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: 42675
Spatial Gaussian processes improve multi-species occupancy models when range boundaries are uncertain and nonoverlapping Spatial Gaussian processes improve multi-species occupancy models when range boundaries are uncertain and nonoverlapping
Species distribution models enable practitioners to analyze large datasets of encounter records and make predictions about species occurrence at unsurveyed locations. In omnibus surveys that record data on multiple species simultaneously, species ranges are often nonoverlapping and misaligned with the administrative unit defining the spatial domain of interest (e.g., a state or province)
Authors
Wilson Wright, Kathryn Irvine, Tom Rodhouse, Andrea R. Litt
Identifying metabolic alterations associated with coral growth anomalies using 1H NMR metabolomics Identifying metabolic alterations associated with coral growth anomalies using 1H NMR metabolomics
Coral growth anomalies (GAs) are tumor-like protrusions that are detrimental to coral health, affecting both the coral skeleton and soft tissues. These lesions are increasingly found throughout the tropics and are commonly associated with high human population density, yet little is known about the molecular pathology of the disease. Here, we investigate the metabolic impacts of GAs...
Authors
Erik Andersson, Rusty Day, Thierry Work, Paul Anderson, Cheryl Woodley, Tracey Schock
Response of fish assemblages to restoration of rapids habitat in a Great Lakes connecting channel Response of fish assemblages to restoration of rapids habitat in a Great Lakes connecting channel
Rapids habitats are critical spawning and nursery grounds for multiple Laurentian Great Lakes fishes of ecological importance such as lake sturgeon, walleye, and salmonids. However, river modifications have destroyed important rapids habitat in connecting channels by modifying flow profiles and removing large quantities of cobble and gravel that are preferred spawning substrates of...
Authors
A. Molina-Moctezuma, N. Godby, K. Kapuscinski, Edward F. Roseman, K. Skubik, A. Moerke
Integrating thermal infrared stream temperature imagery and spatial stream network models to understand natural spatial thermal variability in streams Integrating thermal infrared stream temperature imagery and spatial stream network models to understand natural spatial thermal variability in streams
Under a warmer future climate, thermal refuges could facilitate the persistence of species relying on cold-water habitat. Often these refuges are small and easily missed or smoothed out by averaging in models. Thermal infrared (TIR) imagery can provide empirical water surface temperatures that capture these features at a high spatial resolution (
Authors
Matthew Fuller, Joseph Ebersole, Naomi Detenbeck, Rochelle Labisoa, Peter Leinenbach, Christian Torgersen
Cohort strength and body size in co-occurring salmonids in a small stream network: Variation in space and time Cohort strength and body size in co-occurring salmonids in a small stream network: Variation in space and time
Trout and salmon commonly coexist in stream networks. Exploring similarities and differences among species can help explain coexistence and invasive ability. Here, we describe spatial distribution, cohort strengths and size-at-age of three co-occurring species in a small stream network. Spatial distributions varied dramatically among species; native brook trout occupied all stream...
Authors
Benjamin Letcher, Keith Nislow, Matthew O’Donnell, Andrew Whiteley, Jason Coombs, Todd Dubreuil
Experimental warming differentially affects vegetative and reproductive phenology of tundra plants Experimental warming differentially affects vegetative and reproductive phenology of tundra plants
Rapid climate warming is altering Arctic and alpine tundra ecosystem structure and function, including shifts in plant phenology. While the advancement of green up and flowering are well-documented, it remains unclear whether all phenophases, particularly those later in the season, will shift in unison or respond divergently to warming. Here, we present the largest synthesis to our...
Authors
Courtney Collins, Sarah Elmendorf, Robert Hollister, Greg Henry, Karin Clark, Anne Bjorkman, Isla Myers-Smith, Janet Prevey, Isabel Ashton, Jakob Assmann, Juha Alatalo, Michele Carbognani, Chelsea Chisholm, Elisabeth Cooper, Chiara, Ingibjorg Jonsdottir, Kari Klanderud, Christopher Kopp, Carolyn Livensperger, Marguerite Mauritz, Jeremy May, Ulf Molau, Steven Oberbaeur, Emily Ogburn, Zoe Panchen, Alessandro Petraglia, Eric Post, Christian Rixen, Heidi Rodenhizer, Ted Schuur, Phillip Semenchuk, Jane Smith, Heidi Steltzer, Ørjan Totland, Marilyn Walker, Jeffrey Welker, Katharine Suding
Abundance of Gulf Coast Waterdogs (Necturus beyeri) along Bayou Lacombe, Saint Tammany Parish, Louisiana Abundance of Gulf Coast Waterdogs (Necturus beyeri) along Bayou Lacombe, Saint Tammany Parish, Louisiana
Few ecological studies have been conducted on Gulf Coast Waterdogs (Necturus beyeri), and published studies have focused on relatively small stream sections of 125 m to 1.75 km. In 2015, we sampled 25 sites along a 13.4-km stretch of Bayou Lacombe (Saint Tammany Parish, Louisiana, USA) to better understand factors that may influence the distribution of Gulf Coast Waterdogs within streams...
Authors
Brad Glorioso, Hardin Waddle, Lindy Muse, Sidney T Godfrey
Population estimates and trends of three Maui Island-endemic Hawaiian Honeycreepers Population estimates and trends of three Maui Island-endemic Hawaiian Honeycreepers
Population monitoring is critical for informing the management and conservation of rare Hawaiian forest birds. In 2017, we used point-transect distance sampling methods to estimate population densities of birds on Haleakalā Volcano on east Maui island. We estimated the populations and ranges of three island-endemic Hawaiian honeycreepers, including the endangered ‘Ākohekohe (Palmeria...
Authors
Seth Judge, Christopher Warren, Richard Camp, Laura Berthold, Hanna L. Mounce, Patrick Hart, Ryan Monello
Identification of Aphanomyces invadans, the cause of epizootic ulcerative syndrome, in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) from the Cheat River, West Virginia, USA Identification of Aphanomyces invadans, the cause of epizootic ulcerative syndrome, in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) from the Cheat River, West Virginia, USA
The oomycete Aphanomyces invadans (Saprolegniales, Oomycetes), the cause of epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS), is an OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) reportable pathogen, capable of infecting many fish species worldwide in both freshwater and estuarine environments (Iberahim et al. 2018). Since the discovery of EUS in Japan in 1971 (Egusa and Masuda 1971), it has spread...
Authors
Heather Walsh, Vicki S. Blazer, Patricia Mazik
Diet composition and body condition of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in relation to sea ice habitat in the Canadian High Arctic Diet composition and body condition of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in relation to sea ice habitat in the Canadian High Arctic
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) rely on sea ice for hunting marine mammal prey. Declining sea ice conditions associated with climate warming have negatively affected polar bears, especially in the southern portion of their range. At higher latitudes, the transition from multi-year ice to thinner annual ice has been hypothesized to increase biological productivity and potentially improve...
Authors
Katie Florko, Gregory Thiemann, Jeffrey Bromaghin, Evan Richardson
Spatial ecology of invasive Burmese pythons in southwestern Florida Spatial ecology of invasive Burmese pythons in southwestern Florida
Understanding the spatial ecology of an invasive species is critical for designing effective control programs. Determining and quantifying home range estimates and habitat associations can streamline targeted removal efforts for wide-ranging, cryptic animals. The Burmese python (Python bivittatus) is a large-bodied constrictor snake with an established and expanding invasive population...
Authors
Ian Bartoszek, Brian J. Smith, Robert Reed, Kristen Hart
Confirmed cases of Ophidiomycosis in museum specimens from the USA as early as 1945, United States Confirmed cases of Ophidiomycosis in museum specimens from the USA as early as 1945, United States
Ophidiomycosis represents a conservation threat to wild snake populations. The disease was reported in North America early in the 21st century, but the history of ophidiomycosis has not been investigated. We examined museum specimens and confirmed cases of ophidiomycosis >50 years before the disease’s reported emergence.
Authors
Jeffrey Lorch, Steven Price, Julia Lankton, Andrea Drayer