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: 43473
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
Tracking Pacific salmon migrations with a prototype eDNA autosampler Tracking Pacific salmon migrations with a prototype eDNA autosampler
Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) are keystone species that support commercial and recreational fisheries and play a significant role in Indigenous cultures. As a keystone species, they are commonly monitored to assess population metrics and adult and juvenile migration. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has been successfully applied to salmon monitoring, but these efforts have relied on...
Authors
Marshal S. Hoy, Austen C. Thomas, Dorothy M. Chase, Ryan P. Kelly, Sarah Hensley, Carl O. Ostberg
Distribution, abundance, breeding activities, and restoration efforts for the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California—2025 Annual Report Distribution, abundance, breeding activities, and restoration efforts for the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California—2025 Annual Report
Authors
Suellen Lynn, Scarlett L. Howell, Barbara E. Kus
Spawning habitat suitability models for Lake Erie cisco (Coregonus artedi) during the historical period of pre- and post-population declines 1877–1957 Spawning habitat suitability models for Lake Erie cisco (Coregonus artedi) during the historical period of pre- and post-population declines 1877–1957
Coregonine fishes play a key role in the food webs and fisheries of the Laurentian Great Lakes and are a major focus of basin-wide conservation efforts. In Lake Erie, management goals prioritize rebuilding spawning populations of cisco (Coregonus artedi). However, the historical distribution of cisco spawning habitat and the environmental conditions that influence early life-stage...
Authors
Katelyn King, Cory O. Brant, Arthur Cooper, Gust Annis, Matthew Herbert, Karen M. Alofs
Melanoma and other melanistic lesions in brown bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus from waterbodies in the northeastern United States and Canada: Identification of risk factors Melanoma and other melanistic lesions in brown bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus from waterbodies in the northeastern United States and Canada: Identification of risk factors
Melanistic lesions, including non-raised black areas due to proliferations of melanocytes and melanomacrophages in the dermis and epidermis, as well as raised black areas consistent with melanoma, are described in brown bullhead (BBH) Ameiurus nebulosus from three water bodies in the northeastern United States and Quebec, Canada. First observed in the Vermont portion of Lake Memphremagog...
Authors
Vicki S. Blazer, P. Emerson, M. Bodnar, Thomas Jones, D. R. Russel, M. Pehrson, Cheyenne R. Smith, Danielle M. Cleveland, Mark J. Henderson, Patricia Mazik
Severity and certainty metric for kelp stressors: A tool for research, management, and conservation Severity and certainty metric for kelp stressors: A tool for research, management, and conservation
Foundation species face multiple threats, and many are in decline worldwide. Kelps are no exception, with declines documented throughout their range. Stressors such as warming, eutrophication, and reduced water quality—often linked to human activities—are well recognized, yet their relative severity and certainty have not been systematically evaluated. Such a framework may aid scientific
Authors
Wendel W. Raymond, Danielle C. Claar, David O. Duggins, Hilary Hayford, Tom Mumford, Catherine A. Pfister, Stephen P. Rubin, Caitlin L. Magel
Quantifying southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) reactions to a quadcopter drone in central California Quantifying southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) reactions to a quadcopter drone in central California
Drones are useful for wildlife research and management, but they can cause disturbance and harassment to wildlife. Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are candidates for drone-based observation and monitoring but are vulnerable to disturbance. No studies have evaluated drone effects on sea otter behavior, but based on prior disturbance studies, we hypothesized: (1) sea otters would exhibit...
Authors
Colleen Young, Julie L. Yee, Gena Bentall, Michelle M. Staedler, Lilian P. Carswell, Margaret Daly
Non-physical barrier design and environmental conditions alter routing and survival of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta Non-physical barrier design and environmental conditions alter routing and survival of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta
Pacific salmon face substantial challenges when migrating through anthropogenically modified river systems, such as the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (the Delta). Non-physical behavioral barriers, such as the bioacoustic fish fence (BAFF), are one potential solution for guiding fish away from hazards without obstructing water flow. However, the effectiveness of these technologies...
Authors
Maggie Jo Raboin, Summer M. Burdick, Russell W. Perry
Practical guidance for engaging end-users and experts in developing scientific tools Practical guidance for engaging end-users and experts in developing scientific tools
This report provides actionable guidance for scientists developing scientific tools that inform on-the-ground decision making. Scientific tools, in the context of this report, are technology or protocols that help practitioners collect and analyze their own data, and information products and web tools that practitioners could use to inform decisions. Engaging end-users and fellow experts...
Authors
Kaylin R. Clements, James J. English, Emily J. Wilkins, Megan A. Moore, Rudy Schuster
Timing, uncertainty, and opportunity cost: Lessons for ecosystem modification on the Colorado River Timing, uncertainty, and opportunity cost: Lessons for ecosystem modification on the Colorado River
While conservation goals have long been pursued through traditional species-augmenting actions, a broader set of episodic ecosystem modification (EEM) actions, such as hydropower dam releases, prescribed fire, and beach nourishment, is garnering attention. EEM actions face several implementation challenges stemming from high opportunity costs, delayed effect mechanisms, reliance on...
Authors
Pierce Donovan, Lucas S. Bair, Matthew N. Reimer, Michael R. Springborn, Charles B. Yackulic