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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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Using genetic data to advance stream fish reintroduction science: A case study in brook trout Using genetic data to advance stream fish reintroduction science: A case study in brook trout
Widespread extirpation of native fish populations has led to a rise in species reintroduction efforts worldwide. Most efforts have relied on demographic data alone to guide project design and evaluate success. However, the genetic characteristics of many imperiled fish populations including low diversity, local adaptation, and hatchery introgression emphasize the importance of genetic...
Authors
Shannon L. White, Thomas C Johnson, Jacob M Rash, Barbara A. Lubinski, David C. Kazyak
Temperature optimum for marsh resilience and carbon accumulation revealed in a whole ecosystem warming experiment Temperature optimum for marsh resilience and carbon accumulation revealed in a whole ecosystem warming experiment
Coastal marshes are globally important, carbon dense ecosystems simultaneously maintained and threatened by sea-level rise. Warming temperatures may increase wetland plant productivity and organic matter accumulation, but temperature-modulated feedbacks between productivity and decomposition make it difficult to assess how wetlands and their thick, organic rich soils will respond to...
Authors
Alexander J. Smith, Genevieve L. Noyce, J. Patrick Megonigal, Glenn R. Guntenspergen, Matthew L. Kirwan
A novel application of hierarchical modelling to decouple sampling artifacts from socio-ecological effects on poaching intensity A novel application of hierarchical modelling to decouple sampling artifacts from socio-ecological effects on poaching intensity
Poaching is a global driver of wildlife population decline, including inside protected areas (PAs). Reducing poaching requires an understanding of its cryptic drivers and accurately quantifying poaching scales and intensity. There is little quantification of how poaching is affected by law enforcement intensity (e.g., ranger stations) versus economic factors (e.g., unemployment), while
Authors
Mahmood Soofi, Ali T. Qashqaei, Jan-Niklas Trei, Shirko Shokri, Javad Selyari, Benjamin Ghasemi, Poorya Sepahvand, Lukas Egli, Bagher Nezami, Navid Zamani, Gholam Hosein Yusefi, Bahram H. Kiabi, Niko Balkenhol, J. Andrew Royle, Chris R. Pavey, Steve M. Redpath, Matthias Waltert
Multi-task deep learning of daily streamflow and water temperature Multi-task deep learning of daily streamflow and water temperature
Deep learning (DL) models can accurately predict many hydrologic variables including streamflow and water temperature; however, these models have typically predicted hydrologic variables independently. This study explored the benefits of modeling two interdependent variables, daily average streamflow and daily average stream water temperature, together using multi-task DL. A multi-task...
Authors
Jeffrey Michael Sadler, Alison P. Appling, Jordan Read, Samantha K. Oliver, Xiaowei Jia, Jacob Aaron Zwart, Vipin Kumar
Assessing mineral supply concentration from different perspectives through a case study of zinc Assessing mineral supply concentration from different perspectives through a case study of zinc
Increasing demand for nonfuel mineral commodities has increased concerns regarding the reliability of their supplies. “Criticality” assessments over the past decade have attempted to capture this concern through a set of indicators, the most common of which quantifies the risk associated with market concentration by applying the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) to the world production of...
Authors
Christine L. Thomas, Nedal T. Nassar, John H. DeYoung
Contrasting Common Era climate and hydrology sensitivities from paired lake sediment dinosterol hydrogen isotope records in the South Pacific Convergence Zone Contrasting Common Era climate and hydrology sensitivities from paired lake sediment dinosterol hydrogen isotope records in the South Pacific Convergence Zone
Hydroclimate on ‘Uvea (Wallis et Futuna) is controlled by rainfall associated with the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ), the southern hemisphere's largest precipitation feature. To extend the short observational precipitation record, the hydrogen isotopic composition of the algal lipid biomarker dinosterol (δ2Hdinosterol) was measured in sediment cores from two volcanic crater lakes...
Authors
Ashley E. Maloney, Julie N. Richey, Daniel B. Nelson, Samantha N Hing, David A. Sear, Jonathan D. Hassall, Peter G. Langdon, Ursula Sichrowsky, Robert Schabetsberger, Atoloto Malau, Jean-Yves Meyer, Ian W. Croudace, Julian P. Sachs
Defining relevant conservation targets for the endangered Southern California distinct population segment of the mountain yellow-legged frog (Rana muscosa) Defining relevant conservation targets for the endangered Southern California distinct population segment of the mountain yellow-legged frog (Rana muscosa)
The endangered mountain yellow-legged frog (Rana muscosa) has been reduced to
Authors
Thierry Chambert, Adam R. Backlin, Elizabeth Gallegos, Bradd Baskerville-Bridges, Robert N. Fisher
Estimation of lake-scale stock-recruitment models for Great Lakes sea lampreys Estimation of lake-scale stock-recruitment models for Great Lakes sea lampreys
Understanding recruitment dynamics is an essential part of effective fisheries management, whether the focus is on conservation, harvest policy development, or invasive species control. We developed a model that estimates lake-wide Ricker stock-recruitment relations for invasive sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) in each of the five Laurentian Great Lakes to inform future control efforts...
Authors
Jean V. Adams, Michael L. Jones
Bedrock geochemistry and alteration history of the clay-bearing Glen Torridon region of Gale crater, Mars Bedrock geochemistry and alteration history of the clay-bearing Glen Torridon region of Gale crater, Mars
Glen Torridon is a topographic trough located on the slope of Aeolis Mons, Gale crater, Mars. It corresponds to what was previously referred to as the “clay-bearing unit”, due to the relatively strong spectral signatures of clay minerals (mainly ferric smectites) detected from orbit. Starting in January 2019, the Curiosity rover explored Glen Torridon for more than 700 sols (Martian days...
Authors
Erwin Dehouck, Agnes Cousin, Nicolas Mangold, Jens Frydenvang, Olivier Gasnault, Olivier Forni, William Rapin, Patrick J. Gasda, Gwenael Caravaca, Gael David, Candice C. Bedford, Jeremie Lasue, Pierre-Yves Meslin, Kristin Rammelkamp, Marine Desjardins, Stephane Le Mouelic, Michael T. Thorpe, Valerie K. Fox, Kristen A. Bennett, Alexander Bryk, Nina L. Lanza, Sylvestre Maurice, Roger C. Wiens
An efficient, analytic solution using order statistics for probabilistic seismic‐hazard assessment without the Poisson assumption An efficient, analytic solution using order statistics for probabilistic seismic‐hazard assessment without the Poisson assumption
Standard approaches to probabilistic seismic‐hazard assessment (PSHA) assume that earthquakes are random, independent events that follow a Poisson distribution of occurrences in a given time period (Cornell, 1968). To overcome the limitations of the Poisson assumption, such as ignoring earthquake clustering, we introduce an analytic method for PSHA that uses order statistics to allow for...
Authors
Andrew J. Michael, Andrea L. Llenos
Calibration of an evapotranspiration algorithm in a semiarid sagebrush steppe using a 3-ha lysimeter and Landsat normalized difference vegetation index data Calibration of an evapotranspiration algorithm in a semiarid sagebrush steppe using a 3-ha lysimeter and Landsat normalized difference vegetation index data
In arid and semiarid environments, evapotranspiration (ET) is the primary discharge component in the water balance, with potential ET exceeding precipitation. For this reason, reliable estimates of ET are needed to construct accurate water budgets in these environments. Remote sensing affords the ability to provide fast, accurate, field-scale ET estimates, but these methods have largely...
Authors
Christopher J. Jarchow, William J. Waugh, Pamela L. Nagler
Assessing the accuracy and potential for improvement of the national land cover database’s tree canopy cover dataset in urban areas of the conterminous United States Assessing the accuracy and potential for improvement of the national land cover database’s tree canopy cover dataset in urban areas of the conterminous United States
The National Land Cover Database (NLCD) provides time-series data characterizing the land surface for the United States, including land cover and tree canopy cover (NLCD-TC). NLCD-TC was first published for 2001, followed by versions for 2011 (released in 2016) and 2011 and 2016 (released in 2019). As the only nationwide tree canopy layer, there is value in assessing NLCD-TC accuracy...
Authors
Mehdi Heris, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Austin Troy, Jarlath O’Neil-Dunne