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Books

Browse almost 1,000 books 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: 969

Bayesian applications in environmental and ecological studies with R and Stan

Modern ecological and environmental sciences are dominated by observational data. As a result, traditional statistical training often leaves scientists ill-prepared for the data analysis tasks they encounter in their work. Bayesian methods provide a more robust and flexible tool for data analysis, as they enable information from different sources to be brought into the modelling process. Bayesian

Electrical imaging for hydrogeology

Geophysical methods offer hydrogeologists unprecedented access to understanding subsurface parameters and processes. In this book, we outline the theory and application of electrical imaging methods, which inject current into the ground and measure the resultant potentials. These data are sensitive to rock type, grain size, porosity, pore fluid electrical conductivity, saturation, and temperature.

Geology & mineralogy of the Old Mine Park area Trumbull Connecticut

Old Mine Park, in the northern Trumbull area (also known as Long Hill) of southwestern Connecticut, is a recreation area encompassing the mineral-rich hill of “Saganawamps” and owned by the Town of Trumbull. Most of its 72 acres are wooded, rocky and undeveloped but it is surrounded by dense infrastructure and transportation, residential, retail, and commercial development (Figure 1). It preserves

Turtles of the World: A guide to every family

Turtles of the World reveals the extraordinary diversity of these amazing reptiles. Characterized by the bony shell that acts as a shield to protect the softer body within, turtles are survivors from the time of the dinosaurs and are even more ancient in evolutionary terms than snakes and crocodilians. Of more than 350 species known today, some are highly endangered. In this beautiful guide, turtl

Visitors count! Guidance for protected areas on the economic analysis of visitation

The value of protected areas is often hidden from direct view. Once managers understand the number and behaviour of visitors they host, and the revenues and costs they generate, informed decisions on management plans and tourism strategies can be made. Demonstrating the positive impact of protected areas on the local economy can lead to greater buy-in and ownership of conservation practices and pl

From saline to freshwater: The diversity of western lakes in space and time

Beginning with the nineteenth-century territorial surveys, the lakes and lacustrine deposits in what is now the western United States were recognized for their economic value to the expanding nation. In the latter half of the twentieth century, these systems have been acknowledged as outstanding examples of depositional systems serving as models for energy exploration and environmental analysis, m

Be a wolf researcher! Wolf pup ethogram

Ethology is the study of behavior, and an ethogram is a list of behaviors, typically of a single species. For this ethogram we have selected a few representative behaviors that pups will exhibit during various growth phases, and therefore, this ethogram is not exhaustive. You will likely observe behaviors not detailed in this booklet (be sure to keep notes of your observations on the pages in th

User Guide: Creating a WHISPers morbidity/mortality event

A step-by-step guide to “put a dot on the WHISPers map” by creating an event. Available to users assigned Partner User, Partner Manager, and Partner Administrator roles.

Drought early warning and forecasting

Drought risk management involves three pillars: drought early warning, drought vulnerability and risk assessment, and drought preparedness, mitigation, and response. This book collects in one place a description of all the key components of the first pillar, and describes strategies for fitting these pieces together. The best modern drought early warning systems incorporate and integrate a broad a