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: 42730
Final report: A novel monitoring framework to assess intertidal biodiversity in mixed coarse substrate habitats across the Boston Harbor Islands Final report: A novel monitoring framework to assess intertidal biodiversity in mixed coarse substrate habitats across the Boston Harbor Islands
The Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area (BOHA) is at high risk to the impacts of sea-level rise (SLR) and erosion from coastal storms. In June 2021, the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed the islands as one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places due to climate change. BOHA partners have been working to find climate adaptive solutions to protect and...
Authors
Michelle Staudinger, Marc Albert, Lucy A. D. Lockwood, Aly B. Putnam, Justin Taylor, Sarah C. Endyke
Riparian spiders: Sentinels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran-contaminated sediment Riparian spiders: Sentinels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran-contaminated sediment
Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDD/F) are persistent, toxic, and bioaccumulative. Currently, PCDD/F monitoring programs primarily use fish and birds with potentially large home ranges to monitor temporal trends over broad spatial scales; sentinel organisms that provide targeted sediment contaminant information across small geographic areas have yet to...
Authors
Gale B. Beaubien, Dalon P. White, David Walters, Ryan R. Otter, Ken M. Fritz, Brian Crone, Marc A. Mills
A Bayesian multi-stage modelling framework to evaluate impacts of energy development on wildlife populations: An application to Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) A Bayesian multi-stage modelling framework to evaluate impacts of energy development on wildlife populations: An application to Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)
Increased demand for domestic production of renewable energy has led to expansion of energy infrastructure across western North America. Much of the western U.S. comprises remote landscapes that are home to a variety of vegetation communities and wildlife species, including the imperiled sagebrush ecosystem and indicator species such as greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)...
Authors
Brian G. Prochazka, Shawn T. O’Neil, Peter S. Coates
Shrinking body size and climate warming: Many freshwater salmonids do not follow the rule Shrinking body size and climate warming: Many freshwater salmonids do not follow the rule
Declining body size is believed to be a universal response to climate warming and has been documented in numerous studies of marine and anadromous fishes. The Salmonidae are a family of coldwater fishes considered to be among the most sensitive species to climate warming; however, whether the shrinking body size response holds true for freshwater salmonids has yet to be examined at a...
Authors
Mary Solakas, Zachary S. Feiner, Robert Al-Chokhachy, Phaedra E. Budy, Tyrell DeWeber, Jouko Sarvala, Greg G. Sass, Scott A. Tolentino, Timothy E. Walsworth, Olaf P. Jensen
Mass mortality of collector urchins Tripneustes gratilla in Hawai`i Mass mortality of collector urchins Tripneustes gratilla in Hawai`i
As grazers, sea urchins are keystone species in tropical marine ecosystems, and their loss can have important ecological ramifications. Die-offs of urchins are frequently described, but their causes are often unclear, in part because systematic examinations of animal tissues at gross and microscopic level are not done. In some areas, urchins are being employed to control invasive marine...
Authors
Thierry M. Work, Julie Dagenais, Robert Rameyer, Renee Breeden, Tina Weatherby
Integration of weed-suppressive bacteria with herbicides to reduce exotic annual grasses and wildfire problems on ITD right-of-ways Integration of weed-suppressive bacteria with herbicides to reduce exotic annual grasses and wildfire problems on ITD right-of-ways
Invasion by exotic-annual grasses such as cheatgrass is impacting semiarid rangelands and especially transportation corridors, where it causes increased wildfire and many other environmental issues. Methods of reducing exotic annual grasses and restoring native perennials are needed, particularly testing of their intended target or unintended, non-target effects. In a series of...
Authors
Brynne E. Lazarus, Matthew J. Germino, Toby M. Maxwell
Behavioral and reproductive effects of the lampricides TFM and TFM:1% Niclosamide on native freshwater mussels Behavioral and reproductive effects of the lampricides TFM and TFM:1% Niclosamide on native freshwater mussels
The lampricides TFM (3-trifluoromethyl-4′-nitrophenol) and Niclosamide (NIC, 2′, 5-dichloro-4′-nitrosalicylanilide) are used to control sea lamprey populations in the Great Lakes and associated tributaries. Niclosamide is often used as an additive to TFM to reduce the amount of TFM required to control sea lamprey. Concern is growing over the risk that lampricide treatments pose to native
Authors
Teresa J. Newton, Michael A. Boogaard, Nicholas Schloesser, Courtney Kirkeeng, Justin Schueller, Sherwin G. Toribio
Change in climatically suitable breeding distributions reduces hybridization potential between Vermivora warblers Change in climatically suitable breeding distributions reduces hybridization potential between Vermivora warblers
Aim Climate change is affecting the distribution of species and subsequent biotic interactions, including hybridization potential. The imperiled Golden-winged Warbler (GWWA) competes and hybridizes with the Blue-winged Warbler (BWWA), which may threaten the persistence of GWWA due to introgression. We examined how climate change is likely to alter the breeding distributions and potential...
Authors
Jessica N. Hightower, Dolly L. Crawford, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Kyle R. Aldinger, Sara Barker Swarthout, David A. Buehler, John Confer, Christian Friis, Jeff Larkin, James D. Lowe, Martin Piorkowski, Ronald W. Rohrbaugh, Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Curtis G. Smalling, Petra B. Wood, Rachel Vallender, Amber M. Roth
Wild rodents harbor high diversity of Arthroderma Wild rodents harbor high diversity of Arthroderma
Arthroderma is the most diverse genus of dermatophytes, and its natural reservoir is considered to be soil enriched by keratin sources. During a study on the diversity of dermatophytes in wild small rodents in the Czech Republic, we isolated several strains of Arthroderma. To explore the diversity and ecological significance of these isolates from rodents (n = 29), we characterised the...
Authors
Stepanka Moulikova, Miroslav Kolarik, Jeffrey M. Lorch, Daniela Kolarczykova, Vit Hubka, Adela Cmokova
Does hatchery rearing of lake trout affect their reproductive behavior in the wild? Does hatchery rearing of lake trout affect their reproductive behavior in the wild?
Stocking of hatchery-reared fishes has been used with variable success as a management action to promote the recovery of populations and species. The practice has been controversial for several reasons, including uncertainty about whether the hatchery rearing experience may affect reproduction after release. Fine-scale acoustic telemetry was used during three spawning seasons to test...
Authors
Thomas Binder, Christopher Holbrook, Charles R. Bronte, Ji He, Charles Kreuger
Connecting research and practice to enhance the evolutionary potential of species under climate change Connecting research and practice to enhance the evolutionary potential of species under climate change
Resource managers have rarely accounted for evolutionary dynamics in the design or implementation of climate change adaptation strategies. We brought the research and management communities together to identify challenges and opportunities for applying evidence from evolutionary science to support on-the-ground actions intended to enhance species' evolutionary potential. We amalgamated...
Authors
Laura Thompson, Lindsey Thurman, Carly N. Cook, Erik A. Beever, Carla Sgro, Andrew Battles, Carlos Botero, John E. Gross, Kimberley Hall, Andrew P. Hendry, Ary Hoffmann, Christopher Hoving, Olivia E. LeDee, Claudia Mengelt, Adrienne Nicotra, Robin A. Niver, Felipe Pérez-Jvostov, Rebecca M. Quiñones, Gregor W. Schuurman, Michael K. Schwartz, Jennifer Szymanski, Andrew R. Whiteley