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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: 42884

Monitoring nesting waterbirds for the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project—2024 breeding season Monitoring nesting waterbirds for the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project—2024 breeding season

The San Francisco Bay supports thousands of breeding waterbirds annually and hosts large populations of American avocets (Recurvirostra americana), black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus), and Forster’s terns (Sterna forsteri). These three species have relied largely on former commercial salt ponds in south San Francisco Bay, which provide wetland foraging habitat and island nesting...
Authors
Joshua T. Ackerman, C. Alex Hartman, Mark P. Herzog

Stochastic within-host dynamics and climate-sensitive traits generate predictable patterns of variation in disease outcomes Stochastic within-host dynamics and climate-sensitive traits generate predictable patterns of variation in disease outcomes

Understanding how climatic variables impact host-pathogen relationships in temperature-sensitive ectothermic host organisms is crucial under global change. Few studies have explored how temperature gradients generate inter-individual variation in epidemiological traits like host susceptibility or pathogen replication. Here, we develop a mathematical model to explore a novel hypothesis...
Authors
Andrew Carlino, Malina Mariko Loeher, David James Páez, Paul Hershberger, Nathan Wolf, Joseph R. Mihaljevic

Who needs closure? Estimating abundance with a Markovian availability model for geographically open removal sampling Who needs closure? Estimating abundance with a Markovian availability model for geographically open removal sampling

Removal sampling is an important method for estimating abundance, but nearly all removal models assume closure during sampling. Yet, closure may be difficult to assume, evaluate, or enforce in many settings. To address situations where populations are geographically open between each removal sample, we incorporated a Markovian availability process into an N-mixture model framework. This...
Authors
Russell W. Perry, Adam C. Pope, A. Noble Hendrix, Joseph E. Kirsch, Bryan G. Matthias, Michael J. Dodrill

The impacts of co-circulating pathogens in Pacific herring depend on interactions between viral life-cycle traits and transmission parameters, highlighting interdependencies between pathogen epizootics The impacts of co-circulating pathogens in Pacific herring depend on interactions between viral life-cycle traits and transmission parameters, highlighting interdependencies between pathogen epizootics

The average host susceptibility decreases as the epizootic progresses because easily infected hosts are first removed from the population. While host susceptibility is pathogen-specific, it is likely that host susceptibility is correlated between different pathogens, so that co-circulating pathogens may have reciprocal impacts on their epidemics. However, despite well-documented examples...
Authors
David James Páez, Courtney Ann Grady, Jacob L. Gregg, William N. Batts, Shayla Ferreiro-Luce, V. L. Herron, Malina Mariko Loeher, Sarah Williamson, Paul Hershberger

Comparison of nonlethal techniques as indicators of lipid content in Lake Whitefish Comparison of nonlethal techniques as indicators of lipid content in Lake Whitefish

Objective Energetic reserves are important indicators of the relative health of fish and fish populations. Body condition indices that relate fish weight to length are commonly used as quick, noninvasive methods for approximating lipid content and condition. A microwave meter (i.e., fat meter or energy meter) is a noninvasive method found to be more accurate in some species. The...
Authors
Tyler Reid Funnell, Jenus Shrestha, Rachel R. Leads, Christopher M. Holbrook, Koji Sano, Cheryl A. Murphy

Region-specific understanding of virus transmission to support salmonid health at hatcheries in three regions of the Pacific Northwest, North America Region-specific understanding of virus transmission to support salmonid health at hatcheries in three regions of the Pacific Northwest, North America

Juvenile salmonid mortality due to infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) can be a major burden on fish hatcheries. We consider possible IHNV transmission routes and specialist–generalist patterns across three regions in the Pacific Northwest of North America: Coastal Washington and Oregon (CWO), Lower Columbia River Basin (LCRB) and Snake River Basin (SRB) to obtain multi...
Authors
Jeffrey P. Mattheiss, Rachel B. Breyta, Gael Kurath, Shannon L. LaDeau, David James Páez, Paige F.B. Ferguson

From understanding to action: Integrating new and old methodologies to manage marine infectious disease From understanding to action: Integrating new and old methodologies to manage marine infectious disease

Marine diseases can have far-reaching effects on population, community and ecosystem health; however, our ability to track, predict and manage these diseases has, historically, been poor. As a result, the fields of disease ecology and epidemiology have developed at a slower pace for marine than terrestrial systems [1]. New methodologies, including genomic tools for diagnostics [2,3]
Authors
Maya L. Groner, David James Páez, Alyssa-Lois M. Gehman

Groundwater dependency and hydroclimatic influences on riparian and upland vegetation productivity, Upper San Pedro, Arizona, United States Groundwater dependency and hydroclimatic influences on riparian and upland vegetation productivity, Upper San Pedro, Arizona, United States

In arid and semi-arid regions, groundwater sustains vegetation through subsurface water access, yet the responses of groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) to changing hydroclimate and groundwater availability are relatively understudied. This study investigates seasonal and spatial patterns in vegetation greenness using Landsat Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) values across riparian and...
Authors
Fern Bromley, Patrick Borxton, Jiaqi Zhang, Willem J.D. van Leeuwen, Pamela L. Nagler, Jia Hu

Changing drivers of regional large magnitude avalanche frequency throughout Colorado, USA Changing drivers of regional large magnitude avalanche frequency throughout Colorado, USA

Large magnitude snow avalanches (destructive size ≥ D3) impact settlements, transportation corridors, and public safety worldwide. In Colorado, United States, avalanches have killed more people than any other natural hazard since 1950. In March 2019, a large magnitude avalanche cycle occurred throughout the entire mountainous portion of Colorado resulting in more than 1000 reported...
Authors
Erich H. Peitzsch, Justin T. Martin, Ethan M. Greene, Nicolas Eckert, Adrien Favillier, Jason Konigsberg, Nickolas Kichas, Daniel K. Stahle, Karl W. Birkeland, Kelly Elder, Gregory T. Pederson

Evaluation of pathogen risks and testing considerations for Chinook salmon egg movements between New Zealand and California Evaluation of pathogen risks and testing considerations for Chinook salmon egg movements between New Zealand and California

Executive Summary Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum in Artedi, 1792; Chinook salmon) were historically abundant in the McCloud River but are now extirpated from this tributary owing to dam construction and lack of passage. Planning efforts to restore populations above Shasta and Keswick Dams are currently underway, including an evaluation of potential source populations. One potential...
Authors
Claire E. Couch, David B. Powell, Jan Lovy

Glaciers in Alaska and western North America Glaciers in Alaska and western North America

This chapter summarizes the location, status, and projections of glaciers in Alaska and western North America. Recent events, including the 2021 surge of Muldrow Glacier in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, are summarized. The implications of glacier loss for ecosystems, water resources, and mountain hazards are discussed.
Authors
Caitlyn Florentine
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