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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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Imperiled Great Basin terminal lakes: Synthesizing ecological and hydrological science gaps and research needs for waterbird conservation Imperiled Great Basin terminal lakes: Synthesizing ecological and hydrological science gaps and research needs for waterbird conservation
Terminal lakes are declining globally because of human water demands, drought, and climate change. Through literature synthesis and feedback from the resource and conservation community, we review the state of research for terminal lakes in the Great Basin of the United States, which support millions of waterbirds annually, to prioritize ecological and hydrologic information needs. From...
Authors
Garth Herring, Ashley L. Whipple, Cameron L. Aldridge, Bryce Alan Pulver, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Rich D. Inman, Elliott Matchett, Adrian P. Monroe, Elizabeth Kari Orning, Benjamin Seward Robb, Jessica E. Shyvers, Bryan C. Tarbox, Nathan D. Van Schmidt, Cassandra Smith, Matthew J. Holloran, Cory T. Overton, David O’Leary, Michael L. Casazza, Rebecca J. Frus
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Water Availability and Use Science Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Nevada Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Utah Water Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Saline Lake Ecosystems Integrated Water Availability Assessment
Neonate morphometrics and lambing season characteristics of desert bighorn sheep Neonate morphometrics and lambing season characteristics of desert bighorn sheep
Desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) populations often occur in remote areas at low densities, leading to gaps in knowledge of life history. In November 2011, we translocated 11 female desert bighorn sheep from the Fra Cristobal Mountains and 9 from Red Rock Wildlife Management Area (RRWMA) to the Peloncillo Mountains in southwestern New Mexico. In December 2012, we captured 21 adult...
Authors
Grace L. Parikh, Rebekah C. Karsch, James W. Cain, Eric M. Rominger, Elise J. Goldstein
Mountain sentinels in a changing world: Review and conservation implications of weather and climate effects on mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) Mountain sentinels in a changing world: Review and conservation implications of weather and climate effects on mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus)
Climate change is occurring at an accelerated rate in high-elevation alpine and mountain ecosystems. Cold-adapted, mountain species are at risk due to forecasted change and knowledge is needed to respond to current and future conservation challenges. Mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) are an iconic species of North American mountain cultures and landscapes, and due to specialized...
Authors
Kevin White, Becky Cadsand, Steeve D. Cote, Tabitha A. Graves, Sandra Hamel, Richard B. Harris, Forest Hayes, Eran Hood, Kevin Hurley, Tyler Jessen, Bill Jex, Erich H. Peitzsch, Wesley Sarmento, Helen M. Schwantje, Joel Berger
Effects of exploitation and emigration on apparent survival of Walleye in Lake Sharpe, South Dakota Effects of exploitation and emigration on apparent survival of Walleye in Lake Sharpe, South Dakota
Objective
Authors
Laurel H. Sacco, Mark J. Fincel, Cameron W. Goble, Tanner Davis, Steven R. Chipps
Presence-absence surveys yield spatially imprecise information about nesting sites of an endangered, forest-nesting seabird Presence-absence surveys yield spatially imprecise information about nesting sites of an endangered, forest-nesting seabird
Presence-absence surveys are frequently used to monitor populations of rare and elusive species. Such data may also be used as a proxy for breeding activity, but links between presence-absence data and higher-order processes must be validated to determine their reliability. The Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) is a threatened seabird that nests in older-aged forests along the...
Authors
Jonathan J. Spurgeon, Lindsay J. Adrean, S. Kim Nelson, Matthew G. Betts, Daniel D. Roby, James W. Rivers
Intrinsic and environmental drivers of pairwise cohesion in wild Canis social groups Intrinsic and environmental drivers of pairwise cohesion in wild Canis social groups
Animals within social groups respond to costs and benefits of sociality by adjusting the proportion of time they spend in close proximity to other individuals in the group (cohesion). Variation in cohesion between individuals, in turn, shapes important group-level processes such as subgroup formation and fission–fusion dynamics. Although critical to animal sociality, a comprehensive...
Authors
John F. Benson, David A. Keiter, Peter J. Mahoney, Benjamin L. Allen, Lee R. Allen, Francisco Álvares, Morgan L. Anderson, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer, Adi Barocas, James C Beasley, Linda Behrendorff, Jerrold L. Belant, Dean Beyer, Luigi Boitani, Bridget L Borg, Stan Boutin, Erin E. Boydston, Justin L. Brown, Joseph K. Bump, Jonathon D. Cepek, Michael J Chamberlain, Yvette M. Chenaux-Ibrahim, Seth G. Cherry, Duško Ćirović, Paolo Ciucci, H. Dean Cluff, Susan M Cooper, Kevin R. Crooks, Daniel L.J. Dupont, Robert N. Fisher, Daniel Fortin, Thomas D. Gable, Emilio Garcia, Eli Geffen, Stanley D. Gehrt, Michael Gillingham, Douglas C. Heard, Mark Hebblewhite, Joseph W Hinton, Austin T. Homkes, Chris G. Howden, Djuro Huber, Pat J. Jackson, Kyle Joly, Allicia P Kelly, Marcella J. Kelly, Katrien A. Kingdon, Abhijeet Kulkarni, Josip Kusak, Gerald W. Kuzyk, Bryce C. Lake, Luis Llaneza, Jose Vicente Lopez-Bao, Daniel R. MacNulty, Ashley A.D. McLaren, Philip D. McLoughlin, Evelyn H. Merrill, Kenneth J. Mills, Numi Mitchell, Seth A. Moore, Matthew A. Mumma, Maureen H. Murray, Marco Musiani, Mónia Nakamura, Eric W. Neilson, Lalenia M. Neufeld, Thomas M Newsome, John K. Oakleaf, Vincente Palacios, Marlo M. Perdicas, Thomas Perry, Tyler R. Petroelje, Cyrenea B. Piper, Christina M. Prokopenko, Laura R. Prugh, Seth P.D. Riley, Helena Rio-Maior, Gretchen H. Roffler, Dale Rollins, Håkan Sand, Fiona K A Schmiegelow, Dale R. Seip, Mathew S Sorum, Colleen C. St. Clair, Robin Steenweg, Michael W. Strohbach, Jack Tatler, Maria Thaker, Connor A. Thompson, Julia W. Turner, Abi Tamim Vanak, Eric Vander Wal, Petter Wabakken, Scott E Walter, Sarah C Webster, Tyler J. Wheeldon, Camilla Wikenros, Steve K. Windels, Julie K. Young, Sana Zabihi-Seissan, Barbara Zimmermann, Brent R. Patterson
A multidisciplinary approach that considers occurrence, geochemistry, bioavailability, and toxicity to prioritize critical minerals for environmental research A multidisciplinary approach that considers occurrence, geochemistry, bioavailability, and toxicity to prioritize critical minerals for environmental research
Critical minerals (or critical elements) are minerals or elements that are essential to global security and development and have supply chains vulnerable to disruption. In general, knowledge of the environmental behavior and health effects of critical elements is needed to support the development of safe and environmentally responsible supplies. This knowledge includes identifying...
Authors
Sarah Jane White, Tyler Kane, Kate M. Campbell, Marie Noele Croteau, Michael G. Iacchetta, Johanna Blake, Charles A. Cravotta, Bethany K. Kunz, Charles N. Alpers, Jill Jenkins, Katherine Walton-Day
By
Environmental Health Program, Mineral Resources Program, California Water Science Center, Colorado Water Science Center, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
Co-mast: Harmonized seed production data for woody plants across US long-term research sites Co-mast: Harmonized seed production data for woody plants across US long-term research sites
Plants display a range of temporal patterns of inter-annual reproduction, from relatively constant seed production to “mast seeding,” the synchronized and highly variable interannual seed production of plants within a population. Previous efforts have compiled global records of seed production in long-lived plants to gain insight into seed production, forest and animal population...
Authors
Katherine M. Nigro, Jessica H. Barton, Diana Macias, V. Bala Chaudhary, Ian S. Pearse, David M. Bell, Angel Chen, Natalie L. Cleavitt, Elizabeth E. Crone, David F. Greene, E. Penelope Holland, Jill F. Johnstone, Walter D. Koenig, Nicholas J. Lyon, Tom E. Miller, Mark Schulze, Rebecca S. Snell, Jess K. Zimmerman, Johannes M.H. Knops, Stacy McNulty, Robert R. Parmenter, Mark Winterstein, Roman I. Zlotin, Jalene M. LaMontagne, Miranda D. Redmond
Late Amazonian ice near Athabasca Valles, Mars: Recent megaflood or climate change? Late Amazonian ice near Athabasca Valles, Mars: Recent megaflood or climate change?
The Athabasca Valles outflow channel system is among the youngest such channels on Mars, with the Athabasca Valles flood lava (AVFL) covering the channel floor and reaching far beyond. Volcanic rootless cones on the AVFL indicate the presence of H2O in the shallow subsurface at the time of lava emplacement. However, Athabasca Valles are near the equator, where ice would rapidly sublime...
Authors
Colin M. Dundas, Laszlo P. Keszthelyi, Kaj E. Williams
Seasonal resource selection of a grassland bird in a dynamic landscape: Importance of a heterogeneous landscape Seasonal resource selection of a grassland bird in a dynamic landscape: Importance of a heterogeneous landscape
Habitat loss and fragmentation are a growing threat to wildlife, and a better understanding of these landscape processes is needed to mitigate their effects on species populations. Grassland biomes are among the most imperiled ecosystems in the world, and grassland birds are experiencing significant population declines in North America. Understanding how species respond to differences in...
Authors
Sprih Harsh, Robert Charles Lonsinger, Hilary R. Kauth, Andrew J. Gregory
Great Lakes mallard population dynamics Great Lakes mallard population dynamics
Breeding mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) populations in the Great Lakes region (Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, USA) declined by >40% between 2000–2022 based on abundance data collected during spring aerial surveys. Mallards are an important waterfowl species in this region, where an estimated 60–80% of the mallard harvest is composed of locally banded birds. Extensive population monitoring...
Authors
Benjamin Z. Luukkonen, Scott R. Winterstein, Daniel B. Hayes, Drew Nathan Fowler, Gregory J. Soulliere, John M. Coluccy, Amy A. Shipley, John Simpson, Brendan Shirkey, Jason M. Winiarski, Benjamin J. O’Neal, Barbara A. Avers, Gerald R. Urquhart, Philip Lavretsky
Sampling for disease surveillance: Assessing effects on blue-winged teal survival and recovery Sampling for disease surveillance: Assessing effects on blue-winged teal survival and recovery
Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in wild animals highlight the need for disease surveillance in wild birds to improve our understanding of their role as reservoirs and dispersers, and potential threats to domestic poultry and wild bird populations. Surveillance for avian influenza varies in its approach, objectives, and coordination with other monitoring efforts. For...
Authors
Rose J. Swift, Todd W. Arnold, Deborah L. Carter, Paul K. Link, Rebecca L. Poulson, David E. Stallknecht, Aaron T. Pearse