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: 43455
Applying a metapopulation model to compare native and invasive fish passage scenarios in the Upper Mississippi River Applying a metapopulation model to compare native and invasive fish passage scenarios in the Upper Mississippi River
The U.S. Geological Survey assessed the ability of metapopulation models to evaluate population-level effects of fish passage projects in the Upper Mississippi River for six native species: Ictalurus furcatus (Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1840; blue catfish), Ictiobus cyprinellus (Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1844; bigmouth buffalo), Acipenser fulvescens...
Authors
Morganne Borsh, Charles J. Labuzzetta, Marybeth K. Brey, Mark Cornish, Alison Coulter, Andrea K. Fritts, David Smith, Richard A. Erickson
Predator hunting modes induce varied selection pressures on prey personality Predator hunting modes induce varied selection pressures on prey personality
Consistent individual differences in animal behavior—ie, personalities—have been documented in many taxa to have important fitness consequences in the context of predator-prey interactions. Multiple mechanisms have been suggested to maintain variation in prey personality traits, including life-history tradeoffs and divergent selection pressures from predators with different hunting...
Authors
Rebecca K. McKee, Storm Miller, Carl N. Keiser, Marin P. Chester, Kristen M. Hart, Robert A. McCleery
Listening for extinction: Range-wide occupancy highlights critical risks and priorities for northern spotted owls Listening for extinction: Range-wide occupancy highlights critical risks and priorities for northern spotted owls
The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) continues to decline across its range, threatened by habitat disturbances and invasive barred owls (Strix varia). We conducted a range-wide spotted owl occupancy assessment using 2.1 million h of passive acoustic recordings from 4081 survey stations within 1027 randomly selected 5-km2 hexagons across six physiographic regions...
Authors
Damon B. Lesmeister, Julianna M.A. Jenkins, Raymond J. Davis, Natalie M. Rugg, Cara L. Appel, Larissa L. Bailey, Erin Bayne, Chestnut Tara, Leila S. Duchac, Katie M. Dugger, Taylor D. Ellis, Alan B. Franklin, Scott A. Gremel, Aaron Henderson, Edward Henson, J. Mark Higley, James E. Hines, Bruce A. Hollen, William L. Kendall, Taal Levi, Darryl I. MacKenzie, Christopher E. McCafferty, Thomas Munger, David Press, Caroline Provost, Suzanne Reffler, Zachary J. Ruff, James K. Swingle, Erica Tevini, Alaina D. Thomas, Matthew J. Weldy, Kirsten Wert, Angela White, Charles B. Yackulic
A framework for estimating age and growth using sibship relationships inferred from genomic data A framework for estimating age and growth using sibship relationships inferred from genomic data
Pedigree reconstruction based on genomic data offers a novel approach for estimating age and growth in wild populations. However, frameworks that use reconstructed pedigrees to parameterize growth models have not been available. We developed a sibship age and growth framework and evaluated the approach using simulation and an empirical application to Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) age...
Authors
Sean Alois Lewandoski, Samantha Brunner, Shane Flinn, Steven R. Fong, Jared J. Homola, John D. Robinson, Kim T. Scribner
The effect of solar energy development on plant diversity across spatial scales The effect of solar energy development on plant diversity across spatial scales
Utility-scale solar energy development is a novel and rapidly expanding land-use with largely unknown consequences for plant diversity. Construction disturbance and associated increases in environmental heterogeneity in solar facilities relative to undisturbed ecosystems can affect plant diversity at multiple spatial scales. We assessed the effects of modified construction methods...
Authors
Timothy J. Ohlert, Claire C. Karban, Seth M. Munson, Melinda D. Smith
Invasive hybridization has unpredicted and variable effects on trout survival in contrasting environments Invasive hybridization has unpredicted and variable effects on trout survival in contrasting environments
Invasive hybridization between native and introduced species is widespread, especially in fishes, yet its effects on fitness-related traits across environments remain poorly understood. We combined individual genetic admixture estimates with capture–recapture data to quantify how hybridization between native Westslope Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus lewisi) and invasive Rainbow Trout...
Authors
Jeffrey T. Strait, Ryan P. Kovach, Lisa A Eby, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Matthew C. Boyer, Stephen J. Amish, Paul M. Luckas, Winsor H. Lowe, Gordon Luikart
Status and trend of white-cheeked geese wintering in coastal Nestucca Valley, Oregon Status and trend of white-cheeked geese wintering in coastal Nestucca Valley, Oregon
The status and trend of wintering goose populations along the coast of the Pacific Northwest is relatively unstudied. We estimated the status and trends of 6 subspecies of white-cheeked geese wintering in Nestucca Valley, Oregon, USA. Surveys conducted from 2007 to 2019 revealed significant variability in weekly counts among subspecies and years. Dusky (Branta canadensis occidentalis)...
Authors
Jennifer H. Herner-Thogmartin, Khemarith J. So, Shawn W. Stephensen, Kate E. Iaquinto, Wayne E. Thogmartin
When best intentions are not enough - A collaboration between scientists, policymakers, and an agricultural community When best intentions are not enough - A collaboration between scientists, policymakers, and an agricultural community
Rocky Mountain National Park is a Congressionally mandated Clean Air Act Class I Area, but years of research have documented evidence of biogeochemical and ecological change caused by atmospheric deposition of nitrogen. A coalition of government agencies—National Park Service, the Environmental Protection Agency Region 8, and the State of Colorado—developed the 2007 Nitrogen Deposition...
Authors
Jill Baron, Sarah Lindley, Jeffrey Collett, Lillian Naimie
Future of the Colorado River phase 2: Integrated operation of the Powell/Grand Canyon/Mead segment for water supply, hydropower, and river ecosystems Future of the Colorado River phase 2: Integrated operation of the Powell/Grand Canyon/Mead segment for water supply, hydropower, and river ecosystems
State and federal agencies are negotiating water-supply agreements that may govern water supply and storage in the Colorado River Basin through 2046. Current operating policies in the Colorado River primarily focus on water supply implications with less focus on the potential effects to other resources. Models that forecast the response of multiple resources over the short- and long-term...
Authors
John C. Schmidt, Charles B. Yackulic
Sediment dredging influences the seasonal biomass and community composition of microphytobenthos on a sandy shoal Sediment dredging influences the seasonal biomass and community composition of microphytobenthos on a sandy shoal
Microphytobenthos on sand shoals of continental shelves support biogeochemical cycles and trophodynamics and can be affected by sediment dredging. Therefore, our goal was to assess seasonal (spring, summer, fall) microphytobenthic biomass and composition over two years (2021 and 2022) at three areas (reference, relic dredged pit, and new dredged pit) of Ship Shoal off the coast of...
Authors
Melissa Millman Baustian, Emily J. Lain, James L. Pinckney, Stacy Calhoun-Grosch, Brian J. Roberts
Adult digeneans of fishes from the lagoon flats of Palmyra Atoll, Eastern Indo-Pacific, with the description of three new species of the Monorchiidae Odhner, 1911 Adult digeneans of fishes from the lagoon flats of Palmyra Atoll, Eastern Indo-Pacific, with the description of three new species of the Monorchiidae Odhner, 1911
Palmyra Atoll is considered a well-conserved and relatively pristine area with high fish diversity. Since digenean trematodes represent one of the most abundant and diverse parasites of marine fish, the aim of this study was to perform taxonomic analysis of adult digeneans in fishes from the intertidal lagoon of Palmyra Atoll. Parasitological analyses were conducted on 653 individual...
Authors
Jhonny G. García-Teh, Victor M. Vidal-Martinez, John P. McLaughlin, Jenny C. Shaw, Anna James, Ryan F. Hechinger, Kevin D. Lafferty, Armand M. Kuris, M. Leopoldina Aguirre-Macedo
BioShifts v2 and BioShiftR: Tools for navigating and analysing species range shift data BioShifts v2 and BioShiftR: Tools for navigating and analysing species range shift data
Species are redistributing their ranges globally in response to climate change, but the fragmented and complex nature of the documented responses make them challenging to track and analyze. Synthesis of species’ range shifts requires careful integration and consideration of varying methods and scales of study. Here, we present an updated database that combines two previous data...
Authors
Jake A. Lawlor, Brunno Oliviera, Nikki Moore, Jonathan Lenoir, R. M.W.J. Bandara, R. Bertrand, I-Ching Chen, Sarah E. Diamond, G. Grenouillet, Lesley T. Lancaster, Malin Pinsky, Jonathan Rolland, Brett R. Scheffers, Fabricio Villalobos, Barrett Wolfe, Jennifer Sunday, Sarah R. Weiskopf, Lise Comte