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: 42905
Rediscovery of the horseshoe shrimp Lightiella serendipita Jones, 1961 (Cephalocarida: Hutchinsoniellidae) in San Francisco Bay, California, USA, with a key to the worldwide species of Cephalocarida Rediscovery of the horseshoe shrimp Lightiella serendipita Jones, 1961 (Cephalocarida: Hutchinsoniellidae) in San Francisco Bay, California, USA, with a key to the worldwide species of Cephalocarida
Lightiella serendipitaJones, 1961 was first discovered in San Francisco Bay, California in 1953, but it had not been observed since 1988. In 2017, a total of 13 adult L. serendipita specimens were found as part of a study in central San Francisco Bay, nearly doubling the total number of specimens ever collected. We measured vertical distribution of macroinvertebrates and environmental...
Authors
Crystal Garcia, Isa Woo, D. Christopher Rogers, Alison M Flanagan, Susan E.W. De La Cruz
Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) exposed to different preparatory photoperiods during smoltification show varying responses in gill Na+/K+-ATPase, salinity-specific mRNA transcription and ionocyte differentiation Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) exposed to different preparatory photoperiods during smoltification show varying responses in gill Na+/K+-ATPase, salinity-specific mRNA transcription and ionocyte differentiation
Control of the parr-smolt transformation (or smoltification) is crucial for the husbandry and successful seawater (SW) transfer of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) reared in freshwater (FW) hatcheries. Photoperiod is an important environmental signal that initiates the complex physiological, morphological and behavioural changes that coincide with marine migration. While the use of long-day
Authors
Christian A. van Rijn, Paul L. Jones, Aaron G. Schultz, Brad S. Evans, Stephen D. McCormick, Luis O.B. Afonso
11‑Deoxycortisol controls hydromineral balance in the most basal osmoregulating vertebrate, sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) 11‑Deoxycortisol controls hydromineral balance in the most basal osmoregulating vertebrate, sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
It is unknown whether and how osmoregulation is controlled by corticosteroid signaling in the phylogenetically basal vertebrate group Agnatha, including lampreys and hagfishes. It is known that a truncated steroid biosynthetic pathway in lampreys produces two predominant circulating corticosteroids, 11-deoxycortisol (S) and 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC). Furthermore, lampreys express only...
Authors
Ciaran A. Shaughnessy, Andre Barany-Ruiz, Stephen D. McCormick
Establishing Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri) nesting sites at pond A16 using social attraction for the South Bay Salt Pond restoration project Establishing Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri) nesting sites at pond A16 using social attraction for the South Bay Salt Pond restoration project
Forster’s terns (Sterna forsteri), historically one of the most numerous colonial-breeding waterbirds in South San Francisco Bay, California, have experienced recent decreases in the number of nesting colonies and overall breeding population size. The South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project aims to restore 50–90 percent of former salt evaporation ponds to tidal marsh habitat in South San...
Authors
C. Alex Hartman, Joshua T. Ackerman, Mark P. Herzog, Yiwei Wang, Cheryl Strong
Restoration at the landscape scale as a means of mitigation and adaptation to climate change Restoration at the landscape scale as a means of mitigation and adaptation to climate change
Purpose of Review Although landscape-scale restoration efforts are gaining traction worldwide, their success is generally unknown. We review landscape-scale restorations to gain insight to whether focal ecological outcomes have been achieved, in the face of changing environmental conditions.Recent Findings Only 9% of the 477 articles that resulted from our search were studies of...
Authors
Betsy von Holle, Stephanie G. Yelenik, Elise S Gornish
The utility of zooarchaeological data to guide listing efforts for an imperiled mussel species (Bivalvia: Unionidae: Pleurobema riddellii) The utility of zooarchaeological data to guide listing efforts for an imperiled mussel species (Bivalvia: Unionidae: Pleurobema riddellii)
The status of species in freshwater systems shift over time due to natural and anthropogenic causes. Determining the magnitude and cause of these shifts requires a long-term perspective. This process is complicated when there are also questions about the taxonomic validity of a species. Addressing these issues is important because both can undermine conservation and management efforts if...
Authors
Charles R. Randklev, Steve Wolverton, Nathan A. Johnson, Chase H. Smith, Traci DuBose, Clint Robertson, Julian Conley
Use of upland and riparian areas by wintering bald eagles and implications for wind energy Use of upland and riparian areas by wintering bald eagles and implications for wind energy
Weather can shape movements of animals and alter their exposure to anthropogenic threats. Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) are increasingly at risk from collision with turbines used in onshore wind energy generation. In the midwestern United States, development of this energy source typically occurs in upland areas that bald eagles use only intermittently. Our objective was to...
Authors
Sara J Schmuecker, Drew A Becker, Michael J. Lanzone, Bob Fogg, Susan P Romano, Todd E. Katzner, Tricia A. Miller
Nesting ecology of White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) in Great Salt Lake, Utah Nesting ecology of White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) in Great Salt Lake, Utah
We studied the nesting ecology of White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) at 3 sites within the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA. Ibises built nests in small mounds (mean height = 14.4 ± 4.3 cm) above shallow water (mean depth = 12.0 ± 6.6 cm) located within patchy vegetation (mean percent vegetative cover = 17.2 ± 17.8% vegetative cover) with mean vegetation height...
Authors
Mark P. Herzog, Joshua T. Ackerman, C. Alex Hartman, Howard Browers
Mountain stoneflies may tolerate warming streams: Evidence from organismal physiology and gene expression Mountain stoneflies may tolerate warming streams: Evidence from organismal physiology and gene expression
Rapid glacier recession is altering the physical conditions of headwater streams. Stream temperatures are predicted to rise and become increasingly variable, putting entire meltwater-associated biological communities at risk of extinction. Thus, there is a pressing need to understand how thermal stress affects mountain stream insects, particularly where glaciers are likely to vanish on
Authors
Scott Hotaling, Alisha A. Shah, Kerry L. McGowan, Lusha M. Tronstad, J. Joseph Giersch, Debra S. Finn, H. Arthur Woods, Michael E. Dillon, Joanna L. Kelley
Taxonomic evaluation of the Grallaria rufula (Rufous Antpitta) complex (Aves: Passeriformes: Grallariidae) distinguishes sixteen species Taxonomic evaluation of the Grallaria rufula (Rufous Antpitta) complex (Aves: Passeriformes: Grallariidae) distinguishes sixteen species
Populations in the Rufous Antpitta (Grallaria rufula) complex occupy humid montane forests of the Andes from northern Colombia and adjacent Venezuela to central Bolivia. Their tawny to cinnamon-colored plumages are generally uniform, featuring subtle variation in hue and saturation across this range. In contrast to their conservative plumage, substantial vocal differences occur among
Authors
Morton L Isler, Terry Chesser, Mark B Robbins, Andres M Cuervo, C Daniel Cadena, Peter A. Hosner
Conservative plumage masks extraordinary phylogenetic diversity in the Grallaria rufula (Rufous Antpitta) complex of the humid Andes Conservative plumage masks extraordinary phylogenetic diversity in the Grallaria rufula (Rufous Antpitta) complex of the humid Andes
The Grallaria rufula complex is currently considered to consist of 2 species, G. rufula (Rufous Antpitta) and G. blakei (Chestnut Antpitta). However, it has been suggested that the complex, populations of which occur in humid montane forests from Venezuela to Bolivia, comprises a suite of vocally distinct yet morphologically cryptic species. We sequenced nuclear and mitochondrial DNA for...
Authors
Terry Chesser, Morton L Isler, Andres M Cuervo, C Daniel Cadena, Spencer C Galen, Laura M. Bergner, Robert C. Fleischer, Gustavo A Bravo, Daniel F Lane, Peter A. Hosner
Effects of barred owl (Strix varia) removal on population demography of northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) in Washington and Oregon—2019 annual report Effects of barred owl (Strix varia) removal on population demography of northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) in Washington and Oregon—2019 annual report
Strix occidentalis caurina (northern spotted owl; hereinafter referred to as spotted owl) have rapidly declined throughout the subspecies’ geographic range. Competition with invading Strix varia (barred owl) has been identified as an immediate cause of those declines. A pilot study in California showed that removal of barred owls coupled with conservation of suitable habitat conditions...
Authors
J. David Wiens, Katie M. Dugger, Damon B. Lesmeister, Krista E. Dilione, David C. Simon