Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Book Chapters

Browse more than 5,500 book chapters 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: 6164

North America North America

Plant phenological observations and networks in North America have been largely local and regional in extent until recent decades. In the USA, cloned plant monitoring networks were the exception to this pattern, with data collection spanning the late 1950s until approximately the early 1990s. Animal observation networks, especially for birds have been more extensive. The USA National...
Authors
Mark D. Schwartz, Elisabeth G. Beaubien, Theresa Crimmins, Jake Weltzin

Surface water quality in streams and rivers: Scaling, and climate change Surface water quality in streams and rivers: Scaling, and climate change

This chapter explores spatial and temporal scaling and the impact of climate change on four basic water quality parameters: temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and suspended sediment. An introduction describing the conditions and changes in these water quality parameters is presented. Temporal scaling of water quality parameters is discussed on diel (24 h), precipitation event, and...
Authors
John Loperfido

The music of earthquakes and Earthquake Quartet #1 The music of earthquakes and Earthquake Quartet #1

Earthquake Quartet #1, my composition for voice, trombone, cello, and seismograms, is the intersection of listening to earthquakes as a seismologist and performing music as a trombonist. Along the way, I realized there is a close relationship between what I do as a scientist and what I do as a musician. A musician controls the source of the sound and the path it travels through their...
Authors
Andrew J. Michael

Animal migration and risk of spread of viral infections Animal migration and risk of spread of viral infections

The potential contribution of migration towards the spread of disease is as varied as the ecology of the pathogens themselves and their host populations. This chapter outlines multiple examples of viral diseases in animal populations and their mechanisms of viral spread. Many species of insects, mammals, fish, and birds exhibit migratory behavior and have the potential to disperse...
Authors
Diann J. Prosser, Jessica L. Nagel, John Y. Takekawa

Structured decision making Structured decision making

Wildlife management is a decision-focused discipline. It needs to integrate traditional wildlife science and social science to identify actions that are most likely to achieve the array of desires society has surrounding wildlife populations. Decision science, a vast field with roots in economics, operations research, and psychology, offers a rich set of tools to help wildlife managers...
Authors
Michael C. Runge, J. Barry Grand, Michael S. Mitchell

Forest ecosystems: Vegetation, disturbance, and economics Forest ecosystems: Vegetation, disturbance, and economics

Forests cover about 47% of the Northwest (NW–Washington, Oregon, and Idaho) (Smith et al. 2009, fig. 5.1, table 5.1). The impacts of current and future climate change on NW forest ecosystems are a product of the sensitivities of ecosystem processes to climate and the degree to which humans depend on and interact with those systems. Forest ecosystem structure and function, particularly in
Authors
Jeremy S. Littell, Jeffrey A. Hicke, Sarah L. Shafer, Susan M. Capalbo, Laurie L. Houston, Patty Glick

Measuring suspended sediment Measuring suspended sediment

Suspended sediment in streams and rivers can be measured using traditional instruments and techniques and (or) surrogate technologies. The former, as described herein, consists primarily of both manually deployed isokinetic samplers and their deployment protocols developed by the Federal Interagency Sedimentation Project. They are used on all continents other than Antarctica. The...
Authors
J. R. Gray, M. N. Landers

Colorado geology then and now: Following the route of the Colorado Scientific Society’s 1901 trip through central Colorado Colorado geology then and now: Following the route of the Colorado Scientific Society’s 1901 trip through central Colorado

In 1901, Charles Van Hise asked Samuel Emmons and Whitman Cross to organize a grand excursion across Colorado as part of the combined meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, GSA, and the Colorado Scientific Society (CSS). This trip replays part of that 10-day excursion across Colorado. Shortened to three days, this trip takes in some of the same sites as the...
Authors
Beth Simmons

Oil and gas Oil and gas

No abstract available.
Authors
Ronald R. Charpentier, Marilyn E. Tennyson

Nitrate Trends in Minnesota Rivers Nitrate Trends in Minnesota Rivers

The objective of this study was to assess long-term trends (30 to 35 years) of flow-adjusted concentrations of nitrite+nitrate-N (hereinafter referred to as nitrate) in a way that would allow us to discern changing trends. Recognizing that these trends are commonly different from one river to another river and from one part of the state to another, our objective was to examine as many...
Authors
Dave Wall, Dave Christopherson, Dave Lorenz, Gary Martin

Aquatic ecosystems as indicators of status and trends in water quality Aquatic ecosystems as indicators of status and trends in water quality

This chapter provides an introduction and overview of the use of aquatic ecosystems as indicators of water quality. The monitoring of biological communities (fish, algae, and invertebrates) as a means of assessing water quality conditions is emphasized along with ecotoxicological studies and measures of ecosystem function. Issues related to the design, implementation, and analysis of...
Authors
Thomas F. Cuffney, Jonathan G. Kennen, Ian R. Waite
Was this page helpful?