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: 42768
Pathways of productivity and influences on top consumers in forested streams Pathways of productivity and influences on top consumers in forested streams
Forested stream ecosystems involve complex physical and biotic pathways that can influence fish in numerous ways. Consequently, the responses of fish communities to disturbance can be difficult to understand. In this study, we employed a food web model that links biotic (e.g., physiology, predator–prey interactions) and abiotic (e.g., temperature, sunlight) attributes to address fish...
Authors
Joseph R. Benjamin, Jason B. Dunham, Sherri L Johnson, Linda Ashkenas, Brooke E Penaluna, Robert E Bilby, Douglas S. Bateman, David W. Leer, James R Bellmore
Sex‐related differences in aging rate are associated with sex chromosome system in amphibians Sex‐related differences in aging rate are associated with sex chromosome system in amphibians
Sex‐related differences in mortality are widespread in the animal kingdom. Although studies have shown that sex determination systems might drive lifespan evolution, sex chromosome influence on aging rates have not been investigated so far, likely due to an apparent lack of demographic data from clades including both XY (with heterogametic males) and ZW (heterogametic females) systems...
Authors
Hugo Cayuela, Jean-François Lemaître, Jean-Paul Léna, Victor Ronget, Inigo Martinez-Solano, Erin L. Muths, David Pilliod, Benedikt Schmidt, Gregorio Sanchez-Montes, Jorge Gutierrez-Rodriguez, Graham Pyke, Kurt Grossenbacher, Omar Lenzi, Jaime Bosch, Karen H. Beard, Lawrence L. Woolbright, Brad A. Lambert, David M. Green, Justin M Garwood, Robert N. Fisher, Kathleen Matthews, David Dudgeon, Anthony Lau, Jeroen Speybroeck, Rebecca Homan, Robert Jehle, Eyup Baskale, Emiliano Mori, Jan W. Arntzen, Pierre Joly, Rochelle Stiles, Michael J Lannoo, John C. Maerz, Winsor H. Lowe, Andres Valenzuela-Sanchez, Ditte Christianson, Claudio Angelini, Jean-Marc Thirion, Juha Merila, Guarino R. Colli, Mariana M. Vasconcellos, Taissa C. Boas, Isis da C. Arantes, Pauline Levionnois, Beth A. Reinke, Cristina Vieira, Gabriel A. B. Marais, Jean-Michael Gaillard, David A.W. Miller
Climate change adaptation thinking for managed wetlands Climate change adaptation thinking for managed wetlands
Climate change presents new and ongoing challenges to natural resource management. To confront these challenges effectively, managers need to develop proactive adaptation strategies to prepare for and deal with the effects of climate change. We engaged managers and biologists from several midwestern U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service field stations to understand recent and future climate...
Authors
John Delaney, Kristen L. Bouska, Josh D. Eash
Characterizing the oral and distal gut microbiota of the threatened southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) to enhance conservation practice Characterizing the oral and distal gut microbiota of the threatened southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) to enhance conservation practice
The southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) is a threatened sub-species in coastal ecosystems. To understand better the role of diet, monitor health, and enhance management of this and other marine mammal species, we characterized the oral (gingival) and distal gut (rectal and fecal) microbiota of 158 wild southern sea otters living off the coast of central California, USA, and 12...
Authors
Natasha K Dudek, Alexandra D Switzer, Elizabeth K Costello, Michael J. Murray, Joseph A. Tomoleoni, Michelle M. Staedler, M. Tim Tinker, David A Relman
Loss of phylogenetic diversity under landscape change Loss of phylogenetic diversity under landscape change
Habitat alteration and destruction are primary drivers of biodiversity loss. However, the evolutionary dimensions of biodiversity loss remain largely unexplored in many systems. For example, little is known about how habitat alteration/loss can lead to phylogenetic deconstruction of ecological assemblages at the local level. That is, while species loss is evident, are some lineages...
Authors
Christopher M. Swan, Matthew Baker, Dorothy Borowy, Anna Johnson, Mariya Shcheglovitova, April Sparkman, Francisco V. Neto, Molly Van Appledorn, Nicole Voelker
Genetic processes facilitating pathogen emergence Genetic processes facilitating pathogen emergence
The goal of biosecurity is to minimize the risk of introduction and transmission of infectious diseases to people, animals, and plants. This is achieved by accurately identifying pathogens and instituting appropriate methods to prevent their introduction, reemergence, and/or spread. However, disease is dynamic, and biosecurity needs to continually change to keep pace as pathogens evolve...
Authors
N. J. Grunwald, C. E. Brown, Hon S. Ip, J. H. Chang
The impacts of mangrove range expansion on wetland ecosystem services in the southeastern United States: Current understanding, knowledge gaps, and emerging research needs The impacts of mangrove range expansion on wetland ecosystem services in the southeastern United States: Current understanding, knowledge gaps, and emerging research needs
Climate change is transforming ecosystems and affecting ecosystem goods and services. Along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts of the southeastern United States, the frequency and intensity of extreme freeze events greatly influences whether coastal wetlands are dominated by freeze-sensitive woody plants (mangrove forests) or freeze-tolerant grass-like plants (salt marshes). In...
Authors
Michael Osland, A. Randall Hughes, Anna R. Armitage, Steven B. Scyphers, Just Cebrian, Savannah H. Swinea, Christine C. Shepard, Michael S. Allen, Laura Feher, James A. Nelson, Cherie L. O’Brien, Colt R. Sanspree, Delbert L. Smee, Caitlin M. Snyder, Andrew P. Stetter, Philip W. Stevens, Kathleen M. Swanson, Lauren H. Williams, Janell M. Brush, Joseph Marchionno, Remi Bardou
Temporal trends in macroscopic indicators of fish health in the South Branch of the Potomac River Temporal trends in macroscopic indicators of fish health in the South Branch of the Potomac River
Over recent decades, the South Branch of the Potomac River, WV, has experienced fish kills and episodes of suppressed health in adult fishes that have spanned small stretches to nearly 120 km of contiguous habitat. Although factors such as endocrine disruption, chemical contaminants, and infectious agents have been detected, no single causal mechanism has been identified. To gain...
Authors
Brandon J. Keplinger, James Hedrick, Vicki S. Blazer
Human-cougar interactions: A literature review related to common management questions Human-cougar interactions: A literature review related to common management questions
Interactions between humans and cougars (Puma concolor) present unique challenges for wildlife managers; reducing occurrences that lead to conflict is a priority for state and provincial wildlife agencies throughout western North America, including Washington. With an increase in management emphasis of human-wildlife conflict resolution, a growing body of scientific literature related to...
Authors
B. N. Kertson, S. M. McCorquodale, C. R. Anderson, Anis N. Aoude, R. A. Beausoleil, M. G. Cope, M. A. Hurley, B. K. Johnson, Glen A. Sargeant, S. L. Simek
Behavior of female adult Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) exposed to natural and synthesized odors Behavior of female adult Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) exposed to natural and synthesized odors
Conservation and management of Pacific Lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus and other imperiled lamprey species could include the use of chemosensory cues to attract or repel migrating adults. For restoration programs, passage of adult lamprey at dams might be improved by using cues to help guide lamprey through fishway entrances. In contrast, odors might repel unwanted invasive Sea Lamprey...
Authors
Mike Hayes, Mary L. Moser, Brian J. Burke, Aaron D. Jackson, Nicholas S. Johnson
Assessing effects of sediment delivery to coral reefs: A Caribbean watershed perspective Assessing effects of sediment delivery to coral reefs: A Caribbean watershed perspective
Coral reefs in the western Atlantic and Caribbean are deteriorating primarily from disease outbreaks, increasing seawater temperatures, and stress due to land-based sources of pollutants including sediments associated with land use and dredging. Sediments affect corals in numerous ways including smothering, abrasion, shading, and inhibition of coral recruitment. Sediment delivery...
Authors
Caroline Rogers, Carlos E. Ramos-Scharron
Forecasting species distributions: Correlation does not equal causation Forecasting species distributions: Correlation does not equal causation
Aim Identifying the mechanisms influencing species' distributions is critical for accurate climate change forecasts. However, current approaches are limited by correlative models that cannot distinguish between direct and indirect effects.Location New Hampshire and Vermont, USA.Methods Using causal and correlational models and new theory on range limits, we compared current (2014–2019)...
Authors
Alexej Sirén, Christopher Sutherland, Ambarish V. Karmalkar, Matthew Duveneck, Toni Lyn Morelli