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: 42704
Category count models for adaptive management of metapopulations: Case study of an imperiled salamander Category count models for adaptive management of metapopulations: Case study of an imperiled salamander
Managing spatially structured populations of imperiled species presents many challenges. Spatial structure can make it difficult to predict population responses to potential recovery activities, and learning through experimentation may not be advised if it could harm threatened populations. Adaptive management provides an appealing framework when experimentation is considered too risky...
Authors
Katherine M. O’Donnell, Paul L. Fackler, Fred A. Johnson, Mathieu Bonneau, Julien Martin, Susan C. Walls
Feeding ecology drives lead exposure of facultative and obligate avian scavengers in the eastern United States Feeding ecology drives lead exposure of facultative and obligate avian scavengers in the eastern United States
Lead poisoning of scavenging birds is a global issue. However, the drivers of lead exposure of avian scavengers have been understood from the perspective of individual species, not cross‐taxa assemblages. We analyzed blood (n = 285) and liver (n = 226) lead concentrations of 5 facultative (American crows [Corvus brachyrhynchos], bald eagles [Haliaeetus leucocephalus], golden eagles...
Authors
Vincent Slabe, James T. Anderson, Jeff L Cooper, Tricia A. Miller, Bracken Brown, Anna Wrona, Patricia Ortiz, John Buchweitz, David McRuer, Ernesto Dominguez-Villegas, Shannon Behmke, Todd E. Katzner
Mapping hotspots of potential ecosystem fragility using commonly available spatial data Mapping hotspots of potential ecosystem fragility using commonly available spatial data
Effective conservation requires prioritizing areas that are vulnerable to large, irreversible changes. Unfortunately, rigorously documenting these changes with experiments and long-term monitoring is not only costly, but may provide evidence that is too late to facilitate proactive decisions. We use a simple model to illustrate that commonly available short-term spatial, “snapshot”, data...
Authors
Alexandre Genin, Steven R. Lee, Eric L. Berlow, Steven M. Ostoja, Sonia Kefi
Increasing rates of carbon burial in southwest Florida coastal wetlands Increasing rates of carbon burial in southwest Florida coastal wetlands
Rates of organic carbon (OC) burial in some coastal wetlands appear to be greater in recent years than they were in the past. Possible explanations include ongoing mineralization of older OC or the influence of an unaccounted‐for artefact of the methods used to measure burial rates. Alternatively, the trend may represent real acceleration in OC burial. We quantified OC burial rates of...
Authors
Joshua L. Breithaupt, Joseph M. Smoak, Thomas S. Bianchi, Derrick Vaughn, Christian Sanders, Kara Radabaugh, Michael J. Osland, Laura C. Feher, James C. Lynch, Donald R. Cahoon, Gordon H. Anderson, Kevin R. T. Whelan, Brad E. Rosenheim, Ryan P. Moyer, Lisa Chambers
Are migratory waterfowl vectors of seagrass pathogens? Are migratory waterfowl vectors of seagrass pathogens?
Migratory waterfowl vector plant seeds and other tissues, but little attention has focused on the potential of avian vectoring of plant pathogens. Extensive meadows of eelgrass (Zostera marina) in southwest Alaska support hundreds of thousands of waterfowl during fall migration and may be susceptible to plant pathogens. We recovered DNA of organisms pathogenic to eelgrass from...
Authors
Damian M. Menning, David H. Ward, Sandy Wyllie-Echeverria, Kevin Sage, Megan C. Gravley, Hunter Gravley, Sandra L. Talbot
Understanding the effect of fire on vegetation composition and gross primary production in a semi-arid shrubland ecosystem using the Ecosystem Demography (EDv2.2) model Understanding the effect of fire on vegetation composition and gross primary production in a semi-arid shrubland ecosystem using the Ecosystem Demography (EDv2.2) model
Wildfires in sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) dominated semi-arid ecosystems in the western United States have increased dramatically in frequency and severity in the last few decades. Severe wildfires often lead to the loss of native sagebrush communities and change the biogeochemical conditions which make it difficult for sagebrush to regenerate. Invasion of cheat- grass (Bromus tectorum)...
Authors
Karun Pandit, Hamid Dashti, Andrew A. Hudak, Nancy F. Glenn, Alejandro N Flores, Douglas J. Shinneman
The Modern Geological Survey; a model for research, innovation, synthjesis: A USGS perspective The Modern Geological Survey; a model for research, innovation, synthjesis: A USGS perspective
Geological Surveys have long filled the role of providing Earth system science data and knowledge. These functions are increasingly complicated by accelerating environmental and societal change. Here we describe the USGS response to these evolving conditions. Underpinning the USGS approach is the recognition that many of the issues facing the U.S. and the world involve the interaction...
Authors
Suzette Kimball, Martin B. Goldhaber, Jill S. Baron, Victor F. Labson
Spatiotemporal patterns in trophic niche overlap among five salmonines in Lake Michigan, USA Spatiotemporal patterns in trophic niche overlap among five salmonines in Lake Michigan, USA
Native lake trout and introduced Chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, and brown trout are major predators in Lake Michigan’s complex ecosystem and collectively support a valuable recreational fishery, but declines in their primary prey, alewife, have raised ecological and management concerns about competition and prey allocation. We applied niche overlap analysis to evaluate...
Authors
Matthew S. Kornis, David B. Bunnell, Heidi K. Swanson, Charles R. Bronte
Shale gas development has limited effects on stream biology and geochemistry in a gradient-based, multiparameter study in Pennsylvania Shale gas development has limited effects on stream biology and geochemistry in a gradient-based, multiparameter study in Pennsylvania
The number of horizontally drilled shale oil and gas wells in the United States has increased from nearly 28,000 in 2007 to nearly 127,000 in 2017, and research has suggested the potential for the development of shale resources to affect nearby stream ecosystems. However, the ability to generalize current studies is limited by the small geographic scope as well as limited breadth and...
Authors
Adam Mumford, Kelly O. Maloney, Denise M. Akob, Sarah Nettemann, Arianne Proctor, Jason Ditty, Luke Ulsamer, Josh Lookenbill, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli
Modeling soil porewater salinity response to drought in tidal freshwater forested wetlands Modeling soil porewater salinity response to drought in tidal freshwater forested wetlands
There is a growing concern about the adverse effects of saltwater intrusion via tidal rivers, streams and creeks into tidal freshwater forested wetlands (TFFW) due to sea‐level rise (SLR) and intense and extended drought events. However, the magnitude and duration of porewater salinity in exceedance of plant salinity stress threshold (2 practical salinity units, psu) and the controlling...
Authors
Hongqing Wang, Ken W. Krauss, Gregory E. Noe, Camille L. Stagg, Christopher M. Swarzenski, Jamie A. Duberstein, William H. Conner, Donald L. DeAngelis
Multiple elements of soil biodiversity drive ecosystem functions across biomes Multiple elements of soil biodiversity drive ecosystem functions across biomes
The role of soil biodiversity in regulating multiple ecosystem functions is poorly understood, limiting our ability to predict how soil biodiversity loss might affect human wellbeing and ecosystem sustainability. Here, combining a global observational study with an experimental microcosm study, we provide evidence that soil biodiversity (bacteria, fungi, protists and invertebrates) is
Authors
Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Peter B. Reich, Mandar Trivedi, David J. Eldridge, Sebastian Abades, Fernando D. Alfaro, Felipe Bastida, Asmeret A. Berhe, Nick A. Cutler, Antonio Gallardo, Laura Garcia-Velazquez, Stephen C. Hart, Patrick E. Hayes, Ji-Zheng He, Zeng-Yei Hseu, Hang-Wei Hu, Martin Kirchmair, Sigrid Neuhauser, Cecilia A. Perez, Sasha C. Reed, Fernanda Santos, Benjamin W. Sullivan, Pankaj Trivedi, Jun-Tao Wang, Luis Weber-Grullon, Mark A. Williams, Brajesh K. Singh
Osmoregulatory role of the intestine in the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) Osmoregulatory role of the intestine in the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
Lampreys are the most basal vertebrates with an osmoregulatory strategy. Previous research has established that salinity tolerance of sea lamprey increases dramatically during metamorphosis, but underlying changes in the gut have not been examined. In the present work, we examined changes in intestinal function during metamorphosis and seawater exposure of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus...
Authors
Andre Barany, Ciaran A Shaughnessy, Juan Fuentes, Juan M Mancera, Stephen D. McCormick