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: 43280
Testing the efficacy of industrial mitigation measures for caribou in the Arctic Testing the efficacy of industrial mitigation measures for caribou in the Arctic
1. Mitigation measures are commonly employed to reduce the negative effects of industrial development on wildlife but are not often evaluated for their efficacy. For example, oil fields in the Arctic typically incorporate design features intended to increase permeability for migratory, barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus), even though there is limited empirical evidence of the...
Authors
Heather E. Johnson, John P. Severson
Estimating basal area change by tree size with Sentinel-2 imagery following four fires in California, USA Estimating basal area change by tree size with Sentinel-2 imagery following four fires in California, USA
Background Failure to account for tree size when estimating burn severity may not accurately capture post-fire tree mortality and post-fire forest structure. Aims We explored whether basal area mortality by tree size class could be determined from remotely-sensed burn severity indices based solely on Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. Methods We used data collected in four large California...
Authors
Micah C. Wright, Phillip J. van Mantgem, Christopher Y.S. Wong, Derek J.N. Young, Saba J. Saberi, Andrew M. Latimer, Joseph A.E. Stewart, Adrian J. Das, Calvin A. Farris, Emma J. McClure, Lauren N. Youngblood, Hugh D. Safford, Kristen L. Shive
Detecting occurrence and timing of grizzly bear parturition based on anomalies in accelerometer data Detecting occurrence and timing of grizzly bear parturition based on anomalies in accelerometer data
Documenting natality of brown (grizzly) bears (Ursus arctos) is an important component of many population monitoring and research programs. Brown bears give birth during hibernation, so observation of litters is generally not feasible until females exit dens, and detection of litters can be compromised by poor observability. Using triaxial accelerometer activity data stored on...
Authors
Lori L. Roberts, Cecily M. Costello, Milan A. Vinks, Daniel D. Bjornlie, Matthew D. Cameron, Justin G. Clapp, Mark A. Haroldson, Grant V. Hilderbrand, Kyle Joly, Wayne F. Kasworm, Jeremy M. Nicholson, Thomas G. Radandt, Mathew S. Sorum, Justin E. Teisberg, Frank T. van Manen
A review of extraction techniques for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in graminaceous plants A review of extraction techniques for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in graminaceous plants
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a wide-ranging class of manufactured chemicals that are environmentally persistent. Due to their ubiquity and resistance to degradation, PFAS readily bioaccumulate in a variety of environmental matrices and elicit a range of toxicological impacts. Despite an increase in research into these compounds, there is a clear gap in consensus on...
Authors
Landon M. Keele, Morgan P. Davis, Chung-Ho Lin, Erin L. Pulster
Digging into soil: Effects of soil texture on RT-QuIC performance for environmental prion surveillance. Digging into soil: Effects of soil texture on RT-QuIC performance for environmental prion surveillance.
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by infectious prions affecting wild and captive cervids. Transmission occurs directly between hosts or indirectly through contact with prion-contaminated environments. Soils, particularly those rich in clay, are hypothesized to enhance prion stability, retention, and bioavailability. Accurate detection of prions is...
Authors
Stephanie J. Katircioglu, Heather N. Inzalaco, Allen Jeffrey Herbst, Daniel J. Storm, Stuart S. Lichtenberg, Rodrigo Morales, Reece McGinn, Daniel P. Walsh, Wendy Christine Turner
Holistic understanding of uncertainty for collaborative and proactive global change decision making Holistic understanding of uncertainty for collaborative and proactive global change decision making
Global change is accelerating and pushing the planet's ecosystems beyond the range of historical observations, creating increasing uncertainty in future system conditions. Despite general agreement that proactive environmental action is warranted, environmental decision conversations often end by identifying additional data needed to reduce uncertainty before taking novel action. Given...
Authors
Nicole K. Ward, Aaron D. Shultz, Amanda L. Sesser, Michael W. Price, Dawn R. Magness, Abigail J. Lynch, Jonathan F. Hansen, Kelly G. Guilbeau
Adaptation and response in drylands: A dryland research agenda and campaign strategy Adaptation and response in drylands: A dryland research agenda and campaign strategy
Dryland ecosystems cover 41% of Earth's land surfaces, account for 44% of cultivated lands and 60% of food sources, and make large contributions to the global water and carbon cycles. However, these ecosystems are experiencing unprecedented extremes including heatwaves, floods, and droughts as well as hotter temperatures and often declining water resource availability. These ecosystems...
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., Sativa Cruz, Nikki Tulley, Robert A. Washington-Allen, Karen Prentice, Emily Kachergis, Julian Reyes, Jasmine Ryan, Michael D. SanClements, Henry W. Loescher, Allison K. Leidner, Tyson Swetnam
Comment on “Assessing the potential for Smallmouth Bass population establishment in Grand Canyon” Comment on “Assessing the potential for Smallmouth Bass population establishment in Grand Canyon”
No abstract available.
Authors
Charles B. Yackulic, Drew Elliot Eppehimer, Lindsey A. Bruckerhoff, Anna Amidon, Kevin R. Bestgen, Nathaniel D. Bransky, Kimberly L. Dibble, Maria C. Dzul, Lindsay Erika Hansen, Brian D. Healy, M. Tildon Jones, Chris Michaud
Seasonal trophic dynamics drive growth potential and predation risk for reintroduced Chinook salmon in Shasta Reservoir Seasonal trophic dynamics drive growth potential and predation risk for reintroduced Chinook salmon in Shasta Reservoir
Reservoir ecosystems can significantly affect anadromous salmon populations reintroduced upstream of impassable high-head dams. In this study, we examine how a novel reservoir food web created by an impoundment can limit juvenile growth or survival through the seasonal production or access to food, promote competition for available resources, and affect risk of the food supply or...
Authors
Rachelle Carina Johnson, Claire E. Couch, Rebecca E. Barsky, Candice R. Powers, Chloe E. Pak, Karl D. Stenberg, Jessica O. Diallo, Kimberly A. Larsen, Marshal S. Hoy, David A. Beauchamp, Tobias J. Kock
At the leading edge: Advancing and bridging the science and management of range-shifting species At the leading edge: Advancing and bridging the science and management of range-shifting species
Climate-mediated shifts in species distributions are reshaping ecosystems worldwide, creating major challenges for conservation and resource management. These range shifts have far-reaching ecological and socio-economic consequences, requiring managers to address complex ecological dynamics while navigating diverse regulatory and value systems. Despite growing attention, key gaps remain...
Authors
Lise Comte, Sarah R. Weiskopf, Laura M. Thompson, Jackson Brear Valler, Madeleine A. Rubenstein, Casey C. O'Hara, Aparna Bamzai-Dodson, Abigail J. Lynch, T.J. Clark-Wolf, Ophelie Ocouriot, Solomon Z. Dobrowski, Laura L. Figueroa, Gabriel M. Filippelli, Heather E. Johnson, Meade Krosby, Joshua J. Lawlor, David A. Moeller, Sean A. Parks, Elliott W. Parsons, Jeremy D. Ross, Brett R. Scheffers, Helen R. Sofaer, Erica Francis Stuber, Shawn Carter
Apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronology from Marsh Creek anticline reconciles Cenozoic and Holocene strain patterns and elucidates the Cenozoic canning displacement zone of Arctic Alaska Apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronology from Marsh Creek anticline reconciles Cenozoic and Holocene strain patterns and elucidates the Cenozoic canning displacement zone of Arctic Alaska
The northeastern Brooks Range is a vast fold-thrust belt that records the northernmost expression of Cenozoic deformation in Alaska, likely with complex dynamic linkages to distant tectonic elements. The principal focus of this manuscript is the Marsh Creek anticline (MCA), which is a large and recently active structure within the broader northeastern Brooks Range. The MCA is a complex...
Authors
William H. Craddock, Julie C Fosdick, Christopher D. Connors, Richard O. Lease, David W. Houseknecht, Megan Mueller, Andrew R C Kylander-Clark
Basal area loss from fire using field-calibrated remote sensing refines western US fire severity measurements Basal area loss from fire using field-calibrated remote sensing refines western US fire severity measurements
The spatial patterns of fire effects and tree mortality have profound consequences for forest resilience. Cost-effective, medium-resolution, and spatiotemporally extensive fire severity measurements are essential for informing post-fire restoration and improving our understanding of wildfires—from forest stands to continents and from days to decades. Remote sensing advancements have...
Authors
Sara Winsemius, Yufang Jin, Hugh D. Safford, Michelle C. Agne, Robert A. Andrus, C. Alina Cansler, Anthony C. Caprio, W. Wallace Covington, Joseph E. Crouse, Calvin A. Farris, Peter Z. Fulé, Brian J. Harvey, Sharon M. Hood, David W. Huffman, Emma J. McClure, Alicia L. Reiner, John P. Roccaforte, Saba J. Saberi, Michael T. Stoddard, Laura Trader, Phillip J. van Mantgem, Micah C. Wright, Michael J. Koontz