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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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Assessment of lesser prairie-chicken translocation through survival and lek surveys Assessment of lesser prairie-chicken translocation through survival and lek surveys

Translocation is a management tool used to restore or augment wildlife populations, but outcomes of translocations are often poorly documented and can have varying levels of success for improving wildlife population declines. The lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) is a prairie grouse endemic to the southern Great Plains. In response to declining abundance and...
Authors
Elisabeth C. Teige, Liam A. Berigan, Carly S. H. Aulicky, Jonathan H. Reitz, David A. Haukos, Daniel S. Sullins, Kent A. Fricke, Kraig A. Schultz, Liza G. Rossi

Influences of landscape composition on hunter-harvested mallard body mass and condition in eastern Arkansas Influences of landscape composition on hunter-harvested mallard body mass and condition in eastern Arkansas

Waterfowl with more body mass and a greater body condition during the non-breeding season are thought to be more likely to survive and have increased productivity during the following breeding season. Body mass and body condition in waterfowl should reflect the resources available to them locally. We analyzed the relationship of landscape composition on mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) body...
Authors
John T. Veon, David G. Krementz, Luke W. Naylor, Brett Alexander DeGregorio

Spatially explicit models of seed availability improve predictions of conifer regeneration following the 2018 Carr Fire in northern California Spatially explicit models of seed availability improve predictions of conifer regeneration following the 2018 Carr Fire in northern California

For many conifer species in dry conifer forests of North America, seeds must be present for postfire regeneration to occur, suggesting that seed dispersal from surviving trees plays a critical role in postfire forest recovery. However, the application of tree fecundity and spatial arrangement to postfire conifer recovery predictions have only recently become more common, and is often...
Authors
Micah C. Wright, Phillip J. van Mantgem, Kevin J. Buffington, Karen M. Thorne, Eamon Engber, Sean Smith

Validating morphometrics as a nonlethal tool to determine Arctic Grayling sex Validating morphometrics as a nonlethal tool to determine Arctic Grayling sex

Objective Some graylings Thymallus spp. possess an elongated dorsal fin and other morphological traits that can be sexually dimorphic, as demonstrated in the European Grayling T. thymallus. North American Arctic Grayling T. arcticus are assumed to follow these trends, but decisive evidence is lacking. This study aimed to determine whether sexually dimorphic characteristics, including...
Authors
WT Samuel, EG Hinkle, LE Yancy, Jeffrey A. Falke

Analyzing spatial distributions and alignments of pitted cone features in Utopia Planitia on Mars Analyzing spatial distributions and alignments of pitted cone features in Utopia Planitia on Mars

Martian geomorphology and surface features provide links to understanding past geologic processes such as fluid movement, local and regional tectonics, and feature formation mechanisms. Pitted cones are common features in the northern plains basins of Mars. They have been proposed to have formed from upwelling volatile-rich fluids, such as magma or water-sediment slurries. In this study...
Authors
Mackenzie M. Mills, Alfred S. McEwen, Amanda N. Hughes, Ji-Eun Kim, Chris Okubo

The effects of landscape and yard features on mammal diversity in residential yards within Northwest Arkansas, USA The effects of landscape and yard features on mammal diversity in residential yards within Northwest Arkansas, USA

The human footprint is rapidly expanding, and wildlife habitat is continuously being converted to human residential properties. Surviving wildlife that reside in developing areas are displaced to nearby undeveloped areas. However, some animals can co-exist with humans and acquire the necessary resources (food, water, shelter) within the human environment. This ability to coexist may be
Authors
Emily P. Johansson, Brett Alexander DeGregorio

Positive but un-sustained wildlife community responses to reserve expansion and mammal reintroductions in South Africa Positive but un-sustained wildlife community responses to reserve expansion and mammal reintroductions in South Africa

The creation and expansion of protected areas, coupled with wildlife reintroductions, are increasingly used as conservation measures to combat wildlife declines worldwide. Although these types of restoration efforts are expected be beneficial to wildlife populations, variable species management and interactions among species within complex food webs have the potential to lead to...
Authors
Shannon K. Brewer, Lia Keener, Lourens H. Swanepoel, Craig Sholto-Douglas, Axel Hunnicutt, Goncalo Curveira-Santos

Compost, plants and endophytes versus metal contamination: Choice of a restoration strategy steers the microbiome in polymetallic mine waste Compost, plants and endophytes versus metal contamination: Choice of a restoration strategy steers the microbiome in polymetallic mine waste

Finding solutions for the remediation and restoration of abandoned mining areas is of great environmental importance as they pose a risk to ecosystem health. In this study, our aim was to determine how remediation strategies with (i) compost amendment, (ii) planting a metal-tolerant grass Bouteloua curtipendula, and (iii) its inoculation with beneficial endophytes influenced the...
Authors
Martina Kracmarova, Jakub Papik, Ondrej Uhlik, John Freeman, Andrea L. Foster, Mary-Catherine Leewis, Courtney Creamer

Scenario-Based Decision Analysis: Integrated scenario planning and structured decision making for resource management under climate change Scenario-Based Decision Analysis: Integrated scenario planning and structured decision making for resource management under climate change

Managing resources under climate change is a high-stakes and daunting task, especially because climate change and associated complex biophysical responses engender sustained directional changes as well as abrupt transformations. This environmental non-stationarity challenges assumptions and expectations among scientists, managers, rights holders, and stakeholders. These challenges are...
Authors
Brian W. Miller, Mitchell J. Eaton, Amy Symstad, Gregor W. Schuurman, Imtiaz Rangwala, William R. Travis

A novel approach to assessing natural resource injury with Bayesian networks A novel approach to assessing natural resource injury with Bayesian networks

Quantifying the effects of environmental stressors on natural resources is problematic because of complex interactions among environmental factors that influence endpoints of interest. This complexity, coupled with data limitations, propagates uncertainty that can make it difficult to causally associate specific environmental stressors with injury endpoints. The Natural Resource Damage...
Authors
Freya Elizabeth Rowland, Christopher James Kotalik, Bruce G. Marcot, Jo Ellen Hinck, David Walters

Long-term changes in concentrations and yield of riverine dissolved silicon from the poles to the tropics Long-term changes in concentrations and yield of riverine dissolved silicon from the poles to the tropics

Riverine exports of silicon (Si) influence global carbon cycling through the growth of marine diatoms, which account for ∼25% of global primary production. Climate change will likely alter river Si exports in biome-specific ways due to interacting shifts in chemical weathering rates, hydrologic connectivity, and metabolic processes in aquatic and terrestrial systems. Nonetheless, factors...
Authors
Kathi Jo Jankowski, Keira Johnson, Lienne R. Sethna, Paul Julian, Adam S. Wymore, Arial J. Shogren, Patrick Thomas, Pamela L. Sullivan, Diane M. McKnight, William H. McDowell, Ruth C. Heindel, Jeremy B. Jones, Wilfred M. Wollheim, Benjamin Abbott, Linda A. Deegan, Joanna C. Carey
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