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: 42702
Climate-driven deoxygenation of lakes alters the nutrient-toxin profile of a food fish Climate-driven deoxygenation of lakes alters the nutrient-toxin profile of a food fish
Climate change is rapidly altering fisheries supporting aquatic ecosystems. The implications for food security depend not only on harvest biomass but also concentrations of nutrients and toxins in fish. Using brook trout from Adirondack lakes (New York, USA), we tested whether ongoing lake deoxygenation trends will affect fish muscle omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, and mercury...
Authors
Stephen F. Jane, Sebastian A. Heilpern, J. Thomas Brenna, Thomas M. Detmer, Charles T. Driscoll, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Shree K. Giri, Raymond P. Glahn, Kurt J. Jirka, Julia Kim, Mario R. Montesdeoca, Connor I. Olson, Hui Gyu Park, Eileen A. Randall, Peter B. McIntyre
Interpreting a sudden population decline in a long-lived species (Malaclemys terrapin rhizophorarum) Interpreting a sudden population decline in a long-lived species (Malaclemys terrapin rhizophorarum)
Long-term ecological studies are critical for providing insight into population dynamics and detecting population declines, particularly for species of conservation concern. However, spatiotemporal variation and logistical challenges make the identification of sudden population declines difficult. We conducted an in-water capture-mark-recapture study of mangrove diamond-backed terrapins
Authors
Jacquelyn C. Guzy, Brian J. Smith, Mathew Denton, Michael Cherkiss, David Roche, Andrew G. Crowder, Kristen Hart
Native Yellowstone cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus virginalis bouvieri growth and survival in a headwater stream primarily driven by warming stream temperatures, with non-native brown trout Salmo trutta posing an additional threat to survival Native Yellowstone cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus virginalis bouvieri growth and survival in a headwater stream primarily driven by warming stream temperatures, with non-native brown trout Salmo trutta posing an additional threat to survival
Warming rivers and interactions with non-native species impact salmonid species globally. Understanding how hydroclimatic conditions synergistically and independently interact with non-native species is critical for effectively managing salmonids into the future. We used a 10-year mark–recapture dataset to assess how native Yellowstone cutthroat trout (YCT) Oncorhynchus virginalis...
Authors
Kadie B. Heinle, Robert Al-Chokhachy, Adam Sepulveda, Christine E. Verhille
Failure to meet the exchangeability assumption in Bayesian multispecies occupancy models: Implications for study design Failure to meet the exchangeability assumption in Bayesian multispecies occupancy models: Implications for study design
Bayesian hierarchical models are ubiquitous in ecology. Random effect model structures are often employed that treat individual effects as deviations from larger population-level effects. In this way individuals are assumed to be "exchangeable" samples. Ecologists may address this exchangeability assumption intuitively, but might in certain modeling contexts ignore it altogether...
Authors
Gavin G. Cotterill, Douglas A. Keinath, Tabitha A. Graves
Dynamic riskscapes for prey: Disentangling the impact of human and cougar presence on deer behavior using GPS smartphone locations Dynamic riskscapes for prey: Disentangling the impact of human and cougar presence on deer behavior using GPS smartphone locations
Prey species adjust their behavior along human-use gradients by balancing risks from predators and humans. During hunting seasons, prey often exhibit strong antipredator responses to humans but may develop tolerance in suburban areas to exploit human-mediated resources. Additionally, areas with high human activity may offer reduced predation risk if apex predators avoid such locations...
Authors
Heather Abernathy, Mark Dittmer, David Stoner, Kent Hersey, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Pat Jackson, Kristin Engebretsen, Julie Young, George Wittemyer
Practical genetic diversity protection: an accessible framework for IUCN subpopulation and Evolutionarily Significant Unit identification Practical genetic diversity protection: an accessible framework for IUCN subpopulation and Evolutionarily Significant Unit identification
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) sets global conservation standards, including the Red List of Threatened Species and the Green Status of Species. Recent analyses showed that genetic diversity has not been effectively considered by IUCN species assessments, despite being fundamental to species’ fitness and adaptive potential. Incorporation of genetic diversity...
Authors
Julia C. Geue, Laura D. Bertola, Paulette Bloomer, Anna Bruniche-Olsen, Jessica M. da Silva, J. Andrew DeWoody, Ancuta Fedorca, Jose A. Godoy, Catherine E. Grueber, Margaret Hunter, Christina Hvilsom, Isa-Rita M. Russo, Evelyn L. Jensen, Alexander Kopatz, Anna J. MacDonald, Silvia Pérez-Espona, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Jennifer C. Pierson, Helen Senn, Gernot Segelbacher, Paul Sunnucks, Cock van Oosterhout, Deborah M. Leigh
Tradeoffs and win-wins between large landscape conservation and wildlife viewing in protected areas Tradeoffs and win-wins between large landscape conservation and wildlife viewing in protected areas
Wildlife conservation around protected areas is critical and costly, yet its beneficiaries—particularly protected area visitors who enjoy viewing wide-ranging wildlife—rarely contribute towards landscape-scale conservation. We characterize the importance of wildlife viewing in two U.S. protected areas: Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. We surveyed park visitors (N = 991) and...
Authors
Hilary Byerly Flint, Aaron Joey Enriquez, Drew Bennett, Leslie Richardson, Arthur Middleton
Spatially explicit capture-mark-recapture to evaluate demographic status of the Louisiana black bear Spatially explicit capture-mark-recapture to evaluate demographic status of the Louisiana black bear
Louisiana black bears (Ursus americanus luteolus) occur in semi-isolated fragments of bottomland hardwood forest in the lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley and were listed as threatened under the United States Endangered Species Act in 1992. A population viability analysis based on radio-telemetry and capture-mark-recapture (CMR) data collected from 2002 to 2012 revealed that the...
Authors
Joseph D. Clark, Heidi L. Adams, Ben Augustine, John R. Berry, Dustin Champagne, Maria Davidson, John Hanks, Jared S. Laufenberg, Sean M. Murphy
Status and trends of the Lake Huron prey fish community, 1976-2024 Status and trends of the Lake Huron prey fish community, 1976-2024
The U. S. Geological Survey-Great Lakes Science Center has monitored annual changes in the offshore (depth > 9m) prey fish community of Lake Huron since 1973. Monitoring of prey fish populations in Lake Huron is based on a bottom trawl survey that targets demersal species (i.e., those predominantly or intermittently associated with the lake bottom) and an acoustic-midwater trawl survey...
Authors
Darryl W. Hondorp, Robin L. DeBruyne, Cory Brant, Peter C. Esselman, Timothy P. O’Brien
U.S. Geological Survey Colorado River Basin science and technology collaboration meetings on drought (2021)—Synthesis of findings U.S. Geological Survey Colorado River Basin science and technology collaboration meetings on drought (2021)—Synthesis of findings
Ongoing, prolonged, and severe drought and water overuse during the first two decades of the 21st century have reduced water supplies of the Colorado River Basin, with effects cascading to ecosystems and human communities throughout the basin. In June and July 2021, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Colorado River Basin Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and Technology...
Authors
Adrian Pierre-Frederic Monroe, Jason S. Alexander, Eric D. Anderson, Patrick J. Anderson, William J. Andrews, Jessica M. Driscoll, Rebecca J. Frus, Joseph A. Hevesi, Daniel K. Jones, Kathryn A. Thomas, Anne C. Tillery, Alicia A. Torregrosa, Katharine G. Dahm
Monitoring recreation on federally managed lands and waters—Visitation estimation Monitoring recreation on federally managed lands and waters—Visitation estimation
Federally managed public lands and waters attract millions of visitors each year, generating significant economic benefits for surrounding communities. Accurate visitation data are crucial for guiding policy decisions and managing resources effectively. This report explores the methods employed by agencies to collect and use data on recreational visitation to Federal lands and waters...
Authors
Dieta Hanson, Emily J. Wilkins, Spencer H. Wood, Christian S.L. Crowley, Whitney Boone, Rudy Schuster
USGS critical minerals review USGS critical minerals review
No abstract available.
Authors
Graham W. Lederer, James V. Jones, Darcy McPhee, Patricia J Loferski, Robert R. Seal, Paul A. Bedrosian, Patricia Grace Macqueen, V. J. S. Grauch, Federico Solano, Joshua Mark Rosera, David George Pineault