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: 42702
Negative impacts of invasive plants on conservation of sensitive desert wildlife Negative impacts of invasive plants on conservation of sensitive desert wildlife
Habitat disturbance from development, resource extraction, off-road vehicle use, and energy development ranks highly among threats to desert systems worldwide. In the Mojave Desert, United States, these disturbances have promoted the establishment of nonnative plants, so that native grasses and forbs are now intermixed with, or have been replaced by invasive, nonnative Mediterranean...
Authors
K. Kristina Drake, Lizabeth Bowen, Kenneth E. Nussear, Todd C. Esque, Andrew J. Berger, Nathan Custer, Shannon C. Waters-Dynes, Jay D. Johnson, A. Keith Miles, Rebecca L. Lewison
A century of landscape disturbance and urbanization of the San Francisco Bay region affects the present-day genetic diversity of the California Ridgway’s rail (Rallus obsoletus obsoletus) A century of landscape disturbance and urbanization of the San Francisco Bay region affects the present-day genetic diversity of the California Ridgway’s rail (Rallus obsoletus obsoletus)
Fragmentation and loss of natural habitat have important consequences for wild populations and can negatively affect long-term viability and resilience to environmental change. Salt marsh obligate species, such as those that occupy the San Francisco Bay Estuary in western North America, occupy already impaired habitats as result of human development and modifications and are highly...
Authors
Dustin A. Wood, Thuy-Vy D. Bui, Cory T. Overton, Amy G. Vandergast, Michael L. Casazza, Joshua M. Hull, John Y. Takekawa
Monitoring and research on the Bi-State Distinct Population Segment of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in the Pine Nut Mountains, California and Nevada—Study progress report, 2011–15 Monitoring and research on the Bi-State Distinct Population Segment of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in the Pine Nut Mountains, California and Nevada—Study progress report, 2011–15
The Bi-State distinct population segment (DPS) of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) that occurs along the Nevada–California border was proposed for listing as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in October 2013. However, in April 2015, the FWS determined that the Bi-State DPS no longer required protection under the...
Authors
Peter S. Coates, Katie M. Andrle, Pilar T. Ziegler, Michael L. Casazza
U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2015 annual report U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2015 annual report
This is the eighth annual report highlighting U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) science and decision-support activities conducted for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI). The activities address specific management needs identified by WLCI partner agencies. In 2015, USGS scientists continued 24 WLCI projects in 5 categories: (1) acquiring and analyzing resource-condition data...
Authors
Zachary H. Bowen, Cameron L. Aldridge, Patrick J. Anderson, Timothy J. Assal, Timothy T. Bartos, Anna D. Chalfoun, Geneva W. Chong, Marie K. Dematatis, Cheryl A. Eddy-Miller, Steven L. Garman, Stephen S. Germaine, Collin G. Homer, Matthew J. Kauffman, Christopher C. Huber, Daniel J. Manier, Cynthia P. Melcher, Kirk A. Miller, Tamar Norkin, Lindsey E. Sanders, Annika W. Walters, Anna B. Wilson, Teal B. Wyckoff
USGS science and technology help managers battle invading Asian carp USGS science and technology help managers battle invading Asian carp
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducts Asian carp research focused on early detection, risk assessment, and development of control tools and strategies. The goals are to prevent the establishment of invasive Asian carp in the Great Lakes and to reduce their impacts in the Ohio River and Mississippi River Basins and elsewhere. Managers can use the information, tools, and strategies...
Authors
Cynthia S. Kolar, Sandra S. Morrison
When can the cause of a population decline be determined? When can the cause of a population decline be determined?
Inferring the factors responsible for declines in abundance is a prerequisite to preventing the extinction of wild populations. Many of the policies and programmes intended to prevent extinctions operate on the assumption that the factors driving the decline of a population can be determined. Exogenous factors that cause declines in abundance can be statistically confounded with...
Authors
Trevor J. Hefley, Mevin Hooten, John M. Drake, Robin E. Russell, Daniel P. Walsh
The Department of the Interior Southeast Climate Science Center synthesis report 2011–15—Projects, products, and science priorities The Department of the Interior Southeast Climate Science Center synthesis report 2011–15—Projects, products, and science priorities
Introduction In 2009, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Ken Salazar established a network of eight regional Climate Science Centers (CSCs) that, along with the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs), would help define and implement the Department's climate adaptation response. The Southeast Climate Science Center (SE CSC) was established at North Carolina State...
Authors
Elda Varela Minder, Aranzazu R. Lascurain, Gerard McMahon
Development and assessment of a new method for combining catch per unit effort data from different fish sampling gears: Multigear mean standardization (MGMS) Development and assessment of a new method for combining catch per unit effort data from different fish sampling gears: Multigear mean standardization (MGMS)
Fish community assessments are often based on sampling with multiple gear types. However, multivariate methods used to assess fish community structure and composition are sensitive to differences in the relative scale of indices or measures of abundance produced by different sampling methods. This makes combining data from different sampling gears and methods a serious challenge. We...
Authors
D.K. Gibson-Reinemer, Brian Ickes, John H. Chick
Demographic mechanisms underpinning genetic assimilation of remnant groups of a large carnivore Demographic mechanisms underpinning genetic assimilation of remnant groups of a large carnivore
Current range expansions of large terrestrial carnivores are occurring following human-induced range contraction. Contractions are often incomplete, leaving small remnant groups in refugia throughout the former range. Little is known about the underlying ecological and evolutionary processes that influence how remnant groups are affected during range expansion. We used data from a...
Authors
Nathaniel Mikle, Tabitha A. Graves, Ryan P. Kovach, Katherine C. Kendall, Amy C. Macleod
Influence of demography and environment on persistence in toad populations Influence of demography and environment on persistence in toad populations
Effective conservation of rare species requires an understanding of how potential threats affect population dynamics. Unfortunately, information about population demographics prior to threats (i.e., baseline data) is lacking for many species. Perturbations, caused by climate change, disease, or other stressors can lead to population declines and heightened conservation concerns. Boreal...
Authors
Brad A. Lambert, Robert A. Schorr, Scott C. Schneider, Erin L. Muths
Using scenarios to assess possible future impacts of invasive species in the Laurentian Great Lakes Using scenarios to assess possible future impacts of invasive species in the Laurentian Great Lakes
The expected impacts of invasive species are key considerations in selecting policy responses to potential invasions. But predicting the impacts of invasive species is daunting, particularly in large systems threatened by multiple invasive species, such as North America’s Laurentian Great Lakes. We developed and evaluated a scenario-building process that relied on an expert panel to...
Authors
T. Bruce Lauber, Richard C. Stedman, Nancy A Connelly, Lars G. Rudstam, Richard C Ready, Gregory L Poe, David B. Bunnell, Tomas O. Hook, Marten A. Koops, Stuart A. Ludsin, Edward S. Rutherford, Marion E. Wittmann
Skeletal variation and taxonomic boundaries among mainland and island populations of the common treeshrew (Mammalia: Scandentia: Tupaiidae) Skeletal variation and taxonomic boundaries among mainland and island populations of the common treeshrew (Mammalia: Scandentia: Tupaiidae)
Treeshrews (order Scandentia) include 23 currently recognized species of small-bodied mammals from South and Southeast Asia. The taxonomy of the common treeshrew, Tupaia glis, which inhabits the Malay Peninsula south of the Isthmus of Kra, as well as a variety of offshore islands, has an extremely complicated history resulting from its wide distribution and subtly variable pelage. In our...
Authors
Eric J. Sargis, Neal Woodman, Natalie C. Morningstar, Tiffany N. Bell, Link E. Olson