategies to conserve ecosystem function
Forest managers recognize that proactive management strategies, such as forest assisted migration (FAM) of tree species, intended to accelerate the pace of forest adaptation, may be necessary to maintain resilient forests and combat the stressors of climate change. However, the impact of interactions between climate change and ungulate browsers of trees, both of which have profound...
Authors
Eric J. Gustafson, Nathan R. De Jager, Amanda M. McGraw, Christel C. Kern, John M. Kabrick
A U.S. scientific community vision for sustained earth observations of greenhouse gases to support local to global action A U.S. scientific community vision for sustained earth observations of greenhouse gases to support local to global action
Managing carbon stocks in the land, ocean, and atmosphere under changing climate requires a globally-integrated view of carbon cycle processes at local and regional scales. The growing Earth Observation (EO) record is the backbone of this multi-scale system, providing local information with discrete coverage from surface measurements and regional information at global scale from...
Authors
N. Parazoo, D. Carroll, J. B. Abshire, Y. M Bar-On, R. A. Birdsey, A. A. Bloom, K. W. Bowman, R. K. Braghiere, L.M. Bruhwiler, B. Byrne, A. Chatterjee, D. Crisp, L. Duncanson, A. F. Feldman, A. M. Fox, C. Frankenberg, B. A. Gay, F. Hopkins, F. M. Hoffman, J. R. Holmquist, L. R. Hutyra, M. Keller, C. D. Koven, Laughner J. L., J. Liu, N. S. Lovenduski, N. Macbean, G. A. McKinley, G. McNicol, D. Menemenlis, A. M. Michalak, C. E. Miller, H. Nesser, T. Oda, E. M. Ordway, L. E. Ott, K. Paustian, Z. A. Pierrat, B. Poulter, Sasha C. Reed, D. S. Schimel, S. P. Serbin, S.S. Saatchi, H. Suto, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, D. Wunch
Assessment of dragonfly and damselfly (Odonata) occupancy and habitat suitability at −12 Mile Slough, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona Assessment of dragonfly and damselfly (Odonata) occupancy and habitat suitability at −12 Mile Slough, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona
Management practices that enhance habitat complexity in dam tailwaters often aim to increase biodiversity and improve ecosystem health. However, in other instances, management practices may simplify habitat features to help minimize the establishment of invasive species. These tradeoffs are complex, particularly in the face of drought and warming water temperatures. In Glen Canyon...
Authors
Anya Metcalfe, Morgan Ford, Lawrence E. Stevens, Theodore Kennedy
Status report on the Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan (LTEMP) Metrics for the Glen Canyon Dam adaptive management program Status report on the Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan (LTEMP) Metrics for the Glen Canyon Dam adaptive management program
No abstract available.
Authors
Helen C. Fairley, Gregory Mark Anderson, Andrew Alan Schultz, Joel B. Sankey, Joshua Caster, Lauren Lynn Tango, Bridget R. Deemer, Theodore Kennedy, Anya Metcalfe, Emily C. Palmquist, Maria C. Dzul, Kimberly L. Dibble, David Ward, David L. Rogowski, Emily C. Omana Smith, Jeffrey Arnold, Brian D. Healy, Charles B. Yackulic, Lucas Bair, David J. Topping, Paul Grams, Katherine Anne Chapman, Robert B. Tusso, Dale Fonken, Josh Korman, Lindsay Erika Hansen, Benjamin John Miller, John M. Fennell, Drew Elliot Eppehimer, Claudia James Dimartini, Nathaniel D. Bransky
Getting ahead of the crises: Developing an avian malaria disease management plan for Hawaiian forest birds Getting ahead of the crises: Developing an avian malaria disease management plan for Hawaiian forest birds
Avian malaria is an existential threat to a majority of native Hawaiian forest birds. Climate change is facilitating the spread of malaria to historically disease-free areas, and despite the risk of native Hawaiian forest bird extinctions from malaria outbreaks, no comprehensive disease management plans exist for forest bird conservation areas. Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge...
Authors
Eben H. Paxton, Eldridge Naboa, Nicholas R. Agorastos, Donna L. Ball, Lucas Berio Fortini, Thomas Cady, Richard J. Camp, Patrick J. Hart, Springer Kaye, Steven J. Kendall, Dennis A. LaPointe, Ricardo D. Lopez, Katherine Maria McClure, Amanda K Navine
Rapid structured decision making for Hypomesus transpacificus (delta smelt) summer–fall freshwater outflow management Rapid structured decision making for Hypomesus transpacificus (delta smelt) summer–fall freshwater outflow management
Managers of the Central Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Projects (SWP) in California are confronted with difficult tradeoffs between water uses and associated values affected by water management decisions. These decisions involve altering the timing and magnitude of water releases from dams and reservoirs, which can affect habitats for economically important and Federally and State...
Authors
Brian D. Healy, Corey C. Phillis, Brian Mahardja, Cameron Koizumi, Catarina Pien, Nancy Parker, J. Louise Conrad, Julie Ekstrom, Julie Leimbach, Rafael Silberblatt, Tom Fischer, Chase Ehlo
Rice cultivation supports growth and survival of a threatened semi-aquatic reptile Rice cultivation supports growth and survival of a threatened semi-aquatic reptile
Integration of agroecosystems and other working landscapes with protected lands and waters is critical to the conservation of Earth's biodiversity. Rice agroecosystems support many species by providing aquatic habitat where natural wetlands have been altered or drained. In regions with long dry seasons, rice fields and associated irrigation canals provide essential habitat for wetland...
Authors
Jonathan P. Rose, Allison M. Nguyen, Anna Jordan, Daniel Antonio Macias, Elliot James Schoenig, Giancarlo Ray Napolitano, Richard Kim, Julia S.M. Ersan, Alexandria M. Fulton, Brian J. Halstead
Causal analysis of fire regime drivers in California Causal analysis of fire regime drivers in California
Background Understanding the relative contribution of climate and human factors to wildfires is critical for managing risk across California’s diverse ecosystems, in the United States (US).Aims We propose a model that distinguishes between proximate and ultimate drivers of fire regimes and apply it to a century of fire and climate data to assess regional variation in causal mechanisms...
Authors
Jon Keeley, Alexandra D. Syphard
Biologging to identify nesting and non-nesting emergences for four species of imperiled sea turtles Biologging to identify nesting and non-nesting emergences for four species of imperiled sea turtles
Quantifying sea turtle nesting behavior is essential for recovery planning and evaluating management actions. Traditional monitoring approaches, based on nest counts from beach surveys, can misclassify non-nesting emergences, obscure true fecundity, and underestimate clutch frequency, metrics that directly influence population models and regulatory decisions. Here, we demonstrate that...
Authors
Kristen Hart, Connor F. White, Donna J. Shaver, Margaret Lamont, Michael Cherkiss, Andrew G. Crowder, Nicholas M. Whitney
A summary of grizzly bear distribution in the lower-48 US states in 2024 A summary of grizzly bear distribution in the lower-48 US states in 2024
Understanding the distribution of grizzly bear populations in the lower-48 states, is important for their conservation and management, and for public safety. Previously, our research teams working in grizzly bear ecosystems in the lower-48 states used varying methods to estimate distribution of grizzly bear populations. In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) and Northern Continental...
Authors
Cecily M. Costello, Justin A. Dellinger, Jennifer K. Fortin-Noreus, Mark Haroldson, Bryn Karabensh, Wayne F. Kasworm, Lori L. Roberts, Justin E. Teisberg, Frank T. van Manen, Tyler J. Vent