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: 42768
Comment on: Grazing disturbance promotes exotic annual grasses by degrading soil biocrust communities Comment on: Grazing disturbance promotes exotic annual grasses by degrading soil biocrust communities
No abstract available.
Authors
Rory O’Connor, Matthew J. Germino
Modeling areal measures of campsite impacts on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail to enhance ecological sustainability Modeling areal measures of campsite impacts on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail to enhance ecological sustainability
Campsite impacts in protected natural areas are most effectively minimized by a containment strategy that focuses use on a limited number of sustainable campsites that spatially concentrate camping activities. This research employs spatial autoregressive (SAR) modeling to evaluate the relative influence of use-related, environmental, and managerial factors on two salient measures of...
Authors
Johanna R. Arredondo, Jeffrey L. Marion, Fletcher P. Meadema, Jeremy F. Wimpey
Wetland conservation in the United States: A swinging pendulum Wetland conservation in the United States: A swinging pendulum
No abstract available.
Authors
David M. Mushet, Aram Calhoun
Assessing native fish restoration potential in Catoctin Mountain Park Assessing native fish restoration potential in Catoctin Mountain Park
Biological conservation is a fundamental purpose of the National Park system, and Catoctin Mountain Park (CATO) supports high-quality habitat for native fishes in the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay watershed in eastern North America. However, native Blue Ridge sculpin (Cottus caeruleomentum) have been extirpated in Big Hunting Creek above Cunningham Falls in CATO. Prior research...
Authors
Nathaniel P. Hitt, Karmann G. Kessler, Zachary A. Kelly, Karli M. Rogers, Hannah E. Macmillan, Heather L. Walsh
Observations on long-term memory in honey bees Observations on long-term memory in honey bees
No abstract available.
Authors
Nimish B. Vyas, Amanda D. Plunkett, Diana Baker
Survival of Laysan Teal Anas laysanensis differs among island populations: Role of chronic avian botulism Survival of Laysan Teal Anas laysanensis differs among island populations: Role of chronic avian botulism
Monitoring demographic response over time is valuable for understanding population dynamics of endangered species. We quantified the variation in survival patterns for three small isolated island populations of endangered waterfowl in the Hawaiian Archipelago. Laysan Teal Anas laysanensis were individually marked and the fate of 1,150 individuals were followed from different cohorts...
Authors
Michelle H Reynolds, Jeffrey Hatfield, Karen Courtot, Cynthia Vanderlip
Performance of the ecosystem demography model (EDv2.2) in simulating gross primary production capacity and activity in a dryland study area Performance of the ecosystem demography model (EDv2.2) in simulating gross primary production capacity and activity in a dryland study area
Dryland ecosystems play an important role in the global carbon cycle, including regulating the inter-annual global carbon sink. Dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) are essential tools that can help us better understand carbon cycling in different ecosystems. Currently, there is limited knowledge of the performance of these models in drylands partly due to characterizing the...
Authors
Hamid Dashti, Karun Pandit, Nancy F. Glenn, Douglas J. Shinneman, Gerald N. Flerchinger, Andrew A. Hudak, Marie Anne de Graaf, Alejandro N Flores, Susan L. Ustin, Nayani Ilangakoon, Aaron W. Fellows
Heed the data gap: Guidelines for using incomplete datasets in annual stream temperature analyses Heed the data gap: Guidelines for using incomplete datasets in annual stream temperature analyses
Stream temperature data are useful for deciphering watershed processes important for aquatic ecosystems. Accurately extracting signal trends from stream temperature is essential for predicting responses of environmental and ecological indicators to change. Missing data periods are common for various reasons, and pose a challenge for scientists using temperature signal analysis to support...
Authors
Zachary C. Johnson, Brittany G. Johnson, Martin A. Briggs, Craig D. Snyder, Nathaniel P. Hitt, Warren Devine
High elevation ice patch documents Holocene climate variability in the northern Rocky Mountains High elevation ice patch documents Holocene climate variability in the northern Rocky Mountains
Paleoclimate records from ice cores generally are considered to be the most direct indicators of environmental change, but are rare from mid-latitude, continental regions such as the western United States. High-elevation ice patches are known to be important archaeological archives in alpine regions and potentially could provide records important for Earth System Model evaluation and to...
Authors
Nathan J. Chellman, Gregory T. Pederson, Craig Lee, Dave McWethy, Kathryn Pusman, Jeffery R. Stone, Sabrina R. Brown, Joseph R. McConnell
The roles of flood magnitude and duration in controlling channel width and complexity on the Green River in Canyonlands, Utah, USA The roles of flood magnitude and duration in controlling channel width and complexity on the Green River in Canyonlands, Utah, USA
Predictions of river channel adjustment to changes in streamflow regime based on relations between mean channel characteristics and mean flood magnitude can be useful to evaluate average channel response. However, because these relations assume equilibrium sediment transport, their applicability to cases where streamflow and sediment transport are decoupled may be limited. These general...
Authors
Paul E. Grams, David J. Dean, Alexander E. Walker, Alan Kasprak, John C. Schmidt
Novel diagnostic tests for the putative agent of bacterial gill disease in Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula) Novel diagnostic tests for the putative agent of bacterial gill disease in Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula)
Nuclear inclusion X (NIX) is a gamma proteobacteria that infects the nuclei of gill epithelial cells in Pacific razor clams. NIX has been associated with clam die-offs in coastal Washington. A quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay was developed to detect NIX in Pacific razor clams, and assay specificity was confirmed by chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH). Both tests were applied to...
Authors
Brooke A Travis, William N. Batts, Maya Groner, Paul Hershberger, Steven C. Fradkin, Carla M. Conway, Linda Park, Maureen K. Purcell
Research priorities for migratory birds under climate change—A qualitative value of information assessment Research priorities for migratory birds under climate change—A qualitative value of information assessment
The mission of the U.S. Geological Survey National Climate Adaptation Science Center is to provide actionable, management-relevant research on climate change effects on ecosystems and wildlife to U.S. Department of the Interior bureaus. Providing this kind of useful scientific information requires understanding how natural-resource managers make decisions and identifying research...
Authors
Madeleine A. Rubenstein, Clark S. Rushing, James E. Lyons, Michael C. Runge