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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: 42773

Loss of dendritic connectivity in southern California's urban riverscape facilitates decline of an endemic freshwater fish Loss of dendritic connectivity in southern California's urban riverscape facilitates decline of an endemic freshwater fish

Life history adaptations and spatial configuration of metapopulation networks allow certain species to persist in extreme fluctuating environments, yet long-term stability within these systems relies on the maintenance of linkage habitat. Degradation of such linkages in urban riverscapes can disrupt this dynamic in aquatic species, leading to increased extinction debt in local...
Authors
Jonathan Q. Richmond, Adam R. Backlin, Carey Galst-Cavalcante, John W. O’Brien, Robert N. Fisher

Observations and first reports of saprolegniosis in Aanaakłiq, broad whitefish (Coregonus nasus), from the Colville River near Nuiqsut, Alaska Observations and first reports of saprolegniosis in Aanaakłiq, broad whitefish (Coregonus nasus), from the Colville River near Nuiqsut, Alaska

We report the first confirmed cases (2013–2016) of saprolegniosis caused by water mold from the genus Saprolegnia in Aanaakłiq, broad whitefish (Coregonus nasus), from the Colville River near Nuiqsut, Alaska. While this mold is known to be worldwide, these instances represent the first cases in Nuiqsut and only the second instance on a single fish on the North Slope, occurring in 1980...
Authors
Todd L. Sformo, Billy Adams, John C. Seigle, Jayde A. Ferguson, Maureen K. Purcell, Raphaela Stimmelmayr, Joseph H. Welch, Leah M. Ellis, Jason C. Leppi, John C. George

Ecology of the Sand Roller (Percopsis transmontana) in a lower Snake River Reservoir, Washington Ecology of the Sand Roller (Percopsis transmontana) in a lower Snake River Reservoir, Washington

The Sand Roller (Percopsis transmontana), has not been abundant in the Snake River since it was first found in the system in the 1950s, but its population has apparently increased in recent years. As a result, we initiated a study to better understand its ecology in habitats of Lower Granite Reservoir. From November 2014 to October 2015, Sand Rollers were present along shorelines, with...
Authors
Kenneth F. Tiffan, John M. Erhardt, Tobyn N. Rhodes, Rulon J. Hemingway

Evaluating methods to assess the body condition of female polar bears Evaluating methods to assess the body condition of female polar bears

An animal's body condition provides insight into its health, foraging success, and overall fitness. Measures of body composition including proportional fat content are useful indicators of condition. Isotopic dilution is a reliable non-destructive method for estimating the body composition of live mammals, but can require prolonged handling times. Alternatively, bioelectrical impedance...
Authors
Anthony M. Pagano, Karyn D. Rode, Stephen N. Atkinson

Simulated juvenile salmon growth and phenology respond to altered thermal regimes and stream network shape Simulated juvenile salmon growth and phenology respond to altered thermal regimes and stream network shape

It is generally accepted that climate change will stress coldwater species such as Pacific salmon. However, it is unclear what aspect of altered thermal regimes (e.g., warmer winters, springs, summers, or increased variability) will have the greatest effect, and what role the spatial properties of river networks play. Thermally diverse habitats may afford protection from climate change...
Authors
Aimee H. Fullerton, Brian J. Burke, Joshua J. Lawler, Christian E. Torgersen, Joseph L. Ebersole, Scott G. Leibowitz

Balancing research and service to decision makers Balancing research and service to decision makers

No abstract available.
Authors
Jeremy S. Littell, Adam J. Terando, Toni Lyn Morelli

The efficacy of combined educational and site management actions in reducing off-trail hiking in an urban-proximate protected area The efficacy of combined educational and site management actions in reducing off-trail hiking in an urban-proximate protected area

Park and protected area managers are tasked with protecting natural environments, a particularly daunting challenge in heavily visited urban-proximate areas where flora and fauna are already stressed by external threats. In this study, an adaptive management approach was taken to reduce extensive off-trail hiking along a popular trail through an ecologically diverse and significant area...
Authors
Karen S. Hockett, Jeffrey L. Marion, Yu-Fai Leung

Population trends, extinction risk, and conservation guidelines for ferruginous pygmy-owls in the Sonoran Desert Population trends, extinction risk, and conservation guidelines for ferruginous pygmy-owls in the Sonoran Desert

Climatic flux together with anthropogenic changes in land use and land cover pose major threats to wildlife, but our understanding of their combined impacts is limited. In arid southwestern North America, ferruginous pygmy-owls (Glaucidium brasilianum) are of major conservation concern due to marked declines in abundance linked to changes in land use and land cover during the past...
Authors
Aaron Flesch, Pamela L. Nagler, Christopher Jarchow, Richard B. Alexander

Effect of stocking and biotic and abiotic factors on Muskellunge recruitment in northern Wisconsin lakes Effect of stocking and biotic and abiotic factors on Muskellunge recruitment in northern Wisconsin lakes

The Muskellunge Esox masquinongy is an important recreational fish species in North America. Some populations of Muskellunge are in decline, despite a reduction in harvest by anglers due largely to a growing catch-and-release ethic. Our objectives were to determine if Muskellunge recruitment was influenced by stocking, biotic factors, and abiotic factors in northern Wisconsin lakes. To...
Authors
Todd S. Caspers, Michael J. Hansen, Steven W. Hewett

Evidence that recent warming is reducing upper Colorado River flows Evidence that recent warming is reducing upper Colorado River flows

The upper Colorado River basin (UCRB) is one of the primary sources of water for the western United States, and increasing temperatures likely will elevate the risk of reduced water supply in the basin. Although variability in water-year precipitation explains more of the variability in water-year UCRB streamflow than water-year UCRB temperature, since the late 1980s, increases in...
Authors
Gregory J. McCabe, David M. Wolock, Gregory T. Pederson, Connie A. Woodhouse, Stephanie A. McAfee

Inferring epidemiologic dynamics from viral evolution: 2014–2015 Eurasian/North American highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses exceed transmission threshold, R0 = 1, in wild birds and poultry in North America Inferring epidemiologic dynamics from viral evolution: 2014–2015 Eurasian/North American highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses exceed transmission threshold, R0 = 1, in wild birds and poultry in North America

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) is a multihost pathogen with lineages that pose health risks for domestic birds, wild birds, and humans. One mechanism of intercontinental HPAIV spread is through wild bird reservoirs, and wild birds were the likely sources of a Eurasian (EA) lineage HPAIV into North America in 2014. The introduction resulted in several reassortment events...
Authors
Daniel R. Grear, Jeffrey S. Hall, Robert J. Dusek, S. Ip
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