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The USGS provides unbiased, objective, and impartial scientific information upon which our audiences, including resource managers, planners, and other entities, rely.
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Oligocene–Miocene development and evolution of the south Dome Rock Mountains basin, lower Colorado River corridor, Arizona, USA Oligocene–Miocene development and evolution of the south Dome Rock Mountains basin, lower Colorado River corridor, Arizona, USA
Sedimentary basins in the Colorado River extensional corridor record large-magnitude Basin and Range extension and younger dextral shear deformation in the evolving Pacific−North America plate boundary. The south Dome Rock Mountains basin is located in west-central Arizona (USA), where the history of basin evolution, style of deformation, and timing of the transition between extension...
Authors
Timothy A. Brickey, Paul J. Umhoefer, Scott E.K. Bennett, Christine Regalla, Nancy R. Riggs, Skyler Pendleton Mavor
Exposure to ultraviolet radiation induces escape hatching of Cisco (Coregonus artedi) embryos Exposure to ultraviolet radiation induces escape hatching of Cisco (Coregonus artedi) embryos
Cisco (Otoonapii in Ojibwe; Coregonus artedi Lesueur, 1818), is a widely distributed stenothermic freshwater fish whose embryos typically incubate under ice and in the dark. We used Cisco as a model organism for testing the potential of UV-induced escape hatching behaviour. Owing to reduced ice cover and increased water transparency in north temperate lakes, these experiments provide...
Authors
Nicole Lynn Berry, David Bunnell, Erin P. Overholt, Jennifer A. Schumacher, Addison Z. Almeda, Casey W. Schoenebeck, Peter C. Jacobson, Kristopher Dey, Jason B. Smith, Andrew Tucker, Thomas J. Fisher, Elizabeth M. Mette, Bradley N. Carlson, Gretchen J.A. Hansen, Tyler D. Ahrenstorff, Derek L. Bahr, Kevin Keeler, Brian Weidel, Abigail Lynch, Craig E. Williamson
Assessing shifting technology in genetic monitoring of the North American plains bison Federal conservation herds Assessing shifting technology in genetic monitoring of the North American plains bison Federal conservation herds
Human expansion is a major driver of both declining wildlife abundance and the contraction of species’ distributions, increasing the risk of genetic erosion and the need for genetic monitoring. Rapidly advancing technology has expanded the types of genetic data that are available for wildlife conservation. However, inferences from different genetic markers could result in different...
Authors
Shawna J Zimmerman, Rachael Marie Giglio, Chris Geremia, Lee C. Jones, Blake McCann, Timothy J Smyser, Brendan J Moynahan, Sara J. Oyler-McCance
The tortoise and the antilocaprid: Adapting GPS tracking and terrain data to model wildlife walking functions The tortoise and the antilocaprid: Adapting GPS tracking and terrain data to model wildlife walking functions
Context The relationship between slope and terrestrial animal locomotion is key to landscape ecology but underexplored across species. This is partly due to a lack of scalable methodology that applies to a diversity of wildlife. Objectives This study investigates the slope-speed relationship for two species, Texas tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri) and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana)...
Authors
Samuel Norton Chambers, Joshua W. Von Nonn, Matthew Alexander Burgess, Lance R. Brady, Jeffrey Bracewell, Daniel A. Guerra, Miguel L. Villarreal
A framework tool that applies weight-of-evidence integration to the analysis of existing datasets to guide freshwater conservation A framework tool that applies weight-of-evidence integration to the analysis of existing datasets to guide freshwater conservation
The overarching issue we address here is how to extract clear and actionable ecological and management insights from real-world field data that often do not satisfy traditional statistical assumptions. Toward this goal, we developed a general 12+6 step adaptive management framework tool. We applied this framework tool to existing biodiversity monitoring data to create a proof-of-concept...
Authors
Olivia Rode, Martha E. Mather, Devon Oliver, Katherine Nelson, Victoria Reed, Trisha Moore, Suyash Pratap
Bridging social and ecological science to create spatially-explicit models of human-caused mortality of carnivores Bridging social and ecological science to create spatially-explicit models of human-caused mortality of carnivores
Research indicates that human-caused mortality (HCM) is a key factor limiting numerous large carnivore populations. However, efforts to represent HCM in spatially explicit models have generally been limited in scope—often relying on proxies, such as road or human density. Yet such efforts fail to distinguish different sources of HCM, which can arise from different antecedent processes...
Authors
Jeremy T. Bruskotter, Neil H. Carter, Richard Eugene Waggaman Berl, Joseph W. Hinton, Jazmin Murphy, L. Mark Elbroch, John A. Vucetich
Integrating marine historical ecology into management of Alaska’s Pacific cod fishery for climate readiness Integrating marine historical ecology into management of Alaska’s Pacific cod fishery for climate readiness
The Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) fishery was closed in 2020 after a rapid decline in biomass caused by the marine heat waves of 2014–2019. Pacific cod are exceptionally thermally sensitive and management of this fishery is now challenged by increasingly unpredictable climate conditions. Fisheries monitoring is critical for climate readiness, but short-term monitoring data may be...
Authors
Catherine F. West, Loren McClenachan, Steven J. Barbeaux, Ingrid B. Spies, Jason A. Addison, Bruce T. Anderson, Courtney A. Hofman, Katherine L. Reedy, Emma A. Elliott Smith, Michael A. Etnier, Thomas E. Helser, Bruce P. Finney
Comparison of two benthic assemblage sampling gears for use on intertidal oyster reefs in Louisiana Comparison of two benthic assemblage sampling gears for use on intertidal oyster reefs in Louisiana
Background Estuarine biodiversity plays a vital role in supporting ecosystem functions yet remains threatened by climate change and anthropogenic activity. Tracking and identifying estuarine biodiversity trends helps management ensure long-term provisions of human and environmental benefits by contributing to the estimation of habitat loss and the monitoring of restoration and...
Authors
Finella M. Campanino, Stephanie K. Archer, Jillian C. Tuptiza, Cassandra N. Glaspie, Megan La Peyre
Three decades of World Recreational Fishing Conferences: What have we learned about the dynamics of recreational fisheries? Three decades of World Recreational Fishing Conferences: What have we learned about the dynamics of recreational fisheries?
Recreational fishing extends beyond catching fish, connecting individuals with nature, generating environmental stewards and contributing significantly to both local, regional and national economies. Assessing potential impacts on ecosystems and social-ecological systems requires dedicated multi- and interdisciplinary research and integrative management and policy approaches. Managing...
Authors
Valerio Sbragaglia, Robert Arlinghaus, Faith Ochwada-Doyle, Holly Susan Embke, Lucas P Griffin, Taylor Hunt
Increased flood exposure in the Pacific Northwest following earthquake-driven subsidence and sea-level rise Increased flood exposure in the Pacific Northwest following earthquake-driven subsidence and sea-level rise
Climate-driven sea-level rise is increasing the frequency of coastal flooding worldwide, exacerbated locally by factors like land subsidence from groundwater and resource extraction. However, a process rarely considered in future sea-level rise scenarios is sudden (over minutes) land subsidence associated with great (>M8) earthquakes, which can exceed 1 m. Along the Washington, Oregon...
Authors
Tina Dura, William Chilton, David Small, Andra Garner, Andrea D. Hawkes, Diego Melgar, Simon E. Engelhart, Lydia M. Staisch, Robert C. Witter, Alan Nelson, Harvey Kelsey, Jonathan Allan, David S. Bruce, Jessica DePaolis, Mike Priddy, Richard W. Briggs, Robert Weiss, SeanPaul La Selle, Michael J. Willis, Benjamin P. Horton
Mapping predicted ecological states at landscape scales using remote sensing data and machine learning Mapping predicted ecological states at landscape scales using remote sensing data and machine learning
Dryland ecosystems, covering 45% of the Earth's land and supporting over one-third of the global population, face significant threats from land degradation and ecological state change. Managing these ecosystems is complex, and science-based frameworks like Ecological Site Descriptions and state-and-transition models are essential tools for guiding decisions to support ecological health...
Authors
Nathan J. Kleist, Christopher T. Domschke, Anna C. Knight, Travis W. Nauman, Michael C. Duniway, Sarah K. Carter
Slow rupture, long rise times, and multi-fault geometry: The 2020 M6.4 southwestern Puerto Rico mainshock Slow rupture, long rise times, and multi-fault geometry: The 2020 M6.4 southwestern Puerto Rico mainshock
The M6.4 mainshock of the southwestern Puerto Rico seismic sequence on 7 January 2020, was one of the most impactful modern earthquakes in the northeastern Caribbean. Due to its offshore location and complex aftershock distribution, its source kinematics remain poorly constrained. This active sequence illuminated a complex set of previously unrecognized structures that indicate multiple...
Authors
Margarita M. Solares-Colón, Dara Elyse Goldberg, Diego Melgar, Elizabeth A. Vanacore, Valerie J. Sahakian, William L. Yeck, Francisco Hernández, Alberto Lopez-Venegas