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: 42768
Climate futures for lizards and snakes in western North America may result in new species management issues Climate futures for lizards and snakes in western North America may result in new species management issues
We assessed changes in fundamental climate-niche space for lizard and snake species in western North America under modeled climate scenarios to inform natural resource managers of possible shifts in species distributions. We generated eight distribution models for each of 130 snake and lizard species in western North America under six time-by-climate scenarios. We combined the highest...
Authors
David S. Pilliod, Michelle I. Jeffries, Robert Arkle, Deanna H. Olson
Propagating observation errors to enable scalable and rigorous enumeration of plant population abundance with aerial imagery Propagating observation errors to enable scalable and rigorous enumeration of plant population abundance with aerial imagery
Estimating and monitoring plant population size is fundamental for ecological research, as well as conservation and restoration programs. High-resolution imagery has potential to facilitate such estimation and monitoring. However, remotely sensed estimates typically have higher uncertainty than field measurements, risking biased inference on population status.We present a model that...
Authors
Andrii Zaiats, Trevor Caughlin, Jennyffer Cruz, David S. Pilliod, Megan E Cattau, Rongsong Liu, Richard Rachman, Maisha Maliha, Donna M. Delparte, John DF Clare
EthoCRED: A framework to guide reporting and evaluation of the relevance and reliability of behavioural ecotoxicity studies EthoCRED: A framework to guide reporting and evaluation of the relevance and reliability of behavioural ecotoxicity studies
Behavioural analysis has been attracting significant attention as a broad indicator of sub-lethal toxicity and has secured a place as an important subdiscipline in ecotoxicology. Among the most notable characteristics of behavioural research, compared to other established approaches in sub-lethal ecotoxicology (e.g. reproductive and developmental bioassays), are the wide range of study...
Authors
Michael G. Bertram, Marlene Agerstrand, Eli S.J. Thore, Joel Allen, Sigal Balshine, Jack A. Brand, Bryan W. Brooks, ZhiChao Dang, Sabine Duquesne, Alex T. Ford, Frauke Hoffmann, Henner Hollert, Stefanie Jacob, Werner Kloas, Nils Kluver, Jim Lazorchak, Mariana Ledesma, Gerd Maack, Erin L. Macartney, Jake M. Martin, Steven D. Melvin, Marcus Michelangeli, Silvia Mohr, Stephanie Padilla, Gregory G. Pyle, Minna Saaristo, Rene Sahm, Els Smit, Jeffery A. Steevens, Sanne van den Berg, Laura E. Vossen, Donald Wlodkowic, Bob B.M. Wong, Michael Ziegler, Tomas Brodin
Drivers of woody dominance across global drylands Drivers of woody dominance across global drylands
Increases in the abundance of woody species have been reported to affect the provisioning of ecosystem services in drylands worldwide. However, it is virtually unknown how multiple biotic and abiotic drivers, such as climate, grazing, and fire, interact to determine woody dominance across global drylands. We conducted a standardized field survey in 304 plots across 25 countries to assess...
Authors
Lucio Biancari, Martin R. Aguiar, David J. Eldridge, Gastón R. Oñatibia, Yoann Le Bagousse-Pinguet, Hugo Saiz, Nicolas Gross, Amy T. Austin, Victoria Ochoa, Beatriz Gozalo, Sergio Asensio, Emilio Guirado, Enrique Valencia, Miguel Berdugo, Cesar Plaza, Jaime Martinez-Valderrama, Betty J. Mendoza, Miguel García-Gómez, Mehdi Abedi, Rodrigo J. Ahumada, Julio M. Alcantara, Fateh Amghar, Jose D. Anadon, Valeria Aramayo, Tulio Arredondo, Maaike Y. Bader, Khadijeh Bahalkeh, Farah Ben Salem, Niels Blaum, Bazartseren Boldgiv, Matthew A. Bowker, Cristina Branquinho, Chongfeng Bu, Batbold Byambatsogt, Dianela A. Calvo, Andrea P. Castillo Monroy, Helena Castro, Patricio Castro-Quezada, Roukaya Chibani, Abel A. Conceição, Courtney M. Currier, David A. Donoso, Andrew David Dougill, Hamid Ejtehadi, Carlos I. Espinosa, Alex Fajardo, Mohammad Farzam, Daniela Ferrante, Lauchlan H. Fraser, Juan J. Gaitan, Laureano A. Gherardi, Elizabeth Gusman-Montalvan, Rosa M. Hernández-Hernández, Norbert Holzel, Elisabeth Huber-Sannwald, Frederic M. Hughes, Oswaldo Jadan-Maza, Florian Jeltsch, Anke Jentsch, Mengchen Ju, Kudzai F. Kaseke, Liana Kindermann, Melanie Kobel, Peter C. le Roux, Pierre Liancourt, Anja Linstadter, Jushan Liu, Michelle A. Louw, Gillian Maggs-Kolling, Oumarou Malam Issa, Eugene Marais, Pierre Margerie, Joao Vitor S. Messeder, Juan P. Mora, Gerardo Moreno, Seth M. Munson, Gabriel Oliva, Yolanda Pueyo, R. Emiliano Quiroga, Sasha C. Reed, Pedro J. Rey, Alexandra Rodriguez, Laura B. Rodriguez, Víctor Rolo, Jan C. Ruppert, Osvaldo E. Sala, Ayman Salah, Ilan Stavi, Colton R. A. Stephens, Anthony M. Swemmer, Alberto L. Teixido, Andrew D. Thomas, Heather L. Throop, Katja Tielborger, Samantha K. Travers, Liesbeth van den Brink, Viktoria Wagner, Wanyoike Wamiti, Deli Wang, Lixin Wang, Peter Wolff, Laura Yahdjian, Eli Zaady, Fernando T. Maestre
Tracking mangrove condition changes using dense Landsat time series Tracking mangrove condition changes using dense Landsat time series
Mangroves in tropical and subtropical coasts are subject to episodic disturbances, notably from severe storms, leading to potential widespread vegetation mortality. The ability of vegetation to recover varies, and with disturbances becoming more frequent and severe, it is vital to track and project vegetation responses to support management and policy decisions. Prior studies have...
Authors
Xiucheng Yang, Zhe Zhu, Kevin D. Kroeger, Shi Qiu, Scott Covington, Jeremy R. Conrad, Zhiliang Zhu
Lake temperature and morphometry shape the thermal composition of recreational fishing catch Lake temperature and morphometry shape the thermal composition of recreational fishing catch
Objective Managing freshwater fisheries in warming lakes is challenging because climate change impacts anglers, fish, and their interactions.Methods We integrated recent models of current and future lake temperatures with recreational fisheries catch data from 587 lakes in three north-central U.S. states (Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) to evaluate how the thermal composition of...
Authors
Lyndsie S. Wszola, Nicholas A. Sievert, Abigail J. Lynch, Holly Susan Embke, Anna L. Kaz, Matthew D. Robertson, Stephen R. Midway, Craig P. Paukert
A meta-analysis of mercury biomagnification in freshwater predatory invertebrates: Community diversity and dietary exposure drive variability A meta-analysis of mercury biomagnification in freshwater predatory invertebrates: Community diversity and dietary exposure drive variability
Accurate estimates of methylmercury (MeHg) exposure are valuable to actionably assess risk and protect wildlife and human health. MeHg trophic transfer is a critical driver of risk: MeHg is generally biomagnified by a factor of 8.3 ± 7.5 from one trophic level to the next, averaged across freshwater communities (mean ± standard deviation). This variability can produce disparate risks...
Authors
Cailin A Sinclair, Tiffany S. Garcia, Collin A. Eagles-Smith
Breeding by western Yellow-billed Cuckoos in xeroriparian habitat in southeastern Arizona Breeding by western Yellow-billed Cuckoos in xeroriparian habitat in southeastern Arizona
The identification of occupied habitat is an important component of recovery efforts for threatened and endangered species. The western population of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus), federally listed as a threatened distinct population segment, has long been considered a riparian-obligate, yet recent survey efforts in southeastern Arizona have documented cuckoos occurring...
Authors
Nicholas D. Beauregard, Tad C. Theimer, Charles A. Drost, Susan J. Sferra
Contemporary fires are less frequent but more severe in dry conifer forests of the southwestern United States Contemporary fires are less frequent but more severe in dry conifer forests of the southwestern United States
Wildfires in the southwestern United States are increasingly frequent and severe, but whether these trends exceed historical norms remains contested. Here we combine dendroecological records, satellite-derived burn severity, and field measured tree mortality to compare historical (1700-1880) and contemporary (1985-2020) fire regimes at tree-ring fire-scar sites in Arizona and New Mexico...
Authors
E. McClure, J.D. Cooper, C. Guiterman, Ellis Q. Margolis, S. Parks
Associations between Ornithodoros spp. ticks and Mojave Desert Tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) obtained from health assessment documents Associations between Ornithodoros spp. ticks and Mojave Desert Tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) obtained from health assessment documents
Soft ticks in the genus Ornithodoros occur throughout the Mojave Desert in southern Nevada, southeastern California, and parts of southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, USA, and are frequently observed parasitizing Mojave desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii). However, limited research exists examining the relationship between ticks and desert tortoises. Mojave desert tortoises are...
Authors
Molly J. Bechtel, Jeffrey T. Foster, Todd Esque, Nathan C. Nieto, Kristina Drake, Mike B. Teglas
Phenology forecasting models for detection and management of invasive annual grasses Phenology forecasting models for detection and management of invasive annual grasses
Non-native annual grasses can dramatically alter fire frequency and reduce forage quality and biodiversity in the ecosystems they invade. Effective management techniques are needed to reduce these undesirable invasive species and maintain ecosystem services. Well-timed management strategies, such as grazing, that are applied when invasive grasses are active prior to native plants can...
Authors
Janet S. Prevey, Ian Pearse, Dana M. Blumenthal, Armin J. Howell, Julie A. Kray, Sasha C. Reed, Mitchell B. Stephenson, Catherine S. Jarnevich
Linking resource selection to population performance spatially to identify species' habitat across broad scales: An example of greater sage-grouse in a distinct population segment Linking resource selection to population performance spatially to identify species' habitat across broad scales: An example of greater sage-grouse in a distinct population segment
Management decisions often focus on the habitat selection of marked individuals without considering the contribution to demographic performance in selected habitats. Because habitat selection is not always adaptive, understanding the spatial relationship between habitat selection and demographic performance is critical to management decisions. Mapping both habitat selection and...
Authors
Megan C. Milligan, Peter S. Coates, Brianne E. Brussee, Shawn T. O’Neil, Steven R. Mathews, Shawn P. Espinosa, Katherine Miller, Daniel A. Skalos, Lief A. Wiechman, Steve Abele, John Boone, Kristie Boatner, Heather Stone, Michael L. Casazza