Articles
Science Quality and Integrity
The USGS provides unbiased, objective, and impartial scientific information upon which our audiences, including resource managers, planners, and other entities, rely.
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.
Filter Total Items: 78870
Where will the cat cross the road? Comparing camera and GPS-based models for identifying wildlife corridors Where will the cat cross the road? Comparing camera and GPS-based models for identifying wildlife corridors
Designing effective wildlife corridors is a critical conservation challenge in fragmented landscapes. GPS-based step selection functions strongly predict dispersal corridors and connectivity, but GPS collaring can be expensive and invasive. Camera-based occupancy models are widely used for connectivity analyses but may involve trade-offs in data resolution. Despite widespread use of both
Authors
Read Barbee, L. Mark Elbroch, Kimberly A. Sager-Fradkin, Kristen Phillips, Dylan L. Bergman, Bethany Ackerman, Shannon L. Murphie, Andrew Stratton, Caitlin Kupar, Cassandra Sullivan, Glen Kalisz, Sarah Nelson Sells, Mark Hebblewhite, Hugh S. Robinson
Simulation-based scenario ShakeMaps for large magnitude (MW6.5+) crustal earthquakes on the Seattle, Tacoma, and southern Whidbey Island faults, Washington, USA Simulation-based scenario ShakeMaps for large magnitude (MW6.5+) crustal earthquakes on the Seattle, Tacoma, and southern Whidbey Island faults, Washington, USA
Scenario ground‐motion maps based on empirical ground‐motion models (GMMs) provide a rapid and generally reliable means of estimating the amplitude and distribution of earthquake shaking. However, because GMMs are designed for broad applicability, they often rely on simplified representations of Earth structure, which can limit their accuracy in regions with complex source, path, and...
Authors
Ian P. Stone, Erin A. Wirth, Alex R. Grant, Julia Grossman, Arthur D. Frankel
Multivariate SWAT streamflow and surface water storage calibration enables upper Mississippi River Basin wetland change scenarios Multivariate SWAT streamflow and surface water storage calibration enables upper Mississippi River Basin wetland change scenarios
Surface water storage (e.g., wetlands, lakes) is not typically considered in hydrological model calibrations. We tested a multivariate calibration process, incorporating Sentinel-1 and -2 surface water storage, for a Soil and Water Assessment Tool model across the 0.5 million km2 Upper Mississippi River Basin. While 19% of the 2000 parameter sets adequately simulated discharge (Kling...
Authors
Wayana Dolan, Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Heather Golden, Jay R. Christensen, Charles R. Lane, Grey R. Evenson
Evaluating the effects of a multi-modal deterrent on upstream passage by invasive carp and native species Evaluating the effects of a multi-modal deterrent on upstream passage by invasive carp and native species
Invasive carp, including Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), are increasing their range within the Mississippi River Basin, threatening native fishes and ecosystem function. We conducted a 3-year field test of a multi-modal deterrent that uses sound, bubbles, and light to test its ability to impede upstream passage by invasive carp. The...
Authors
Daniel K. Gibson-Reinemer, Kyle J. Mosel, Marybeth K. Brey, Douglas Appel, Jessica C. Stanton, Joshua Tompkins, Janice L. Albers, Jacob Faulkner, Matthew D. Sholtis, Jon M. Vallazza, Theodore Castro-Santos, Andy Turnpenny, Peter Sorensen, Garrett Johnson, Rob Simmonds, Andrea K. Fritts
Reservoir releases and land cover interact to drive event-scale nitrate export in a large agricultural basin Reservoir releases and land cover interact to drive event-scale nitrate export in a large agricultural basin
Understanding the drivers of nitrate export in rivers is critical for developing effective nutrient management strategies. However, few studies have explored event-scale drivers of export in large river basins with human modifications like reservoirs. Here, we analyzed nitrate concentration-discharge (C-Q) relationships from 215 events at the outlet of the Kansas River Basin, USA (155...
Authors
Camden Hatley, Erin C. Seybold, Samuel Zipper, Amy J. Burgin, Dustin William Kincaid, Li Li, Julia N. Perdrial, Donna M. Rizzo, Kristen L. Underwood
Floral resource availability and surrounding land cover influence bumble bee community composition in an agricultural landscape Floral resource availability and surrounding land cover influence bumble bee community composition in an agricultural landscape
Agricultural intensification and the loss of floral resources are suspected factors in bumble bee declines in North America. Understanding the effects of land use on bumble bee communities at the local and landscape scale is important to support conservation efforts.We surveyed 55 prairie and grassland sites in a highly agricultural landscape in 2023 and 2024. We used a multispecies...
Authors
Kelsey N. Shepherd, Anna Maureen Tucker, Amy L. Toth
Linking distribution and return-on-investment models to optimize woody management for prairie grouse in Nebraska Linking distribution and return-on-investment models to optimize woody management for prairie grouse in Nebraska
Grasslands in Nebraska, USA, face threats from agricultural conversion, urban development, and woody encroachment, all of which negatively affect prairie grouse (Tympanuchus spp.) populations. To optimize conservation planning, Nebraska wildlife agencies developed probabilistic area-based surveys for greater prairie-chicken (T. cupido) and sharp-tailed grouse (T. phasianellus) to sample...
Authors
Kevin W. Barnes, Bryan O'Connor, Andy Bishop, Roger Grosse, Gregory Brinkman, Clinton Barrett Leach, Neal D. Niemuth, Kevin L. Pope, Bradly Thornton, John Laux
Near-Earth solar wind speed of fast coronal mass ejections Near-Earth solar wind speed of fast coronal mass ejections
Using solar wind and ground magnetometer data for solar cycles 23–25, extreme-value power-law models are developed that quantify relationships between near-Earth solar wind speed and Sun-to-Earth transit times of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs). The models of near-Earth solar wind speed, conditional on ICME transit time, are (a) approximately stable for transit times as...
Authors
Jeffrey J. Love, Ian G. Richardson, E. Joshua Rigler, Kalevi Mursula
Wicked problems in practice: Responding to ecological transformation in wilderness Wicked problems in practice: Responding to ecological transformation in wilderness
Congressionally designated wilderness offers the highest level of land protection in the USA, comparable to category 1b wilderness as defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, yet wilderness areas face impacts of climate change. Researchers and managers increasingly recognize the immense challenge of stewarding wilderness in a changing climate. Although responding to...
Authors
Jaclyn Fox Rushing, Kira Hefty, Teresa N. Hollingsworth, Amanda E. Cravens, Christopher A. Armatas, Clare Boerigter, Kellie J. Carim, Shelley D. Crausbay, Olga Helmy, David J. Lawrence, Lauren Redmore, George W. Schuurman, Eric J. Taylor, Jennifer N.L. Wilkening, Katherine A. Zeller, Sean A. Parks
A hybrid approach for revealing headwater hydrology A hybrid approach for revealing headwater hydrology
Coordinated work to compile existing data and apply models pairing physical understanding with machine learning could substantially improve streamflow predictions for little-known headwater basins.
Authors
John C. Hammond, Jay R. Christensen, Kristin Jaeger, Roy Sando, Jacob Aaron Zwart
The Zooplankton International Geospatial (ZIG) dataset: A global repository of spatiotemporal freshwater zooplankton community composition data from lakes and reservoirs to support ecological research The Zooplankton International Geospatial (ZIG) dataset: A global repository of spatiotemporal freshwater zooplankton community composition data from lakes and reservoirs to support ecological research
Zooplankton transfer substantial energy in aquatic food webs and are used as indicators of environmental change. Syntheses of zooplankton community dynamics globally require datasets that span a wide range of environmental gradients; however, these datasets are limited due to methodological differences across programs, taxonomic inconsistencies, and a lack of standardized metadata. To...
Authors
Stephanie E. Figary, Michael Frederick Meyer, Rachel M. Pilla, Warren J. Currie, Javier Alcocer, Maria Belen Alfonso, Caitlin M. Andrews, Orlane Anneville, Ana M. Antao-Geraldes, Shelley E. Arnott, Syuhei Ban, Arnab Banerjee, Gabor Bernat, Jessica E. Beyer, Katlin Blank, Kelly L. Bowen, Christer Brönmark, Rosalie Bruel, Sarah H. Burnet, Tyler J. Butts, Cayelan C. Carey, Rossana Caroni, Moitreyee Chakrabarty, Sudeep Chandra, Kristen S. Christoffersen, Alicia Cortes, Maria Cristina Crispim, Elvira de Eyto, Luciana De Souza Cardoso, Bridget R. Deemer, Curtis L. DeGasperi, Braden C. DeMattei, Jianming Deng, Jean-Pierre Descy, Inta Dimante-Deimantovica, Nadia Diovisalvi, Renata Dondajewska-Pielka, Jonathon P. Doubek, Tvrtko Drazina, Hilary A. Dugan, Zorka Dulic, Ashley A. Dunker, Gael Dur, Brie A. Edwards, Jolanta E. Ejsmont-Karabin, Mariam Elmarsafy, Zeynep Ersoy, Rocio Luz Fernandez, Heidrun Feuchtmayr, Maria S. Fontanarrosa, Elena Forasacco, Laszlo G.-Toth, Evelyn E. Gaiser, Gideon Gal, Anita Galir, Javier R. Garcia de Souza, Scott F. Girdner, Ryszard Goldyn, Karl D. Hambright, David P. Hamilton, Lars-Anders Hansson, Susan P. Hendricks, Huihuang Chen, Pascal M. Isumbisho, Stephan Jacquet, Jun Yang, Martin J. Kainz, Maciej Karpowicz, Samiullah Khan, Katarzyna Kowalczewska-Madura, Natalia Kuczyńska-Kippen, Silke Langenheder, Sarah D. Lawhun, Barbara Leoni, Fabio Lepori, Shuqi Lin, Arni H. Litt, Eleanor B. Mackay, Marina M. Manca, Shin-Ichiro S. Matsuzaki, Blake Matthews, Linda May, Yvonne R. McElarney, Christopher J. McLimans, Rosemberg F. Menezes, Ewa Merz, Evangelia Michaloudi, S. Jannicke Moe, Doerthe C. Mueller-Navarra, Manuel E. Muñoz-Colmenares, Kayden Nasworthy, Veronica Nava, Jens C. Nejstgaard, Ulrike Obertegger, David A. Ortiz, Luis A. Oseguera, Michael J. Paterson, Maria C. Piccolo, Lorena Pinheiro-Silva, Roberta Piscia, Francesco Pomati, Serena Rasconi, Brian L. Reid, Leonardo L. Ribeiro, Florencia M. Rojas Molina, Joanna Rosińska, Lars G. Rudstam, James A. Rusak, Olga O. Rusanovskaya, Nico Salmaso, Jouko Sarvala, Samuel Geoffrey Schladow, Anna G. Schmidt, Anne E. Scofield, Facundo Scordo, Jaromir Seda, Katie J. Senft, Kirill Shchapov, Svetlana V. Shimaraeva, Eugene A. Silow, Maria Spoljar, Dietmar Straile, Silva M. Sundberg, Jon N. Sweetman, Celia C. Symons, Andrew J. Tanentzap, Barbara Tartarotti, Stephen J. Thackeray, Jan-Erik Thrane, Maxim A. Timofeyev, Jörg Tittel, Pablo Urrutia-Cordero, Piet Verburg, Danielle Vieira, Heather L. Wander, Shohei Watanabe, David S. White, Sabine Wollrab, Vivian Yorojo Moreno, Horacio E. Zagarese, Matiss Zagars, Petr Znachor
Importance of fish in the diet of Adélie penguins across multiple life stages Importance of fish in the diet of Adélie penguins across multiple life stages
Over recent decades, the Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) population has grown across most of its range, the exception being the northern coast of the western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). In the Ross Sea, the very large Cape Crozier colony grew to reach ~9% of the global population. Demographic factors driving the Cape Crozier trend have yet to be identified. However, low chick fledging...
Authors
David G. Ainley, Katie M. Dugger, Megan Elrod, Amelie S. Lescroël