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
Continuous and high-resolution longitudinal profiles of the water surface and riverbed elevation for 282 miles of the Colorado River from Lees Ferry to Pearce Ferry, Arizona, 2021 Continuous and high-resolution longitudinal profiles of the water surface and riverbed elevation for 282 miles of the Colorado River from Lees Ferry to Pearce Ferry, Arizona, 2021
Longitudinal profiles of water surface and riverbed elevations capture key geomorphic characteristics that can be affected by water infrastructure and natural processes. Continuous water surface profiles of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, a river influenced by two of the largest dams in the United States, have been measured infrequently. The water surface profile was first measured...
Authors
Shannon L. Sartain, Matthew A. Kaplinski, Keith Kohl, Katherine A. Chapman, Nathaniel D. Bransky, Joel B. Sankey, Paul E. Grams
Understanding co-invading species’ ecological strategies and interactions with causal inference and simple dynamic models: Bighead (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and Silver carp (H. molitrix) in the Illinois River, USA Understanding co-invading species’ ecological strategies and interactions with causal inference and simple dynamic models: Bighead (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and Silver carp (H. molitrix) in the Illinois River, USA
Species interactions among multiple invasive species can present hidden challenges for management and eradication efforts. Bighead and Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and H. molitrix, respectively) are closely related species that have co-invaded the Mississippi River and many of its tributaries, including the Illinois River. We used a combination of causal inference and dynamic...
Authors
Donald R. Schoolmaster, James E. Garvey, Richard A. Erickson, Benjamin J. Mareck, David P. Coulter
An overview of the NASA Adaptation and Response in Drylands field experiment scoping study An overview of the NASA Adaptation and Response in Drylands field experiment scoping study
Drylands cover 41% of Earth’s land surface, support 36% of the global population, and contribute 60% of global food production. Despite these ecosystems’ importance and high vulnerability to droughts and heatwaves, drylands remain some of the most understudied systems on Earth. Monitoring drylands is challenging due to their complex ecosystem structure of visible soil mixed with diverse...
Authors
Andrew F. Feldman, Sasha C. Reed, Konrad Wessels, Dennis S. Ojima, David J.P. Moore, William K. Smith, Niall P. Hanan, Cibele Amaral, Flurin Babst, Joel A. Biederman, Marcy Litvak, Natasha MacBean, Benjamin Poulter, Russell L. Scott, Alicja Babst-Kostecka, Julia K. Green, Raymond F. Kokaly, Ryan Pavlick, Robert Swap, Shawn P. Serbin, Compton J. Tucker, Lixin Wang, Jennifer D. Watts, Alejandro Flores, James Rattling Leaf Sr., Robert A. Washington-Allen, Karen Prentice, Emily Kachergis, Julian Reyes, Jasmine Ryan, Michael D. SanClements, Henry W. Loescher, Allison K Leidner, Tyson Swetnam
Bait baskets reduce trap disturbance and rebaiting for invasive Argentine black and white tegus (Salvator merianae) in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, USA Bait baskets reduce trap disturbance and rebaiting for invasive Argentine black and white tegus (Salvator merianae) in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, USA
Effective invasive species management can be informed by strategies that maximize removal while minimizing costs. In the southeastern United States, metal-mesh bait baskets are routinely used to protect chicken egg lures in traps targeting invasive Argentine black and white tegu lizards (Salvator merianae). These bait baskets are designed to reduce bait loss and nontarget species...
Authors
Daniel Haro, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Jillian M. Josimovich, Andrea F. Currylow, Emma B. Hanslowe, Christina M. Romagosa, Bryan G. Falk
Recent spread of introduced swamp eels (Percomorpha, Synbranchiformes, Synbranchidae) in Central Florida, USA, including first documented collections of cuchia, Ophichthys cuchia (Hamilton, 1822), in Florida Recent spread of introduced swamp eels (Percomorpha, Synbranchiformes, Synbranchidae) in Central Florida, USA, including first documented collections of cuchia, Ophichthys cuchia (Hamilton, 1822), in Florida
Swamp eels (Percomorpha, Synbranchiformes, Synbranchidae) were discovered in Florida in the 1990s and were considered established in the Greater Miami and Greater Tampa regions as early as 1997. We report detection of established populations of Sunda swamp eel, Monopterus javanensis Lacepède, 1800 and cuchia, Ophichthys cuchia (Hamilton, 1822) across multiple Orlando area watersheds in...
Authors
Nicholas Trippel, Noah Peterson, Ted Lange, Robert H. Robins, Mary Brown, Daniel Nelson, Jennifer Moran
Extreme droughts shrink suitable habitats and reduce fitness for large mammals in the American West Extreme droughts shrink suitable habitats and reduce fitness for large mammals in the American West
Droughts are intensifying across the biosphere, yet the consequences of this phenomenon for wildlife habitat suitability and fitness are poorly studied. We analyzed 12 years of GPS telemetry data for three large mammal species—herbivorous mule deer (N = 2854), omnivorous black bears (N = 103), and carnivorous cougars (N = 105)—to evaluate the effects of drought on each species’ habitat...
Authors
Martin Leclerc, Kirby L. Mills, Mark A. Ditmer, David C. Stoner, Joseph O. Sexton, Panshi Wang, Kent R. Hersey, Cody A. Schroeder, Alyson M. Andreasen, David Choate, Derek B. Hall, Kathleen M. Longshore, Darren DeBloois, Kristen Engebretsen, Julie K. Young, Patrick J. Jackson, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Neil H. Carter
Effects of warming on growth and leaf colonization by litter mat-forming fungi in a wet tropical forest in Puerto Rico Effects of warming on growth and leaf colonization by litter mat-forming fungi in a wet tropical forest in Puerto Rico
Wet tropical forests are experiencing rising temperatures and increased frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events, such as cyclones, which can increase rates of soil erosion and surface runoff. Fungal litter mats, formed by agaric decomposer fungi, play a crucial role in stabilizing slopes, preventing erosion, and aiding nutrient cycling; however, little is known about how...
Authors
Ari E. Puentes, D. Jean Lodge, Deyaneira A. Ortiz-Iglesias, Tatiana Barreto-Vélez, Laura C. Rubio-Lebrón, Hieu P. Chu, Christine S. O'Connell, Sasha C. Reed, Tana E. Wood
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