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: 42702
Efficacy of bear spray as a deterrent against polar bears Efficacy of bear spray as a deterrent against polar bears
Although there have been few attempts to systematically analyze information on the use of deterrents on polar bears (Ursus maritimus), understanding their effectiveness in mitigating human-polar bear conflicts is critical to ensuring both human safety and polar bear conservation. To fill this knowledge gap, we analyzed 19 incidents involving the use of bear spray on free-ranging polar...
Authors
James Wilder, Lindsey Mangipane, Todd C. Atwood, Anatoly A. Kochnev, Tom Smith, Dag Vongraven
Black Abalone surveys at Naval Base Ventura County, San Nicolas Island, California—2021, annual report Black Abalone surveys at Naval Base Ventura County, San Nicolas Island, California—2021, annual report
The U.S. Geological Survey monitors a suite of intertidal black abalone sites at San Nicolas Island, California, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, which owns the island. The nine rocky intertidal sites were established in 1980 to study the potential effect of translocated sea otters on the intertidal black abalone population at the island. The sites were monitored from 1981 to 1997...
Authors
Michael C. Kenner, Julie L. Yee
Field application of carbon dioxide as a behavioral control method for invasive red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in southeastern Michigan water retention ponds Field application of carbon dioxide as a behavioral control method for invasive red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in southeastern Michigan water retention ponds
This study evaluated carbon dioxide (CO2) injected into water as a possible behavioral stimulant to enhance capture and removal of invasive red swamp crayfish (RSC, Procambarus clarkii [Girard, 1852]) from a retention pond in southeastern Michigan. Objectives of this study were (1) to determine if target CO2 concentrations were attainable within the infested pond and (2) to determine if...
Authors
Justin Smerud, Jose Rivera, Todd Johnson, John Tix, Kim T. Fredricks, Matthew Barbour, Seth Herbst, Sara Thomas, Lucas Nathan, Brian Roth, Kelley Smith, Ann Allert, Jim Stoeckel, Aaron R. Cupp
State of the Regional Preserve System in western San Diego County State of the Regional Preserve System in western San Diego County
No abstract available.
Authors
Kristine L. Preston, Emily E. Perkins, Christopher W. Brown, Sarah Joelle McCutcheon, Annabelle E Bernabe, Emilie Luciani, Barbara E. Kus, Susan Wynn
Biofouling of a unionid mussel by dreissenid mussels in nearshore zones of the Great Lakes Biofouling of a unionid mussel by dreissenid mussels in nearshore zones of the Great Lakes
In North America, native unionid mussels are imperiled due to factors such as habitat degradation, pollution, and invasive species. One of the most substantial threats is that posed by dreissenid mussels, which are invasive mussels that attach to hard substrates including unionid shells and can restrict movement and feeding of unionids. This dreissenid mussel biofouling of unionids...
Authors
James H. Larson, Sean Bailey, Mary Anne Evans
Optimizing surveys of fall-staging geese using aerial imagery and automated counting Optimizing surveys of fall-staging geese using aerial imagery and automated counting
Ocular aerial surveys allow efficient coverage of large areas and can be used to monitor abundance and distribution of wild populations. However, uncertainty around resulting population estimates can be large due to difficulty in visually identifying and counting animals from aircraft, as well as logistical challenges in estimating detection probabilities. Photographic aerial surveys can...
Authors
Emily L. Weiser, Paul L. Flint, Dennis K Marks, Brad S Shults, Heather M. Wilson, Sarah J. Thompson, Julian B. Fischer
A regionally varying habitat model to inform management for greater sage-grouse persistence across their range A regionally varying habitat model to inform management for greater sage-grouse persistence across their range
Identifying habitat needs for species with large distributions is challenging because species-habitat associations may vary across scales and regions (spatial nonstationarity). Furthermore, management efforts often cross jurisdictional boundaries, complicating the development of cohesive conservation strategies among management entities. The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus...
Authors
Gregory T. Wann, Nathan D. Van Schmidt, Jessica E. Shyvers, Bryan C. Tarbox, Megan M. McLachlan, Michael S. O’Donnell, Anthony J Titolo, Peter S. Coates, David R. Edmunds, Julie A. Heinrichs, Adrian P. Monroe, Cameron L. Aldridge
Harnessing island–ocean connections to maximize marine benefits of island conservation Harnessing island–ocean connections to maximize marine benefits of island conservation
Islands support unique plants, animals, and human societies found nowhere else on the Earth. Local and global stressors threaten the persistence of island ecosystems, with invasive species being among the most damaging, yet solvable, stressors. While the threat of invasive terrestrial mammals on island flora and fauna is well recognized, recent studies have begun to illustrate their...
Authors
Stuart A. Sandin, Penny A. Becker, Ceiba Becker, Kate Brown, Natalia G. Erazo, Cielo Figuerola, Robert N. Fisher, Alan M. Friedlander, Tadashi Fukami, Nicholas A. J. Graham, Daniel S. Gruner, Nick D. Holmes, Wieteke A. Holthuijzen, Holly P. Jones, Mariela Rios, Araceli Samaniego, Wes Sechrest, Brice X. Semmens, Hazel E. Thornton, Rebecca Vega Thurber, Christy Wails, Coral A. Wolf, Brian J. Zgliczynski
Magma storage and transport timescales for the 1959 Kīlauea Iki eruption and implications for diffusion chronometry studies using time-series samples versus tephra deposits Magma storage and transport timescales for the 1959 Kīlauea Iki eruption and implications for diffusion chronometry studies using time-series samples versus tephra deposits
Complex crystal cargo in basaltic eruptions has the potential to yield diverse insights on pre- and syn-eruptive timescales of magma storage and transport. Research on eruption products from the 1959 eruption from Kīlauea Iki Crater at Kīlauea volcano (Hawai‘i) demonstrates that time-series samples collected during an eruption can yield a wealth of information not accessible by studying...
Authors
Kendra J. Lynn, Rosalind L. Helz
Environmental monitoring for invasive fungal pathogens of ʽŌhiʽa (Metrosideros polymorpha) on the Island of Hawaiʽi Environmental monitoring for invasive fungal pathogens of ʽŌhiʽa (Metrosideros polymorpha) on the Island of Hawaiʽi
The invasive rust Austropuccina psidii was detected in the Hawaiian Islands in 2005 and has become widely established throughout the archipelago in both native and introduced species of Myrtaceae. Initial predictions about the impacts of the fungus on native ʽōhiʽa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha), a keystone native tree, have not materialized, but there is ongoing concern that...
Authors
Carter T. Atkinson, Kylle Roy
Partnering in search of answers: Seabird die-offs in the Bering and Chukchi Seas Partnering in search of answers: Seabird die-offs in the Bering and Chukchi Seas
Prior to 2015, seabird die-offs in Alaskan waters were rare; they typically occurred in mid-winter, linked to epizootic disease events or above-average ocean temperatures associated with strong El Nino-Southern Oscillation events (Bodenstein et al. 2015, Jones et al. 2019, Romano et al. 2020). Since 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has monitored mortality events that have...
Authors
Robb A. S. Kaler, Gay Sheffield, S Backensto, Jackie Lindsey, T. Jones, J. Parrish, B Ahmasuk, Barbara Bodenstein, Robert J. Dusek, Caroline R. Van Hemert, Matthew M. Smith, P Schwalenberg
Quantifying aspects of rangeland health at watershed scales in Colorado using remotely sensed data products Quantifying aspects of rangeland health at watershed scales in Colorado using remotely sensed data products
During grazing permit renewals, the Bureau of Land Management assesses land health using indicators typically measured using field-based data collected from individual sites within grazing allotments. However, agency guidance suggests assessments be completed at larger spatial scales.We explored how the current generation of remotely sensed data products could be used to quantify aspects...
Authors
Nathan J. Kleist, Christopher T Domschke, S E Litschert, J Hunter Seim, Sarah K. Carter