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.
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Mission Area Publications
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Inferring Brown-Capped Rosy-Finch demography and breeding distribution trends from long-term wintering data in New Mexico Inferring Brown-Capped Rosy-Finch demography and breeding distribution trends from long-term wintering data in New Mexico
The three North American Rosy-Finch species (Brown-capped [Leucosticte australis], Black [L. atrata], and Gray-crowned [L. tephrocotis]) are among the most climate-threatened species in the United States. New Mexico is an important location for investigating the effects of climate change because it is the southernmost location in which Brown-capped Rosy-Finches breed and the southernmost...
Authors
Whitney A. Watson, Corrie C. Borgman, Steven Cox, Abigail Jean Lawson
Beach nourishment response and recent morphological evolution of Minnesota Point, Lake Superior Beach nourishment response and recent morphological evolution of Minnesota Point, Lake Superior
Beach nourishments are a popular nature-based alternative to armoring for shoreline erosion mitigation, but nourishments have been criticized due to their environmental impacts and uncertain sustainability. Monitoring is often nonexistent or insufficient to constrain nourishment longevity and inform the renourishment interval required to maintain shoreline protection. This study uses a...
Authors
Collin Roland, Joel T. Groten, J. William Lund, Jenny L. Hanson
Evaluating large wood additions as a scalable method of urban stream restoration Evaluating large wood additions as a scalable method of urban stream restoration
Urbanization is associated with increased erosion and habitat homogenization in stream ecosystems. This habitat degradation often has biological consequences, such as decreased species richness. Conventional stream restoration practices are costly, and projects are limited to small areas with easy access. A scalable, low-cost method of stream restoration is needed to address the...
Authors
Peter Grap, Stephen F. Matter, Adam Lehmann, Dylan Ward, Michael Thomas Booth
Blowing in the wind: Anemochory in blackbrush habitat of South Texas Blowing in the wind: Anemochory in blackbrush habitat of South Texas
Wind dispersal has the potential to carry seeds long-distances and could inform the management and restoration of natural vegetation along the U.S.-Mexico Border. Plant species with the potential to disperse seeds in arid landscapes fragmented by border barrier infrastructure include foundational native, invasive, and federally endangered plant species. Wind dispersal traps constructed...
Authors
Beth Middleton, Emily J. Lain
Female and male grizzly bears differ in their responses to low-intensity recreation in a protected area Female and male grizzly bears differ in their responses to low-intensity recreation in a protected area
Strategies animals use to navigate human-dominated landscapes frequently mimic anti-predator responses employed by prey species. Understanding how large carnivores respond to outdoor recreation is important for conservation, particularly in protected areas with preservation mandates. Visitation to Yellowstone National Park doubled from 1980 to 2015, increasing the need to examine...
Authors
Elise Loggers, Andrea R. Litt, Mark Haroldson, Kerry A. Gunther, Frank T. van Manen
Ecotoxicological effects of crude oil to early life stage Danio rerio: A molecular, morphological and behavioral approach focused on swim bladder development Ecotoxicological effects of crude oil to early life stage Danio rerio: A molecular, morphological and behavioral approach focused on swim bladder development
Proper development and inflation of the swim bladder is essential for swimming and foraging behavior in fish. To characterize the effects of the Brazilian oil spill that occurred between 2019 and 2020 to early life stage fish, the expression of genes involved in swim bladder development were targeted, with biochemical assays, morphology, and behavior assessed. The swim bladder was...
Authors
Célio F. Mariz, Maria Karolaine de Melo Alves, Jason Tyler Magnuson, Italo Braga de Castro, Felix Augusto Silva de Andrade, Eliete Zanardi-Lamardo, Igor Dias Medeiros, Paulo S. Carvalho
The effects of forest harvesting on total and methylmercury concentrations in surface waters depend on harvest practices and physical site characteristics The effects of forest harvesting on total and methylmercury concentrations in surface waters depend on harvest practices and physical site characteristics
Forest harvesting can lead to mercury (Hg) mobilization from soils to aquatic habitats and promote the transformation of inorganic Hg to highly neurotoxic and bioaccumulative methyl-Hg (MeHg). Multiple past studies reveal broad variation of stream water MeHg and total Hg (THg) concentrations responses to forest harvesting, which has confounded messaging to forest and resource managers...
Authors
Karin Eklof, Heleen A. de Wit, Chris S. Eckley, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Susan L. Eggert, Robert W. Mackereth, Ulf Skyllberg, Liisa Ukonmaanaho, Matti Verta, Craig J Allan, Erik J.S. Emilson, Karen A. Kidd, Carl P.J. Mitchell, John Munthe, Tapani Sallantaus, Joel Segersten, Andrea Garcia Bravo, Randall Kolka, Colin P.R. McCarter, Petri Porvari, Eva Ring, Stephen Sebestyen, Ulf Sikstrom, Therese Zetterberg
Factors affecting the distribution of water-bearing fractures in the bedrock aquifers of West Virginia Factors affecting the distribution of water-bearing fractures in the bedrock aquifers of West Virginia
Bedrock aquifers cover 23,601 square miles within the State of West Virginia and comprise 97.4 percent of the surficial area within the State; the remaining 2.6 percent (621 square miles) consists of alluvial sand-and-gravel and glacial outwash aquifers bordering the State’s major rivers. While West Virginia’s alluvial aquifers have been studied extensively, bedrock aquifers have only...
Authors
Mark D. Kozar, Mitchell A. McAdoo, Samuel H. Austin, Carson A. Wright
A flexible conservation and connectivity tool to inform stream conservation prioritization A flexible conservation and connectivity tool to inform stream conservation prioritization
Healthy stream networks rely on diverse fish assemblages and the mobility of fish between habitats to maintain ecosystem structure and function. Anthropogenic structures that impede fish movement (e.g., roads, dams) disrupt life cycles of migratory fishes and isolate fish populations making them more sensitive to environmental stressors. Growing interest in barrier removal is driven by...
Authors
Sarah G. Winikoff, Craig Paukert, Nicholas Sievert, Jane S. Rogosch
Using integrated step-selection analyses to map high-risk electrocution areas for a highly mobile species Using integrated step-selection analyses to map high-risk electrocution areas for a highly mobile species
Knowledge of animal-movement patterns is a crucial component in identifying areas with high potential for human–wildlife conflict and in prioritizing associated management actions. Electrical energy infrastructure is a major source of mortality for animals worldwide, with millions of birds colliding with or being electrocuted by power lines and power-pole infrastructure each year...
Authors
Caroline D. Cappello, Kenneth V. Jacobson, James T. Driscoll, Kyle M. McCarty, Javan Mathias Bauder
Shared leadership can promote success in collaborative research networks in ecology Shared leadership can promote success in collaborative research networks in ecology
1. While collaborative science is becoming the norm in ecology, many ecologists participating in collaborations are less aware of the body of research that studies the processes by which collaborative teams organize and communicate. 2. Here, we discuss how we successfully used a shared leadership model in the Dry Rivers Research Coordination Network. We discuss how this model promote...
Authors
Daniel C. Allen, Amy J. Burgin, Erin C. Seybold, Walter K. Dodds, Michelle H. Busch, Anna Bergstrom, Corey A. Krabbenhoft, Kate S. Boersma, James C. Stegen, Julian D. Olden, Carla L. Atkinson, C. Nathan Jones, Thibault Datry, Sarah E. Godsey, Arial J. Shogren, Annika W. Walters, Stephen Plont, Richard H. Walker, Margaret Shanafield, Meryl C. Mims, Adam N. Price, Chelsea R. Smith, Yaqi You, Michael T. Bogan, Ryan M. Burrows, Mathis L. Messager, Rachel Stubbington, Margaret A. Zimmer
Occurrence and tissue distribution of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in fishes from waterbodies with point and non-point sources in Massachusetts, USA Occurrence and tissue distribution of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in fishes from waterbodies with point and non-point sources in Massachusetts, USA
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants with known bioaccumulative and toxic effects in aquatic ecosystems. This study assessed site-specific differences in PFAS contamination in fish from Ashumet Pond, Sudbury River, and Great Herring Pond (reference site) in Massachusetts. Fish from Ashumet Pond exhibited the highest PFAS concentrations...
Authors
Heather L. Walsh, Vicki S. Blazer, Emma Lord, Stephen T. Hurley, Denis R. LeBlanc