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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: 42712

Fire disturbance influences endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammopiza maritima mirabilis) relative bird count Fire disturbance influences endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammopiza maritima mirabilis) relative bird count

Periodicity of fire disturbance is a known driver of ecosystem function and is reported as important in both promoting and maintaining viable breeding habitat for the endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis; CSSS). In south Florida, the CSSS serves as a fine-scale indicator of the marl and mixed-marl prairie communities of the Florida Everglades. The CSSS...
Authors
Allison Benscoter, James Beerens, Leonard G. Pearlstine, Stephanie Romanach

13C and 15N NMR identification of product compound classes from aqueous and solid phase photodegradation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene 13C and 15N NMR identification of product compound classes from aqueous and solid phase photodegradation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene

Abstract Photolysis is one of the main transformation pathways for 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) released into the environment. Upon exposure to sunlight, TNT is known to undergo both oxidation and reduction reactions with release of nitrite, nitrate, and ammonium ions, followed by condensation reactions of the oxidation and reduction products. In this study, compound classes of...
Authors
Kevin A. Thorn

Challenges for monitoring the extent and land use/cover changes in monarch butterflies’ migratory habitat across the United States and Mexico Challenges for monitoring the extent and land use/cover changes in monarch butterflies’ migratory habitat across the United States and Mexico

This paper presents a synopsis of the challenges and limitations presented by existing and emerging land use/ land cover (LULC) digital data sets when used to analyze the extent, habitat quality, and LULC changes of the monarch (Danaus plexippus) migratory habitat across the United States of America (US) and Mexico. First, the characteristics, state of the knowledge, and issues related...
Authors
Rafael Moreno-Sanchez, James Raines, James E. Diffendorfer, Mark A. Drummond, Jessica Manko

Assessing plant production responses to climate across water-limited regions using Google Earth Engine Assessing plant production responses to climate across water-limited regions using Google Earth Engine

(Munson) Climate variability and change acting at broad scales can lead to divergent changes in plant production at local scales. Quantifying how production responds to variation in climate at local scales is essential to understand underlying ecological processes and inform land management decision-making, but has historically been limited in spatiotemporal scale based on the use of...
Authors
Erin L. Bunting, Seth M. Munson, John B. Bradford

Identifying credible and diverse GCMs for regional climate change studies—case study: Northeastern United States Identifying credible and diverse GCMs for regional climate change studies—case study: Northeastern United States

Climate data obtained from global climate models (GCMs) form the basis of most studies of regional climate change and its impacts. Using the northeastern US as a test case, we develop a framework to systematically sub-select reliable models for use in climate change studies in the region. We retain 14 of 36 CMIP5 GCMs that (a) have satisfactory historical performance, and (b) provide...
Authors
Ambarish V. Karmalkar, Jeanne M. Thibeault, Alexander Bryan, Anji Seth

Comparisons of stereological and other approaches for quantifying macrophage aggregates in piscine spleens Comparisons of stereological and other approaches for quantifying macrophage aggregates in piscine spleens

Macrophage aggregates (MA s) are focal accumulations of pigmented macrophages in the spleen and other tissues of fish. A central role of MA s is the clearance and destruction of degenerating cells and recycling of some cellular components. Macrophage aggregates also respond to chemical contaminants and infectious agents and may play a role in the adaptive immune response. Tissue damage...
Authors
Mark A Matsche, Vicki S. Blazer, Patricia M. Mazik

Characterization of smoltification in the Tasmanian strain of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in recirculation and flowthrough systems Characterization of smoltification in the Tasmanian strain of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in recirculation and flowthrough systems

This study examined morphological, physiological and molecular indicators of smoltification in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) juveniles in a flow-through (FT) and recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). Fish were exposed to 24-h light to initiate smoltification, for 5 (FT) and 7 (RAS) weeks prior to transfer from freshwater (FW) to seawater (SW) and were sampled weekly preceding and...
Authors
Christian A. van Rijn, P.L. Jones, Brad S. Evans, Christine Huynh, Stephen D. McCormick, Luis O B Afonso

Prey fish communities of the Laurentian Great Lakes: A cross-basin overview of status and trends based on bottom trawl surveys, 1978-2016 Prey fish communities of the Laurentian Great Lakes: A cross-basin overview of status and trends based on bottom trawl surveys, 1978-2016

Annual bottom trawl surveys were initiated in the 1970s in Laurentian Great Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan and Ontario and in 1990 in Erie to provide annual assessments of the status and trends of prey fish communities. Native Cisco Coregonus artedi and Bloater C. hoyi dominated the prey fish community of Lake Superior. Prey fish communities in lakes Huron and Michigan were dominated by...
Authors
Owen Gorman

Life cycle of the trout cecal nematode, Truttaedacnitis truttae (Nematoda: Cucullanidae): Experimental and field observations Life cycle of the trout cecal nematode, Truttaedacnitis truttae (Nematoda: Cucullanidae): Experimental and field observations

Truttaedacnitis truttae is a cucullanid nematode of primarily salmonine fishes. Brown trout (Salmo trutta) in Europe reportedly become parasitized by ingesting lampreys (Lampetra planeri) carrying infective larvae. However, our field and laboratory observations suggested that North American specimens of T. truttae have an alternative life cycle. High abundances and potential impact of T...
Authors
Anindo Choudhury, Rebecca A. Cole

Organic pellet decomposition induces mortality of Lake Trout embryos in Yellowstone Lake Organic pellet decomposition induces mortality of Lake Trout embryos in Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake is the site of actions to suppress invasive Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush and restore native Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri and natural ecosystem function. Although gill netting is effective (Lake Trout λ ≤ 0.6 from 2012 through 2018), the effort costs more than US$2 million annually and only targets Lake Trout age 2 and older. To increase...
Authors
Todd M. Koel, Nathan A. Thomas, Christopher S. Guy, Philip D. Doepke, Drew J. MacDonald, Alex S. Poole, Wendy M. Sealey, Alexander V. Zale

Multi-decade mortality and a novel homolog of hepatitis C virus in bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), the national bird of the USA Multi-decade mortality and a novel homolog of hepatitis C virus in bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), the national bird of the USA

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) once experienced near-extinction but has since rebounded. For decades, bald eagles near the Wisconsin River, USA, have experienced a lethal syndrome with characteristic clinical and pathological features but unknown etiology. Here, we describe a novel hepacivirus-like virus (Flaviviridae: Hepacivirus) identified during an investigation of...
Authors
Tony L. Golberg, Samuel D. Sibley, Marie E. Pinkerton, Christopher D. Dunn, Lindsey Long, C. LeAnn White, Sean M. Strom

Annual winter site fidelity of Barrow's goldeneyes in the Pacific Annual winter site fidelity of Barrow's goldeneyes in the Pacific

Coastal regions on the Pacific north coast of North America provide important wintering habitat for many species of sea ducks. Although winter range and habitat preferences are well described for most species, fidelity to coastal wintering sites is generally undocumented. Fidelity is an important factor necessary for understanding interactions with coastal developments and activities and
Authors
Megan Willie, Daniel Esler, W. Sean Boyd, Timothy D. Bowman, Jason Schamber, Jonathan Thompson
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