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
Supplying ecosystem services on US rangelands Supplying ecosystem services on US rangelands
Rangelands comprise 40% of the conterminous United States and they supply essential ecosystem services to society. A scenario assessment was conducted to determine how accelerating biophysical and societal drivers may modify their future availability. Four scenarios emerged: two may maintain rural communities by sustaining the prevailing ecosystem service of beef cattle production, and...
Authors
David D. Briske, Steven R. Archer, Emily Burchfield, William Burnidge, Justin D. Derner, Hannah Gosnell, Jerry Hatfield, Clare E. Kazanski, Mona Khalil, Tyler J. Lark, Pamela L. Nagler, Osvaldo E. Sala, Nathan F. Sayre, Kimberly R. Stackhouse-Lawson
Nonlinear patterns of surface elevation change in coastal wetlands: The value of generalized additive models for quantifying rates of change Nonlinear patterns of surface elevation change in coastal wetlands: The value of generalized additive models for quantifying rates of change
In the face of accelerating climate change and rising sea levels, quantifying surface elevation change dynamics in coastal wetlands can help to develop a more complete understanding of the implications of sea-level rise on coastal wetland stability. The surface elevation table-marker horizon (SET-MH) approach has been widely used to quantify and characterize surface elevation change...
Authors
Laura Feher, Michael Osland, Darren Johnson, James Grace, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, David R. Stewart, Carlos A. Coronado-Molina, Fred H. Sklar
Phragmites management in high water: Cutting plants under water limits biomass production, carbohydrate storage, and rhizome viability Phragmites management in high water: Cutting plants under water limits biomass production, carbohydrate storage, and rhizome viability
Invasion of Phragmites australis (common reed) in wetlands throughout North America, and particularly the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin, poses significant ecological problems. The extended period of low Great Lakes water levels from 2000 to 2013 created conditions for large expansions of Phragmites in the Great Lakes coastal zone. The following extended period of high water in the Great...
Authors
Spenser L. Widin, Wesley A. Bickford, Kurt P. Kowalski
On the origin and current distribution of the Oceania Snake-Eyed Skink (Cryptoblepharus poecilopleurus) in the Hawaiian archipelago On the origin and current distribution of the Oceania Snake-Eyed Skink (Cryptoblepharus poecilopleurus) in the Hawaiian archipelago
Because of its extreme isolation and lack of historical connection to a mainland, the Hawaiian Archipelago is thought to have no native nonvolant terrestrial reptiles. Several squamate species have been introduced to the archipelago, likely starting with early Polynesian contact, and increasing as human traffic in the Pacific has amplified. Of the earlier introductions, one species of...
Authors
Valentina Alvarez, Samuel R Fisher, Anthony J. Barley, Kevin L. Donmoyer, Mozes P. K. Blom, Robert C. Thomson, Robert N. Fisher
Positioning aquatic animals with acoustic transmitters Positioning aquatic animals with acoustic transmitters
Geolocating aquatic animals with acoustic tags has been ongoing for decades, relying on the detection of acoustic signals at multiple receivers with known positions to calculate a 2D or 3D position, and ultimately recreate the path of an aquatic animal from detections at fixed stations.This method of underwater geolocation is evolving with new software and hardware options available to...
Authors
Robert J. Lennox, Kim Aarestrup, Josep Alos, Robert Arlinghaus, Eneko Aspillaga, Michael G. Bertram, Kim Birnie-Gauvin, Tomas Brodin, Steven J. Cooke, Lotte S. Dahlmo, Felicie Dhellemmes, Karl O. Gjelland, Gustav Hellstrom, Henry Hershey, Christopher M. Holbrook, Thomas Klefoth, Susan K. Lowerre-Barbieri, Christopher T. Monk, Cecilie Iden Nilsen, Ina Pauwels, Renanel Pickholtz, Marie Prchalova, Jan Reubens, Milan Říha, David Villegas-Rios, Knut Wiik Vollset, Samuel Westrelin, Henrik Baktoft
Food web changes reflected in age-0 piscivore diets and growth Food web changes reflected in age-0 piscivore diets and growth
Lake Erie walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) recruitment fluctuates annually and depends partially on their diet and growth during their first year of life. In recent decades, age-0 walleye diet and growth may be responding to food web changes in western Lake Erie. To determine how age-0 walleye have responded to changes in prey species and abundance, we compared diet between 2019, 2014 and...
Authors
T. Yang, Christine M Mayer, Robin L. DeBruyne, Edward F. Roseman, Mark Richard Dufour, Eric J. Weimer
Sage-grouse Sage-grouse
In this chapter, we summarize the ecology and conservation issues affecting greater (Centrocercus urophasianus) and Gunnison (C. minimus) sage-grouse, iconic and obligate species of rangelands in the sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) biome in western North America. Greater sage-grouse are noted for their ability to migrate, whereas Gunnison sage-grouse localize near leks year-round. Seasonal...
Authors
Jeffrey L. Beck, Thomas J Christiansen, Kirk W. Davies, Jonathan B. Dinkins, Adrian P. Monroe, David E. Naugle, Michael A Schroeder
Manipulation of rangeland wildlife habitat Manipulation of rangeland wildlife habitat
Rangeland manipulations have occurred for centuries. Those manipulations may have positive or negative effects on multiple wildlife species and their habitats. Some of these manipulations may result in landscape changes that fragment wildlife habitat and isolate populations. Habitat degradation and subsequent restoration may range from simple problems that are easy to restore to complex...
Authors
David A. Pyke, Chad S. Boyd
Amphibians and reptiles Amphibians and reptiles
Amphibians and reptiles are a diverse group of ectothermic vertebrates that occupy a variety of habitats in rangelands of North America, from wetlands to the driest deserts. These two classes of vertebrates are often referred to as herpetofauna and are studied under the field of herpetology. In U.S. rangelands, there are approximately 66 species of frogs and toads, 58 salamanders, 98...
Authors
David S. Pilliod, Todd Esque
Finding a GEM: The Grassland Effectiveness Monitoring (GEM) protocol provides a tiered approach for habitat treatment assessment across private lands incentive programs Finding a GEM: The Grassland Effectiveness Monitoring (GEM) protocol provides a tiered approach for habitat treatment assessment across private lands incentive programs
The soil store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through different processes, depending on the use and management of the land. For the Maderas del Carmen and Ocampo natural protected areas, one of the main conservation goals is to preserve natural habitats, ensuring an ecological balance and making a sustainable. The main productive activity in the region is extensive livestock...
Authors
Rebekah J. Rylander, Anna M. Matthews, Daniel Bunting, Michael C. Duniway, James J. Giocomo, Anna C. Knight, Adriana Leiva, Robert M. Perez, Kourtney Stonehouse, Derek Wiley, Don Wilhelm
Grassland Effectiveness Monitoring (GEM): A tiered approach for habitat treatment assessment across private lands incentive programs Grassland Effectiveness Monitoring (GEM): A tiered approach for habitat treatment assessment across private lands incentive programs
Introduction The decline of North American grasslands is a topic of increasing interest as agencies and organizations work to address subsequent declines in wildlife species, including grassland birds (Rosenberg et al. 2019), pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) (Gedir et al. 2015), and other grassland-dependent taxa. In response to grassland habitat loss, conservation programs and policies...
Authors
Anna M. Matthews, Rebekah J. Rylander, Daniel Bunting, Michael C. Duniway, James J. Giocomo, Anna C. Knight, Adriana Leiva, Robert M. Perez, Kourtney Stonehouse, Derek Wiley, Don Wilhelm
Genomes & islands & evolution: Oh my! Genomes & islands & evolution: Oh my!
A central question in evolutionary biology is how lineages quickly diversify to occupy different ecological niches, along with determining genomic factors that facilitate evolutionary change. Isolated, oceanic archipelagos are famous for adaptive radiations characterized by endemic, species-rich clades with substantial ecological variation, yet genome resources key to determining eco-evo...
Authors
Mona Renee Bellinger