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: 42719
Foundations of modeling resilience of tidal saline wetlands to sea-level rise along the U.S. Pacific Coast Foundations of modeling resilience of tidal saline wetlands to sea-level rise along the U.S. Pacific Coast
Context Tidal saline wetlands (TSWs) are highly threatened from climate-change effects of sea-level rise. Studies of TSWs along the East Coast U.S. and elsewhere suggest significant likely losses over coming decades but needed are analytic tools gauged to Pacific Coast U.S. wetlands. Objectives We predict the impacts of sea-level rise (SLR) on the elevation capital (vertical) and...
Authors
Bruce G. Marcot, Karen M. Thorne, Joel A. Carr, Glenn R. Guntenspergen
Whole-lake acoustic telemetry to evaluate survival of stocked juvenile fish Whole-lake acoustic telemetry to evaluate survival of stocked juvenile fish
Estimates of juvenile survival are critical for informing population dynamics and the ecology of fish, yet these demographic parameters are difficult to measure. Here, we demonstrate that advances in animal tracking technology provide opportunities to evaluate survival of juvenile tagged fish. We implemented a whole-lake telemetry array in conjunction with small acoustic tags (including...
Authors
Alexander Koeberle, Webster Pearsall, Brad Hammers, Daniel Mulhall, James E. McKenna Jr., Marc Chalupnicki, Suresh Andrew Sethi
Field observations and long short-term memory modeling of spectral wave evolution at living shorelines in Chesapeake Bay, USA Field observations and long short-term memory modeling of spectral wave evolution at living shorelines in Chesapeake Bay, USA
Living shorelines as a nature-based solution for climate change adaptation were constructed in many places around the world. The success of this type of projects requires long-term monitoring for adaptive management. The paper presents a novel framework leveraging scientific machine learning methods for accurate and rapid prediction of long-term hydrodynamic forcing impacting living...
Authors
Nan Wang, Q. Chen, Hongqing Wang, William D. Capurso, L.M. Niemoczynski, Ling Zhu, Gregg Snedden
Degradation kinetics of veterinary antibiotics and estrogenic hormones in a claypan soil Degradation kinetics of veterinary antibiotics and estrogenic hormones in a claypan soil
Veterinary antibiotics and estrogens are excreted in livestock waste before being applied to agricultural lands as fertilizer, resulting in contamination of soil and adjacent waterways. The objectives of this study were to 1) investigate the degradation kinetics of the VAs sulfamethazine and lincomycin and the estrogens estrone and 17β-estradiol in soil mesocosms, and 2) assess the...
Authors
Adam H. Moody, Robert N. Lerch, Keith Goyle, Stephen H. Anderson, David Mendoza-Cozatl, David A. Alvarez
Spatially interactive modeling of land change identifies location-specific adaptations most likely to lower future flood risk Spatially interactive modeling of land change identifies location-specific adaptations most likely to lower future flood risk
Impacts of sea level rise will last for centuries; therefore, flood risk modeling must transition from identifying risky locations to assessing how populations can best cope. We present the first spatially interactive (i.e., what happens at one location affects another) land change model (FUTURES 3.0) that can probabilistically predict urban growth while simulating human migration and...
Authors
Georgina M. Sanchez, Anna Petrasova, Megan M. Skrip, Elyssa Collins, Margaret A. Lawrimore, John B. Vogler, Adam Terando, Jelena Vukomanovic, Helena Mitasova, Ross K. Meentemeyer
Vital sign monitoring is good medicine for parks Vital sign monitoring is good medicine for parks
Nearly 70 years ago a young ranger naturalist working in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), Frederick B. Turner, became fascinated with the abundance of frogs next to his cabin at “Soldier Creek” (known as Lodge Creek today). This interest blossomed into Turner’s PhD research and his publication in 1960 about the local population of Columbia spotted frogs (shown to right) became a classic...
Authors
Andrew M. Ray, David P. Thoma, Kristin L. Legg, Robert H. Diehl, Adam Sepulveda, Mike Tercek, Robert Al-Chokhachy
The Arctic Rivers Project: Using an equitable co-production framework for integrating meaningful community engagement and science to understand climate impacts The Arctic Rivers Project: Using an equitable co-production framework for integrating meaningful community engagement and science to understand climate impacts
As the Arctic and its rivers continue to warm, a better understanding of the possible future impacts on people would benefit from close partnership with Indigenous communities and scientists from diverse fields of study. We present efforts by the Arctic Rivers Project to conduct community-engaged research to increase collective understanding of the historical and potential future impacts...
Authors
Nicole M. Herman-Mercer, Alestine Andre, Victoria Buschman, Dylan Blaskey, Cassandra M. Brooks, Yifan Cheng, Evelynn Combs, Karen Cozzetto, Serena Fitka, Joshua C. Koch, Aine Lawlor, Elizabeth Moses, Emily Murray, Edda A. Mutter, Andrew Newman, Charles Prince, Patricia Salmon, Jenessa Tlen, Ryan C. Toohey, Michael L. Williams, Keith Musselman
Increasing salt marsh elevation using sediment augmentation: Critical insights from surface sediments and sediment cores Increasing salt marsh elevation using sediment augmentation: Critical insights from surface sediments and sediment cores
Sea-level rise is particularly concerning for tidal wetlands that reside within an area with steep topography or are constrained by human development and alteration of sedimentation. Sediment augmentation to increase wetland elevations has been considered as a potential strategy for such areas to prevent wetland loss over the coming decades. However, there is little information on the...
Authors
Elizabeth Fard, Lauren N. Brown, Richard F. Ambrose, Christine R Whitcraft, Karen M. Thorne, Nathaniel J. Kemnitz, Douglas E. Hammond, Glen M. MacDonald
Dam removal cost databases and drivers Dam removal cost databases and drivers
The United States (U.S.) has over 90,000 dams listed in the National Inventory of Dams that provide vital infrastructure to support water management for municipal and industrial uses including irrigation, hydropower, flood control, navigation, recreation, and habitat, among other uses (NID 2023). The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) operate and...
Authors
Jennifer A. Bountry, Timothy J. Randle, Alvin Jansen, Jeffrey J. Duda, Suman Jumani, Desiree D. Tullos, Kyle McKay, Susan Bailey
Decadal shifts in the population growth, regeneration, and health of Taxodium distichum in swamps of the Cache River Watershed, Illinois Decadal shifts in the population growth, regeneration, and health of Taxodium distichum in swamps of the Cache River Watershed, Illinois
Population projection models based on long-term trends in regeneration and tree survival can be used to predict the future stability of swamp forest species using water management. Population growth and regeneration of a foundational tree species in North American cypress swamps (Taxodium distichum) were compared in the Cache River watershed of southern Illinois USA over several decades...
Authors
Beth Middleton, Darren Johnson
Broad-scale assessment of methylmercury in adult amphibians Broad-scale assessment of methylmercury in adult amphibians
Mercury (Hg) is a toxic contaminant that has been mobilized and distributed worldwide and is a threat to many wildlife species. Amphibians are facing unprecedented global declines due to many threats including contaminants. While the biphasic life history of many amphibians creates a potential nexus for methylmercury (MeHg) exposure in aquatic habitats and subsequent health effects, the...
Authors
Brian J. Tornabene, Blake R. Hossack, Brian J. Halstead, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Michael J. Adams, Adam R. Backlin, Adrianne Brand, Colleen Emery, Robert N. Fisher, Jillian Elizabeth Fleming, Brad Glorioso, Daniel A. Grear, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Patrick M. Kleeman, David Miller, Erin L. Muths, Christopher Pearl, Jennifer Rowe, Caitlin Teresa Rumrill, J. Hardin Waddle, Megan Winzeler, Kelly L. Smalling
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
Systematic process for determining field-sampling effort required to know vegetation changes in large, disturbed rangelands where management treatments have been applied Systematic process for determining field-sampling effort required to know vegetation changes in large, disturbed rangelands where management treatments have been applied
Adequate numbers of replicated, dispersed, and random samples are the basis for reliable sampling inference on resources of concern, particularly vegetation cover across large and heterogenous areas such as rangelands. Tools are needed to predict and assess data precision, specifically the sampling effort required to attain acceptable levels of precision, before and after sampling. We...
Authors
Cara Applestein, Matthew J. Germino