Publications
Browse more than 160,000 publications authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS. Publications available are: USGS-authored journal articles, series reports, book chapters, other government publications, and more.
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Mission Area Publications
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Earth observation remote sensing tools—Assessing systems, trends, and characteristics Earth observation remote sensing tools—Assessing systems, trends, and characteristics
With the ever-increasing number of civil and commercial remote-sensing satellite launches in recent years, the Earth Observation community needs to better understand the quality of new data products as they become available for scientific research purposes.
Authors
Simon J. Cantrell, Jeff Clauson, Cody Anderson
Peering into the eye of the sea lamprey: What can stable isotopes in lamprey eye lenses reveal about their life history? Peering into the eye of the sea lamprey: What can stable isotopes in lamprey eye lenses reveal about their life history?
The Atlantic sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) is an anadromous species which is a detritivore for years in freshwater, before metamorphosing into a juvenile and feeding parasitically at sea. However, their migratory patterns and marine ecology are poorly characterized. In other fishes, chemical analysis of calcified structures has aided in understanding their life history, but sea...
Authors
Thomas M. Evans, Joseph D. Zydlewski
Northern Mexican gartersnake demographics and movement ecology Northern Mexican gartersnake demographics and movement ecology
The northern Mexican gartersnake (Thamnophis eques; hereafter NMGS) is a federally threatened species occurring in riparian areas in central and southeast Arizona and west-central New Mexico. While previous studies have examined the ecology of this species in central Arizona, less is known about NMGS ecology in grassland landscapes of southeast Arizona. This project continues a long-term...
Authors
Javan Mathias Bauder, Anthony Pawlicki, Matt Goode
Drivers of woody dominance across global drylands Drivers of woody dominance across global drylands
Increases in the abundance of woody species have been reported to affect the provisioning of ecosystem services in drylands worldwide. However, it is virtually unknown how multiple biotic and abiotic drivers, such as climate, grazing, and fire, interact to determine woody dominance across global drylands. We conducted a standardized field survey in 304 plots across 25 countries to assess...
Authors
Lucio Biancari, Martin R. Aguiar, David J. Eldridge, Gastón R. Oñatibia, Yoann Le Bagousse-Pinguet, Hugo Saiz, Nicolas Gross, Amy T. Austin, Victoria Ochoa, Beatriz Gozalo, Sergio Asensio, Emilio Guirado, Enrique Valencia, Miguel Berdugo, Cesar Plaza, Jaime Martinez-Valderrama, Betty J. Mendoza, Miguel García-Gómez, Mehdi Abedi, Rodrigo J. Ahumada, Julio M. Alcantara, Fateh Amghar, Jose D. Anadon, Valeria Aramayo, Tulio Arredondo, Maaike Y. Bader, Khadijeh Bahalkeh, Farah Ben Salem, Niels Blaum, Bazartseren Boldgiv, Matthew A. Bowker, Cristina Branquinho, Chongfeng Bu, Batbold Byambatsogt, Dianela A. Calvo, Andrea P. Castillo Monroy, Helena Castro, Patricio Castro-Quezada, Roukaya Chibani, Abel A. Conceição, Courtney M. Currier, David A. Donoso, Andrew David Dougill, Hamid Ejtehadi, Carlos I. Espinosa, Alex Fajardo, Mohammad Farzam, Daniela Ferrante, Lauchlan H. Fraser, Juan J. Gaitan, Laureano A. Gherardi, Elizabeth Gusman-Montalvan, Rosa M. Hernández-Hernández, Norbert Holzel, Elisabeth Huber-Sannwald, Frederic M. Hughes, Oswaldo Jadan-Maza, Florian Jeltsch, Anke Jentsch, Mengchen Ju, Kudzai F. Kaseke, Liana Kindermann, Melanie Kobel, Peter C. le Roux, Pierre Liancourt, Anja Linstadter, Jushan Liu, Michelle A. Louw, Gillian Maggs-Kolling, Oumarou Malam Issa, Eugene Marais, Pierre Margerie, Joao Vitor S. Messeder, Juan P. Mora, Gerardo Moreno, Seth M. Munson, Gabriel Oliva, Yolanda Pueyo, R. Emiliano Quiroga, Sasha C. Reed, Pedro J. Rey, Alexandra Rodriguez, Laura B. Rodriguez, Víctor Rolo, Jan C. Ruppert, Osvaldo E. Sala, Ayman Salah, Ilan Stavi, Colton R. A. Stephens, Anthony M. Swemmer, Alberto L. Teixido, Andrew D. Thomas, Heather L. Throop, Katja Tielborger, Samantha K. Travers, Liesbeth van den Brink, Viktoria Wagner, Wanyoike Wamiti, Deli Wang, Lixin Wang, Peter Wolff, Laura Yahdjian, Eli Zaady, Fernando T. Maestre
Tracking mangrove condition changes using dense Landsat time series Tracking mangrove condition changes using dense Landsat time series
Mangroves in tropical and subtropical coasts are subject to episodic disturbances, notably from severe storms, leading to potential widespread vegetation mortality. The ability of vegetation to recover varies, and with disturbances becoming more frequent and severe, it is vital to track and project vegetation responses to support management and policy decisions. Prior studies have...
Authors
Xiucheng Yang, Zhe Zhu, Kevin D. Kroeger, Shi Qiu, Scott Covington, Jeremy R. Conrad, Zhiliang Zhu
Lake temperature and morphometry shape the thermal composition of recreational fishing catch Lake temperature and morphometry shape the thermal composition of recreational fishing catch
Objective Managing freshwater fisheries in warming lakes is challenging because climate change impacts anglers, fish, and their interactions.Methods We integrated recent models of current and future lake temperatures with recreational fisheries catch data from 587 lakes in three north-central U.S. states (Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) to evaluate how the thermal composition of...
Authors
Lyndsie S. Wszola, Nicholas A. Sievert, Abigail J. Lynch, Holly Susan Embke, Anna L. Kaz, Matthew D. Robertson, Stephen R. Midway, Craig P. Paukert
Reducing wastewater nitrogen loading by >90% with carbon-amended septic systems: A field demonstration in Barnstable (Cape Cod), Massachusetts Reducing wastewater nitrogen loading by >90% with carbon-amended septic systems: A field demonstration in Barnstable (Cape Cod), Massachusetts
Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) are a major source of excess nutrients and co-pollutants in watersheds across the United States. In Barnstable County (Cape Cod), Massachusetts, effluent from septic systems and cesspools contributes approximately 80% of the controllable reactive nitrogen (N) load to numerous impaired estuaries and degrades water quality in the region's sole...
Authors
Laura Erban, Sara Wigginton, Brian Baumgaertel, Bryan Horsley, Timothy D. McCobb, Zee Crocker, Scott Horsley, Timothy Gleason
Previous reproductive success and environmental variation influence nest-site fidelity of a subarctic-nesting goose Previous reproductive success and environmental variation influence nest-site fidelity of a subarctic-nesting goose
Nest-site fidelity is a common strategy in birds and is believed to be adaptive due to familiarity with local conditions. Returning to previously successful nest sites (i.e., the win-stay lose-switch strategy) may be beneficial when habitat quality is spatially variable and temporally predictable; however, changes in environmental conditions may constrain dispersal decisions despite...
Authors
Jordan M. Thompson, Brian D. Uher-Koch, Bryan L. Daniels, Thomas V. Riecke, Joel A. Schmutz, Benjamin S. Sedinger
When and where can coastal wetland restoration increase carbon sequestration as a natural climate solution? When and where can coastal wetland restoration increase carbon sequestration as a natural climate solution?
Coastal wetlands are hotspots of carbon sequestration, and their conservation and restoration can help to mitigate climate change. However, there remains uncertainty on when and where coastal wetland restoration can most effectively act as a Natural Climate Solution (NCS). Here, we synthesize current understanding to illustrate the requirements for coastal wetland restoration to benefit...
Authors
Scott F. Jones, Ariane Arias-Ortiz, Dennis Baldocchi, Meagan J. Eagle, Daniel A. Friess, Catrina Gore, Gregory E. Noe, Stefanie Nolte, Patty Oikawa, Adina Paytan, Jacqueline L. Raw, Brian J. Roberts, Kerrylee Rogers, Charles A Schutte, Camille Stagg, Karen M. Thorne, Eric J. Ward, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Eric S. Yando
A meta-analysis of mercury biomagnification in freshwater predatory invertebrates: Community diversity and dietary exposure drive variability A meta-analysis of mercury biomagnification in freshwater predatory invertebrates: Community diversity and dietary exposure drive variability
Accurate estimates of methylmercury (MeHg) exposure are valuable to actionably assess risk and protect wildlife and human health. MeHg trophic transfer is a critical driver of risk: MeHg is generally biomagnified by a factor of 8.3 ± 7.5 from one trophic level to the next, averaged across freshwater communities (mean ± standard deviation). This variability can produce disparate risks...
Authors
Cailin A Sinclair, Tiffany S. Garcia, Collin A. Eagles-Smith
Predictive understanding of stream salinization in a developed watershed using machine learning Predictive understanding of stream salinization in a developed watershed using machine learning
Stream salinization is a global issue, yet few models can provide reliable salinity estimates for unmonitored locations at the time scales required for ecological exposure assessments. Machine learning approaches are presented that use spatially limited high-frequency monitoring and spatially distributed discrete samples to estimate the daily stream-specific conductance across a...
Authors
Jared David Smith, Lauren Elizabeth Koenig, Margaux Jeanne Sleckman, Alison P. Appling, Jeffrey M Sadler, Vincent T. DePaul, Zoltan Szabo
Environmental and societal consequences of winter ice loss from lakes Environmental and societal consequences of winter ice loss from lakes
More than half a billion people live near lakes that freeze over in the winter. However, lakes are rapidly losing winter ice cover in response to warming, and the rate of loss has accelerated over the past 25 years. Hampton et al. reviewed the state of seasonal ice cover on lakes and discuss some of the consequences of its disappearance. Ice loss will affect culture, economy, water...
Authors
Stephanie E. Hampton, Stephen M. Powers, Hilary A. Dugan, Lesley B. Knoll, Bailey C. McMeans, Michael Frederick Meyer, Catherine M. O’Reilly, Ted Ozersky, Sapna Sharma, David C Barrett, Sudeep Chandra, Joachim Jansen, Ryan P. McClure, Milla Rautio, Gesa A. Weyhenmeyer, Xiao Yang