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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: 6197

Boulder Creek: A stream ecosystem in an urban landscape Boulder Creek: A stream ecosystem in an urban landscape

The Boulder Creek Watershed, within the Front Range region of Colorado, is typical of many western watersheds because it is composed of a high-gradient upper reach mostly fed by snowmelt, a substantial change in gradient at the range front, and an urban corridor within the lower gradient section. A stream ecosystem within an urban landscape not only can provide water for municipal...
Authors
Philip L. Verplanck, Sheila F. Murphy, Peter W. Birkeland, Pitlick, Larry B. Barber, Travis S. Schmidt

Coordinating across scales: Building a regional marsh bird monitoring program from national and state Initiatives Coordinating across scales: Building a regional marsh bird monitoring program from national and state Initiatives

Salt marsh breeding bird populations (rails, bitterns, sparrows, etc.) in eastern North America are high conservation priorities in need of site specific and regional monitoring designed to detect population changes over time. The present status and trends of these species are unknown but anecdotal evidence of declines in many of the species has raised conservation concerns. Most of...
Authors
G.W. Shriver, J.R. Sauer

Design for a region-wide adaptive search for the ivorybilled woodpecker with the objective of estimating occupancy and related parameters Design for a region-wide adaptive search for the ivorybilled woodpecker with the objective of estimating occupancy and related parameters

We describe a survey design and field protocol for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) search effort that will: (1) allow estimation of occupancy, use, and detection probability for habitats at two spatial scales within the bird?s former range, (2) assess relationships between occupancy, use, and habitat characteristics at those scales, (3) eventually allow the...
Authors
R.J. Cooper, Rua S. Mordecai, B.G. Mattsson, M.J. Conroy, K. Pacifici, J.T. Peterson, C. T. Moore

Ecology of coral reefs in the US Virgin Islands Ecology of coral reefs in the US Virgin Islands

The US Virgin Islands (USVI ) in the northeastern Caribbean, consist of St. Croix (207 km2), St. Thomas (83 km2), St. John (52 km2) and numerous smaller islands (Dammann and Nellis 1992). They are part of the Lesser Antilles and Leeward Islands on the eastern boundary of the Caribbean plate (Fig. 8.1). An extensive platform underlies St. Thomas and St. John and connects these islands to...
Authors
Caroline S. Rogers, Jeff Miller, Erinn Muller, Peter J Edmunds, Richard S. Nemeth, James P. Beets, Alan M. Friedlander, Tyler B. Smith, Rafe Boulon, Christopher F.G. Jeffrey, Charles Menza, Chris Caldow, Nasseer Idrisi, Barbara Kojis, Mark E. Monaco, Anthony S. Spitzack, Elizabeth H. Gladfelter, John C. Ogden, Zandy M Hillis-Star, Ian Lundgren, William B. Schill, Ilsa B. Kuffner, Laurie L. Richardson, Barry E. Devine, Joshua D. Voss

Ecotoxicology: Lead Ecotoxicology: Lead

Lead (Pb) is a naturally occurring metallic element; trace concentrations are found in all environmental media and in all living things. However, certain human activities, especially base metal mining and smelting; combustion of leaded gasoline; the use of Pb in hunting, target shooting, and recreational angling; the use of Pb-based paints; and the uncontrolled disposal of Pb-containing...
Authors
A.M. Scheuhammer, W. N. Beyer, C. J. Schmitt

Environmental contaminant hazards to wildlife at National Capital region and Mid-Atlantic National Park Service units Environmental contaminant hazards to wildlife at National Capital region and Mid-Atlantic National Park Service units

Pollutant data for air, water, soil and biota were compiled from databases and internet sources and by staff interviews at 23 National Park Service (NPS) units in 2005. A metric was derived describing the quality and quantity of data for each park, and in combination with known contaminant threats, the need for ecotoxicological study was identified and ranked. Over half of NP units were...
Authors
Barnett A. Rattner, B.K. Ackerson

Estimating sediment discharge: Appendix D Estimating sediment discharge: Appendix D

Sediment-discharge measurements usually are available on a discrete or periodic basis. However, estimates of sediment transport often are needed for unmeasured periods, such as when daily or annual sediment-discharge values are sought, or when estimates of transport rates for unmeasured or hypothetical flows are required. Selected methods for estimating suspended-sediment, bed-load, bed-...
Authors
John R. Gray, Francisco J. M. Simões

Estimating total population size for adult female sea turtles: Accounting for non-nesters Estimating total population size for adult female sea turtles: Accounting for non-nesters

Assessment of population size and changes therein is important to sea turtle management and population or life history research. Investigators might be interested in testing hypotheses about the effect of current population size or density (number of animals per unit resource) on future population processes. Decision makers might want to determine a level of allowable take of individual...
Authors
W. L. Kendall, J.I. Richardson

Fire and nonnative invasive plants in the central bioregion Fire and nonnative invasive plants in the central bioregion

The Central bioregion is a vast area, stretching from Canada to Mexico and from the eastern forests to the Rocky Mountains, dominated by grasslands and shrublands, but inclusive of riparian and other forests. This bioregion has been impacted by many human induced changes, particularly relating to agricultural practices, over the past 150 years. Also changed are fire regimes, first by...
Authors
James B. Grace, Kristin Zouhar

Fish Rhabdoviruses Fish Rhabdoviruses

Many important viral pathogens of fish are members of the family Rhabdoviridae. The viruses in this large group cause significant losses in populations of wild fish as well as among fish reared in aquaculture. Fish rhabdoviruses often have a wide host and geographic range, and infect aquatic animals in both freshwater and seawater. The fish rhabdoviruses comprise a diverse collection of...
Authors
Gael Kurath, J. Winton
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