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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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Can the planetary health concept save freshwater biodiversity and ecosystems? Can the planetary health concept save freshwater biodiversity and ecosystems?
People clearly need and benefit from healthy freshwater ecosystems; Given the precarious state of these important systems and services, current efforts to address the freshwater biodiversity crisis remain insufficient. Planetary health is an emerging framework that aims to secure the state of natural systems within environmental limits that ensure humanity can flourish. The planetary...
Authors
Steven J. Cooke, Abigail Lynch, David Tickner, Robin Abell, Tatenda Dalu, Kathryn J. Fiorella, Rajeev Raghavan, Ian J. Harrison, Sonja C. Jahnig, Derek Vollmer, Steve Carpenter
Subsurface redox interactions regulate ebullitive methane flux in heterogeneous Mississippi River deltaic wetland Subsurface redox interactions regulate ebullitive methane flux in heterogeneous Mississippi River deltaic wetland
As interfaces connecting terrestrial and ocean ecosystems, coastal wetlands develop temporally and spatially complex redox conditions, which drive uncertainties in greenhouse gas emission as well as the total carbon budget of the coastal ecosystem. To evaluate the role of complex redox reactions in methane emission from coastal wetlands, a coupled reactive-transport model was configured...
Authors
Jiaze Wang, Theresa O’Meara, Sophie LaFond-Hudson, Songjie He, Kanchan Maiti, Eric Ward, Benjamin N. Sulman
Widespread chemical dilution of streams continues as long-term effects of acidic deposition slowly reverse Widespread chemical dilution of streams continues as long-term effects of acidic deposition slowly reverse
Studies of recovery from acidic deposition have focused on reversal of acidification and its associated effects, but as recovery proceeds slowly, chemical dilution of surface waters is emerging as a key factor in the recovery process that has significant chemical and biological implications. This investigation uses long-term chemical records from 130 streams in the Adirondack region of...
Authors
Gregory B. Lawrence, Kevin Alexander Ryan
The US COVID-19 and Influenza Scenario Modeling Hubs: Delivering long-term projections to guide policy The US COVID-19 and Influenza Scenario Modeling Hubs: Delivering long-term projections to guide policy
Between December 2020 and April 2023, the COVID-19 Scenario Modeling Hub (SMH) generated operational multi-month projections of COVID-19 burden in the US to guide pandemic planning and decision-making in the context of high uncertainty. This effort was born out of an attempt to coordinate, synthesize and effectively use the unprecedented amount of predictive modeling that emerged...
Authors
Sara L Loo, Emily Howerton, Lucie Contamin, Claire P. Smith, Rebecca K. Borchering, Luke C Mullany, Samantha Bents, Erica Carcelen, Sung-mok Jung, Tiffany L. Bogich, Willem G. van Panhuis, Jessica Kerr, Jessi Espino, Katie Yan, Harry Hochheiser, Michael C. Runge, Katriona Shea, Justin Lessler, Cécile Viboud, Shaun Truelove
Planning hydrological restoration of coastal wetlands: Key model considerations and solutions Planning hydrological restoration of coastal wetlands: Key model considerations and solutions
The hydrological restoration of coastal wetlands is an emerging approach for mitigating and adapting to climate change and enhancing ecosystem services such as improved water quality and biodiversity. This paper synthesises current knowledge on selecting appropriate modelling approaches for hydrological restoration projects. The selection of a modelling approach is based on project...
Authors
Alice Twomey, Karinna Nunez, Joel A. Carr, Steve Crooks, Daniel A. Friess, William Glamore, Michelle Orr, Ruth Reef, Kerrylee Rogers, Nathan Waltham, Catherine E. Lovelock
Complex landslide patterns explained by local intra-unit variability of stratigraphy and structure: Case study in the Tyee Formation, Oregon, USA Complex landslide patterns explained by local intra-unit variability of stratigraphy and structure: Case study in the Tyee Formation, Oregon, USA
Lithology and geologic structure are important controls on landslide susceptibility and are incorporated into many regional landslide hazard models. Typically, metrics for mapped geologic units are used as model input variables and a single set of values for material strength are assumed, regardless of spatial heterogeneities that may exist within a map unit. Here we describe how...
Authors
Sean Richard LaHusen, Alex R. Grant
Integrating the human dimensions into fish and wildlife management depends on increasing managers’ social science fluency Integrating the human dimensions into fish and wildlife management depends on increasing managers’ social science fluency
It is a common experience in human dimensions to hear people say, “wildlife management is people management.” Good people management requires the full integration of the human dimensions into natural resources work. This means going beyond conducting human dimensions research to understanding and applying lessons learned from social science. A key step here is building managers’ fluency...
Authors
Megan Siobhan Jones
Environmental and geographical factors influence the occurrence and abundance of the southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus, in Hawai‘i Environmental and geographical factors influence the occurrence and abundance of the southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus, in Hawai‘i
Hawaiian honeycreepers, a group of endemic Hawaiian forest birds, are being threatened by avian malaria, a non-native disease that is driving honeycreepers populations to extinction. Avian malaria is caused by the parasite Plasmodium relictum, which is transmitted by the invasive mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus. Environmental and geographical factors play an important role in shaping...
Authors
Oswaldo Villena, Katherine Maria McClure, Richard J. Camp, Dennis A. LaPointe, Carter T. Atkinson, Helen Sofaer, Lucas Berio Fortini
The geographic extent of bird populations affected by renewable-energy development The geographic extent of bird populations affected by renewable-energy development
Bird populations are declining globally. Wind and solar energy can reduce emissions of fossil fuels that drive anthropogenic climate change, yet renewable-energy production represents a potential threat to bird species. Surveys to assess potential effects at renewable-energy facilities are exclusively local, and the geographic extent encompassed by birds killed at these facilities is...
Authors
Hannah Vander Zander, David H. Nelson, Tara Conkling, Taber Allison, James E. Diffendorfer, Thomas Dietsch, Amy L Fesnock, Scott Loss, Patricia Ortiz, Robin Paulmann, Krysta Rodgers, Peter M. Sanzenbacher, Todd E. Katzner
Limitations of invasive snake control tools in the context of a new invasion on an island with abundant prey Limitations of invasive snake control tools in the context of a new invasion on an island with abundant prey
In October 2020, a new population of invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) was discovered on the 33-ha Cocos Island, 2.5 km off the south coast of Guam. Cocos Island is a unique conservation resource, providing refuge for many lizards and birds, including endangered species, which were extirpated from mainland Guam by invasive predators including brown treesnakes. We sought to...
Authors
Shane R. Siers, Melia Gail Nafus, Jaried E. Calaor, Rachel M. Volsteadt, Matthew S. Grassi, Megan Volsteadt, Aaron F. Collins, Patrick D Barnhart, Logan Tanner Huse, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Diane L. Vice
Heterogeneous multi-stage accretionary orogenesis — Evidence from the Gunnison block in the Yavapai Province, southwest USA Heterogeneous multi-stage accretionary orogenesis — Evidence from the Gunnison block in the Yavapai Province, southwest USA
Proterozoic rocks exposed in the southwestern U.S.A. represent one of the best examples of crustal growth by arc-related magmatism and accretionary orogenesis. Within the Southwest the 1.8–1.7 Ga Yavapai Province is widely regarded as a classic example of juvenile arc crust, however 1.8–2.5 Ga inherited zircon and Nd and Hf model ages have been recognized near Gunnison in central...
Authors
Ian William Hillenbrand, Amy K. Gilmer, Michael L. Williams, Karl E. Karlstrom, Amanda Souders, Jorge A. Vazquez, Wayne R. Premo
Landscape-scale population trends in the occurrence and abundance of wildlife populations using long term camera-trapping data Landscape-scale population trends in the occurrence and abundance of wildlife populations using long term camera-trapping data
Accurate estimation and monitoring of wildlife population trends is foundational to evidence-based conservation. Here, we use hierarchical modelling to estimate population trends for six species of management interest (coyotes; red foxes, white-tailed deer, gray foxes; eastern wild turkey, and bobcats) while accounting for observation error from a long-term camera trap survey conducted...
Authors
Joshua P. Twining, David Kramer, Kelly A. Perkins, Angela K. Fuller