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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: 42871

Demography of snowshoe hare population cycles Demography of snowshoe hare population cycles

Cyclic fluctuations in abundance exhibited by some mammalian populations in northern habitats (“population cycles”) are key processes in the functioning of many boreal and tundra ecosystems. Understanding population cycles, essentially demographic processes, necessitates discerning the demographic mechanisms that underlie numerical changes. Using mark–recapture data spanning five...
Authors
Madan K. Oli, Charles J Krebs, Alice J Kenney, Rudy Boonstra, Stan Boutin, James E. Hines

Phosphorus, nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon fluxes from sediments in freshwater rivermouths entering Green Bay (Lake Michigan; USA) Phosphorus, nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon fluxes from sediments in freshwater rivermouths entering Green Bay (Lake Michigan; USA)

Transitional areas between ecosystem types are often active biogeochemically due to resource limitation changes. Lotic-to-lentic transitions in freshwaters appear active biogeochemically, but few studies have directly measured nutrient processing rates to assess whether processing within the rivermouth is important for load estimates or the local communities. We measured oxic fluxes of...
Authors
James H. Larson, William F. James, Faith A. Fitzpatrick, Paul C. Frost, Mary Anne Evans, Paul C. Reneau, Marguerite A. Xenopoulos

Calcite precipitation in Lake Powell reduces alkalinity and total salt loading to the Lower Colorado River Basin Calcite precipitation in Lake Powell reduces alkalinity and total salt loading to the Lower Colorado River Basin

Reservoirs can retain and transform carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and silica, but less is known about their effects on other biogeochemically relevant solutes. The salinization of freshwater ecosystems is a growing concern in many regions, and the role of reservoirs in salinity transport is an important research frontier. Here, we examine how a large desert southwest reservoir, Lake...
Authors
Bridget R. Deemer, Edward G. Stets, Charles B. Yackulic

Frequent burning causes large losses of carbon from deep soil layers in a temperate savanna Frequent burning causes large losses of carbon from deep soil layers in a temperate savanna

Fire activity is changing dramatically across the globe, with uncertain effects on ecosystem processes, especially below‐ground. Fire‐driven losses of soil carbon (C) are often assumed to occur primarily in the upper soil layers because the repeated combustion of above‐ground biomass limits organic matter inputs into surface soil. However, C losses from deeper soil may occur if frequent...
Authors
Adam Pellegrini, Kendra K McLauchlan, Sarah E Hobbie, Michelle C. Mack, Abbey L Marcotte, David M. Nelson, Steven S. Perakis, Peter B. Reich, Kyle Whittinghill

Co-occurence of Chiricahua leopard frogs (Lithobates chiricahuensis) with sunfish (Lepomis) Co-occurence of Chiricahua leopard frogs (Lithobates chiricahuensis) with sunfish (Lepomis)

Invasive species are a major threat to the persistence of native species, particularly in systems where ephemeral aquatic habitats have been replaced by permanent water and predators, such as fish, have been introduced. Within the Altar Valley, Arizona, the invasive American bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianus (formerly Rana catesbeianus), has been successfully eradicated to help recover...
Authors
Paige E. Howell, Brent H. Sigafus, Blake R. Hossack, Erin L. Muths

Challenges for leveraging citizen science to support statistically robust monitoring programs Challenges for leveraging citizen science to support statistically robust monitoring programs

Large samples and long time series are often needed for effective broad-scale monitoring of status and trends in wild populations. Obtaining those sample sizes can be more feasible when volunteers contribute to the dataset, but volunteer-selected sites are not always representative of a population. Previous work to account for biased site selection has relied on knowledge of covariates...
Authors
Emily L. Weiser, James E. Diffendorfer, Laura Lopez-Hoffman, Darius J. Semmens, Wayne E. Thogmartin

Components and predictors of biological soil crusts vary at the regional vs. plant community scales Components and predictors of biological soil crusts vary at the regional vs. plant community scales

Although biological soil crusts (biocrusts) occur globally in arid and semi-arid environments, most of our knowledge of biocrust cover and ecology is from a relatively small number of locations worldwide. Some plant communities are known to have high cover of biocrusts, but the abundance of biocrusts is largely undocumented in most plant communities. Using a data driven approach, we...
Authors
Lea A. Condon, David A. Pyke

Limitations, lack of standardization, and recommended best practices in studies of renewable energy effects on birds and bats Limitations, lack of standardization, and recommended best practices in studies of renewable energy effects on birds and bats

Increasing global energy demand is fostering the development of renewable energy as an alternative to fossil fuels. However, renewable energy facilities may adversely affect wildlife. Facility siting guidelines recommend or require project developers complete pre‐ and postconstruction wildlife surveys to predict risk and estimate effects of proposed projects. Despite this, there are no...
Authors
Tara Conkling, S. R. Loss, James E. Diffendorfer, A. Duerr, Todd E. Katzner

Characterization of the genetic structure of four sucker species in the Klamath River. Final Report Characterization of the genetic structure of four sucker species in the Klamath River. Final Report

Four species of suckers (family Catostomidae) inhabit the Klamath River Basin of Oregon and California: Lost River suckers (LRS; Deltistes luxatus), shortnose suckers (SNS; Chasmistes brevirostris), Klamath largescale suckers (KLS; Catostomus snyderi), and Klamath smallscale suckers (KSS; Catostomus rimiculus). All but Klamath smallscale suckers are endemic and restricted to the Klamath...
Authors
Matt Smith, Jennifer Von Bargen, Christian A. Smith, Michael A. Miller, Josh Rasmussen, David A. Hewitt

Conservation–Protection of forests for wildlife in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley Conservation–Protection of forests for wildlife in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley

The nearly ubiquitous bottomland hardwood forests that historically dominated the Mississippi Alluvial Valley have been greatly reduced in area. In addition, changes in hydrology and forest management have altered the structure and composition of the remaining forests. To ameliorate the detrimental impact of these changes on wildlife, conservation plans have emphasized restoration to...
Authors
A. Blaine Elliott, Anne Mini, S. Keith McKnight, Daniel J. Twedt

Acute toxicity of the lampricides TFM and niclosamide: Effects on a vascular plant and a chironomid species Acute toxicity of the lampricides TFM and niclosamide: Effects on a vascular plant and a chironomid species

The lampricides 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) and niclosamide have been used for about 60 years to control sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) in the Great Lakes Basin and Lake Champlain. To register these chemicals as pesticides in North America, their environmental effects must be reviewed on a periodic basis. As a part of this effort, toxicity of TFM and niclosamide to duckweed...
Authors
Tom Leak, John Aufderheide, Alan Bergfield, Terrance D. Hubert

Habitat of the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris) in San Francisco Bay Habitat of the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris) in San Francisco Bay

Understanding habitat associations is vital for conservation of at‐risk marsh‐endemic wildlife species, particularly those under threat from sea level rise. We modeled environmental and habitat associations of the marsh‐endemic, Federally endangered salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris, RERA) and co‐occurrence with eight associated small mammal species from annual trap...
Authors
Bruce G. Marcot, Isa Woo, Karen M. Thorne, Chase M. Freeman, Glenn R. Guntenspergen
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