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: 42712
Population-level plasticity in foraging behavior of western gulls (Larus occidentalis) Population-level plasticity in foraging behavior of western gulls (Larus occidentalis)
Background Plasticity in foraging behavior among individuals, or across populations may reduce competition. As a generalist carnivore, western gulls (Larus occidentalis) consume a wide range of marine and terrestrial foods. However, the foraging patterns and habitat selection (ocean or land) of western gulls is not well understood, despite their ubiquity in coastal California. Here, we...
Authors
Scott A. Shaffer, Sue Cockerham, Peter Warzybok, Russell W. Bradley, Jaime Jahncke, Corey A. Clatterbuck, Magali Lucia, Jennifer A. Jelincic, Anne L. Cassell, Emily Kelsey, Josh Adams
Metabarcoding of environmental DNA samples to explore the use of uranium mine containment ponds as a water source for wildlife Metabarcoding of environmental DNA samples to explore the use of uranium mine containment ponds as a water source for wildlife
Understanding how anthropogenic impacts on the landscape affect wildlife requires a knowledge of community assemblages. Species surveys are the first step in assessing community structure, and recent molecular applications such as metabarcoding and environmental DNA analyses have been proposed as an additional and complementary wildlife survey method. Here, we test eDNA metabarcoding as...
Authors
Katy E. Klymus, Catherine A. Richter, Nathan Thompson, Jo Ellen Hinck
Characters in Arctostaphylos taxonomy Characters in Arctostaphylos taxonomy
There is value in understanding the past and how it has affected the present. Science focuses on empirical findings, and we know that our prior experiences and those of our predecessors play important roles in determining how we interpret the present. We learn from accomplishments and foibles of predecessors and appreciate the real life experiences we have gone through. In our studies of...
Authors
Jon E. Keeley, V. Thomas Parker, Michael C. Vasey
Using carbon dioxide in fisheries and aquatic invasive species management Using carbon dioxide in fisheries and aquatic invasive species management
To restore native fish populations, fisheries programs often depend on active removal of aquatic invasive species. Chemical removal can be an effective method of eliminating aquatic invasive species, but chemicals can induce mortality in nontarget organisms and persist in the environment. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an emerging alternative to traditional chemical control agents because it...
Authors
Hilary B. Treanor, Andrew M. Ray, Megan J. Layhee, Barnaby J. Watten, Jason A. Gross, Robert E. Gresswell, Molly A. H. Webb
Building translational ecology communities of practice: insights from the field Building translational ecology communities of practice: insights from the field
Translational ecology (TE) prioritizes the understanding of social systems and decision contexts in order to address complex natural resource management issues. Although many practitioners in applied fields employ translational tactics, the body of literature addressing such approaches is limited. We present several case studies illustrating the principles of TE and the diversity of its
Authors
Dawn M. Lawson, Kimberly R. Hall, Laurie Yung, Carolyn A. F. Enquist
Evolution, natural history, and conservation of black-footed ferrets Evolution, natural history, and conservation of black-footed ferrets
No abstract available.
Authors
Dean E. Biggins, David A. Eads
Early-career experts essential for planetary sustainability Early-career experts essential for planetary sustainability
Early-career experts can play a fundamental role in achieving planetary sustainability by bridging generational divides and developing novel solutions to complex problems. We argue that intergenerational partnerships and interdisciplinary collaboration among early-career experts will enable emerging sustainability leaders to contribute fully to a sustainable future. We review 16...
Authors
Michelle Lim, Abigail J. Lynch, Alvaro Fernandez-Llamazares, Lenke Balint, Zeenatul Basher, Ivis Chan, Pedro Jaureguiberry, A.A.A. Mohamed, Tuyeni H. Mwampamba, Ignacio Palomo, Patricio Pliscoff, R.A. Salimov, Aibek Samakov, Odirilwe Selomane, Uttam B. Shrestha, Anna A. Sidorovich
Reviews and syntheses: Field data to benchmark the carbon cycle models for tropical forests Reviews and syntheses: Field data to benchmark the carbon cycle models for tropical forests
For more accurate projections of both the global carbon (C) cycle and the changing climate, a critical current need is to improve the representation of tropical forests in Earth system models. Tropical forests exchange more C, energy, and water with the atmosphere than any other class of land ecosystems. Further, tropical-forest C cycling is likely responding to the rapid global warming
Authors
Deborah A. Clark, Shinichi Asao, Rosie A. Fisher, Sasha C. Reed, Peter B. Reich, Michael G. Ryan, Tana E. Wood, Xiaojuan Yang
The sand dunes of the Colorado River, Grand Canyon, USA The sand dunes of the Colorado River, Grand Canyon, USA
The flow (Wright and Kaplinski, 2011), suspended sediment transport (Topping et al., 2000), sediment storage (Grams et al., 2013), and sedimentology of sandbars (Rubin et al., 1998) of the 250 miles of the Colorado River that run through Grand Canyon National Park have been well studied and described. However, there has been little systematic or synoptic description of the morphologies...
Authors
Daniel D. Buscombe, Matthew Kaplinski, Paul E. Grams, Thomas Ashley, Brandon McElroy, David M. Rubin
Rapid 3-week transition from migration to incubation in a female Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii) Rapid 3-week transition from migration to incubation in a female Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii)
A female Roseate Tern that staged in Puerto Rico on 10 May 2008 on its migration north was first observed in the nesting area at Bird Island, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts on 21 May. It was incubating a complete clutch of two eggs by 1 June and likely had initiated laying within 20 days of having been in Puerto Rico.
Authors
Jeffrey A. Spendelow
Forecasting consequences of changing sea ice availability for Pacific walruses Forecasting consequences of changing sea ice availability for Pacific walruses
The accelerating rate of anthropogenic alteration and disturbance of environments has increased the need for forecasting effects of environmental change on fish and wildlife populations. Models linking projections of environmental change with behavioral responses and bioenergetic effects can provide a basis for these forecasts. There is particular interest in forecasting effects of...
Authors
Mark S. Udevitz, Chadwick V. Jay, Rebecca L. Taylor, Anthony S. Fischbach, William S. Beatty, Shawn R. Noren
Interactions among invasive plants: Lessons from Hawai‘i Interactions among invasive plants: Lessons from Hawai‘i
Most ecosystems have multiple-plant invaders rather than single-plant invaders, yet ecological studies and management actions focus largely on single invader species. There is a need for general principles regarding invader interactions across varying environmental conditions, so that secondary invasions can be anticipated and managers can allocate resources toward pretreatment or...
Authors
Carla M. D’Antonio, Rebecca Ostertag, Susan Cordell, Stephanie G. Yelenik