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: 42715
Metabolic interactions underpinning high methane fluxes across terrestrial freshwater wetlands Metabolic interactions underpinning high methane fluxes across terrestrial freshwater wetlands
Current estimates of wetland contributions to the global methane budget carry high uncertainty, particularly in accurately predicting emissions from high methane-emitting wetlands. Microorganisms drive methane cycling, but little is known about their conservation across wetlands. To address this, we integrate 16S rRNA amplicon datasets, metagenomes, metatranscriptomes, and annual methane...
Authors
Emily Bechtold, Jared B. Ellenbogen, Jorge A. Villa, Djennyfer K. de Melo Ferreira, Angela M. Oliverio, Joel E. Kostka, Virginia I. Rich, Ruth K. Varner, Sheel Bansal, Eric J. Ward, Gil Bohrer, Mikayla A. Borton, Kelly C. Wrighton, Michael J. Wilkins
Food web structure of the Lake Superior fish community in 2021–2022 Food web structure of the Lake Superior fish community in 2021–2022
The trophic linkages and ecological requirements of the Lake Superior fish community have not been assessed on a whole lake scale in over a decade. Here, we investigated the trophic dynamics across multiple species and habitat zones of Lake Superior. From April to October of 2021 and 2022, a total of five piscivore, four planktivore, and six benthivore species were collected by region...
Authors
Ariel N. Edwards, Shawn P. Sitar, Ashley H. Moerke, Jonathon P. Doubek, Daniel L. Yule, Dray D. Carl, Cory A. Goldsworthy, Ian C. Harding, S. Ben Michaels, Eric K. Berglund, Seth A. Moore, Brandon S. Gerig
Assessing the Feasibility of Reintroducing San Francisco Gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia) to La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve, San Mateo County, California Assessing the Feasibility of Reintroducing San Francisco Gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia) to La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve, San Mateo County, California
Reintroductions are used worldwide to increase the viability of species and restore native ecological communities. The success of reintroductions is usually judged by the establishment of self-sustaining populations, restoration of naturally occurring ecological communities, and the species resuming its ecological function. Recovery for the endangered San Francisco gartersnake (SFGS...
Authors
Jonathan P. Rose, Elliot James Schoenig, Richard Kim, Allison M. Nguyen, Brian J. Halstead
The relative influence of geographic and environmental factors on rare plant translocation outcomes The relative influence of geographic and environmental factors on rare plant translocation outcomes
Conservation translocations are an established method for reducing the extinction risk of plant species through intentional movement within or outside the indigenous range. Unsuitable environmental conditions at translocation recipient sites and a lack of understanding of species–environment relationships are often identified as critical barriers to translocation success. However...
Authors
Joe Bellis, Matthew A. Albrecht, Joyce Maschinski, Sarah E. Dalrymple, Matthew J. Keir, Timothy Chambers, Jennifer Possley, Edith D. Adkins, Elliott W. Parsons, Michael Kunz, Carrie Radcliffe, Emily Coffey, Thomas N. Kaye, Cheryl L. Peterson, David Aaron, Sterling A. Herron, Eric Menges, Timothy J. Bell, Michelle Coppoletta, Caityn Elam, Mceachern A. Kathryn, Paula Williamson, Deanna Boensch, Megan Bontrager, Breeden Cooper, Noah Frade, Doria R. Gordon, Steven O. Link, Tara Littlefield, Shelia Murray, Ryan O’Dell, Noel B. Pavlovic, Charlotte M. Reemts, David D. Taylor, Jonathan H. Titus, Priscilla J. Titus, Tina A. Stanley, Katherine D. Heineman
The effectiveness of harvest for limiting wildlife disease: Insights from 20 years of chronic wasting disease in Wyoming The effectiveness of harvest for limiting wildlife disease: Insights from 20 years of chronic wasting disease in Wyoming
Effective, practical options for managing disease in wildlife populations are limited, especially after diseases become established. Removal strategies (e.g., hunting or culling) are used to control wildlife diseases across a wide range of systems, despite conflicting evidence of their effectiveness. This is especially true for chronic wasting disease (CWD), an untreatable, fatal prion...
Authors
Wynne Emily Moss, Justin Binfet, L. Embere Hall, Samantha E. Allen, William H. Edwards, Jessica E. Jennings-Gaines, Paul DELETE Cross
Post-fire recovery of sagebrush-steppe communities is better explained by elevation than climate-derived indicators of resistance and resilience Post-fire recovery of sagebrush-steppe communities is better explained by elevation than climate-derived indicators of resistance and resilience
More landscapes require restoration than can feasibly be treated, and so decision-support tools to prioritize areas for treatment are needed. Moreover, restoration is complicated by the threat of biological invasion in disturbed areas, and so indicators of ecosystem resistance to invasion and resilience to disturbance (hereafter R&R) are important candidate criteria for prioritizing...
Authors
Cara Applestein, Matthew J. Germino
A case for assemblage-level conservation to address the biodiversity crisis A case for assemblage-level conservation to address the biodiversity crisis
Traditional conservation efforts have centred on safeguarding individual species, but these strategies have limitations in a world where entire ecosystems are rapidly changing. Ecosystem conservation can maintain critical ecological functions, but often lacks the detail necessary for the effective conservation of threatened or endangered species. The conservation of such species is...
Authors
Michael W. Belitz, C.J. Campbell, Ryan G. Drum, Wendy Leuenberger, Toni Lyn Morelli, Kelly Nail, Vaughn Shirey, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Elise F. Zipken
Population genomics reveals local adaptation related to temperature variation in two stream frog species: Implications for vulnerability to climate warming Population genomics reveals local adaptation related to temperature variation in two stream frog species: Implications for vulnerability to climate warming
Identifying populations at highest risk from climate change is a critical component of conservation efforts. However, vulnerability assessments are usually applied at the species level, even though intraspecific variation in exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity play a crucial role in determining vulnerability. Genomic data can inform intraspecific vulnerability by identifying...
Authors
Brenna R. Forester, Amanda S. Cicchino, Alisha A. Shah, Austin B. Mudd, Eric C. Anderson, Jessen V. Bredeson, Andrew J. Crawford, Jason B. Dunham, Cameron K. Ghalambor, Erin L. Landguth, Brent W. Murray, Daniel Rokhsar, W. Chris Funk
Considering multiecosystem trade-offs is critical when leveraging systematic conservation planning for restoration Considering multiecosystem trade-offs is critical when leveraging systematic conservation planning for restoration
Conservationists are increasingly leveraging systematic conservation planning (SCP) to inform restoration actions that enhance biodiversity. However, restoration frequently drives ecological transformations at local scales, potentially resulting in trade-offs among wildlife species and communities. The Conservation Interactions Principle (CIP), coined more than 15 years ago, cautions SCP
Authors
Nicholas J. Van Lanen, C.J. Duchardt, L. Pejchar, J.E. Shyvers, Cameron L. Aldridge
Jaguar density estimation in Mexico: The conservation importance of considering home range orientation in spatial capture–recapture Jaguar density estimation in Mexico: The conservation importance of considering home range orientation in spatial capture–recapture
Accurate estimation of population parameters for imperiled wildlife is crucial for effective conservation decision-making. Population density is commonly used for monitoring imperiled species across space and time, and spatial capture–recapture (SCR) models can produce unbiased density estimates. However, many imperiled species are restricted to fragmented remnant habitats in landscapes...
Authors
Sean M. Murphy, Victor H. Luja
Forecasting water levels using the ConvLSTM algorithm in the Everglades, USA Forecasting water levels using the ConvLSTM algorithm in the Everglades, USA
Forecasting water levels in complex ecosystems like wetlands can support effective water resource management, ecological conservation, and understanding surface and groundwater hydrology. Predictive models can be used to simulate the complex interactions among natural processes, hydrometeorological factors, and human activities. The Greater Everglades in the USA is a well-known example...
Authors
Raidan Bassah, Gerald A. Corzo Perez, Biswa Bhattacharya, Saira Haider, Eric D. Swain, Nicholas Aumen
Developing biocrust field cultivation techniques for soil restoration: An assessment of bacterial communities Developing biocrust field cultivation techniques for soil restoration: An assessment of bacterial communities
Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are a coherent, thin soil surface layer, engineered and inhabited by a diverse community of moss, lichen, cyanobacteria, and other microorganisms. Biocrusts provide critical functions in dryland systems and may be lost from the ecosystem through physical disturbance or other global change drivers. Once biocrusts are lost, natural recovery can occur very...
Authors
Sierra D. Jech, Kara Dohrenwend, Natalie Day, Nichole N. Barger, Anita Antoninka, Matthew A. Bowker, Sasha C. Reed, Colin L Tucker