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
Explaining harvests of wild-harvested herbaceous plants: American ginseng as a case study Explaining harvests of wild-harvested herbaceous plants: American ginseng as a case study
Wild-harvested plants face increasing demand globally. As in many fisheries, monitoring the effect of harvesting on the size and trajectory of resource stocks presents many challenges given often limited data from disparate sources. Here we analyze American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) harvests from 18 states in the eastern U.S. 1978–2014 to infer temporal patterns and evidence of...
Authors
John Paul Schmidt, Jennifer Cruse-Sanders, James L. Chamberlain, Susana Ferreira, John A. Young
Mercury isotopes reveal an ontogenetic shift in habitat use by walleye in lower Green Bay of Lake Michigan Mercury isotopes reveal an ontogenetic shift in habitat use by walleye in lower Green Bay of Lake Michigan
In general, fish residing in rivers differ from fish residing in lakes in their mercury (Hg) isotope ratios. Specifically, fish residing in lakes typically show enriched values for the isotope ratios of δ202Hg (mass-dependent fractionation of isotope 202Hg) and Δ199Hg (mass-independent fractionation of isotope 199Hg) compared with fish residing in rivers, because photochemical effects...
Authors
Charles P. Madenjian, Sarah E. Janssen, Ryan F. Lepak, Jacob M. Ogorek, Tylor J. Rosera, John F. DeWild, David P. Krabbenhoft, Stewart F. Cogswell, Mark E. Holey
Effects of flood inundation, invasion by Phalaris arundinacea, and nitrogen enrichment on extracellular enzyme activity in an Upper Mississippi River floodplain forest Effects of flood inundation, invasion by Phalaris arundinacea, and nitrogen enrichment on extracellular enzyme activity in an Upper Mississippi River floodplain forest
The community structures and ecosystem functions of floodplains are primarily driven by variation in flood inundation. However, global changes, such as invasive species and nutrient enrichment, may alter the effects of flooding in these systems. We added nitrogen (N) to correspond with twice the annual atmospheric deposition rate of the south-west Wisconsin, USA region within mature...
Authors
Nathan R. De Jager, Whitney Swanson, Daniel L. Hernandez, Julia Reich, Richard A. Erickson, Eric A. Strauss
Ecological consequences of anomalies in atmospheric moisture and snowpack Ecological consequences of anomalies in atmospheric moisture and snowpack
Although increased frequency of extreme‐weather events is one of the most secure predictions associated with contemporary climate change, effects of such events on distribution and abundance of climate‐sensitive species remain poorly understood. Montane ecosystems may be especially sensitive to extreme weather because of complex abiotic and biotic interactions that propagate from climate...
Authors
Aaron N. Johnston, Jason E. Bruggeman, Roger Christophersen, Aidan Beers, Erik A. Beever, Jason I. Ransom
Pathology and case definition of Severe Perkinsea Infections of frogs Pathology and case definition of Severe Perkinsea Infections of frogs
Severe Perkinsea infection (SPI) is an emerging disease of frogs responsible for mass mortalities of tadpoles across the United States. It is caused by protozoa belonging to the phylum Perkinsozoa that form a distinct group referred to as the Pathogenic Perkinsea Clade of frogs. In this work, we provide detailed description of gross and histologic lesions from 178 naturally infected...
Authors
Marcos Isidoro Ayza, Daniel A. Grear, Aurelie Chambouvet
Phenology and species diversity in a Lake Huron ichthyoplankton community: Ecological implications of invasive species dominance Phenology and species diversity in a Lake Huron ichthyoplankton community: Ecological implications of invasive species dominance
Ichthyoplankton communities are dynamic and vary spatiotemporally based on factors such as wind, water currents, and phenology. Nonetheless, ichthyoplankton are an indicator of spawning success in fish populations and examining their community diversity and composition can serve to provide information on ecosystem integrity. Although some ichthyoplankton species may be transient...
Authors
Timothy P. O’Brien, Stacey Ireland, Edward F. Roseman, Andrew S Briggs, William W. Taylor
A vision for documenting and sharing knowledge in conservation A vision for documenting and sharing knowledge in conservation
As editors, we mark the launch of Conservation Science and Practice, a journal of the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB), with the following remarks framing the purpose and aspirations of the journal. Our aim is to share scholarship on and experiences of the practice of conservation. We define conservation practice as the application of conservation principles or theory across...
Authors
Mark W. Schwartz, Dyhia Belhabib, Duan Biggs, Carly N. Cook, James Fitzsimmons, Anthony J. Giordano, Louise Glew, Sara Gottlieb, Gustavo Kattan, Andrew T. Knight, Carolyn J. Lundquist, Antony J. Lynam, Yuta J. Masuda, Tuyeni H. Mwampamba, Ana Nuno, Andrew J. Plumptre, Justina C. Ray, Sheila M. Reddy, Michael C. Runge
U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2017 annual report U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2017 annual report
The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) was established in 2008 to address the scientific and conservation questions associated with land use changes because of energy development and other factors in southwest Wyoming. Over the past decade, partners from U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), State and Federal land management agencies, universities, and the public have collaborated...
Authors
Linda Zeigenfuss, Ellen Aikens, Cameron L. Aldridge, Patrick J. Anderson, Timothy J. Assal, Zachary H. Bowen, Anna D. Chalfoun, Geneva W. Chong, Cheryl A. Eddy-Miller, Stephen S. Germaine, Tabitha A. Graves, Collin G. Homer, Christopher Huber, Aaron N. Johnston, Matthew J. Kauffman, Daniel J. Manier, Ryan R. McShane, Kirk A. Miller, Adrian P. Monroe, Anna Ortega, Annika W. Walters, Teal B. Wyckoff
Heightened immune system function in polar bears using terrestrial habitats Heightened immune system function in polar bears using terrestrial habitats
Climate change is altering the distribution of some wildlife species while warming temperatures are facilitating the northward expansion of pathogens, potentially increasing disease risk. Melting of Arctic sea ice is causing polar bears (Ursus maritimus) of the Southern Beaufort Sea (SBS) to increasingly spend summer on land, where they may encounter novel pathogens. Here, we tested...
Authors
John P. Whiteman, Henry J. Harlow, George M. Durner, Eric V. Regehr, Steven C. Amstrup, Merav Ben-David
Brood size affects future reproduction in a long-lived bird with precocial young Brood size affects future reproduction in a long-lived bird with precocial young
Estimation of trade-offs between current reproduction and future survival and fecundity of long-lived vertebrates is essential to understanding factors that shape optimal reproductive investment. Black brant geese (Branta bernicla nigricans) fledge more goslings, on average, when their broods are experimentally enlarged to be greater than the most common clutch size of four eggs. Thus...
Authors
Alan Leach, James Sedinger, Thomas Riecke, Amanda Van Dellen, David H. Ward, Sean Boyd
A strategy for defining the reference for land health and degradation assessments A strategy for defining the reference for land health and degradation assessments
Much of the confusion about the definition of reference conditions for land health and degradation assessments is due to differences in policy and management objectives. Selection of a historic reference where it is not necessary, such as in the definition of future land degradation neutrality, can add significant cost and uncertainty to land management projects that require some...
Authors
Jeffrey E. Herrick, Patrick Shaver, David A. Pyke, Mike Pellant, David Toledo, Nika Lepak
Hierarchical multi-population viability analysis Hierarchical multi-population viability analysis
Population viability analysis (PVA) uses concepts from theoretical ecology to provide a powerful tool for quantitative estimates of population dynamics and extinction risks. However, conventional statistical PVA requires long-term data from every population of interest, whereas many species of concern exist in multiple isolated populations that are only monitored occasionally. We present...
Authors
Douglas R. Leasure, Seth J. Wenger, Nathan Chelgren, Helen M. Neville, Daniel C. Dauwalter, Robin Bjork, Kurt A. Fesenmyer, Jason B. Dunham, Mary M. Peacock, Charlie H. Luce, Abby C. Lute, Daniel J. Isaak