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
Rare alluvial sands of El Monte Valley, California (San Diego County), support high herpetofaunal species richness and diversity, despite severe habitat disturbance Rare alluvial sands of El Monte Valley, California (San Diego County), support high herpetofaunal species richness and diversity, despite severe habitat disturbance
We characterized the species richness, diversity, and distribution of amphibians and reptiles inhabiting El Monte Valley, a heavily disturbed, alluvium-filled basin within the lower San Diego River in Lakeside, California. This rare habitat type in coastal southern California is designated as a critical sand resource by the state of California and is currently under consideration for a...
Authors
Jonathan Q. Richmond, Carlton J. Rochester, Nathan W. Smith, Jeffrey A. Nordland, Robert N. Fisher
Gopherus agassizii (Mohave Desert Tortoise). Probable rattlesnake envenomation Gopherus agassizii (Mohave Desert Tortoise). Probable rattlesnake envenomation
No abstract available.
Authors
Kristin H. Berry, Timothy A. Shields, Elliott R. Jacobson
Diadophis Punctuatus (Ring-necked Snake). Diet. Diadophis Punctuatus (Ring-necked Snake). Diet.
No abstract available.
Authors
Dustin A. Wood, Jason Myrand, Andrew T. Holycross
Enabling science support for better decision-making when responding to chemical spills Enabling science support for better decision-making when responding to chemical spills
Chemical spills and accidents contaminate the environment and disrupt societies and economies around the globe. In the United States there were approximately 172,000 chemical spills that affected US waterbodies from 2004 to 2014. More than 8000 of these spills involved non–petroleum-related chemicals. Traditional emergency responses or incident command structures (ICSs) that respond to...
Authors
Jennifer L. Weidhass, Andrea M. Dietrich, Nathan J. DeYonker, R. Ryan Dupont, William T. Foreman, Daniel Gallagher, Jennifer E. G. Gallagher, Andrew J. Whelton, William Alexander
Using structure from motion photogrammetry to examine glide snow avalanches Using structure from motion photogrammetry to examine glide snow avalanches
Structure from Motion (SfM), a photogrammetric technique, has been used extensively and successfully in many fields including geosciences over the past few years to create 3D models and high resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) from aerial or oblique photographs. SfM has recently been used in a limited capacity in snow avalanche research and shows promise as a tool for broader...
Authors
Erich H. Peitzsch, Jordy Hendrikx, Daniel B. Fagre
Topographic and fire weather controls of fire refugia in forested ecosystems of northwestern North America Topographic and fire weather controls of fire refugia in forested ecosystems of northwestern North America
Fire refugia, sometimes referred to as fire islands, shadows, skips, residuals, or fire remnants, are an important element of the burn mosaic, but we lack a quantitative framework that links observations of fire refugia from different environmental contexts. Here, we develop and test a conceptual model for how predictability of fire refugia varies according to topographic complexity and...
Authors
Meg A. Krawchuk, Sandra L. Haire, Jonathan D. Coop, Marc-André Parisien, Ellen Whitman, Geneva W. Chong, Carol Miller
Book review: Estimation of parameters for animal populations: A primer for the rest of us Book review: Estimation of parameters for animal populations: A primer for the rest of us
No abstract available. Estimation of Parameters for Animal Populations: A Primer for the Rest of Us. Larkin A. Powell and George A. Gale. 2015. Caught Napping Publications, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. 239 pages. (http://larkinpowell.wixsite.com/larkinpowell/estimationof-parameters-for-animal-pop). ISBN: 978-329-06151-4.
Authors
Max Post van der Burg
Estimating linear temporal trends from aggregated environmental monitoring data Estimating linear temporal trends from aggregated environmental monitoring data
Trend estimates are often used as part of environmental monitoring programs. These trends inform managers (e.g., are desired species increasing or undesired species decreasing?). Data collected from environmental monitoring programs is often aggregated (i.e., averaged), which confounds sampling and process variation. State-space models allow sampling variation and process variations to...
Authors
Richard A. Erickson, Brian R. Gray, Eric A. Eager
Historical reconstructions of California wildfires vary by data source Historical reconstructions of California wildfires vary by data source
Historical data are essential for understanding how fire activity responds to different drivers. It is important that the source of data is commensurate with the spatial and temporal scale of the question addressed, but fire history databases are derived from different sources with different restrictions. In California, a frequently used fire history dataset is the State of California...
Authors
Alexandra D. Syphard, Jon E. Keeley
Susceptibility of ocean- and stream-type Chinook salmon to isolates of the L, U, and M genogroups of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) Susceptibility of ocean- and stream-type Chinook salmon to isolates of the L, U, and M genogroups of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV)
This study examined the susceptibility of Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha to viral strains from the L, U, and M genogroups of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) present in western North America. The goal of this investigation was to establish a baseline understanding of the susceptibility of ocean- and stream-type Chinook salmon to infection and mortality caused by...
Authors
Daniel Hernandez, Maureen K. Purcell, Carolyn S. Friedman, Gael Kurath
Baseline reference range for trace metal concentrations in whole blood of wild and managed West Indian Manatees (Trichechus manatus) in Florida and Belize Baseline reference range for trace metal concentrations in whole blood of wild and managed West Indian Manatees (Trichechus manatus) in Florida and Belize
The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) is exposed to a number of anthropogenic influences, including metals, as they inhabit shallow waters with close proximity to shore. While maintaining homeostasis of many metals is crucial for health, there is currently no baseline reference range that can be used to make clinical and environmental decisions for this endangered species. In this...
Authors
Noel Y. Takeuchi, Michael T. Walsh, Robert K. Bonde, James A. Powell, Dean A. Bass, Joseph C. Gaspard, David S. Barber
Interagency Pacific marten (Martes caurina) distribution study on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington Interagency Pacific marten (Martes caurina) distribution study on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington
The objective of this study was to determine if the Pacific marten (Martes caurina) still occurs on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. We reviewed recent records of marten observations on the Olympic Peninsula since 1998, and conducted new surveys in undersampled regions of the Olympic Peninsula during summer, 2016. We reviewed evidence of fisher presence from 6 previously...
Authors
Katie Moriarty, Betsy Howell, Connor Morozumi, Patti Happe, Kurt J. Jenkins, Keith B. Aubry