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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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Flight capacity and response to habitat drying of endemic diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) in Arkansas (USA) Flight capacity and response to habitat drying of endemic diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) in Arkansas (USA)
The ability to colonize new habitat is essential for wild populations affected by disturbance or other forms of habitat change. For aquatic insects in small streams, overland flight is an important strategy for dispersal when barriers to in-stream migration exist and when populations are isolated in upland habitats. Two Ozark-endemic water beetles (Heterosternuta sulphuria and...
Authors
Scott Longing, Daniel D. Magoulick
Recognizing political influences in participatory social-ecological systems modeling Recognizing political influences in participatory social-ecological systems modeling
Stakeholder participation in social-ecological systems (SES) modeling is increasingly considered a desirable way to elicit diverse sources of knowledge about SES behavior and to promote inclusive decision-making in SES. Understanding how participatory modeling processes function in the context of long-term adaptive management of SES may allow for better design of participatory processes...
Authors
Theodore C. Lim, Pierre D. Glynn, Gary W. Shenk, Patrick Bitterman, Joseph H. A. Guillaume, John Little, D. G. Webster
Sensitivity of the Penman-Monteith reference evapotranspiration equation to meteorological variables for Puerto Rico Sensitivity of the Penman-Monteith reference evapotranspiration equation to meteorological variables for Puerto Rico
Spatiotemporal variations in reference evapotranspiration (ETo) are sensitive to the meteorological data used in its estimation. The sensitivity of the ASCE standardized ETo equation to meteorological variables from GOES-PRWEB dataset was evaluated for the island of Puerto Rico. Island wide, ETo is most sensitive to daily mean relative humidity (RHmean), followed by solar radiation...
Authors
Michelle M. Irizarry-Ortiz, Eric Harmsen
Assessing individual movement, habitat use, and behavior of non-breeding marine birds in relation to prey availability in the US Atlantic Assessing individual movement, habitat use, and behavior of non-breeding marine birds in relation to prey availability in the US Atlantic
Resource availability is a key factor driving marine bird movements and distributions, but direct information on prey availability is difficult to obtain at relevant scales. We present novel methods for describing multi-scale trophic associations, combining movement analyses of marine birds with estimates of forage fish surface aggregations from digital aerial survey data and species...
Authors
Julia Gulka, Alicia Berlin, Kevin Friedland, Andrew Gilbert, Chandra Goetsch, William Montevecchi, Matthew Perry, Iain Stenhouse, Kate A. Williams, Evan A. Adams
Paleohydrologic history of pluvial lake San Agustin, New Mexico: Tracking changing effective moisture in southwest North America through the last glacial transition Paleohydrologic history of pluvial lake San Agustin, New Mexico: Tracking changing effective moisture in southwest North America through the last glacial transition
Paleoclimate records across the Intermountain West region of North America show significant regional variation in timing and magnitude of wet conditions that accompanied the last glacial-interglacial transition. To understand the climate controls on paleohydrologic change, well-dated records are needed across the region. The Plains of San Agustin (New Mexico, USA) is a closed-basin...
Authors
Adam M. Hudson, Jay Quade, Vance T. Holliday, Brendan Fenerty, Jordon Bright, Harrison J. Gray, Shannon A. Mahan
Methods and lessons for business resilience and recovery surveys Methods and lessons for business resilience and recovery surveys
Surveys are important tools in business resilience and recovery research because of their ability to capture disaggregated economic information; however, they can be difficult and costly due to business operational dynamics and the larger challenges of disaster research. The COVID-19 pandemic serves as a recent example where demand for business data was high across both research and...
Authors
Maria Watson, Charlotte Brown, John Handmer, Cynthia Kroll, Anne Wein, Jennifer Helgeson, Adam Rose, Noah Dormady, Juri Kim
Temperature and winter duration requirements for reproductive success in johnny darter Etheostoma nigrum in the South Platte River basin, Colorado Temperature and winter duration requirements for reproductive success in johnny darter Etheostoma nigrum in the South Platte River basin, Colorado
Changes in water temperature and its seasonal timing influences the physiological processes of many aquatic ectotherms. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) contribute to warmer and more consistent water temperatures in streams draining the North American Great Plains, particularly during winter months. Reduced variation in seasonal water temperature may adversely affect fishes that rely...
Authors
C.M. Baum, Dana L. Winkelman, R.M. Fitzpatrick
Successful detection of Delta and Omicron Variants of SARS-CoV-2 by veterinary diagnostic laboratory participants in an interlaboratory comparison exercise Successful detection of Delta and Omicron Variants of SARS-CoV-2 by veterinary diagnostic laboratory participants in an interlaboratory comparison exercise
Background Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, veterinary diagnostic laboratories have tested diagnostic samples for SARS-CoV-2 both in animals and over 6 million human samples. An evaluation of the performance of those laboratories is needed using blinded test samples to ensure that laboratories report reliable data to the public. This interlaboratory comparison exercise (ILC3) builds on...
Authors
Kaiping Deng, Sarah M. Nemser, Kirstin Frost, Laura B. Goodman, Hon S. Ip, Mary Lea Killian, Jodie Ulaszek, Shannon Kiener, Matthew Kmet, Steffen Uhlig, Karina Hettwer, Bertrand Colson, Kapil Nichani, Anja Schlierf, Andriy Tkachenko, Megan R. Miller, Ravinder Reddy, Gregory H. Tyson
The extent of buildings in wildland vegetation of the conterminous U.S. and the potential for conservation in and near National Forest private inholdings The extent of buildings in wildland vegetation of the conterminous U.S. and the potential for conservation in and near National Forest private inholdings
Development in natural areas is a leading threat to biodiversity. Global conservationists have called for the expansion of protected areas to preserve wildlands that are free from buildings, and in the U.S., the ‘America the Beautiful’ initiative aims to protect 30% of land and water areas by 2030 (known as the ‘30x30’ target). Here, we determined opportunities and limitations for...
Authors
Amanda R. Carlson, Volker C. Radeloff, Dave P. Helmers, Miranda H. Mockrin, Todd Hawbaker, Anna M. Pidgeon
Toward a national eDNA strategy for the United States Toward a national eDNA strategy for the United States
Environmental DNA (eDNA) data make it possible to measure and monitor biodiversity at unprecedented resolution and scale. As use-cases multiply and scientific consensus grows regarding the value of eDNA analysis, public agencies have an opportunity to decide how and where eDNA data fit into their mandates. Within the United States, many federal and state agencies are individually using...
Authors
Ryan Kelly, David M. Lodge, Kai Lee, Susanna Theroux, Adam Sepulveda, Chris Scholin, Joseph M. Craine, Elizabeth Allan, Krista M. Nichols, Kim M. Parsons, Kelly D Goodwin, Zachary Gold, Francisco P. Chavez, Rachel T. Noble, Cathryn Abbott, Melinda R. Baerwald, Amanda Naaum, Peter Thielen, Ariel Simons, Christopher L. Jerde, Jeffrey J. Duda, Margaret Hunter, John Hagan, Rachel Meyer, Joshua Steele, Mark Stoeckle, Holly Bik, Christopher Meyer, Eric D. Stein, Karen James, Austen Thomas, Elif Demir-Hilton, Molly Timmers, John Griffith, Michael J Weise, Steve Weisberg
Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in Pennsylvania surface waters: A statewide assessment, associated sources, and land-use relations Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in Pennsylvania surface waters: A statewide assessment, associated sources, and land-use relations
The objectives of this study are to identify per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Pennsylvania surface waters, corresponding associations with potential sources of PFAS contamination (PSOC) and other parameters, and compare raw surface water concentrations to human and ecological benchmarks. Surface water samples from 161 streams were collected in September 2019 and were...
Authors
Sara E. Breitmeyer, Amy Williams, Joseph W. Duris, Lee W. Eicholtz, Dustin R. Shull, Timothy A. Wertz, Emily E. Woodward
Application of electricity and underwater acoustics to clear fish from a navigation lock during maintenance Application of electricity and underwater acoustics to clear fish from a navigation lock during maintenance
The presence of fish within navigation locks can introduce an environmental challenge for construction crews when maintenance is required. This study examined the effectiveness of a dual-deterrent fish herding technique using electricity and acoustic stimuli to reduce the abundance of fish within a navigation lock before a scheduled dewatering for maintenance. Fixed-location multi-beam...
Authors
Jose Rivera, Aaron R. Cupp, Josey Lee Ridgway, Duane Chapman, Bethany E Hoster, Matthew Ross Acre, Robin D. Calfee, Jesse Robert Fischer, James J. Duncker