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: 42878
Integrating multiple indices of habitat quality to inform habitat management for a sagebrush indicator species Integrating multiple indices of habitat quality to inform habitat management for a sagebrush indicator species
Robust science is needed to inform national resource management and policy decisions. Predictive species habitat maps are frequently employed in conservation decision-making but are often based on a single metric representing habitat quality. We outlined a framework that combines multiple spatially explicit indices of potential habitat quality that could be used to identify and...
Authors
Megan C. Milligan, Peter S. Coates, Shawn T. O’Neil, Brianne E Brussee, Michael P. Chenaille, Derek Friend, Kathleen Steele, Justin R. Small, Timothy S. Bowden, Arlene D. Kosic, Katherine Miller, Michael L. Casazza
Ecological scenarios: Embracing ecological uncertainty in an era of global change Ecological scenarios: Embracing ecological uncertainty in an era of global change
Scenarios, or plausible characterizations of the future, can help natural resource stewards plan and act under uncertainty. Current methods for developing scenarios for climate change adaptation planning are often focused on exploring uncertainties in future climate, but new approaches are needed to better represent uncertainties in ecological responses. Scenarios that characterize how...
Authors
Kyra Clark-Wolf, Wynne Emily Moss, Brian W. Miller, Imtiaz Rangwala, Helen Sofaer, Gregor W. Schuurman, Dawn Magness, Amy Symstad, Jonathan Coop, Dominique M. Bachelet, Joseph Barsugli, Anthony Warren Ciocco, Shelley D. Crausbay, Tyler Hoecker, Jena Lewinsohn, Meagan Ford Oldfather, Orien Richmond, Renee Rondeau, Amber C Runyon, Robin Russell, Jennifer L. Wilkening
Reliability of satellite-based vegetation maps for planning wildfire-fuel treatments in shrub steppe: Inferences from two contrasting national parks Reliability of satellite-based vegetation maps for planning wildfire-fuel treatments in shrub steppe: Inferences from two contrasting national parks
Protecting habitat threatened by increasing wildfire size and frequency requires identifying the spatial intersection of wildfire behavior and ecological conditions that favor positive management outcomes. In the perennial sagebrush steppe of Western North America, invasions by fire-prone annual grasses are a key concern, and management of them requires reliable maps of vegetation cover...
Authors
Samuel J. Price, Chad Raymond Kluender, Matthew J. Germino, Thomas Rodhouse
Effects of restoration thinning on live tree carbon in northern secondary coastal redwood forests Effects of restoration thinning on live tree carbon in northern secondary coastal redwood forests
At Redwood National and State parks restoration efforts are underway to promote the recovery of forests following a history of intense logging. Unmanaged secondary forests at the parks have high stem density with slow stand development. Restoration thinning treatments of these stands are designed to promote the representation of redwood and improve the growth of residual trees...
Authors
Phillip J. van Mantgem, Micah C. Wright, Jason Teraoka
Optimizing the effectiveness of connectivity modifiers to reduce dryland degradation Optimizing the effectiveness of connectivity modifiers to reduce dryland degradation
Dryland degradation from unsustainable land use and increasing aridity often manifests as bare, interconnected areas that facilitate the loss or redistribution of resources (soil, seeds, and nutrients) through wind and run-off. Physical structures like branches and stick bundles, which disrupt these pathways and retain resources, are crucial for rehabilitation and restoration...
Authors
Kristina E. Young, Brandon L. Edwards, Michael C. Duniway, Nicholas P. Webb
Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program—2023 Year-in-Review Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program—2023 Year-in-Review
Introduction Established in 1935, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program is a unique cooperative partnership among State fish and wildlife agencies, host universities, the Wildlife Management Institute, USGS, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Designed to meet the scientific needs of natural resource management agencies and to produce...
Authors
Elise R. Irwin, Caroline E. Murphy, Dawn E. Childs, Donald E. Dennerline, Jonathan R. Mawdsley
Effects of nonmotorized recreation on ungulates in the western United States—A science synthesis to inform National Environmental Policy Act analyses Effects of nonmotorized recreation on ungulates in the western United States—A science synthesis to inform National Environmental Policy Act analyses
The U.S. Geological Survey is working with Federal land management agencies to develop a series of science syntheses to support National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analyses. This report synthesizes science information about the potential effects of nonmotorized recreation on ungulates in the western United States. We conducted a structured literature search to find published science...
Authors
Samuel E. Jordan, Taylor R. Ganz, Tait K. Rutherford, Matthew J. Blocker, Christopher T. Domschke, Frederick L. Klasner, Elroy H. Masters, Tye A. Morgan, Daryl R. Ratajczak, Elisabeth C. Teige, Sarah K. Carter
Foraging of wading birds on a patchy landscape: Simulating effects of social information, interference competition, and patch selection on prey intake and individual distribution Foraging of wading birds on a patchy landscape: Simulating effects of social information, interference competition, and patch selection on prey intake and individual distribution
Foragers on patchy landscapes must acquire sufficient resources despite uncertainty in the location and amount of the resources. Optimal Foraging Theory posits that foragers deal with this uncertainty by using strategies that optimize resource intake within foraging periods. For species such as wading birds, this optimization is closely linked to their survival and reproductive success
Authors
Hyo Won Lee, Donald L. DeAngelis, Simeon Yurek, Yannis P. Papastamatiou
Linking fire radiative power to land cover, fire history, and environmental setting in Alaska, 2003–2022 Linking fire radiative power to land cover, fire history, and environmental setting in Alaska, 2003–2022
Background Fire radiative power (FRP) shows promise as a diagnostic and predictive indicator of fire behavior and post-fire effects in Alaska, USA. Aims To investigate relationships between FRP, vegetation functional groups, and environmental settings in Alaska (2003–2022) under various fire history conditions. Methods We tested for distinctness of MODIS FRP distributions associated with...
Authors
Jessica J. Walker, Rachel A. Loehman, Britt Windsor Smith, Christopher E. Soulard
Clarifying the role of the resist–accept–direct framework in supporting resource management planning processes Clarifying the role of the resist–accept–direct framework in supporting resource management planning processes
No abstract available.
Authors
Gregor W. Schuurman, Wylie Carr, Cat Hawkins Hoffman, David J. Lawrence, Brian W. Miller, Erik A. Beever, Jean Brennan, Katherine R. Clifford, Scott Covington, Shelley D. Crausbay, Amanda E. Cravens, John E. Gross, Linh Hoang, Stephen Jackson, Abraham J. Miller-Rushing, Wendy Morrison, Elizabeth A. Nelson, Robin O'Malley, Jay O. Peterson, Mark T. Porath, Karen Prentice, Joel H. Reynolds, Suresh A. Sethi, Helen Sofaer, Jennifer L. Wilkening
Exposure of infants to antibiotics via cord blood, breast milk, and formula: A review on exposure level, temporal variation, and risk assessment Exposure of infants to antibiotics via cord blood, breast milk, and formula: A review on exposure level, temporal variation, and risk assessment
The pervasive use of antibiotics across various sectors, including agriculture, medicine, and aquaculture, has led to a notable increase in environmental antibiotic residues. This phenomenon has raised significant public concern regarding the potential health risks antibiotics may pose, particularly to vulnerable populations such as infants. However, the conceptualization of exposure...
Authors
Jiating Feng, Bentuo Xu, Jason Tyler Magnuson, Jiayi Wang, Yajie Gao, Wenhui Qiu, Rongrong Xuan
Effects of riparian forest thinning on resident salmonid fishes in coastal northern California catchments Effects of riparian forest thinning on resident salmonid fishes in coastal northern California catchments
Resource managers are interested in whether thinning second-growth forests may be a viable restoration strategy for stream and riparian habitats, but may be concerned about the potential impacts that increases in stream temperature associated with riparian thinning treatments may have on cold-water salmonid fishes.We evaluated the effects of riparian forest thinning on resident...
Authors
David A. Roon, Jason Dunham, Joseph R. Benjamin, Bret C. Harvey, James R Bellmore