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
Red-throated loon (Gavia stellata) use of nearshore marine habitats—Results from a 2019 pilot study in northern Alaska Red-throated loon (Gavia stellata) use of nearshore marine habitats—Results from a 2019 pilot study in northern Alaska
Red-throated loons (Gavia stellata) are a species of conservation concern in Alaska due to recent evidence of a population decline on the Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) in northern Alaska. In 2019, the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a pilot study to evaluate diet and use of nearshore foraging areas as possible drivers of the population decline. We...
Authors
Brian D. Uher-Koch, Christopher J. Latty, Joel A. Schmutz
Implications of tagging effects for interpreting the performance of sea lamprey traps in a large river Implications of tagging effects for interpreting the performance of sea lamprey traps in a large river
Abundance estimates can be crucial for managing species of economic concern. The accuracy of these estimates can depend on the methods used to track animals and to estimate abundance from tracking data. We tested experimentally if disparate estimates of trapping efficiency calculated for sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) in the St. Marys River near Sault Ste. Marie, Canada could be...
Authors
Jessica Nelson, Andrew M. Rous, Adrienne R. McLean, Jessica Barber, Gale A Bravener, Christopher Holbrook, Robert L. McLaughlin
Investigating vegetation responses to underground nuclear explosions through integrated analyses Investigating vegetation responses to underground nuclear explosions through integrated analyses
Vegetation has the potential to respond to underground nuclear explosions, yet these links have not been fully explored. Given the lack of previously described signatures, the changes in vegetation are possibly subtle. The integration of multiple different data streams is potentially a useful approach to improve signal detection. Here, we investigate whether semi-arid vegetation growth...
Authors
Kurt Solander, Adam D. Collins, Erika Swanson, Ellis Margolis, Brandon Crawford, Elizabeth Miller, Min Chen, Anita Lavadie-Bulnes, Max Ryan, Isaac Borrego, Sanna Sevanto, Emily Schultz-Fellenz
Substantial hysteresis in emergent temperature sensitivity of global wetland CH4 emissions Substantial hysteresis in emergent temperature sensitivity of global wetland CH4 emissions
Wetland methane (CH4) emissions (FCH4) are important in global carbon budgets and climate change assessments. Currently, FCH4 projections rely on prescribed static temperature sensitivity that varies among biogeochemical models. Meta-analyses have proposed a consistent FCH4 temperature dependence across spatial scales for use in models; however, site-level studies demonstrate that FCH4...
Authors
Kuang-Yu Chang, William J. Riley, Sara H. Knox, Robert B. Jackson, Gavin McNicol, Benjamin Poulter, Mika Aurela, Dennis Baldocchi, Sheel Bansal, Gil Bohrer, David I. Campbell, Alessandro Cescatti, Housen Chu, Kyle B. Delwiche, Ankur R. Desai, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Matthias Goeckede, Thomas Friborg, Kyle S. Hemes, Takashi Hirano, Hiroki Iwata, Manuel Helbig, Trevor F. Keenan, Minseok Kang, Ken Krauss, Annalea Lohila, Bhaskar Mitra, Ivan Mammarella, Akira Miyata, Mats B. Nilsson, Walter C. Oechel, Akso Noormets, Matthias Peichl, Michele L. Reba, Janne Rinne, Dario Papale, Benjamin R. K. Runkle, Youngryel Ryu, Torsten Sachs, Karina VR Schafer, Hans Peter Schmid, Narasinha Shurpali, Oliver Sonnentag, Angela Tang, Margaret S. Torn, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Carlo Trotta, Masahito Ueyama, Rodrigo Vargas, Timo Vesala, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Zhen Zhang, Donatella Zona
Slow recovery of headwater-stream fishes following a catastrophic poisoning event Slow recovery of headwater-stream fishes following a catastrophic poisoning event
Accidental spills of chemicals and other pollutants can decimate populations of stream-dwelling species. Recovery from such accidents can be relatively fast and complete when the affected stream reaches can be recolonized from upstream and downstream sources. However, faunal recoveries from accidental spills that extirpate populations from entire headwater streams have not been...
Authors
Mary Freeman, Duncan Elkins, Peter Maholland, Zachary Butler, Maxwell Kleinhans, Jonathan Skaggs, Edward Stowe, Carrie A. Straight, Seth J. Wenger
The role of behavioral ecotoxicology in environmental protection The role of behavioral ecotoxicology in environmental protection
For decades, we have known that chemicals affect human and wildlife behavior. Moreover, due to recent technological and computational advances, scientists are now increasingly aware that a wide variety of contaminants and other environmental stressors adversely affect organismal behavior and subsequent ecological outcomes in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. There is also a groundswell...
Authors
Alex T. Ford, Marlene Agerstrand, Bryan W. Brooks, Joel Allen, Michael G. Bertram, Tomas Brodin, ZhiChao Dang, Sabine Duquesne, Rene Sahm, Frauke Hoffmann, Henner Hollert, Stefanie Jacob, Nils Kluver, James M. Lazorchak, Mariana Ledesma, Steven D. Melvin, Silvia Mohr, Stephanie Padilla, Gregory G. Pyle, Stefan Scholz, Minna Saaristo, Els Smit, Jeffery A. Steevens, Sanne van den Berg, Werner Kloas, Bob B.M. Wong, Michael Ziegler, Gerd Maack
Integrating ecological impacts: Perspectives on drought in the Upper Missouri Headwaters, Montana, United States Integrating ecological impacts: Perspectives on drought in the Upper Missouri Headwaters, Montana, United States
Drought is a complex challenge experienced in specific locations through diverse impacts, including ecological impacts. Different professionals involved in drought preparedness and response approach the problem from different points of view, which means they may or may not recognize ecological impacts. This study examines the extent to which interviewees perceive ecological drought in...
Authors
Amanda E. Cravens, Jamie McEvoy, Dionne Zoanni, Shelley Crausbay, Aaron R. Ramirez, Ashley E. Cooper
Golden Eagle Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle inhabits a wide range of latitudes and habitats throughout the Palearctic and into northern Africa, where it is largely resident. In North America, its breeding distribution includes most of Canada and Alaska, as well as the western half of the United States and northern and western Mexico. Most eagles that nest in northern Canada and interior and northern Alaska migrate...
Authors
Todd E. Katzner, Michael N. Kochert, Karen Steenhof, Carol L. McIntyre, Erica H. Craig, Tricia A. Miller
Foraging in marine habitats increases mercury concentrations in a generalist seabird Foraging in marine habitats increases mercury concentrations in a generalist seabird
Methylmercury concentrations vary widely across geographic space and among habitat types, with marine and aquatic-feeding organisms typically exhibiting higher mercury concentrations than terrestrial-feeding organisms. However, there are few model organisms to directly compare mercury concentrations as a result of foraging in marine, estuarine, or terrestrial food webs. The ecological...
Authors
Corey A. Clatterbuck, Rebecca L. Lewison, Rachael A Orben, Josh T. Ackerman, Leigh G Torres, Robert M. Suryan, Peter Warzybok, Jaime Jahncke, Scott A. Shaffer
Linking climate niches across seasons to assess population vulnerability in a migratory bird Linking climate niches across seasons to assess population vulnerability in a migratory bird
Global loss of biodiversity has placed new urgency on the need to understand factors regulating species response to rapid environmental change. While specialists are often less resilient to rapid environmental change than generalists, species-level analyses may obscure the extent of specialization when locally adapted populations vary in climate tolerances. Until recently, quantification...
Authors
Kristen Ruegg, Eric Anderson, Marius Somveille, Rachael A. Bay, Mary J. Whitfield, Eben H. Paxton, Thomas B. Smith
Abundance of a recently discovered Alaskan rhodolith bed in a shallow, seagrass-dominated lagoon Abundance of a recently discovered Alaskan rhodolith bed in a shallow, seagrass-dominated lagoon
Rhodoliths are important foundation species of the benthic photic zone but are poorly known and rarely studied in Alaska. A bed of Lithothamnion soriferum rhodoliths was discovered in 2008 in Kinzarof Lagoon, Alaska, a shallow-water embayment dominated by eelgrass (Zostera marina). Rhodolith presence and biomass were estimated to assess trends and environmental factors that may influence
Authors
David H. Ward, Courtney Amundson, Patrick Fitzmorris, Damian M. Menning, Joel Markis, Kristine M. Sowl, Sandra C. Lindstrom
A tribute to Edward Perry Glenn (1947–2017), who created a legacy of environmental assessment and applications within hydrological processes A tribute to Edward Perry Glenn (1947–2017), who created a legacy of environmental assessment and applications within hydrological processes
This issue of Hydrological Processes is dedicated to Dr. Edward P. Glenn, a frequent contributor to the journal, who suddenly passed away in late 2017. The articles within this volume are by a number of his former co-authors and others who have been greatly influenced by his professional work on hydrological processes.
Authors
Pamela L. Nagler, Matthew K. Chew, Kevin Fitzsimmons, Charles van Riper