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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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Acoustic interaction between a pair of owls and a wolf Acoustic interaction between a pair of owls and a wolf

During summer 2019, we recorded an apparent vocal interaction, lasting just under 4 min, between a pair of Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) and a gray wolf (Canis lupus) in Yellowstone National Park. To our knowledge, this is the first report of such an acoustic interaction in the scientific literature. The increased use of passive acoustic recorders, which record spontaneous...
Authors
Barbara Marti-Domken, Vicente Palacios, Shannon Barber-Meyer

Phytoplankton and cyanobacteria abundances in mid-21st century lakes depend strongly on future land use and climate projections Phytoplankton and cyanobacteria abundances in mid-21st century lakes depend strongly on future land use and climate projections

Land use and climate change are anticipated to affect phytoplankton of lakes worldwide. The effects will depend on the magnitude of projected land use and climate changes and lake sensitivity to these factors. We used random forests fit with long-term (1971–2016) phytoplankton and cyanobacteria abundance time series, climate observations (1971–2016), and upstream catchment land use...
Authors
Karan Kakouei, B.M. Kraemer, O. Anneville, L. Carvalho, H. Feuchtmayr, Jennifer L. Graham, S. Higgins, F. Pomati, L.G. Rudstam, J.D. Stockwell, S.J. Thackeray, M. Vanni, R. Adrian

Watershed and estuarine controls both influence plant community and tree growth changes in tidal freshwater forested wetlands along two U.S. mid-Atlantic rivers Watershed and estuarine controls both influence plant community and tree growth changes in tidal freshwater forested wetlands along two U.S. mid-Atlantic rivers

The tidal freshwater zone near the estuarine head-of-tide is potentially sensitive to both sea-level rise and associated salinity increases as well as changing watershed inputs of freshwater and nutrients. We evaluated the vegetation response of tidal freshwater forested wetlands (TFFW) to changes in nontidal river versus estuarine controls along the longitudinal gradient of the...
Authors
Gregory B. Noe, Norman A Bourg, Ken Krauss, Jamie A. Duberstein, Cliff R. Hupp

Risk-based wellhead protection decision support: A repeatable workflow approach Risk-based wellhead protection decision support: A repeatable workflow approach

Environmental water management often benefits from a risk-based approach where information on the area of interest is characterized, assembled, and incorporated into a decision model considering uncertainty. This includes prior information from literature, field measurements, professional interpretation, and data assimilation resulting in a decision tool with a posterior uncertainty...
Authors
Michael N. Fienen, Nicholas Corson-Dosch, Jeremy T. White, Andrew T. Leaf, Randall J. Hunt

Predicting non-native insect impact: Focusing on the trees to see the forest Predicting non-native insect impact: Focusing on the trees to see the forest

Non-native organisms have invaded novel ecosystems for centuries, yet we have only a limited understanding of why their impacts vary widely from minor to severe. Predicting the impact of non-established or newly detected species could help focus biosecurity measures on species with the highest potential to cause widespread damage. However, predictive models require an understanding of...
Authors
Ashley N. Schulz, Angela M. Mech, Matthew P. Ayres, Kamal J.K. Gandhi, Nathan P. Havill, Daniel A. Herms, Angela Marie Hoover, Ruth A. Hufbauer, Andrew M. Liebhold, Travis D. Marsico, Kenneth F. Raffa, Patrick C. Tobin, Daniel R. Uden, Kathryn A. Thomas

Consequences of changing water clarity on the fish and fisheries of the Laurentian Great Lakes Consequences of changing water clarity on the fish and fisheries of the Laurentian Great Lakes

Human-driven environmental change underlies recent changes in water clarity in many of the world’s great lakes, yet our understanding of the consequences of these changes on the fish and fisheries they support remains incomplete. Herein, we offer a framework to organize current knowledge, guide future research, and help fisheries managers understand how water clarity can affect their...
Authors
David Bunnell, Stuart A. Ludsin, Roger L. Knight, Lars G. Rudstam, Craig E. Williamson, Tomas O. Hook, Paris D. Collingsworth, Barry M. Lesht, Richard P. Barbiero, Anne E. Scofield, Edward S. Rutherford, Layne Gaynor, Henry A. Vanderploeg, Marten A. Koops

Making the most of volcanic eruption responses Making the most of volcanic eruption responses

No abstract available.
Authors
Tobias P. Fischer, Seth C. Moran, Kari M Cooper, Diana C. Roman, Peter C LaFemina

A big problem for small earthquakes: Benchmarking routine magnitudes and conversion relationships with coda-envelope-derived Mw in southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma A big problem for small earthquakes: Benchmarking routine magnitudes and conversion relationships with coda-envelope-derived Mw in southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma

Earthquake magnitudes are widely relied upon measures of earthquake size. Although moment magnitude (⁠MwMw⁠) has become the established standard for moderate and large earthquakes, difficulty in reliably measuring seismic moments for small (generally MwMwMw⁠. To assess this problem, we apply coda envelope analysis to reliably determine moment magnitudes for a case study of small...
Authors
David R. Shelly, Kevin Mayeda, Justin Barno, Katherine M. Whidden, Morgan P. Moschetti, Andrea L. Llenos, Justin L. Rubinstein, William L. Yeck, Paul S. Earle, Rengin Gok, William R. Walter

Enhanced susceptibility of methylmercury bioaccumulation into seston of the Laurentian Great Lakes Enhanced susceptibility of methylmercury bioaccumulation into seston of the Laurentian Great Lakes

Mercury concentrations in the Laurentian Great Lakes waters are among the lowest reported in the literature, while game fish concentrations approach consumption advisory limits, particularly in Lakes Superior, Huron, and Michigan, indicating efficient methylmercury transfer from water to game fish. To determine if increased transfer efficiency is evident within the lower food web, we...
Authors
Jacob M. Ogorek, Ryan F. Lepak, Joel C Hoffman, John F. DeWild, Tylor Rosera, Michael Tate, James P Hurley, David Krabbenhoft

Flow dynamics influence fish recruitment in hydrologically connected river-reservoir landscapes Flow dynamics influence fish recruitment in hydrologically connected river-reservoir landscapes

Hydrologic processes are often important determinants of successful recruitment of native fishes. However, water management practices can result in abnormal changes in daily and seasonal hydrology patterns. Rarely has fish recruitment across river–reservoir landscapes been considered in relation to flow management, despite the direct relationship between reservoir water management and...
Authors
J. Dattilo, Shannon K. Brewer, D. E. Shoup

Swipe left on the “big one”: Better dates for Cascadia quakes Swipe left on the “big one”: Better dates for Cascadia quakes

Improving our understanding of hazards posed by future large earthquakes on the Cascadia Subduction Zone requires advancements in the methods and sampling used to date and characterize past events.
Authors
Jessie K. Pearl, Lydia M. Staisch
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