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: 42874
Climate change refugia Climate change refugia
Climate change is affecting the distribution, abundance, and persistence of species and ecosystems around the world. As natural resource managers are tasked with maintaining and protecting species and ecosystems from the effects of a changing climate, options for minimizing impacts are needed. Options for climate adaptation—the policy and management actions taken to minimize negative...
Authors
Toni Lyn Morelli, Connie Millar
Subterranean invasion by gapped ringed crayfish: Effectiveness of a removal effort and barrier installation Subterranean invasion by gapped ringed crayfish: Effectiveness of a removal effort and barrier installation
Non-native crayfish invasion is a major threat to many stream fauna; however, invasions in subterranean habitats are rarely documented. Our study objectives were to examine demographics and morphological and life-history traits of a gapped ringed crayfish Faxonius neglectus chaenodactylus population that invaded Tumbling Creek Cave and determine the effects of removal on the population...
Authors
J.B. Mouser, D.C. Ashley, T. Aley, Shannon K. Brewer
Seasonal surveillance confirms the range expansion of Aedes japonicus japonicas (Theobald) (Diptera: Culicidae) to the Hawaiian Islands of Oahu and Kauai Seasonal surveillance confirms the range expansion of Aedes japonicus japonicas (Theobald) (Diptera: Culicidae) to the Hawaiian Islands of Oahu and Kauai
The Asian bush mosquito, Aedes japonicus japonicus (Theobald) was not known to occur in the Hawaii archipelago until it was identified on the island of Hawaii in 2003. This mosquito species remained undetected on the neighboring islands for 8 years before it was discovered at the Honolulu International Airport on Oahu in 2012. By 2015, four Ae. j. japonicus mosquitoes were collected in...
Authors
James Harwood, Jodi Fiorenzanoa, Elizabeth Gerardoa, Theodore Black, Jeomhee Hasty, Dennis A. LaPointe
Increasing temperature seasonality may overwhelm shifts in soil moisture to favor shrub grass dominance in Colorado Plateau drylands Increasing temperature seasonality may overwhelm shifts in soil moisture to favor shrub grass dominance in Colorado Plateau drylands
Ecosystems in the southwestern U.S. are hotspots for climate change, and are predicted to experience continued warming and drying. In these water-limited systems, the balance between herbaceous and woody plant abundance impacts biodiversity and ecosystem processes, highlighting the need to understand how climate change will influence functional composition. However, variability in topo...
Authors
Jennifer R. Gremer, Caitlin M. Andrews, Jodi R. Norris, Lisa P. Thomas, Seth M. Munson, Michael C. Duniway, John B. Bradford
Taxonomic evaluation of the three “type” specimens of the fringe-footed shrew, Sorex fimbripes Bachman, 1837 (Mammalia: Soricidae) and recommended nomenclatural status of the name Taxonomic evaluation of the three “type” specimens of the fringe-footed shrew, Sorex fimbripes Bachman, 1837 (Mammalia: Soricidae) and recommended nomenclatural status of the name
John Bachman (1837:391) described the “fringe-footed shrew,” Sorex fimbripes Bachman, 1837, in his landmark monograph on the North American Soricidae (Mammalia: Eulipotyphla), in which he recognized 13 uniquely New World species. Characters he attributed to S. fimbripes resulted in its being interpreted as a tiny, semi-aquatic species and contributed to the complexity of its subsequent...
Authors
Neal Woodman
Interior Least Tern sandbar nesting habitat measurements from Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery Interior Least Tern sandbar nesting habitat measurements from Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery
Sandbars of large sand-bedded rivers of the central United States serve important ecological functions to many species, including the endangered Interior Least Tern (Sternula antillarum, ILT). The ILT is a colonial bird that feeds on fish and nests primarily on riverine sandbars during its annual breeding season of around May through July, depending on region. During this time, ILTs...
Authors
Edward A. Bulliner, Caroline M. Elliott, Robert B. Jacobson, Casey Lott
Post-release breeding of translocated sharp-tailed grouse and an absence of artificial insemination effects Post-release breeding of translocated sharp-tailed grouse and an absence of artificial insemination effects
Context: Translocation has become a widely used method to restore wildlife populations following extirpation. For some species, such as lekking grouse, which breed at traditional mating grounds, reproduction is linked to culturally established geographic locations. Cultural centres are lost upon extirpation, making restoration into otherwise rehabilitated habitats especially challenging...
Authors
Steven R. Mathews, Peter S. Coates, Jennifer A. Fike, Helena Schneider, Dominik Fischer, Sara J. Oyler-McCance, Michael Lierz, David J. Delehanty
2017-2018 Palila abundance estimates and trend 2017-2018 Palila abundance estimates and trend
The palila (Loxioides bailleui) population was surveyed annually from 1998–2018 on Mauna Kea Volcano to determine abundance, population trend, and spatial distribution. In the latest surveys, the 2017 population was estimated at 1,177−1,813 birds (point estimate: 1,461) and the 2018 population was estimated at 778−1,420 (point estimate: 1,051). Only two palila were detected outside the...
Authors
Ayesha S. Genz, Kevin W. Brinck, Richard J. Camp, Paul C. Banko
How and why Upper Colorado River Basin land, water, and fire managers choose to use drought tools (or not) How and why Upper Colorado River Basin land, water, and fire managers choose to use drought tools (or not)
On the Western Slope of Colorado, variable climate and precipitation conditions are typical. Periods of drought—which may be defined by lack of water, high temperatures, low soil moisture, or other indicators—cause a range of impacts across sectors, including water, land, and fire management. The Western Slope’s Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB) was one of the first pilot areas in which...
Authors
Amanda E. Cravens
UZIG research: Measurement and characterization of unsaturated zone processes under wide-ranging climates and changing conditions UZIG research: Measurement and characterization of unsaturated zone processes under wide-ranging climates and changing conditions
Unsaturated zone properties and processes are central to understanding the interacting effects of land-use change, contamination, and hydroclimate on our ability to grow food, sustain clean water supplies, and minimize loss of life and property. Advances in unsaturated zone science are being achieved through collaborations across traditional boundaries where information from biological...
Authors
Jared J. Trost, Benjamin B. Mirus, Kimberlie Perkins, Wesley R. Henson, John R. Nimmo, Rafael Munoz-Carpena
Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program Long Term Resource Monitoring element—Spatial data query tool Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program Long Term Resource Monitoring element—Spatial data query tool
The Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Program Long Term Resource Monitoring (LTRM) element has been monitoring fish, water quality, and vegetation in six study pools in the Upper Mississippi River system for approximately 30 years. Geographic locations were recorded for all sampling points. All of this information has been made publicly available by way of data download and...
Authors
Jason J. Rohweder
Hyperspectral remote sensing of wetland vegetation Hyperspectral remote sensing of wetland vegetation
Chapter 11 by Ramsey and Rangoonwala provides an overview of how hyperspectral imaging (HSI) advances the mapping of coastal wetlands that comprise a unique variety of plant species, forms, and associations. Each description begins by seeking to uncover the relationship between canopy hyperspectral reflectance and one or more of the aggregated biophysical properties of the wetland canopy...
Authors
Elijah Ramsey, Amina Rangoonwala