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: 42700
Modeling the bioavailability of nickel and zinc to Ceriodaphnia dubia and Neocloeon triangulifer in toxicity tests with Natural Waters Modeling the bioavailability of nickel and zinc to Ceriodaphnia dubia and Neocloeon triangulifer in toxicity tests with Natural Waters
We studied biotic ligand model (BLM) predictions of toxicity of nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn) in natural waters from Illinois and Minnesota USA which had combinations of pH, hardness, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) more extreme than 99.7% of waters in a nationwide database. We conducted 7-d chronic tests with Ceriodaphnia dubia, and 96-hr acute test and 14-d chronic tests with Neocloeon
Authors
John M. Besser, Chris D. Ivey, Jeffery A. Steevens, Danielle M. Cleveland, David J. Soucek, Amy Dickinson, Eric J. Van Genderen, Adam C. Ryan, Chris E. Schlekat, Emily R. Garman, Elizabeth Middleton, Robert C. Santore
Interlaboratory comparison of SARS-CoV2 molecular detection assays in use by U.S. veterinary diagnostic laboratories Interlaboratory comparison of SARS-CoV2 molecular detection assays in use by U.S. veterinary diagnostic laboratories
The continued search for intermediate hosts and potential reservoirs for SARS-CoV2 makes it clear that animal surveillance is critical in outbreak response and prevention. Real-time RT-PCR assays for SARS-CoV2 detection can easily be adapted to different host species. U.S. veterinary diagnostic laboratories have used the CDC assays or other national reference laboratory methods to test...
Authors
Kaiping Deng, Steffen Uhlig, Hon S. Ip, Mary Lea Killian, Laura Goodman, Sarah Nemser, Jodie Ulaszek, Shannon Pickens, Robert Newkirk, Matthew Kmet, Kirsten Frost, Karina Hettwer, Bertrand Colson, Kapil Nichani, Anja Schlier, Andriy Tkachenko, Ravinder Reddy, Renate Reimshuessel
Sage-grouse population dynamics are adversely impacted by overabundant feral horses Sage-grouse population dynamics are adversely impacted by overabundant feral horses
In recent decades, feral horse (Equus caballus; horse) populations increased in sagebrush (Artimesia spp.) ecosystems, especially within the Great Basin, to the point of exceeding maximum appropriate management levels (AMLmax), which were set by land administrators to balance resource use by feral horses, livestock, and wildlife. Concomitantly, greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus...
Authors
Peter S. Coates, Shawn T. O’Neil, Diana A. Munoz, Ian Dwight, John C. Tull
Golden Eagle dietary shifts following wildfire and shrub loss have negative consequences for nestling survivorship Golden Eagle dietary shifts following wildfire and shrub loss have negative consequences for nestling survivorship
Wildfires and invasive species have caused widespread changes in western North America’s shrub-steppe landscapes. The bottom–up consequences of degraded shrublands on predator ecology and demography remain poorly understood. We used a before–after paired design to study whether Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) diet and nestling survivorship changed following wildfires in southwestern...
Authors
Julie A. Heath, Michael N. Kochert, Karen Steenhof
Response to Gard et al.'s (2021) Comments on the Critical Review “Polychlorinated Biphenyl Tissue-Concentration Thresholds for Survival, Growth, and Reproduction in Fish” Response to Gard et al.'s (2021) Comments on the Critical Review “Polychlorinated Biphenyl Tissue-Concentration Thresholds for Survival, Growth, and Reproduction in Fish”
This response is offered to the critique by Gard et al. (2021) of our meta-analysis of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-induced toxicity data in fish (Berninger and Tillitt 2019). Gard et al. (2021) offered numerous comments, the most substantive suggesting that 1) we should have added no-observable–adverse effect residue (NOAER) data from additional studies and all data points from...
Authors
Jason P. Berninger, Donald E. Tillitt
Drivers of seedling establishment success in dryland restoration efforts Drivers of seedling establishment success in dryland restoration efforts
Restoration of degraded drylands is urgently needed to mitigate climate change, reverse desertification and secure livelihoods for the two billion people who live in these areas. Bold global targets have been set for dryland restoration to restore millions of hectares of degraded land. These targets have been questioned as overly ambitious, but without a global evaluation of successes...
Authors
Nancy Shackelford, Gustavo B. Paterno, Daniel E. Winkler, Todd E. Erickson, Elizabeth A. Leger, Lauren N. Svejcar, Martin F. Breed, Akasha M. Faist, Peter L. Harrison, Michael F. Curran, Qinfeng Guo, Anita Kirmer, Darin J. Law, Kevin Mganga, Seth M. Munson, Lauren M. Porensky, Raul Emiliano Quiroga, Peter Torok, Claire E. Wainwright, Ali Abdullahi, Matt A. Bahm, Elizabeth A. Ballenger, Nichole Barger, Owen W. Baughman, Carina Becker, Manuel Esteban Lucas-Borja, Chad S. Boyd, Carla M. Burton, Philip J. Burton, Eman Calleja, Peter J. Carrick, Alex Caruana, Charlie D. Clements, Kirk W. Davies, Balazs Deak, Jessica Drake, Sandra Dullau, Joshua Eldridge, Erin Espeland, Stephen E. Fick, Magda Garbowski, Enrique G. de la Riva, Peter J. Golos, Penelope A. Grey, Barry Heydenrych, Patricia M. Holmes, Jeremy J. James, Jayne Jonas-Bratten, Reka Kiss, Andrea T. Kramer, Julie E. Larson, Juan Lorite, C. Ellery Mayence, Luis Merino-Martin, Tamas Miglecz, Suanne Jane Milton, Thomas A. Monaco, Arlee M. Montalvo, Jose A. Navarro-Cano, Mark W. Paschke, Pablo Luis Peri, Monica L. Pokorny, Matthew J. Rinella, Nelmarie Saayman, Merilynn C. Schantz, Tina Parkhurst, Eric W. Seabloom, Katharine L. Stuble, Shauna M. Uselman, Orsolya Valko, Kari E. Veblen, Scott D. Wilson, Megan Wong, Zhiwei Xu, Katharine L. Suding
Submerged aquatic vegetation habitat use of age-0 Florida bass Micropterus floridanus Submerged aquatic vegetation habitat use of age-0 Florida bass Micropterus floridanus
Hatchery-raised, age-0 Florida bass Micropterus floridanus are commonly used for fish enhancement efforts to support popular recreational fisheries and are ecologically important as both a food source and consumer. Despite their importance and frequent use of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) habitats, critical information is lacking on the specific characteristics of SAV that influence...
Authors
Audrey Looby, Laura K. Reynolds, Carrie R. Adams, Stephen Walsh, Charles W. Martin
Is the grass always greener? Land surface phenology reveals differences in peak and season-long vegetation productivity responses to climate and management Is the grass always greener? Land surface phenology reveals differences in peak and season-long vegetation productivity responses to climate and management
Vegetation phenology—the seasonal timing and duration of vegetative phases—is controlled by spatiotemporally variable contributions of climatic and environmental factors plus additional potential influence from human management. We used land surface phenology derived from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer and climate data to examine variability in vegetation productivity and
Authors
David J. A. Wood, Scott Powell, Paul C. Stoy, Lindsey Thurman, Erik A. Beever
Mycobiome traits associated with disease tolerance predict many western North American bat species will be susceptible to white-nose syndrome Mycobiome traits associated with disease tolerance predict many western North American bat species will be susceptible to white-nose syndrome
White-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease that has caused catastrophic population declines of bats in eastern North America, is rapidly spreading across the continent and now threatens previously unexposed bat species in western North America. The causal agent of WNS, the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, can infect many species of hibernating bats, but susceptibility to WNS varies...
Authors
Karen J Vanderwolf, Lewis J. Campbell, Daniel R. Taylor, Tony L. Goldberg, David S. Blehert, Jeffrey M. Lorch
Ignitions explain more than climate or weather in driving Santa Ana Wind fires Ignitions explain more than climate or weather in driving Santa Ana Wind fires
Autumn and winter Santa Ana wind (SAW)–driven wildfires play a substantial role in area burned and societal losses in southern California. Temperature during the event and antecedent precipitation in the week or month prior play a minor role in determining area burned. Burning is dependent on wind intensity and number of human-ignited fires. Over 75% of all SAW events generate no fires...
Authors
Jon Keeley, Janin Guzman-Morales, Alexander Gershunov, Alexandra D. Syphard, Daniel Cayan, David W Pierce, Michael Flannigan, Tim J Brown
Predicted distribution of a rare and understudied forest carnivore: Humboldt marten (Martes caurina humboldtensis) Predicted distribution of a rare and understudied forest carnivore: Humboldt marten (Martes caurina humboldtensis)
Many mammalian species have experienced range contractions. Following a reduction in distribution that has resulted in apparently small and disjunct populations, the Humboldt marten (Martes caurina humboldtensis) was recently designated as federally Threatened and state Endangered. This subspecies of Pacific marten occurring in coastal Oregon and northern California, also known as...
Authors
Katie Moriarty, Joel Thompson, Matthew Delheimer, Brent Barry, Mark Linnell, Taal Levi, Keith A. Hamm, Desiree A Early, Holly Gamblin, Micaela Szykman Gunther, Jordan Ellison, Janet S. Prevey, Jennifer Hartman, Raymond J. Davis
Eagles enter rotor-swept zones of wind turbines at rates that vary per turbine Eagles enter rotor-swept zones of wind turbines at rates that vary per turbine
There is increasing pressure on wind energy facilities to manage or mitigate for wildlife collisions. However, little information exists regarding spatial and temporal variation in collision rates, meaning that mitigation is most often a blanket prescription. To address this knowledge gap, we evaluated variation among turbines and months in an aspect of collision risk—probability of...
Authors
Christopher J.W. McClure, Brian W. Rolek, Melissa A. Braham, Tricia A. Miller, Adam E. Duerr, Jennifer D. McCabe, Leah Dunn, Todd Eli Katzner