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: 42884
Mangrove forests in a rapidly changing world: Global change impacts and conservation opportunities along the Gulf of Mexico coast Mangrove forests in a rapidly changing world: Global change impacts and conservation opportunities along the Gulf of Mexico coast
Mangrove forests are highly-productive intertidal wetlands that support many ecosystem goods and services. In addition to providing fish and wildlife habitat, mangrove forests improve water quality, provide seafood, reduce coastal erosion, supply forest products, support coastal food webs, minimize flooding impacts, and support high rates of carbon sequestration. Despite their tremendous...
Authors
Michael J. Osland, Laura C. Feher, Jorge Lopez-Portillo, Richard H. Day, Daniel O. Suman, Jose Manuel Guzman Menendez, Victor H. Rivera-Monroy
Serum proteins in healthy and diseased Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) Serum proteins in healthy and diseased Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris)
A major goal of this study was to determine whether serum protein fractions of healthy Florida manatees differ with age, sex, or living environments (wild versus housed). A second goal was to determine which serum protein fractions vary in diseased versus healthy manatees. Serum protein fractions were determined using agarose gel electrophoresis. Healthy adults had slightly higher total...
Authors
John W. Harvey, Kendall E. Harr, David Murphy, Michael T. Walsh, Martina deWit, Charles J. Deutsch, Robert K. Bonde
Genetic analyses of Astragalus sect. Humillimi (Fabaceae) resolve taxonomy and enable effective conservation Genetic analyses of Astragalus sect. Humillimi (Fabaceae) resolve taxonomy and enable effective conservation
Premise of the Study Astragalus sect. Humillimi is distributed across the southwestern United States and contains two endangered taxa, A. cremnophylax var. cremnophylax and A. humillimus. The former was originally described from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Analysis of individuals discovered on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon yielded some evidence that the population represented...
Authors
Robert Massatti, Matthew Belus, Shahed Dowlatshahi, Gerard J. Allan
Quantifying and forecasting changes in the areal extent of river valley sediment in response to altered hydrology and land cover Quantifying and forecasting changes in the areal extent of river valley sediment in response to altered hydrology and land cover
In river valleys, sediment moves between active river channels, near-channel deposits including bars and floodplains, and upland environments such as terraces and aeolian dunefields. Sediment availability is a prerequisite for the sustained transfer of material between these areas, and for the eco-geomorphic functioning of river networks in general. However, the difficulty of monitoring...
Authors
Alan Kasprak, Joel B. Sankey, Daniel D. Buscombe, Joshua Caster, Amy E. East, Paul E. Grams
California sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) census results, spring 2018 California sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) census results, spring 2018
The 2018 census of southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) was conducted from late April to mid-May along the mainland coast of central California and in April at San Nicolas Island in southern California. The 3-year average of combined counts from the mainland range and San Nicolas Island was 3,128, a decrease of 58 sea otters from the previous year. The 5-year average trend in...
Authors
Brian B. Hatfield, Julie L. Yee, Michael C. Kenner, Joseph A. Tomoleoni, M. Tim Tinker
Variation in DNA methylation is associated with migratory phenotypes of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in the St. Clair River Variation in DNA methylation is associated with migratory phenotypes of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in the St. Clair River
Lake sturgeon populations show a variety of movement patterns, but this variation is poorly understood. To compare two migratory phenotypes of lake sturgeon in the St. Clair River, multiple data types were analyzed. Individual fish were classified into migratory phenotypes based on acoustic telemetry data from 2012-2015. Lake sturgeon consistently showed movement from the St. Clair River...
Authors
Justine Whitaker, Amy B. Welsh, Darryl W. Hondorp, James C. Boase, George T. Merovich, Stuart A. Welsh, Charles C. Krueger
Testing infrared camera surveys and distance analyses to estimate feral horse abundance in a known population Testing infrared camera surveys and distance analyses to estimate feral horse abundance in a known population
We tested the use of high‐resolution infrared (IR) camera technology and distance sampling analyses to estimate abundance of feral horses (Equus caballus) during 2015–2016 in the McCullough Peaks Herd Management Area, Wyoming, USA. Infrared technology is becoming more common in ungulate population monitoring. The quality of IR cameras now allows ungulate species to be differentiated...
Authors
Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Paul Doherty, Jacob Hourt, John Romero
The ecology of movement and behaviour: a saturated tripartite network for describing animal contacts The ecology of movement and behaviour: a saturated tripartite network for describing animal contacts
Ecologists regularly use animal contact networks to describe interactions underlying pathogen transmission, gene flow, and information transfer. However, empirical descriptions of contact often overlook some features of individual movement, and decisions about what kind of network to use in a particular setting are commonly ad hoc. Here, we relate individual movement trajectories to...
Authors
Kezia R. Manlove, Christina M. Aiello, Pratha Sah, Bree Cummins, Peter J. Hudson, Paul C. Cross
Shorebirds adjust spring arrival schedules with variable environmental conditions: Four decades of assessment on the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska Shorebirds adjust spring arrival schedules with variable environmental conditions: Four decades of assessment on the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska
Arctic summers are brief, and there has been strong selection for migratory birds to arrive in Arctic nesting areas as early as possible to time breeding with peak food availability and complete reproduction. The timing of emergence of nesting habitat in spring is, however, extremely variable in the Arctic, and few long-term studies have examined the ability of avian migrants to track...
Authors
Craig R. Ely, Brian McCaffery, Robert E. Gill
Estimates of tidal-marsh bird densities using Bayesian networks Estimates of tidal-marsh bird densities using Bayesian networks
Conserving tidal-marsh bird communities requires strategies to address continuing pressures from human development to the effects of increasing rates of sea-level rise. Knowing tidal-marsh bird distributions and population sizes are important for developing these strategies. In the Northeast United States, where estimates of sea-level rise are 3 times higher than the global average, 5...
Authors
Whitney A. Wiest, Maureen D. Correll, Bruce G. Marcot, Brian J. Olsen, Chris Elphick, Thomas P. Hodgman, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, W. Gregory Shriver
Patch age since disturbance drives patch dynamics for flycatchers breeding in both reservoir and riverine habitat Patch age since disturbance drives patch dynamics for flycatchers breeding in both reservoir and riverine habitat
Species dependent upon early-successional landscapes often occupy patches at different stages of recovery after disturbance. The demographic processes that drive patch dynamics in these systems have rarely been described but are important for developing effective conservation and management plans, especially when humans have modified the timing and intensity of disturbances that drive...
Authors
Tad C Theimer, Mark K. Sogge, Eben H. Paxton
A snapshot of women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and related careers A snapshot of women of the U.S. Geological Survey in STEM and related careers
Introduction The term “STEM” has been used to group together the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and to describe education and professions related to these fields. The professional fields connected to STEM education are thought of as engineering, medicine, and computer technology. Yet these professional fields are merely the tip of the iceberg. Numerous...
Authors
Susan C. Aragon-Long, Virginia R. Burkett, Holly S. Weyers, Susan M. Haig, Marjorie S. Davenport, Kelly L. Warner