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: 43283
Small waterbodies of large conservation concern: Towards an integrated approach to more accurately measuring surface water dynamics Small waterbodies of large conservation concern: Towards an integrated approach to more accurately measuring surface water dynamics
Millions of small waterbodies are dispersed throughout the middle of the North American continent, and billions of dollars have been invested to conserve, restore, and manage these waterbodies in the 20th and 21st centuries. Small waterbody conservation has been supported by different stakeholders aiming at improving water quality, enhancing floodwater storage, and supporting migratory...
Authors
Owen P. McKenna, Audrey Claire Lothspeich, Sara Vacek, Dawn MacDonald, Josh D. Eash, Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Elyssa C. McCulloch, Caryn D. Ross, Sadia Sabrina, Joseph F. Knight
A partner-driven decision support model to inform the reintroduction of bull trout A partner-driven decision support model to inform the reintroduction of bull trout
Assessments of species reintroductions involve a series of complex decisions that include human perspectives and ecological contexts. Here, we present a reintroduction assessment involving bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) using a structured decision-making process. We approached this assessment by engaging partners representing public utilities, government agencies, and Tribes with...
Authors
Joseph R. Benjamin, Judith Neibauer, Hugh Anthony, Jose Vazquez, Ashley Rawhouser, Jason Dunham
Ultrasonic deterrents provide no additional benefit over curtailment in reducing bat fatalities at an Ohio wind energy facility Ultrasonic deterrents provide no additional benefit over curtailment in reducing bat fatalities at an Ohio wind energy facility
Wind energy is important for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions but also contributes to global bat mortality. Current strategies to minimize bat mortality due to collision with wind-turbine blades fall broadly into two categories: curtailment (limiting turbine operation during high-risk periods) and deterrence (discouraging bat activity near turbines). Recently, there has been...
Authors
Jeffrey Clerc, Manuela Huso, Michael R. Schirmacher, Michael D. Whitby, Cris D. Hein
Climate-driven deoxygenation of lakes alters the nutrient-toxin profile of a food fish Climate-driven deoxygenation of lakes alters the nutrient-toxin profile of a food fish
Climate change is rapidly altering fisheries supporting aquatic ecosystems. The implications for food security depend not only on harvest biomass but also concentrations of nutrients and toxins in fish. Using brook trout from Adirondack lakes (New York, USA), we tested whether ongoing lake deoxygenation trends will affect fish muscle omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, and mercury...
Authors
Stephen F. Jane, Sebastian A. Heilpern, J. Thomas Brenna, Thomas M. Detmer, Charles T. Driscoll, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Shree K. Giri, Raymond P. Glahn, Kurt J. Jirka, Julia Kim, Mario R. Montesdeoca, Connor I. Olson, Hui Gyu Park, Eileen A. Randall, Peter B. McIntyre
Interpreting a sudden population decline in a long-lived species (Malaclemys terrapin rhizophorarum) Interpreting a sudden population decline in a long-lived species (Malaclemys terrapin rhizophorarum)
Long-term ecological studies are critical for providing insight into population dynamics and detecting population declines, particularly for species of conservation concern. However, spatiotemporal variation and logistical challenges make the identification of sudden population declines difficult. We conducted an in-water capture-mark-recapture study of mangrove diamond-backed terrapins
Authors
Jacquelyn C. Guzy, Brian J. Smith, Mathew Denton, Michael Cherkiss, David Roche, Andrew G. Crowder, Kristen Hart
Tourists or residents? Life history strategies of Rainbow Smelt in Lake Champlain Tourists or residents? Life history strategies of Rainbow Smelt in Lake Champlain
Objective Rainbow Smelt Osmerus mordax are the most important native prey fish in the coldwater food web of Lake Champlain, but their history in the lake is not well understood. Writers in the 1800s described a nonresident population of smelt that reached sizes greater than 315 mm that was sympatric with a population of individuals that matured at smaller sizes. No studies, however, have
Authors
Lukas A. Draugelis, Matthew H. Futia, Benjamin Marcy-Quay, Karin Limburg, J. Ellen Marsden
Development of a two-stage life cycle model to inform the Trap and Haul Program for Coho salmon in the Lewis River, Washington Development of a two-stage life cycle model to inform the Trap and Haul Program for Coho salmon in the Lewis River, Washington
Restoration of salmon populations in the upper Lewis River Basin depends on a trap-and-haul program owing to the Lewis River Hydroelectric Project (Project) operated by PacifiCorp and Cowlitz PUD (Utilities), which has been a barrier to salmon passage since the 1930s. Thus, sustaining the Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) population upstream of the Project currently depends on two...
Authors
John Plumb, Russell W. Perry
Native Yellowstone cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus virginalis bouvieri growth and survival in a headwater stream primarily driven by warming stream temperatures, with non-native brown trout Salmo trutta posing an additional threat to survival Native Yellowstone cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus virginalis bouvieri growth and survival in a headwater stream primarily driven by warming stream temperatures, with non-native brown trout Salmo trutta posing an additional threat to survival
Warming rivers and interactions with non-native species impact salmonid species globally. Understanding how hydroclimatic conditions synergistically and independently interact with non-native species is critical for effectively managing salmonids into the future. We used a 10-year mark–recapture dataset to assess how native Yellowstone cutthroat trout (YCT) Oncorhynchus virginalis...
Authors
Kadie B. Heinle, Robert Al-Chokhachy, Adam Sepulveda, Christine E. Verhille
Failure to meet the exchangeability assumption in Bayesian multispecies occupancy models: Implications for study design Failure to meet the exchangeability assumption in Bayesian multispecies occupancy models: Implications for study design
Bayesian hierarchical models are ubiquitous in ecology. Random effect model structures are often employed that treat individual effects as deviations from larger population-level effects. In this way individuals are assumed to be "exchangeable" samples. Ecologists may address this exchangeability assumption intuitively, but might in certain modeling contexts ignore it altogether...
Authors
Gavin G. Cotterill, Douglas A. Keinath, Tabitha A. Graves
Dynamic riskscapes for prey: Disentangling the impact of human and cougar presence on deer behavior using GPS smartphone locations Dynamic riskscapes for prey: Disentangling the impact of human and cougar presence on deer behavior using GPS smartphone locations
Prey species adjust their behavior along human-use gradients by balancing risks from predators and humans. During hunting seasons, prey often exhibit strong antipredator responses to humans but may develop tolerance in suburban areas to exploit human-mediated resources. Additionally, areas with high human activity may offer reduced predation risk if apex predators avoid such locations...
Authors
Heather Abernathy, Mark Dittmer, David Stoner, Kent Hersey, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Pat Jackson, Kristin Engebretsen, Julie Young, George Wittemyer
A practical framework for identifying genetic subpopulations and ESUs: Insights for IUCN assessments and broader management A practical framework for identifying genetic subpopulations and ESUs: Insights for IUCN assessments and broader management
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) sets global conservation standards, including the Red List of Threatened Species and the Green Status of Species. Recent analyses showed that genetic diversity has not been effectively considered by IUCN species assessments, despite being fundamental to species’ fitness and adaptive potential. Incorporation of genetic diversity...
Authors
Julia C. Geue, Laura D. Bertola, Paulette Bloomer, Anna Bruniche-Olsen, Jessica M. da Silva, J. Andrew DeWoody, Ancuta Fedorca, Jose A. Godoy, Catherine E. Grueber, Margaret Hunter, Christina Hvilsom, Isa-Rita M. Russo, Evelyn L. Jensen, Alexander Kopatz, Anna J. MacDonald, Silvia Pérez-Espona, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Jennifer C. Pierson, Helen Senn, Gernot Segelbacher, Paul Sunnucks, Cock van Oosterhout, Deborah M. Leigh
Tradeoffs and win-wins between large landscape conservation and wildlife viewing in protected areas Tradeoffs and win-wins between large landscape conservation and wildlife viewing in protected areas
Wildlife conservation around protected areas is critical and costly, yet its beneficiaries—particularly protected area visitors who enjoy viewing wide-ranging wildlife—rarely contribute towards landscape-scale conservation. We characterize the importance of wildlife viewing in two U.S. protected areas: Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. We surveyed park visitors (N = 991) and...
Authors
Hilary Byerly Flint, Aaron Joey Enriquez, Drew Bennett, Leslie Richardson, Arthur Middleton