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
Exploration of a piscicide delivery method for invasive Black Carp Exploration of a piscicide delivery method for invasive Black Carp
A piscicide delivery method was designed to selectively target Black Carp Mylopharyngodon piceus, an invasive fish species in North America, which possesses pharyngeal teeth adapted for crushing mollusk prey. Many North American mollusks exist in small, fragmented populations susceptible to local extirpation. A Black Carp-selective toxic bait deployed properly could be used to protect...
Authors
Patrick Kroboth, Benjamin H. Stahlschmidt, Duane Chapman
Four-band image mosaic of the Colorado River Corridor downstream of Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona, derived from the May 2021 airborne image acquisition Four-band image mosaic of the Colorado River Corridor downstream of Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona, derived from the May 2021 airborne image acquisition
In May 2021, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center acquired airborne multispectral high-resolution data for the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, Arizona. The image data, which consist of four spectral bands (red, band 1; green, band 2; blue, band 3; and near infrared, band 4) with a ground resolution of 20 centimeters, are available as 16-bit...
Authors
Joel B. Sankey, Nathaniel D. Bransky, Lori M. Pigue, Keith A. Kohl, Thomas M. Gushue
A novel method for estimating pathogen presence, prevalence, load, and dynamics at multiple scales A novel method for estimating pathogen presence, prevalence, load, and dynamics at multiple scales
The use of quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) to monitor pathogens is common; however, quantitative frameworks that consider the observation process, dynamics in pathogen presence, and pathogen load are lacking. This can be problematic in the early stages of disease progression, where low level detections may be treated as ‘inconclusive’ and excluded from analyses. Alternatively, a...
Authors
John F. Gridder, Bradley James Udell, Brian E. Reichert, Jeffery T. Foster, William Louis Kendall, Tina L. Cheng, Winifred F. Frick
Effects of invasive American bullfrogs and their removal on Northwestern pond turtles Effects of invasive American bullfrogs and their removal on Northwestern pond turtles
The American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) is an invasive species globally significant for its role as a generalist predator in freshwater systems. Native turtles are among the species eaten by bullfrogs, and turtle populations are slow to recover from this impact. We examined the effects of bullfrogs and their removal on Northwestern pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata) at four sites in...
Authors
Sidney M. Woodruff, Robert L. Grasso, Brian J. Halstead, Brian D. Todd
Blue carbon stocks along the Pacific Coast of North America are mainly driven by local rather than regional factors Blue carbon stocks along the Pacific Coast of North America are mainly driven by local rather than regional factors
Coastal wetlands, including seagrass meadows, emergent marshes, mangroves, and temperate tidal swamps, can efficiently sequester and store large quantities of sediment organic carbon (SOC). However, SOC stocks may vary by ecosystem type and along environmental or climate gradients at different scales. Quantifying such variability is needed to improve blue carbon accounting, conservation...
Authors
Christopher N. Janousek, Johannes Krause, Judith Z. Drexler, Kevin J. Buffington, Katrina L. Poppe, Erin K. Peck, Fernanda Adame, Elizabeth Watson, James Holmquist, Scott D. Bridgham, Scott F. Jones, Melissa Ward, Cheryl A. Brown, Lisa Beers, Matthew T. Costa, Heida L. Diefenderfer, Amy B. Borde, Lindsey Sheehan, John M Rybczyk, Carolyn Prentice, Andrew Gray, Alejandro Hinojosa-Corona, Ana Carolina Ruiz-Fernandez, Joan-Albert Sanchez-Cabeza, Karen E. Kohfeld, Paula Ezcurra, Jonathan Ochoa-Gomez, Karen M. Thorne, Marlow G. Pellatt, Aurora M. Ricart, Amanda M. Nahlik, Laura S. Brophy, Richard F. Ambrose, Mira Lutz, Craig Cornu, Steve Crooks, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Margot Hessing-Lewis, Fred Short, Stephen Chastain, Trevor Williams, Tristan Douglas, Elizabeth Fard, Lauren N. Brown, Michelle F. Goman
Biodiversity surveys of Wake Atoll—Featuring field guides for plants, arthropods, and herpetofauna Biodiversity surveys of Wake Atoll—Featuring field guides for plants, arthropods, and herpetofauna
Authors
Stacie A. Hathaway, James D. Jacobi, Robert Peck, Adam R. Backlin, Cynthia J. Hitchcock, Robert N. Fisher
Mortality events in Yuma myotis (Myotis yumanensis) due to white-nose syndrome in Washington, USA Mortality events in Yuma myotis (Myotis yumanensis) due to white-nose syndrome in Washington, USA
The impacts of white-nose syndrome (WNS) on many bat species in eastern North America have been well documented because of the length of time that the causative agent, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), has been present and the ability to monitor bat hibernacula in that region. However, the disease outcomes for bat species in western North America are less known because of the more...
Authors
Jeffrey M. Lorch, A. Tobin, Alexandria Annelise Argue, Valerie Shearn-Bochsler, Brenda M. Berlowski-Zier, Kyle George, Katherine H. Haman, Anne Ballmann
Climate and dispersal ability limit future habitats for Gila monsters in the Mojave Desert Climate and dispersal ability limit future habitats for Gila monsters in the Mojave Desert
Describing future habitat for sensitive species can be helpful in planning conservation efforts to ensure species persistence under new climatic conditions. The Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) is an iconic lizard of the southwestern United States. The northernmost range of Gila monsters is the Mojave Desert, an area experiencing rapid human population growth and urban sprawl. To...
Authors
Steven J. Hromada, Jason L. Jones, Jocelyn B. Stalker, Dustin A. Wood, Amy G. Vandergast, C. Richard Tracy, C.M. Gienger, Kenneth E. Nussear
Stable C and N isotope analyses redefine cisco as pelagic piscivores in Lake Michigan Stable C and N isotope analyses redefine cisco as pelagic piscivores in Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan’s cisco (Coregonus artedi) population is in the midst of an expansion (2011-present) recovering from near extirpation levels observed in the 1970 s. Strong evidence of piscivory derived from observed diet analyses suggests the population may occupy a unique trophic position relative to typical expectations for the species. To verify these observations, cisco and their prey...
Authors
Benjamin A. Turschak, Jason Smith, Ben S Breaker, Charles R. Bronte, David Bunnell, Jory Jonas, Matthew Kornis, Chad LaFaver, Kevin Pangle, Harvey A. Bootsma
Iguanas rafted more than 8,000 km from North America to Fiji Iguanas rafted more than 8,000 km from North America to Fiji
Founder-event speciation can occur when one or more organisms colonize a distant, unoccupied area via long-distance dispersal, leading to the evolution of a new species lineage. Species radiations established by long-distance, and especially transoceanic, dispersal can cause substantial shifts in regional biodiversity. Here, we investigate the occurrence and timing of the greatest known...
Authors
Simon G. Scarpetta, Robert D. Fisher, Benjamin R. Karin, Jone B. Niukula, Ammon Corl, Todd R. Jackman, Jimmy A. McGuire
Optimizing sampling across transect-based methods improves the power of agroecological monitoring data Optimizing sampling across transect-based methods improves the power of agroecological monitoring data
Transect-based monitoring has long been a valuable tool in ecosystem monitoring to measure multiple ecosystem attributes. The line-point intercept (LPI), vegetation height, and canopy gap intercept methods comprise a set of core methods, which provide indicators of ecosystem condition. However, users often struggle to design a sampling strategy that optimizes the ability to detect...
Authors
Sarah E. McCord, Nicholas P. Webb, Justin W. Van Zee, Ericha M. Courtright, Benjamin J Billings, Michael C. Duniway, Brandon L. Edwards, Emily Kachergis, Daniel N Moriasi, Brian Morra, Aleta Nafus, Beth A. Newingham, Drew A. Scott, David Toledo
Tracing mercury from land to river: Global sources, retention, and implications for sustainability Tracing mercury from land to river: Global sources, retention, and implications for sustainability
Mercury (Hg) pollution in river systems is a global sustainability challenge. Yet the transport, transformation, and retention of Hg within global rivers remain poorly quantified, particularly in regions with sparse observations such as Southeast Asia and Africa, hindering effective pollution mitigation and reinforcing geographic inequities in scientific knowledge and environmental...
Authors
Dong Peng, Zeli Tan, Peipei Wu, Ruirong Chang, Shaojian Huang, Peng Zhang, Yujuan Wang, Zhengcheng Song, Yanxu Zhang, Ting Lei, Maodian Liu, Beth Middleton, Jianhua Gao, Junguo Liu, Guangchun Lei, Shu Tao