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: 42707
Genetic basis of thiaminase I activity in a vertebrate, zebrafish Danio rerio Genetic basis of thiaminase I activity in a vertebrate, zebrafish Danio rerio
Thiamine (vitamin B1) metabolism is an important driver of human and animal health and ecological functioning. Some organisms, including species of ferns, mollusks, and fish, contain thiamine-degrading enzymes known as thiaminases, and consumption of these organisms can lead to thiamine deficiency in the consumer. Consumption of fish containing thiaminase has led to elevated mortality...
Authors
Cathy A. Richter, Allison N. Evans, Scott A. Heppell, James L. Zajicek, Donald E. Tillitt
The influence of short-term temporal variability on the efficacy of dragonfly larvae as mercury biosentinels The influence of short-term temporal variability on the efficacy of dragonfly larvae as mercury biosentinels
Mercury (Hg) exposure to fish, wildlife, and humans is widespread and of global concern, thus stimulating efforts to reduce emissions. Because the relationships between rates of inorganic Hg loading, methylmercury (MeHg) production, and bioaccumulation are extremely complex and challenging to predict, there is a need for reliable biosentinels to understand the distribution of Hg in the...
Authors
James Willacker, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Sarah J. Nelson, Colleen M. Flanagan-Pritz, David P. Krabbenhoft
Potential effects of climate change on Appalachian stoneflies (Remenus kirchneri, Acroneuria kosztarabi, and Tallaperla lobata) Potential effects of climate change on Appalachian stoneflies (Remenus kirchneri, Acroneuria kosztarabi, and Tallaperla lobata)
Plecoptera (stoneflies) are an order of insects where most species rely on clean, fast-moving freshwater for an aquatic larval stage followed by a short terrestrial adult stage. Most species of Plecoptera seem to be restricted to specific stream types and thermal regimes. Climate-driven changes are likely to alter stream temperatures and flow, resulting in physiological stress, reduced
Authors
Marta P. Lyons, Catherine A. Nikiel, Olivia E. LeDee, Ryan P. Boyles
Broadening benefits and anticipating tradeoffs with a proposed ecosystem service analysis framework for the US Army Corps of Engineers Broadening benefits and anticipating tradeoffs with a proposed ecosystem service analysis framework for the US Army Corps of Engineers
Would-be adopters of ecosystem service analysis frameworks might ask, ‘Do such frameworks improve ecosystem service provision or social benefits sufficiently to compensate for any extra effort?’ Here we explore that question by retrospectively applying an ecosystem goods and services (EGS) analysis framework to a large river restoration case study conducted by the US Army Corps of...
Authors
Lisa A. Wainger, Elizabeth O. Murray, Charles H. Theiling, Anna McMurray, Janet Alice Cushing, Shawn Komlos, Alfred Cofrancesco
Sea level rise may pose conservation challenges for the endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow Sea level rise may pose conservation challenges for the endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow
Biodiversity conservation under a changing climate is a challenging endeavor. Landscapes are shifting as a result of climate change and sea level rise but plant communities in particular may not keep up with the pace of change. Predictive ecological models can help decision makers understand how species are likely to respond to change and then adjust management actions to align with...
Authors
Stephanie Romanach, Saira Haider, Allison Benscoter
Taxonomic identity, biodiversity, and antecedent disturbances shape the dimensional stability of stream invertebrates Taxonomic identity, biodiversity, and antecedent disturbances shape the dimensional stability of stream invertebrates
The “dimensional stability” approach measures different components of ecological stability to investigate how they are related. Yet, most empirical work has used small-scale and short-term experimental manipulations. Here, we apply this framework to a long-term observational dataset of stream macroinvertebrates sampled between the winter flooding and summer monsoon seasons. We test...
Authors
Daniel C Allen, Brian A Gill, Anya Metcalfe, Sophia M Bonjour, Scott Starr, Junna Wang, Diana Valentin, Nancy B. Grimm
Searching for the Achilles heel(s) for maintaining invertebrate biodiversity across complexes of depressional wetlands Searching for the Achilles heel(s) for maintaining invertebrate biodiversity across complexes of depressional wetlands
Wetlands are among the most threatened ecosystems worldwide due to climate change and land-use conversion. Regional biodiversity of temporary wetlands is dependent on the existence of habitat complexes with variable hydroperiods. Because temperature and rainfall regimes are predicted to shift globally, together with land-use patterns, different scenarios of wetland loss are expected in...
Authors
Mateus M. Pires, Patricia E. Garcia, Leonardo Maltchik, Cristina Stenert, Luis B. Epele, Kyle McLean, Jamie M. Kneitel, Sophie Racey, Darold P. Batzer
An aridity threshold model of fire sizes and annual area burned in extensively forested ecoregions of the western USA An aridity threshold model of fire sizes and annual area burned in extensively forested ecoregions of the western USA
Wildfire occurrence varies among regions and through time due to the long-term impacts of climate on fuel structure and short-term impacts on fuel flammability. Identifying the climatic conditions that trigger extensive fire years at regional scales can enable development of area burned models that are both spatially and temporally robust, which is crucial for understanding the impacts...
Authors
Paul D. Henne, Todd Hawbaker
The detection and attribution of extreme reductions in vegetation growth across the global land surface The detection and attribution of extreme reductions in vegetation growth across the global land surface
Negative extreme anomalies in vegetation growth (NEGs) usually indicate severely impaired ecosystem services. These NEGs can result from diverse natural and anthropogenic causes, especially climate extremes (CEs). However, the relationship between NEGs and many types of CEs remains largely unknown at regional and global scales. Here, with satellite-derived vegetation index data and...
Authors
Huiping Yang, Seth M. Munson, Chris Huntingford, Nuno Carvalhais, Alan K. Knapp, Xiangyi Li, Josep Penuelas, Jakob Zscheichler, Anping Chen
Drivers and facilitators of the illegal killing of elephants across 64 African sites Drivers and facilitators of the illegal killing of elephants across 64 African sites
Ivory poaching continues to threaten African elephants. We (1) used criminology theory and literature evidence to generate hypotheses about factors that may drive, facilitate or motivate poaching, (2) identified datasets representing these factors, and (3) tested those factors with strong hypotheses and sufficient data quality for empirical associations with poaching. We advance on...
Authors
Timothy Kuiper, Res Altwegg, Colin Beale, Thea Carroll, Holy Dublin, Severin Hauenstein, Mrigesh Kshatriya, Carl Schwarz, Chris Thouless, Andy Royle, E.J. Milner-Gulland
Modeled production, oxidation, and transport processes of wetland methane emissions in temperate, boreal, and Arctic regions Modeled production, oxidation, and transport processes of wetland methane emissions in temperate, boreal, and Arctic regions
Wetlands are the largest natural source of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. The eddy covariance method provides robust measurements of net ecosystem exchange of CH4, but interpreting its spatiotemporal variations is challenging due to the co-occurrence of CH4 production, oxidation, and transport dynamics. Here, we estimate these three processes using a data-model fusion approach across...
Authors
Masahito Ueyama, Sarah Knox, Kyle B. Delwiche, Sheel Bansal, William J. Riley, Dennis Baldocchi, Takashi Hirano, Gavin McNicol, Karina Schafer, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Benjamin Poulter, Robert B. Jackson, Kuang-Yu Chang, Jiquan Chen, Housen Chu, Ankur R. Desai, Sebastien Gogo, Hiroki Iwata, Minseok Kang, Ivan Mammarella, Matthias Peichl, Oliver Sonnentag, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Youngryel Ryu, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Mathias Goeckede, Adrien Jacotot, Mats B. Nilsson, Torsten Sachs
Burmese pythons in Florida: A synthesis of biology, impacts, and management tools Burmese pythons in Florida: A synthesis of biology, impacts, and management tools
Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) are native to southeastern Asia, however, there is an established invasive population inhabiting much of southern Florida throughout the Greater Everglades Ecosystem. Pythons have severely impacted native species and ecosystems in Florida and represent one of the most intractable invasive-species management issues across the globe. The...
Authors
Jacquelyn C. Guzy, Bryan G. Falk, Brian J. Smith, John David Willson, Robert Reed, Nicholas Aumen, Michael L. Avery, Ian A. Bartoszek, Earl Campbell, Michael Cherkiss, Natalie M. Claunch, Andrea Faye Currylow, Tylan Dean, Jeremy Dixon, Richard M. Engeman, Sarah Funck, Rebekah Gibble, Kodiak C. Hengstebeck, John S. Humphrey, Margaret Hunter, Jillian Josimovich, Jennifer Ketterlin Eckles, Michael Kirkland, Frank J. Mazzotti, Robert A. McCleery, Melissa A. Miller, Matthew F. McCollister, M. Rockwell Parker, Shannon E. Pittman, Michael R. Rochford, Christina Romagosa, Art Roybal, Ray W. Snow, McKayla M. Spencer, Hardin Waddle, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Kristen Hart