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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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Catchment prioritization for freshwater mussel conservation in the Northeastern United States based on distribution modelling Catchment prioritization for freshwater mussel conservation in the Northeastern United States based on distribution modelling
Freshwater mussels are critical to the health of freshwater systems, but their populations are declining dramatically throughout the world. The limited resources available for freshwater mussel conservation necessitates the geographic prioritization of conservation-related actions. However, lack of knowledge about freshwater mussel spatial distributions hinders decision making in this...
Authors
Rebecca S.M. O’Brien, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo, Allison H. Roy, Jason Carmignani, Rebecca M. Quinones, Jennifer B. Rogers, Beth I. Swartz
Evaluating mass flow meter measurements from chambers for greenhouse gas emissions from orphan wells and other point sources Evaluating mass flow meter measurements from chambers for greenhouse gas emissions from orphan wells and other point sources
This study evaluates the performance of a rigid gas flux chamber equipped with a mass flow meter (MFM) for measuring gas emissions from leaking orphan wells and similar pressure-driven gas point sources. We conducted a series of laboratory and field experiments to evaluate the sensitivity, stability, and dynamic range of an MFM chamber system and found an optimal method for sealing the...
Authors
Karl B. Haase, Nicholas J. Gianoutsos
Non-lethal detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum in Greenback Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii stomias comparing mucus, blood, and ovarian fluid samples to kidney tissues Non-lethal detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum in Greenback Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii stomias comparing mucus, blood, and ovarian fluid samples to kidney tissues
Objective Renibacterium salmoninarum, the causative agent of bacterial kidney disease, poses a major threat to both wild and aquaculture salmonid populations. Traditional detection methods typically involve lethal sampling to collect kidney tissues but are often impractical for species of conservation concern. This study evaluates nonlethal sampling techniques for detecting R...
Authors
Firestone B.R. Tawni, Eric R. Fetherman, Dana L. Winkelman
Seasonal synchronicity and multi-decadal stability of headwater biogeochemistry in the northern temperate zone Seasonal synchronicity and multi-decadal stability of headwater biogeochemistry in the northern temperate zone
Temporal patterns in chemistry of headwater streams reflect responses of water and elemental cycles to perturbations occurring at local to global scales. We evaluated multi-scale temporal patterns in up to 32 y of monthly observations of stream chemistry (ammonium, calcium, dissolved organic carbon, nitrate, total dissolved phosphorus, and sulfate) in 22 reference catchments within the...
Authors
Tamara K. Harms, Jim Hood, Mark David Scheuerell, Irena F. Creed, John L. Campbell, I. J. Fernandez, S. N. Higgins, Sherri L. Johnson, James B. Shanley, Stephen Sebestyen, K. L. Webster, H. Yoa
The influence of scale in modeling social vulnerability and disaster assistance The influence of scale in modeling social vulnerability and disaster assistance
Understanding how social vulnerability relates to disaster impacts is critical for addressing social equity, yet the role of spatial scale in this relationship is often overlooked. Most studies use aggregated data, risking ecological fallacy—misinterpreting individual outcomes from group-level data. This study examines how spatial scale influences the relationship between social...
Authors
Sina Razzaghi Asl, Oronde Oliver Drakes, Eric Tate, Samuel D. Brody, Wesley Highfield, Kayode Atoba
Analysis of a human-mediated microbioinvasion: The global spread of the benthic foraminifer Trochammina hadai Uchio, 1962 Analysis of a human-mediated microbioinvasion: The global spread of the benthic foraminifer Trochammina hadai Uchio, 1962
A non-indigenous species (NIS) of benthic foraminifera was first identified in a core collected in 1993 in San Francisco Bay, California, USA, and subsequently identified as Trochammina hadai Uchio, 1962. Archived samples and literature reviews were used to determine that the species, which is native to Asia, arrived in San Francisco Bay between the early 1960s and 1983. Through...
Authors
Mary McGann, Maria Holzmann, Vincent M.P. Bouchet, Sibelle Trevisan Disaró, Patricia P.B. Eichler, David W. Haig, Stephen J. Himson, Hiroshi Kitazato, Jean-Charles Pavard, Irina Polovodova Asteman, Andre R. Rodrigues, Clement M. Tremblin, Masashi Tsuchiya, Mark Williams, Phoebe O'Brien, Josefin Asplund, Malou Axelsson, Thomas Lorenson
Changes in aeolian saltation cloud properties with wind speed and ripples Changes in aeolian saltation cloud properties with wind speed and ripples
Aeolian sediment transport shapes landscapes on Earth and other planetary surfaces, yet key uncertainties remain in how the near-bed saltation cloud responds to changing wind and surface conditions. Leveraging recent advances in image-based particle tracking, we conducted wind tunnel experiments using high-speed imaging and Particle Tracking Velocimetry to quantify sand grain...
Authors
Madeline Margaret Kelley, Ian J. Walker, Mark W. Schmeeckle, Christy Swann, Ron Dorn, Michaela Roberts, Patrick O'Brien
Impacts of onshore wind energy production on biodiversity Impacts of onshore wind energy production on biodiversity
Wind is increasingly used as a renewable source of energy worldwide. However, harvesting wind energy can have negative consequences for biodiversity. In this Review, we summarize the growth of onshore wind power, its impacts on species and ecosystems, and how those impacts are assessed and mitigated. Across the construction, operation and decommissioning stages, wind facilities are...
Authors
Todd E. Katzner, David M. Nelson, Ana Teresa Marques, Christian C. Voigt, Sergio A Lambertucci, Natalia Rebolo, Enrico Bernard, Robert H. Diehl, Megan Murgatroyd
Speleothem evidence for Late Miocene extreme Arctic amplification – An analogue for near-future anthropogenic climate change? Speleothem evidence for Late Miocene extreme Arctic amplification – An analogue for near-future anthropogenic climate change?
The Miocene provides an excellent climatic analogue for near-future runaway anthropogenic warming, with atmospheric CO2 concentrations and global average temperatures similar to those projected for the coming century under extreme-emissions scenarios. However, the magnitude of Miocene Arctic warming remains unclear due to the scarcity of reliable proxy data. Here we use stable oxygen...
Authors
Stuart Umbo, Franziska Lechleitner, Thomas Opel, Sevasti Modestou, Tobias Braun, Anton Vaks, Gideon Henderson, Pete Scott, Alexander Osintzev, Alexander Kononov, Irina Adrian, Yuri Dublyansky, Alena Maria Giesche, Sebastian F.M. Breitenbach
Simple bagged movement models for telemetry data Simple bagged movement models for telemetry data
Determining which statistical methods are appropriate for data is both user and data dependent and prone to change as new methodology becomes available. This process encompasses model ideation, model selection, and determining appropriate use of statistical methods. Literature on models for animal movement emerging in the past two decades has yielded a rich collection of statistical...
Authors
Andrew B. Whetten, Trevor J. Hefley, David A. Haukos, Dustin E. Brewer
Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum, 1792) life history influences how diagnostic cranial structures relate to fish length Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum, 1792) life history influences how diagnostic cranial structures relate to fish length
Diagnostic bones can aid in identification and size determination of fishes from ingested prey, archaeological remains or damaged specimens. We extracted diagnostic structures, including cleithra, dentaries, opercles and otoliths, from juvenile spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) from three distinct groups: hatchery, naturally produced and surrogate, representing shared...
Authors
Jeremy D. Romer, Kevin A. Stertz, Keiara Pham, Christina Amy Murphy
Reducing bias in shorebird nest survival rates across a large Arctic landscape Reducing bias in shorebird nest survival rates across a large Arctic landscape
Reproductive success is a key demographic parameter that can have profound impacts on a species' population trend. Indeed, poor reproductive success has been suggested as a contributing factor to the declines observed in many species of birds, including Arctic-breeding shorebirds. However, the available information on Arctic-breeding shorebird nest survival is restricted to a limited...
Authors
Sarah T. Saalfeld, Emily L. Weiser, Stephen C. Brown, Christopher Latty, Shiloh Schulte, R. B. Lanctot