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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.

Filter Total Items: 175495

Using state-and-transition simulation models to scope post-fire success in restoring greater sage-grouse habitat Using state-and-transition simulation models to scope post-fire success in restoring greater sage-grouse habitat

Wildfires are increasingly modifying wildlife habitat in the western United States and managers need ways to scope the pace and degree to which post-fire restoration actions can re-create habitat in dynamic landscapes. We developed a spatially explicit state-transition simulation model (STSM) to project post-fire revegetation and the potential for sage-grouse habitat restoration in...
Authors
Elizabeth Kari Orning, Julie A. Heinrichs, David A. Pyke, Peter S. Coates, Cameron L. Aldridge

Constraints on near-ridge magmatism using 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of enriched MORB from the 8°20' N seamount chain Constraints on near-ridge magmatism using 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of enriched MORB from the 8°20' N seamount chain

Our understanding of the spatial-temporal-compositional relationships between off-axis magmatism and mid-ocean ridge spreading centers is limited. Determining the 40Ar/39Ar ages of mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) lavas erupting near mid-ocean ridges (MOR) has been a challenge due to the characteristically low K2O contents in incompatible element-depleted normal MORB (NMORB). High-precision...
Authors
Molly Anderson, Michael Perfit, Leah E. Morgan, Daniel Fornari, Michael A. Cosca, V. Dorsey Wanless

Green turtle fibropapillomatosis: Tumor morphology and growth rate in a rehabilitation setting Green turtle fibropapillomatosis: Tumor morphology and growth rate in a rehabilitation setting

Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a neoplastic disease most often found in green turtles (Chelonia mydas). Afflicted turtles are burdened with potentially debilitating tumors concentrated externally on the soft tissues, plastron, and eyes and internally on the lungs, kidneys, and the heart. Clinical signs occur at various levels, ranging from mild disease to severe debilitation. Tumors can...
Authors
Costanza Manes, Richard M. Herren, Annie Page, Faith Dunlap, Chris Skibicki, Devon R. Rollinson Ramia, Jessica A. Farrell, Ilaria Capua, Raymond R. Carthy, David J. Duffy

Assessing impacts of human stressors on stream fish habitats across the Mississippi River basin Assessing impacts of human stressors on stream fish habitats across the Mississippi River basin

Effective conservation of stream fishes and their habitats is complicated by the fact that human stressors alter the way in which natural factors such as stream size, catchment geology, and regional climate influence stream ecosystems. Consequently, efforts to assess the condition of stream fishes and their habitats must not only attempt to characterize the effects of human stressors but...
Authors
Jared Ross, Dana M. Infante, Arthur R. Cooper, Joanna B. Whittier, Wesley Daniel

Least Bell's Vireos and Southwestern Willow Flycatchers at the San Luis Rey Flood Risk Management Project Area in San Diego County, California—Breeding activities and habitat use—2022 annual report Least Bell's Vireos and Southwestern Willow Flycatchers at the San Luis Rey Flood Risk Management Project Area in San Diego County, California—Breeding activities and habitat use—2022 annual report

Executive Summary We completed four protocol surveys for Least Bell’s Vireos (Vireo bellii pusillus; vireo) during the breeding season, supplemented by weekly territory monitoring visits. We identified a total of 133 territorial male vireos; 114 were confirmed as paired, and 3 were confirmed as single males. For the remaining 16 territories, we were unable to confirm breeding status. Two...
Authors
Alexandra Houston, Lisa D. Allen, Shannon M. Mendia, Barbara E. Kus

A decision framework for the management of established biological invasions A decision framework for the management of established biological invasions

In some cases, managing an established invasive species may do more harm to an ecosystem than allowing the invader to persist. Given limited resources available to land managers and the realities of conservation triage, we recognized the need for systematic guidance for management decisions made at the “late end” of the invasion curve. We gathered an interdisciplinary group of experts...
Authors
C. D. Robichaud, R. C. Rooney, B. M. H. Larson, S. E. Wolfe, Z. Nyssa, Kurt P. Kowalski, H. Braun

Using recovered radio transmitters to estimate positioning error and a generalized Monte Carlo simulation to incorporate error into animal telemetry analysis Using recovered radio transmitters to estimate positioning error and a generalized Monte Carlo simulation to incorporate error into animal telemetry analysis

Background Mobile radio tracking is an important tool in fisheries research and management. Yet, the accuracy of location estimates can be highly variable across studies and within a given dataset. While some methods are available to deal with error, they generally assume a static value for error across all detections. We provide a novel method for making detection-specific error...
Authors
Kurt C. Heim, W.C. Ardren, Theodore Castro-Santos

Importance of subsurface water for hydrological response during storms in a post-wildfire bedrock landscape Importance of subsurface water for hydrological response during storms in a post-wildfire bedrock landscape

Wildfire alters the hydrologic cycle, with important implications for water supply and hazards including flooding and debris flows. In this study we use a combination of electrical resistivity and stable water isotope analyses to investigate the hydrologic response during storms in three catchments: one unburned and two burned during the 2020 Bobcat Fire in the San Gabriel Mountains...
Authors
Abra Atwood, Madeline Hille, Marin Clark, Francis K. Rengers, Dimitrios Ntarlagiannis, Kirk Townsend, A. Joshua West

U.S. Geological Survey Rocky Mountain Region 2022 science exchange, showcasing interdisciplinary and state-of-the-art USGS science U.S. Geological Survey Rocky Mountain Region 2022 science exchange, showcasing interdisciplinary and state-of-the-art USGS science

Introduction The Rocky Mountains and the Colorado River Basin in the Western United States represent complex, interconnected systems that sustain a number of species, including tens of millions of humans. These systems face several challenges, including worsening drought, altered wildfire regimes, climate change, and the spread of invasive species. These factors can exacerbate one...
Authors
Dana E. Peterson, Katherine L. French, Jeannette H. Oden, Patrick J. Anderson, Timothy N. Titus, Katharine G. Dahm, Jessica M. Driscoll, William J. Andrews

Cryptic tolerant fish species and their potential effect on index of biotic integrity (IBI) scores Cryptic tolerant fish species and their potential effect on index of biotic integrity (IBI) scores

Indices such as the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) are often used by management agencies to estimate the abstract property of stream health. These indices are usually predicated on the belief that certain fish species are tolerant to environmental perturbation while others are sensitive. Species are usually designated as either tolerant or sensitive in these analyses based on inherent...
Authors
Bryson G. Hilburn, Mary Freeman, Katelyn M. Lawson, Steven J. Rider, Carol E. Johnston

Role of trace metal co-limitation in cyanobacterial blooms of Maumee Bay (Lake Erie) and Green Bay (Lake Michigan) Role of trace metal co-limitation in cyanobacterial blooms of Maumee Bay (Lake Erie) and Green Bay (Lake Michigan)

The open waters of large lakes can sometimes become so depleted in important metals that phytoplankton communities become either growth limited or limited in some metabolic function. Metals such as Fe, Ni, Mo, and Zn are used as co-factors for enzymes by phytoplankton in core metabolic functions, as well as metabolic pathways that allow phytoplankton to use less preferred forms of N and...
Authors
James H. Larson, Keith A. Loftin, Erin A. Stelzer, David M. Costello, Sean Bailey, Mary Anne Evans, Carrie E. Givens, Lisa R. Fogarty
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