Publications
Browse more than 160,000 publications authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS. Publications available are: USGS-authored journal articles, series reports, book chapters, other government publications, and more.
Science Quality and Integrity
Science Quality and Integrity
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Mission Area Publications
Mission Area Publications
We are focused on some of the most significant issues society faces, and our science is making a substantial contribution to the well-being of the Nation and the world. Learn more about the major topics our research covers and the programs focused on those topics.
Filter Total Items: 175050
Identifying new invasive plants in the face of climate change: A focus on sleeper species Identifying new invasive plants in the face of climate change: A focus on sleeper species
Sleeper populations are established populations of introduced species whose population growth is limited by one or more abiotic or biotic conditions. Sleeper populations pose an invasion risk if a change in those limiting conditions, such as climate change, enables population growth and invasion. With thousands of established introduced species, it is critical that we identify and...
Authors
A.C. O'Uhuru, Toni Lyn Morelli, Annette E. Evans, J.D. Salva, B.A. Bradley
Designing count-based studies in a world of hierarchical models Designing count-based studies in a world of hierarchical models
Advances in hierarchical modeling have improved estimation of ecological parameters from count data, especially those quantifying population abundance, distribution, and dynamics by explicitly accounting for observation processes, particularly incomplete detection. Even hierarchical models that account for incomplete detection, however, cannot compensate for data limitations stemming...
Authors
Quresh S. Latif, Jonathon Joseph Valente, Alison Johnston, Kayla L. Davis, Frank A. Fogarty, Adam W. Green, Gavin M. Jones, Matthias Leu, Nicole L. Michel, David C. Pavlacky, Elizabeth A. Rigby, Clark S. Rushing, Jamie S. Sanderlin, Morgan W. Tingley, Qing Zhao
National Aquatic Environmental DNA Strategy National Aquatic Environmental DNA Strategy
Aquatic life is the engine of ecosystems and economies. In environments ranging from freshwater through marine, this biodiversity underpins the health, culture, opportunities, and economic wellbeing of the Nation -- from local communities to the entire country. The ability to evaluate the status, trends, and future projections of nature is key to maintaining national prosperity, and this...
Authors
Kelly D Goodwin, Mike Weise, Christopher P. Meyer, Masha Edmondson, Katie Fillingham, Dee Allen, Alicia Amerson, Meredith L. Barton, Abby Benson, Gabrielle Canonico, Zachary Gold, Jennifer Gumm, Margaret Hunter, Nina Joffe, Richard Lance, Alyse Larkin, Ricardo Letelier, Christine Lipsky, Dana McCoskey, Cheryl Morrison, Karen Clark, John A. Darling, Amelia-Juliette Demery, Meredith Everett, Colette Fletcher-Hoppe, Krista M. Nichols, Kim M. Parsons, James Price, Kimberly Puglise, Katie Scholl, Mike K Schwartz, Adam Sepulveda, Janet Shannon, Woody Turner, Timothy White
Evaluation of coal mine drainage and associated precipitates for radium and rare earth element concentrations Evaluation of coal mine drainage and associated precipitates for radium and rare earth element concentrations
Coal mine drainage (CMD) and associated metal-rich precipitates have recently been proposed as unconventional sources of rare earth elements (REEs). However, the potential occurrence of radium (Ra), a known carcinogen, with the REE-bearing phases has not been investigated. We hypothesized that Ra may occur in solids that are precipitated from CMD as a “radiobarite” solid solution ((Ba,Sr...
Authors
Bonnie McDevitt, Charles A. III Cravotta, Ryan J. McAleer, John C Jackson, Aaron M. Jubb, Glenn D. Jolly, Benjamin C. Hedin, Nathaniel R. Warner
The U.S. Geological Survey Ohio Water Microbiology Laboratory The U.S. Geological Survey Ohio Water Microbiology Laboratory
The U.S. Geological Survey Ohio Water Microbiology Laboratory is a part of the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Water Science Center. The mission of the laboratory is to provide microbiological data of public health significance from surface waters, groundwaters, and sediments for a variety of study objectives. The laboratory conducts internal projects, works with external cooperators, and assists...
Authors
Braden M. Lanier, Amie M.G. Brady, Jessica R. Cicale, Christopher M. Kephart, Lauren D. Lynch, Maxim W. Schroeder, Erin A. Stelzer
Bees of the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge—A preliminary report on a bee survey in a vulnerable semi-desert grassland of the Sonoran Desert Bees of the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge—A preliminary report on a bee survey in a vulnerable semi-desert grassland of the Sonoran Desert
Pollinators are vital to the continued existence and seed production of about 87.5 percent of all flowering plants (Ollerton and others, 2011). In the semi-desert grasslands of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, in the Sonoran Desert of the United States, flowering forbs provide seed vital to the food base of wildlife, including the 136 species of resident and migratory birds using...
Authors
Kathryn A. Thomas, Angela M. Hoover, M. Kathryn Busby
Widespread occupancy of the endangered northern myotis on northeastern Atlantic Coastal Plain islands Widespread occupancy of the endangered northern myotis on northeastern Atlantic Coastal Plain islands
Northern myotis Myotis septentrionalis are one of the bat species most affected by white-nose syndrome (WNS), and disease-induced declines may cause compounding effects when combined with other threats such as habitat loss and fragmentation. Recent evidence suggests that peripheral populations are persisting in post-WNS years; however, the environmental factors that influence the...
Authors
Samantha Hoff, Brittany A. Mosher, Mandy Watson, Luanne Johnson, Elizabeth Olson, Danielle O’Dell, Casey J. Pendergast, Daniel A. Bogan, Carl J. Herzog, Wendy Christine Turner
A survey of the severity of mental health symptoms in the planetary science community A survey of the severity of mental health symptoms in the planetary science community
There is a growing recognition of a mental health crisis within the academic and research communities. Members of the planetary science community have called for healthier work environments to improve mental well-being. As a preliminary step towards improving workplace culture, we sought to determine whether the broader mental health crisis extends to planetary science and to assess the...
Authors
David Trang, Christina E. Swafford, Tamar A. Kreps, Steven D. Vance, Jemma Davidson, Justin Filiberto, Lillian R. Ostrach, Christina R. Richey
Development of an 8K SNP chip to assess adaptive diversity and hybridization in polar bears Development of an 8K SNP chip to assess adaptive diversity and hybridization in polar bears
The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a species particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. As the climate warms, polar bears will be forced to move to more suitable habitats which are likely to shrink, adapt to the new conditions, or decline in population size. However, the genomic diversity within and among all 19 subpopulations of polar bears, and therefore their adaptive...
Authors
Joshua D. Miller, Rene Malenfant, L. Ruth Rivkin, Todd C. Atwood, Steven Baryluk, Erik W. Born, Rune Dietz, Kristen L. Laidre, Jodie Pongracz, Evan Richardson, Øystein Wiig, Corey Davis
Low rate of population establishment of a freshwater invertebrate (Gammarus lacustris) in experimental conservation translocations Low rate of population establishment of a freshwater invertebrate (Gammarus lacustris) in experimental conservation translocations
Conservation translocations may be a useful tool for the restoration of declining freshwater invertebrates, but they are poorly represented in the literature. We conducted a before-after/control-impact (BACI) experiment to test the efficacy of conservation translocation for re-establishing abundant populations of the amphipod Gammarus lacustris, a declining species and wildlife food...
Authors
Megan J. Fitzpatrick, Michael J. Anteau, Carl W. Isaacson, Jake D. Carleen, Breanna R. Keith, Barry Thoele, Michael Bieganek, Alaina Taylor, Danelle M. Larson
Validation of a real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay protocol to detect chronic wasting disease using rectal mucosa of naturally infected, pre-clinical white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) Validation of a real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay protocol to detect chronic wasting disease using rectal mucosa of naturally infected, pre-clinical white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal prion disease of cervids spreading across North America. More effective mitigation efforts may require expansion of the available toolkit to include new methods that provide earlier antemortem detection, higher throughput, and less expense than current immunohistochemistry (IHC) methods. The rectal mucosa near the rectoanal junction is a site of...
Authors
Robert B. Piel III, Susan E. Veneziano, Eric M. Nicholson, Daniel P. Walsh, Aaron D. Lomax, Tracy A. Nichols, Christopher M. Seabury, David A. Schneider
Neotropical migratory bird monitoring study at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California—2021 annual data summary Neotropical migratory bird monitoring study at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California—2021 annual data summary
Executive Summary Two Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) stations were operated at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton (MCBCP), California, in 2021: one at De Luz Creek and one at the Santa Margarita River. The stations were established to provide data on Neotropical migratory birds at MCBCP to support the dual missions of environmental stewardship and military readiness...
Authors
Shannon M. Mendia, Barbara E. Kus