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: 43455
Movement mechanisms explain current animal density patterns and predict their reorganization under global change Movement mechanisms explain current animal density patterns and predict their reorganization under global change
Aim: To test whether individual movement mechanisms inferred from animal tracking data can be scaled up to explain landscape-scale patterns of population density and improve predictions of population redistribution under future environmental change. Location: Texas Gulf Coast, USA Time Period: 2009-2018 Major Taxa Studied: Whooping Crane (Grus americana) Methods: We parameterized...
Authors
Robin Bauknecht, Will Rogers, Aaron T. Pearse, Walter Jetz
Cognitive and institutional barriers to effective natural resource management under global change Cognitive and institutional barriers to effective natural resource management under global change
Many of the most challenging decisions facing natural resource managers today can be understood as time dependent. The concept of time-dependent decisions is useful when considering natural resource management decisions that are characterized by nonstationarity in the underlying ecological system, uncertainty surrounding key ecological relationships, efficacy of management interventions...
Authors
Madeleine A. Rubenstein, Richard Eugene Waggaman Berl, Iadine Chades, Rebecca S. Epanchin-Niell, Toni Lyn Morelli, Michael C. Runge
Mountain lion prey-selection in a community comprised of native and introduced ungulate species Mountain lion prey-selection in a community comprised of native and introduced ungulate species
Species introductions are a hallmark of human influence on ecosystems worldwide. In communities where native and introduced fauna coexist, predators may select prey based on availability or vulnerability. Free-roaming feral horses (Equus caballus) are a recent addition to North America and have become widespread, abundant, and in some areas serve as major prey for mountain lions (Puma...
Authors
Peter Iacono, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Jessie Marie Dodge, Patrick Jackson, Kezia Manlove, David Stoner
A multi-state assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pesticides, and antibiotic resistance genes in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) of the United States A multi-state assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pesticides, and antibiotic resistance genes in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) of the United States
Sentinel species provide a vital One Health perspective on ecosystem contamination driven by rising global chemical production. We evaluated white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; n = 54, 24 states, six matrices) as nationwide bioindicators for PFAS, pesticides, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes, and microbiome diversity. PFAS were detected in 100% of deer samples (26 compounds...
Authors
Erin L. Pulster, Dana W. Kolpin, Carrie E. Givens, Michelle L. Hladik, Landon M. Keele, Shannon M. Meppelink, Marina D. Rodriguez, David A. Alvarez, Brianna M. Williams, Stephanie E. Gordon, Laura E. Hubbard
A framework for investigating fish population density responses to habitat fragmentation A framework for investigating fish population density responses to habitat fragmentation
Globally, fish populations that rely on rivers are being fragmented by in-stream barriers, but it is unclear how pervasive any negative population responses to fragmentation are. We developed a modeling framework for estimating density responses of fishes upstream and downstream of in-stream barriers and applied it to learn how low-head dams have influenced fish assemblages in 24 Great...
Authors
Sean Alois Lewandoski, Gale Bravener, Nathan Coombs, Robert McLaughlin
Home on the range: Where deer and antelope compete with feral horses for limited resources Home on the range: Where deer and antelope compete with feral horses for limited resources
No abstract available.
Authors
Katelyn Davies, Hannah Klugman, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, David Stoner
Applying automated avalanche terrain mapping to wildlife ecology: A case study of Dall's sheep in southcentral Alaska Applying automated avalanche terrain mapping to wildlife ecology: A case study of Dall's sheep in southcentral Alaska
Avalanche hazard has been studied extensively in the context of human risk, but its role in alpine wildlife ecology remains poorly understood. Long-term telemetry studies have revealed that avalanches are an important source of mortality for some mountain ungulates. Investigating the processes underlying these events is challenging because avalanche activity and snowpack conditions are...
Authors
Heather Thamm, John Sykes, Nicholas Fowler, Thomas Lohuis, Kyle Smith, Erich Peitzsch, Todd Brinkman, Ophelie Couriot
Tracking water in snow: Bridging sensor and and model simulations Tracking water in snow: Bridging sensor and and model simulations
Forecasting wet slab avalanches remains one of the most demanding challenges in operational avalanche forecasting. A key obstacle is the difficulty of observing and quantifying liquid water content (LWC) and tracking its infiltration into the snowpack. Field measurements are labor-intensive, highly variable in space, and often influenced by user application or sensor design — making them
Authors
Andrea Bruckmeier, Christoph Mitterer, Robyn Gotz, Eric Sproles, Erich Peitzsch
Climate-driven shifts in snowpack conditions favorable for wet snow avalanches: Insights from snow cover model simulations Climate-driven shifts in snowpack conditions favorable for wet snow avalanches: Insights from snow cover model simulations
Forecasting wet snow avalanches remains a major challenge due to their temporal and spatial variability. Long-term climate trends are producing more variable and extreme weather, creating conditions outside historical experience, and increasing forecasting uncertainties. To assess how climate change affects the frequency and timing of wet snow avalanches, we examined the long-term...
Authors
Andrea Bruckemeier, Christoph Mitterer, Karl W. Birkeland, Eric Sproles, Erich Peitzsch
Start-zone characteristics and timing of wet slab avalanches In Colorado Start-zone characteristics and timing of wet slab avalanches In Colorado
Wet slab avalanches (WSAs) release when liquid water reduces the strength of a buried weak layer or interface, and their timing is governed primarily by the snowpack energy balance and the movement of meltwater. We classified 717 WSAs from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center database (2011–2025) into five start-zone terrain categories and analysed the timing of naturally triggered...
Authors
Brandon Levy, Ron Simenhois, Erich Peitzsch, Ethan M. Greene
Revisiting avalanche destructive scale and associated mass estimates Revisiting avalanche destructive scale and associated mass estimates
Avalanche destructive (D) size classifications are essential for forecasting, communication, and risk management, yet size estimation remains one of the more subjective elements of avalanche assessment. Practitioners typically rely on visual impressions of destructive potential, path length, and estimated mass and volume. Recent work indicates that size is often underestimated even by...
Authors
Erich Peitzsch, John Sykes, Zachary Guy, Ron Simenhois, Bruce Jamieson
Patterns of glide avalanche release: Insights from 23 years of observations along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, Montana, USA Patterns of glide avalanche release: Insights from 23 years of observations along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, Montana, USA
Glide avalanches pose a notable hazard during annual spring snow removal operations along the Going-to-the-Sun Road (GTSR) in Glacier National Park (GNP), USA. Glide cracks consistently form on specific slopes near and above the GTSR. Some glide crack locations produce glide avalanches most years (known as repeater paths), whereas others are less predictable and either release or melt in...
Authors
Erika Hart Birkeland, Maddey Jude Frey, Sarah Elizabeth Williams, Erich Peitzsch