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: 42878
The influence of seep habitats on sediment macrofaunal biodiversity and functional traits The influence of seep habitats on sediment macrofaunal biodiversity and functional traits
Chemosynthetic ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) support dense communities of seep megafaunal invertebrates that rely on endosymbiotic bacteria for nutrition. Distinct infaunal communities are associated with the biogenic habitats created by seep biota, where habitat heterogeneity and sediment geochemistry influence local macrofaunal community structure. Here we examine the...
Authors
Amanda W. J. Demopoulos, Jill R. Bourque, Alanna Durkin, Erik E. Cordes
Effect of heat and singeing on stable hydrogen isotope ratios of bird feathers and implications for their use in determining geographic origin Effect of heat and singeing on stable hydrogen isotope ratios of bird feathers and implications for their use in determining geographic origin
Rationale Stable hydrogen isotope (δ2H) ratios of animal tissues are useful for assessing movement and geographic origin of mobile organisms. However, it is uncertain whether heat and singeing affects feather δ2H values and thus subsequent geographic assignments. This is relevant for birds of conservation interest that are burned and killed at concentrating solar‐energy facilities that...
Authors
Hannah B. Vander Zanden, Abigail Reid, Todd E. Katzner, David M. Nelson
New England and northern New York forest ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis: A report from the New England Climate Change Response Framework project New England and northern New York forest ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis: A report from the New England Climate Change Response Framework project
Forest ecosystems will face direct and indirect impacts from a changing climate over the 21st century. This assessment evaluates the vulnerability of forest ecosystems across the New England region (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, northern New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont) under a range of future climates. We synthesized and summarized information on the contemporary...
Authors
M.K. Janowiak, A D’Amato, C.W. Swanston, Louis R. Iverson, Frank R. Thompson, William D. Dijak, Stephen Matthews, Matthew P. Peters, Anantha Prasad, Jacob S. Fraser, Leslie A. Brandt, Patricia R. Butler-Leopold, Stephen D. Handler, P. Danielle Shannon, Diane Burbank, John Campbell, Charles Cogbill, Matthew J. Duveneck, Marla R. Emery, Nicholas Fisichelli, Jane Foster, Jennifer Hushaw, Laura Kenefic, Amanda Mahaffey, Toni Lyn Morelli, Nicholas Reo, Paul G. Schaberg, K. Rogers Simmons, Aaron Weiskittel, Sandy Wilmot, David Hollinger, Erin Lane, Lindsey Rustad, Pamela H. Templar
Shared habitat use by juveniles of three sea turtle species Shared habitat use by juveniles of three sea turtle species
The first step in understanding how sympatric species share habitat is defining spatial boundaries. While home range data for juvenile sea turtles exists, few studies have examined spatial overlap of multiple species in foraging habitat. Using satellite tracking technology, we define home ranges for juveniles of 3 sea turtle species (loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley, and green; n = 21) captured...
Authors
Margaret M. Lamont, Autumn R. Iverson
Fire and tree death: Understanding and improving modeling of fire-induced tree mortality Fire and tree death: Understanding and improving modeling of fire-induced tree mortality
Each year wildland fires kill and injure trees on millions of forested hectares globally, affecting plant and animal biodiversity, carbon storage, hydrologic processes, and ecosystem services. The underlying mechanisms of fire-caused tree mortality remain poorly understood, however, limiting the ability to accurately predict mortality and develop robust modeling applications, especially...
Authors
Sharon M. Hood, J. Morgan Varner, Phillip J. van Mantgem, C. Alina Cansler
Overview and progress of the pallid sturgeon assessment framework redesign process Overview and progress of the pallid sturgeon assessment framework redesign process
The Pallid Sturgeon Population Assessment Program (PSPAP) was initiated in 2003, and full implementation began in 2006, to monitor the trend of Scaphirhynchus albus (pallid sturgeon) and native fish communities in the Upper and Lower Missouri River Basins. The original PSPAP (v. 1.0) was a catch-effort based monitoring program where population abundance and trend were monitored using a...
Authors
Michael E. Colvin, Sara Reynolds, Robert B. Jacobson, Landon L. Pierce, Kirk D. Steffensen, Timothy L. Welker
Multi-scale effects of land cover and urbanization on the habitat suitability of an endangered toad Multi-scale effects of land cover and urbanization on the habitat suitability of an endangered toad
Habitat degradation, entwined with land cover change, is a major driver of biodiversity loss. Effects of land cover change on species can be direct (when habitat is converted to alternative land cover types) or indirect (when land outside of the species habitat is altered). Hydrologic and ecological connections between terrestrial and aquatic systems are well understood, exemplifying how...
Authors
Michael L. Treglia, Adam C Landon, Robert N. Fisher, Gerard Kyle, Lee A. Fitzgerald
Agassiz’s desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) activity areas are little changed after wind turbine-induced fires in California Agassiz’s desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) activity areas are little changed after wind turbine-induced fires in California
Wind turbine-induced fires at a wind energy facility in California, USA, provided an opportunity to study the before and after effects of fire on a population of protected Agassiz’s desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) in the Sonoran Desert, a species and ecosystem poorly adapted to fire. We compared annual activity areas (AAs) of tortoises in 2011 and 2013, before and after two 2012...
Authors
Jeffrey E. Lovich, Mickey Agha, Joshua R. Ennen, Terence R. Arundel, Meaghan Austin
Hearing capabilities and behavioural response of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) to low frequency sounds Hearing capabilities and behavioural response of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) to low frequency sounds
Hearing ability is well studied across teleost fishes in general, and vertebrates more broadly, but little is known about sound detection abilities of lampreys (Petromyzontiformes), a basal extant vertebrate group. The sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) is a destructive invader of the Laurentian Great Lakes, while numerous lamprey species (including the sea lamprey) are imperiled in their...
Authors
Megan Mickle, Scott M. Miehls, Nicholas S. Johnson, Dennis M. Higgs
Evaluating potential distribution of high-risk aquatic invasive species in the water garden and aquarium trade at a global scale based on current established populations Evaluating potential distribution of high-risk aquatic invasive species in the water garden and aquarium trade at a global scale based on current established populations
Aquatic non‐native invasive species are commonly traded in the worldwide water garden and aquarium markets, and some of these species pose major threats to the economy, the environment, and human health. Understanding the potential suitable habitat for these species at a global scale and at regional scales can inform risk assessments and predict future potential establishment. Typically...
Authors
Amanda M. West, Catherine S. Jarnevich, Pam Fuller, Nicholas E. Young
The role of a non-native tree in riparian vegetation expansion and channel narrowing along a dryland river The role of a non-native tree in riparian vegetation expansion and channel narrowing along a dryland river
Along rivers, native and invasive species may establish and persist on active channel bedforms as part of channel narrowing. Using historical aerial photography and dendrochronology, we quantified spatial and temporal patterns of narrowing and vegetation expansion, including native Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii) and non‐native Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia), along the...
Authors
Michael L. Scott, Lindsay V. Reynolds, Patrick B. Shafroth, John R. Spencer
Evaluation of chronic toxicity of sodium chloride or potassium chloride to a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) in water exposures using standard and refined toxicity testing methods Evaluation of chronic toxicity of sodium chloride or potassium chloride to a unionid mussel (Lampsilis siliquoidea) in water exposures using standard and refined toxicity testing methods
Freshwater mussels are generally underrepresented in toxicity databases used to derive water quality criteria, especially for long‐term exposures. Multiple tests were conducted to determine the chronic toxicity of sodium chloride (NaCl) or potassium chloride (KCl) to a unionid mussel (fatmucket, Lampsilis siliquoidea). Initially, a 4‐wk NaCl test and a 4‐wk KCl test were conducted...
Authors
Ning Wang, James L. Kunz, Rebecca A. Dorman, Christopher G. Ingersoll, Jeffery A. Steevens, Edward J. Hammer, Candice R. Bauer