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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.
Browse more than 65,000 articles authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS and refine search by topic, location, year, and advanced search.
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Tag retention, growth, condition, and survival of externally marked Yellow Perch Tag retention, growth, condition, and survival of externally marked Yellow Perch
Objective: Determining the movement and survival of Yellow Perch Perca flavescens that inhabit Lake Erie is a priority management concern, yet contemporary understanding of their cross-jurisdictional movements and exploitation is lacking. To support future movement and survival studies, we evaluated the retention rates, condition, growth, and survival associated with four external...
Authors
Mark Richard Dufour, Francesco Guzzo, Kevin Keeler, Christopher S. Vandergoot
Advances and applications of Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) research in landscape ecology Advances and applications of Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) research in landscape ecology
Landscape ecologists have long depended on satellite and aerial remote sensing to address questions about landscape pattern and process, structure, and change (Foody 2023). Unoccupied aerial systems/vehicles (UAS/UAV, a.k.a. drones) technology is becoming an increasingly popular research tool in environmental sciences allowing scientists to generate low-cost, high-quality, and high...
Authors
Miguel L. Villarreal, Tara B. Bishop, Temuulen Ts. Sankey, William K. Smith
Cost of migration increased during an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus Cost of migration increased during an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
Migration is thought to be costly such that challenges faced during migration likely affect how birds migrate through direct selection on migratory behavior. Survival throughout the annual cycle and conditions that affect the survival costs of migration are therefore critical to our understanding of the causes and consequences of migration. Estimating daily survival throughout the annual...
Authors
Neil Paprocki, Jeff W Kidd, Courtney J. Conway
Changes in spatial distribution and abundance together determine potential for population persistence for greater sage-grouse Changes in spatial distribution and abundance together determine potential for population persistence for greater sage-grouse
Aim Population ecologists often focus on changes in the distribution and abundance of wildlife species, which are useful for trend analyses and status assessments. However, rarely are these responses evaluated simultaneously for a single species, despite their unique contributions to fully assess a species' viability. For example, focusing solely on total abundance can mask important...
Authors
Megan C. Milligan, Peter S. Coates, Brian G. Prochazka, Michael P. Chenaille, Shawn T. O’Neil, Steven R. Mathews, Justin R. Small, Katherine Miller, Steve Abele
Leveraging local species data, a global database, and an occupancy model to explore bee–plant interactions Leveraging local species data, a global database, and an occupancy model to explore bee–plant interactions
Global declines in bee populations are threatening the ecosystem services they provide, including pollination. Many bee–plant interactions are understudied, producing an incomplete understanding of resulting ecosystem-level vulnerabilities. The last decade has generated a wealth of opportunistic data originating from natural history collection records, published ecological datasets, and...
Authors
Michelle J. Lee, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo, Chengyi Diao, Katja C. Seltmann
Compact seismicity bursts have different characteristics from regional seismicity Compact seismicity bursts have different characteristics from regional seismicity
Earthquakes tend to cluster, developing into sequences driven by stress perturbations and transient fault-zone processes. Depending on the driving process, earthquake sequences show differing behaviors. This variability challenges our ability to observe or distinguish these driving processes in high resolution. Here we systematically identify seismicity bursts throughout southern...
Authors
Nicolas DeSalvio, Wenyuan Fan, Andrew J. Barbour, Jeanne L. Hardebeck
Tidal wetland soil carbon accumulation rates for coastal California Tidal wetland soil carbon accumulation rates for coastal California
Carbon stock and carbon accumulation rate data are vital to multiple aspects of tidal wetland conservation and restoration policy. In California, USA tidal soil data are rare outside of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento Delta regions, despite the differing conditions experienced by the outer coastline. Here we provide carbon stocks and decadal-to-centennial-scale carbon accumulation...
Authors
James R. Homquist, Lauren N. Brown, Elizabeth Fard, Richard F. Ambrose, Kathryn E. Hargan, Douglas E. Hammond, Nathaniel J. Kemnitz, John P. Smol, Karen Thorne, Glen M. MacDonald
Rapid seismic and infrasound assessment of large landslides: A case study from Denali National Park and Preserve (Alaska) Rapid seismic and infrasound assessment of large landslides: A case study from Denali National Park and Preserve (Alaska)
Large, rapid landslides are a global hazard that can occur in remote, mountainous areas. Eyewitness reports of landslides and satellite imagery can often be limited or delayed, particularly during inclement weather. However, landslide-generated seismic and infrasound (low-frequency atmospheric sound) waves can be remotely detected in near real-time. This information can significantly...
Authors
Liam Toney, Michael E. West, Ezgi Karasözen, Denny M Capps, Elaine A. Collins, Kate E. Allstadt, Jana Pursley, Heather McFarlin, Anne Mangeney, David Fee, Dennis M. Staley, Matthew M. Haney, John J. Lyons, John Bellini
Population trends of dabbling ducks wintering in the alluvial valleys of Arkansas and Mississippi Population trends of dabbling ducks wintering in the alluvial valleys of Arkansas and Mississippi
Population abundances, distributions, and compositions across a diversity of taxa are changing, partly as a consequence of human-induced global modifications. Although linking population fluctuations to anthropogenic-induced alterations can be challenging, it is increasingly clear that long-term monitoring is critical to understanding changing populations. For waterfowl, concerns over...
Authors
Melanie R. Boudreau, Houston Havens, Brett Leach, Luke W. Naylor, James T. Callicutt, Aaron T. Pearse, J. Brian Davis
Decadal shifts in groundwater age detected by environmental tracers across California, USA Decadal shifts in groundwater age detected by environmental tracers across California, USA
Groundwater age offers important insight into recharge, storage, and contamination risk. Although models predict age changes can be driven by pumping and climate variability, direct observational evidence remains limited. Here, we analyzed paired environmental tracer suites (tritium, carbon-14, and tritiogenic helium-3) collected a decade apart from 268 wells across California to assess...
Authors
Bryant C. Jurgens, Zeno F. Levy
The collective application of shorebird tracking data to conservation The collective application of shorebird tracking data to conservation
Addressing urgent conservation issues, such as the drastic declines of North American migratory birds, requires creative, evidence-based, efficient, and collaborative approaches. The abundance of over 50% of monitored North American shorebird populations has declined by over 50% since 1980. To address these declines, we developed a partnership of scientists and practitioners called the...
Authors
Autumn-Lynn Harrison, Candace Stenzel, Alexandra Anderson, Jessica Howell, Richard B. Lanctot, Marley Aikens, Joaquín Aldabe, Liam A. Berigan, Joël Bêty, Erik Blomberg, Juliana Bosi de Almeida, Andy J. Boyce, David W. Bradley, Stephen C. Brown, Jay D. Carlisle, Edward Cheskey, Katherine Christie, Sylvain Christin, Rob Clay, Ashley A. Dayer, Jill L. Deppe, Willow B. English, Scott A. Flemming, Olivier Gilg, Christine Gilroy, Susan Heath, Jason M. Hill, J. Mark Hipfner, James A. Johnson, Luanne Johnson, Bart Kempenaers, Paul Knaga, Eunbi Kwon, Benjamin J. Lagassé, Jean-François Lamarre, Christopher Latty, Don-Jean Léandri-Breton, Nicolas Lecomte, Pam Loring, Laura Anne McDuffie, Rebecca L McGuire, Scott Moorhead, Juan G. Navedo, David Newstead, Erica Nol, Alina Olalla-Kerstupp, Bridget Olson, Elizabeth Olson, Julie Paquet, Allison K. Pierce, Jennie Rausch, Kevin Regan, Matthew E. Reiter, Amber M. Roth, Mike Russell, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Amy L. Scarpignato, Shiloh Schulte, Nathan R. Senner, Joseph A.M. Smith, Paul A. Smith, Zach Spector, Kelly Srigley Werner, Michelle L. Stantial, Audrey R. Taylor, T. Lee Tibbitts, Mihai Valcu, Nils Warnock, Walter Wehtje, Brad Winn, Michael B. Wunder
Sources and streambed storage of soft sediment and sediment-bound phosphorus in an agricultural Great Lakes tributary Sources and streambed storage of soft sediment and sediment-bound phosphorus in an agricultural Great Lakes tributary
The East River, an agricultural tributary to the Lower Fox River and Lake Michigan in Wisconsin, USA, has excessive phosphorus (P) and suspended-sediment loads that contribute to downstream eutrophication and habitat-related impairments. Spatial variations and connectivity in the sources and streambed storage of soft, fine-grained (silt and clay) sediment and related sediment-bound P...
Authors
Heidi Mae Broerman, James D. Blount, Faith Fitzpatrick, Tanja N. Williamson, Rebecca Kreiling, Isaac James Mevis, Matthew J. Komiskey