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
Integrating environmental DNA results with diverse data sets to improve biosurveillance of river health Integrating environmental DNA results with diverse data sets to improve biosurveillance of river health
Autonomous, robotic environmental (e)DNA samplers now make it possible for biological observations to match the scale and quality of abiotic measurements collected by automated sensor networks. Merging these automated data streams may allow for improved insight into biotic responses to environmental change and stressors. Here, we merged eDNA data collected by robotic samplers installed...
Authors
Adam Sepulveda, Andrew B. Hoegh, Joshua A. Gage, Sara L. Caldwell Eldridge, James M. Birch, Christian Stratton, Patrick R. Hutchins, Elliott Barnhart
Methanogens and their syntrophic partners dominate zones of enhanced magnetic susceptibility at a petroleum contaminated site Methanogens and their syntrophic partners dominate zones of enhanced magnetic susceptibility at a petroleum contaminated site
Geophysical investigations documenting enhanced magnetic susceptibility (MS) within the water table fluctuation zone at hydrocarbon contaminated sites suggest that MS can be used as a proxy for investigating microbial mediated iron reduction during intrinsic bioremediation. Here, we investigated the microbial community composition over a 5-year period at a hydrocarbon-contaminated site...
Authors
Carol L. Beaver, Estella A. Atekwana, Barbara A. Bekins, Dimitrios Ntarlagiannis, Lee D. Slater, Silvia Rossbach
Sea turtles across the North Pacific are exposed to perfluoroalkyl substances Sea turtles across the North Pacific are exposed to perfluoroalkyl substances
Perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) are global, persistent, and toxic contaminants. We assessed PFAS concentrations in green (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) turtles from the North Pacific. Fifteen compounds were quantified via liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry from 62 green turtle and 6 hawksbill plasma samples from Hawai’i, Palmyra Atoll, and the...
Authors
Cathryn Wood, George H. Balazs, Marc Rice, Thierry M. Work, T. Todd Jones, Eleanor J. Sterling, Tammy M. Summers, John Brooker, Lauren Kurpita, Cheryl S. King, Jennifer M. Lynch
Using bottom trawls to monitor subsurface water clarity in marine ecosystems Using bottom trawls to monitor subsurface water clarity in marine ecosystems
Biophysical processes that affect subsurface water clarity play a key role in ecosystem function. However, subsurface water clarity is poorly monitored in marine ecosystems because doing so requires in-situ sampling that is logistically difficult to conduct and sustain. Novel solutions are thus needed to improve monitoring of subsurface water clarity. To that end, we developed a sampling...
Authors
Sean K. Rohan, Stan Kotwicki, Kelly A. Kearney, Jennifer A Schulien, Edward A. Laman, Edward D. Cokelet, David Beauchamp, Lyle L. Britt, Kerim Y. Aydin, Stephani G. Zador
Examining historical mercury sources in the Saint Louis River estuary: How legacy contamination influences biological mercury levels in Great Lakes coastal regions Examining historical mercury sources in the Saint Louis River estuary: How legacy contamination influences biological mercury levels in Great Lakes coastal regions
Industrial chemical contamination within coastal regions of the Great Lakes can pose serious risks to wetland habitat and offshore fisheries, often resulting in fish consumption advisories that directly affect human and wildlife health. Mercury (Hg) is a contaminant of concern in many of these highly urbanized and industrialized coastal regions, one of which is the Saint Louis River...
Authors
Sarah E. Janssen, Joel C. Hoffman, Ryan F. Lepak, David P. Krabbenhoft, David M. Walters, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Greg Peterson, Jacob M. Ogorek, John F. DeWild, Anne M Cotter, Mark Pearson, Michael T. Tate, Roger B. Yeardley, Marc A. Mills
Landscape level effects of invasive plants and animals on water infiltration through Hawaiian tropical forests Landscape level effects of invasive plants and animals on water infiltration through Hawaiian tropical forests
Watershed degradation due to invasion threatens downstream water flows and associated ecosystem services. While this topic has been studied across landscapes that have undergone invasive-driven state changes (e.g., native forest to invaded grassland), it is less well understood in ecosystems experiencing within-system invasion (e.g. native forest to invaded forest). To address this...
Authors
Lucas Fortini, Christina Leopold, Kimberlie Perkins, Oliver A. Chadwick, Stephanie G. Yelenik, James D. Jacobi, Kaiena Bishaw, Makani Gregg
Emergence and molecular characterization of pigeon Paramyxovirus-1 in non-native Eurasian collared doves (Streptopelia decaocto) in California, USA Emergence and molecular characterization of pigeon Paramyxovirus-1 in non-native Eurasian collared doves (Streptopelia decaocto) in California, USA
Eurasian collared doves (Streptopelia decaocto) were introduced into Florida in the 1980s and have since established populations throughout the continental United States. Pigeon paramyxovirus-1 (PPMV-1), a species-adapted genotype VI Avian orthoavulavirus 1, has caused periodic outbreaks among collared doves in the U.S. since 2001 with outbreaks occasionally involving native doves. In...
Authors
Krysta Rogers, Ash Mete, Hon S. Ip, Mia K. Torchetti, Mary L. Killian, Beate Crossley
Comparative morphology of freshwater sculpin inhabiting different environmental conditions in the Chesapeake Bay headwaters Comparative morphology of freshwater sculpin inhabiting different environmental conditions in the Chesapeake Bay headwaters
We compared body morphology of two freshwater sculpin taxa that inhabit distinct environmental conditions in the Chesapeake Bay watershed of eastern North America: Potomac sculpin (C. girardi, Robins; PS) and checkered sculpin (C. sp. cf. girardi; CS). Both taxa are endemic to the study area, but PS are more broadly distributed than CS which are limited to karst groundwater-dominated...
Authors
Nathaniel P. Hitt, Karmann G. Kessler, Hannah Eisemann Macmillan, Karli M. Rogers, Richard L. Raesly
Developing common protocols to measure tundra herbivory across spatial scales Developing common protocols to measure tundra herbivory across spatial scales
Understanding and predicting large-scale ecological responses to global environmental change requires comparative studies across geographic scales with coordinated efforts and standardized methodologies. We designed, applied and assessed standardized protocols to measure tundra herbivory at three spatial scales: plot, site (habitat), and study area (landscape). The plot and site-level...
Authors
Isabel C. Barrio, D. Ehrich, E. M. Soininen, V. T. Ravolainen, C. G. Bueno, O. Gilg, A. M. Koltz, J. D. M. Speed, D. S. Hik, M. Morsdorf, J. M. Alatalo, A. Angerbjörn, J. Bêty, L. Bollache, N. Boulanger-Lapointe, G. S. Brown, I. Eischeid, Marie-Andree Giroux, T. Hajek, B. B. Hansen, S. P. Hofhuis, Jean-François Lamarre, J. R. Lang, C. Latty, N. Lecomte, P. Macek, L. Mckinnon, Isla H. Myers-Smith, A. O. Pedersen, Janet S. Prevey, J. D. Roth, Sarah T. Saalfeld, N. M. Schmidt, P. Smith, A. Sokolov, N. Sokolova, C. Stolz, R. van Bemmelen, O Varpe, P. F. Woodard, I. S. Jonsdottir
Multiple-scale relationships between vegetation, the wildland–urban interface, and structure loss to wildfire in California Multiple-scale relationships between vegetation, the wildland–urban interface, and structure loss to wildfire in California
Recent increases in destructive wildfires are driving a need for empirical research documenting factors that contribute to structure loss. Existing studies show that fire risk is complex and varies geographically, and the role of vegetation has been especially difficult to quantify. Here, we evaluated the relative importance of vegetation cover at local (measured through the Normalized...
Authors
Alexandra D. Syphard, Heather Rustigian-Romsos, Jon Keeley
Connectivity and climate change toolkit Connectivity and climate change toolkit
The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Climate Adaptation Committee charged a small working group in September of 2019 to develop a toolkit focused on climate-informed landscape connectivity. The purpose is to provide state fish and wildlife agency planners and managers with the information necessary to ensure climate considerations are being accounted for and incorporated in the...
Authors
Whitney Albright, Rob Ament, Renee Callahan, Mack W. Frantz, Matthew R. Grabau, Maggie Ernest Johnson, Todd Jones-Farrand, Kate Malpeli, Maureen Millmann, Nathan Muenks, Rebecca Quiñones, Beth Stys, Kimberly Tenggardjaja
Gulf Coast vicariance shapes phylogeographic history of a North American freshwater mussel species complex Gulf Coast vicariance shapes phylogeographic history of a North American freshwater mussel species complex
Aim Freshwater mussels share habitat and are parasites of freshwater fishes during the larval life stage. Therefore, models of fish biogeography may also explain the historical biogeography of freshwater mussels. We tested this assumption using predictions of three biogeographic models constructed for northern Gulf of Mexico drainages on a freshwater mussel species complex. Specifically...
Authors
Sean M. Keogh, Nathan Johnson, James D. Williams, Charles R. Randklev, Andrew Simons