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: 43280
Practitioners perceptions of biodiversity-relevant criteria for solar suitability analyses in the United States Practitioners perceptions of biodiversity-relevant criteria for solar suitability analyses in the United States
Acceleration of large-scale solar energy deployment can pose competition for land with biodiversity conservation areas. Solar suitability analyses (SSAs) help identify low-conflict zones for solar development, yet limited work defines which biodiversity-relevant criteria (BRCs) are essential for SSAs or whether supporting data are available. We convened a United States-based Delphi panel...
Authors
Daphne Condon, Michael O. Levin, Adam B. Smith, Toni Lyn Morelli, Noah Z. Krasner, Emma Forester, Chevon Holmes, Benjamin P. Narwold, Elizabeth L. Kalies, Grace C. Wu, Meaghan R. Gade, Roland Kays, Freya Robinson, Rebecca R. Hernandez
Lowland tropical forests remain a methane sink under warming and long-term hurricane disturbance recovery Lowland tropical forests remain a methane sink under warming and long-term hurricane disturbance recovery
Methane (CH4) is a potent greenhouse gas, and tropical forests account for roughly one–third of global atmospheric CH4 uptake by soils. Projected warming and more frequent hurricanes in these ecosystems may alter soil CH4 sink strength, as warmer and wetter soils enhance methanogenesis activity. We measured soil CH4 and CO2 efflux during the calendar summer months of 2023 and 2024...
Authors
Gabriele Larocca Conte, Lucia Zuvela, Rachel Cruz-Perez, Tatiana Barreto-Vélez, Nibia Becerra-Santillan, Sophia F. Campbell, Hieu P. Chu, Trung Dam, Iana F. Grullón-Penkova, Miriam Kleit, Deyaneira A. Ortiz-Iglesias, Laura C. Rubio-Lebrón, Molly A. Cavaleri, Sasha C. Reed, Debjani Sihi, Tana E. Wood, Christine S. O'Connell
Local, regional, and coastwide effects of interactions between storms and relative position in tidal frame on Louisiana coastal marshes Local, regional, and coastwide effects of interactions between storms and relative position in tidal frame on Louisiana coastal marshes
Context In coastal wetlands, land area is dynamic in both space and time, and it is crucial to understand the factors that may tip the balance between wetland area loss and gain. Flooding has been shown to be a key regulator of wetland resilience to land loss through effects on vegetation health and productivity. However, the relationship between elevation and land change is complex...
Authors
Donald R. Schoolmaster, Camille L. Stagg, Gregg A. Snedden, Brady R. Couvillion
High-resolution transboundary vegetation community maps of the Sonoran and Mojave Desert ecoregion to support critical landscape conservation planning and habitat management needs High-resolution transboundary vegetation community maps of the Sonoran and Mojave Desert ecoregion to support critical landscape conservation planning and habitat management needs
We produced a 30-m resolution binational land cover map of Bird Conservation Region 33 (BCR 33) for the U.S. North American Bird Conservation Initiative. The region covers large portions of the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts. The map can support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Migratory Bird Program’s recovery planning efforts and constitutes the first known binational land cover...
Authors
Pamela L Nagler, Jennie N. Duberstein, James Broska, Kamel Didan, Myles B. Traphagen
Rearing method has limited effect on post-release movement of reintroduced age-0 Lake Sturgeon Rearing method has limited effect on post-release movement of reintroduced age-0 Lake Sturgeon
Overfishing, habitat loss, and pollution caused the extirpation of Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) throughout much of the Great Lakes. A Lake Sturgeon reintroduction program using two rearing strategies began in 2018 in the Maumee River, a tributary of Lake Erie. We assessed the movement of streamside or traditionally reared age-0 Lake Sturgeon using acoustic telemetry to determine...
Authors
Jorden R. McKenna, Justin A. Chiotti, Christopher S. Vandergoot, Richard Kraus, Matthew D. Faust, Zak J. Slagle, Eric J. Weimer, Matthew D. Cross, William D. Hintz
Ecology of reintroduced Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in Dinosaur National Monument Ecology of reintroduced Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in Dinosaur National Monument
Translocations have been widely used to restore and conserve bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) populations in North America. Some translocations have been successful, but many populations remain small and genetically isolated. Population structure can influence the viability and long-term success of reintroductions. Social ungulates often function as interconnected subpopulations...
Authors
Sarah Louise Carroll, Elizabeth P Flesch, Salix Scoresby, Emily Spencer, Rachel S. Crowhurst, Clinton W. Epps, Nathan L. Galloway, William Michael Janousek, Tabitha A. Graves
Interacting effects of human presence and landscape modification on birds and mammals Interacting effects of human presence and landscape modification on birds and mammals
Sustainable human–wildlife coexistence requires a mechanistic understanding of the many ways that humans affect animals. However, progress is hampered by the lack of accessible data measuring the dynamic presence of people. Here, we leverage mobile-device data to disentangle how human presence and landscape modification differentially influence the use of geographic and environmental...
Authors
Ruth Y. Oliver, Scott W. Yanco, Diego Ellis-Soto, Brett R. Jesmer, Juliet Cohen, Song Gao, Robert Patchett, Tal Avgar, Keith L. Bildstein, Nicholas W. Bakner, David Barber, Kristin J. Barker, Joseph G. Barnes, Guillaume Bastille-Rousseau, Jerrold L. Belant, John F. Benson, Joel Bety, Dean E. Beyer, David Bird, Nathaniel R. Bowersock, Andy J. Boyce, Ben S. Carlson, Michael L. Casazza, Michael J. Chamberlain, Michael J. Cherry, Bret A. Collier, Alyson Courtemanch, Sarah C. Davidson, Darren DeBloois, Vickie DeNicola, Christopher R. Desorbo, Robert C. Dowler, Daniel Dupont, L. Mark Elbroch, John E. Elliott, Betsy A. Evans, W. Mark Ford, David Hancock, Molly Hardesty-Moore, Jason E. Hawley, Mackenzie R. Jeffress, Scott Jennings, Matthew J. Kauffman, Roland Kays, Marcella J. Kelly, Bryan M. Kluever, Myles Lamont, Scott LaPoint, Tayler N. Lasharr, Josee Lefebvre, Pierre Legagneux, Matthias-Claudio Loretto, David Lumpkin, Lindsay A. Martinez, John M. Marzluff, Douglas J. McCauley, Fiona McDuie, Tony W. Mong, Kevin L. Monteith, Thomas Mueller, Levi Newediuk, Anna C. Ortega, Federico Ossi, Cory T. Overton, J. Clint Perkins, Tyler R. Petroelje, Laura R. Prugh, Kimberly A. Sager-Fradkin, Michael Seer, Avery L. Shawler, Shannon Skalos, Rachel A. Smiley, Julia Sommerfield, Daniel R. Stahler, John A. Stephenson, Richard D. Stevens, Nathan J. Svoboda, Jean-Francois Therrien, Philippe J. Thomas, Meredith C. VanAcker, Eric Vander Wal, Dan E. Varland, Tana L. Verzuh, Brittany L. Wagler, Nils Warnock, Stephen L. Webb, Christopher K. Williams, Christopher C. Wilmers, David W. Wolfson, Julie K. Young, Christian Rutz, Walter Jetz
Beyond barriers: Fish assemblage recovery following dam removal on the Cuyahoga River, a Lake Erie tributary Beyond barriers: Fish assemblage recovery following dam removal on the Cuyahoga River, a Lake Erie tributary
Dam removals are increasing globally, yet ecological outcomes vary widely because biological recovery depends on post-removal connectivity and access to source populations. We evaluated how multiple dam removals and remaining fragmentation influenced fish assemblage recovery in the Cuyahoga River (OH, United States), a historically polluted Great Lakes tributary now undergoing extensive
Authors
Matthew Ross Acre, Sophia Marie Bonjour, Nicholas David Fischer, Andrew T. Mueller, James J. Roberts, Ryan J. Trimbath, Curt P. Wagner, Ramsey A.S. Langford, Eric R. Waits, Daniel J. Sullivan, John T. Belcik, Alexander V. Catalano, Nicholas A. Barkowski, Marc A. Mills, David M. Walters
Beyond technical expertise: The role of mindset, interpersonal, and intrapersonal skills in the development of fisheries professionals Beyond technical expertise: The role of mindset, interpersonal, and intrapersonal skills in the development of fisheries professionals
Objective Recognized as essential components for success, mindset and inter- and intrapersonal skills (often referred to as soft skills) play a crucial role in the growth and effectiveness of individuals throughout their careers. Individuals with strong inter- and intrapersonal skills and a mindset open to growth can efficiently navigate complex challenges that may involve working with...
Authors
Jason L. Fischer, Matthew Ross Acre, Dana Castle, Jessica Collier, Steven J. Cooke, Tracy L. Galarowicz, Thomas M. Gehring, Eric D. Huber, Jeff C. Jolley, Christine M. Mayer, Jorden R. McKenna, Anna K. Monfils, Daniel M. O’Keefe, Craig Paukert, Joshua S. Perkin, Kelly Filer Robinson
Functional restructuring of the global soil microbiome under multiple stressors Functional restructuring of the global soil microbiome under multiple stressors
Microbes, as the planet’s most abundant and diverse organisms, drive soil functions globally and are vulnerable to environmental stressors triggered by global change. Yet, knowledge regarding the impacts of multiple environmental stressors on their functional profiles as well as the consequences for soil functionality largely remains unknown. Here, we analyze two global-scale datasets...
Authors
Ruirui Chen, Shuhong Luo, Youzhi Feng, Fernando T. Maestre, Tadeo Sáez-Sandino, Nicholas Gross, Yoann Le Bagousse-Pinguet, Victoria Ochoa, Beatriz Gózalo, Emilio Guirado, Miguel García-Gómez, Enrique Valencia, Sergio Asensio, Jaime Martínez-Valderrama, Betty J. Mendoza, Sebastian Abades, Fernando D. Alfaro, Matt Barrett, Miguel Berdugo, José Luis Blanco Pastor, Niels Blaum, Bazartseren Boldgiv, Matthew A. Bowker, Helena Castro, Haiyan Chu, Nick A. Cutler, Zhongmin Dai, Balázs Deák, Jorge Duran, Carlos Iván Espinosa, Alex Fajardo, Kunkun Fan, Ana Foronda, Lauchlan H. Fraser, Katja Geissler, Tina Grebenc, Elizabeth Gusmán-Montalván, Stephen C. Hart, Liana Kindermann, Melanie Köbel, Lauri Laanisto, Peter C. le Roux, Pierre Liancourt, Anja Linstädter, Michelle A. Louw, Petr Macek, Gillian Maggs-Kölling, Thulani P. Makhalanyane, Antonio J. Manzaneda, Eugene Marais, Daniel Montesinos, Juan P. Mora, Gerardo Moreno, Seth M. Munson, Miriam Muñoz-Rojas, Girish R. Nair, Sigrid Neuhauser, Alice Nunes, César Plaza, Yolanda Pueyo, Pedro J. Rey, Ana Rey, Asunción de los Ríos, Alexandra Rodríguez, Borja Rodriguez Lozano, Raul Roman, Jan C. Ruppert, Ayman Salah, Jay Singh, Heather L. Throop, Samantha K. Travers, Tina Unuk Nahberger, Munkhbat Uuganbayar, Orsolya Valkó, Lixin Wang, Mark A. Williams, Chao Xiong, Jianming Xu, Eli Zaady, Bin Ma, Brajesh K. Singh, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
Whatever it takes— Shaping the L&O Letters Early Career Publication Honor to deliver true benefit Whatever it takes— Shaping the L&O Letters Early Career Publication Honor to deliver true benefit
There are clear advantages for those who openly share their research. Publishing Open Access (OA) articles can increase author visibility (McCabe and Snyder 2014), improve productivity metrics (i.e., more diverse and higher citation rates; Huang et al. 2024; Piwowar et al. 2018), widen collaborative networks (Tai and Robinson 2018), and help secure future funding and/or comply with...
Authors
Rita M. Franco-Santos, Bridget R. Deemer, Laura J. Falkenberg, Mary R. Gradoville, Scott Hotaling, Erin K. Peck
Bird migration and energetics simulations incorporating oil spill effects Bird migration and energetics simulations incorporating oil spill effects
Oil spills are well-known for causing acute mortality of birds, but sublethal and delayed impacts are less understood. Focusing on the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), we used simulation modeling to explore how sublethal oiling may affect avian survival and breeding ground body condition. We used empirically informed migration and energetics simulations to model hypothetical spills...
Authors
Benjamin M West, Mark L. Wildhaber, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Michael J. Hooper