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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Ecological function maintained despite mesomammal declines
Mid-sized mammals (i.e., mesomammals) fulfill important ecological roles, serving as essential scavengers, predators, pollinators, and seed dispersers in the ecosystems they inhabit. Consequently, declines in mesomammal populations have the potential to alter ecological processes and fundamentally change ecosystems. However, ecosystems characterized by high functional redundancy, where multiple sp
Authors
Rebecca K. McKee, Paul J. Taillie, Kristen Hart, Christopher L. Lopez, Adam Sanjar, Robert A. McCleery
Subduction zone geometry modulates the megathrust earthquake cycle: Magnitude, recurrence, and variability
Megathrust geometric properties exhibit some of the strongest correlations with maximum earthquake magnitude in global surveys of large subduction zone earthquakes, but the mechanisms through which fault geometry influences subduction earthquake cycle dynamics remain unresolved. Here, we develop 39 models of sequences of earthquakes and aseismic slip (SEAS) on variably-dipping planar and variably-
Authors
James Burkhardt Biemiller, Alice-Agnes Gabriel, Dave May, Lydia M. Staisch
Leveraging local habitat suitability models to enhance restoration benefits for species of conservation concern
Efforts to restore habitats and conserve wildlife species face many challenges that are exacerbated by limited funding and resources. Habitat restoration actions are often conducted across a range of habitat conditions, with limited information available to predict potential outcomes among local sites and identify those that may lead to the greatest returns on investment. Using the Gunnison sage-g
Authors
Jessica E. Shyvers, Nathan D. Van Schmidt, D. Joanne Saher, Julie A. Heinrichs, Michael S. O'Donnell, Cameron L. Aldridge
A decade of curtailment studies demonstrates a consistent and effective strategy to reduce bat fatalities at wind turbines in North America
There is a rapid, global push for wind energy installation. However, large numbers of bats are killed by turbines each year, raising concerns about the impacts of wind energy expansion on bat populations. Preventing turbine blades from spinning at low wind speeds, referred to as curtailment, is a method to reduce bat fatalities, but drawing consistent inference across studies has been challenging.
Authors
Michael Whitby, M. Teague O'Mara, Cris D. Hein, Manuela Huso, Winifred F. Frick
Vulnerability of endemic insular mole skinks to sea-level rise
Although coastal islands are home to many endemic species, they are also at risk of inundation from storm surge and sea level rise. Three subspecies of mole skink (Plestiodon egregius egregius, P. e. insularis, and the Egmont Key Mole Skink known from a single occurrence) occur on a small number of islands off the Gulf Coast of Florida, USA. We used the most recent sea level rise projections and t
Authors
Erin L. Koen, William Barichivich, Susan Walls
Pre-fire assessment of post-fire debris flow hazards in the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed
BackgroundWildfires are increasing in size and severity due to climate change combined with overstocked forests. Fire increases the likelihood of debris flows, posing significant threats to life, property, and water supplies.AimsWe conducted a debris-flow hazard assessment of the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed (SFMW) to answer two questions: (1) where are debris flows most likely to occur; and (2) h
Authors
Manuel K. Lopez, Ellis Margolis, Anne C. Tillery, S. Bassett, Alan Hook
Declining reservoir reliability and increasing reservoir vulnerability: Long-term observations reveal longer and more severe periods of low reservoir storage for major United States reservoirs
Hydrological drought is a pervasive and reoccurring challenge in managing water resources. Reservoirs are critical for lessening the impacts of drought on water available for many uses. We use a novel and generalized approach to identify periods of unusually low reservoir storage—via comparisons to operational rule curves and historical patterns—to investigate how droughts affect storage in 250 re
Authors
Caelan Simeone, John C. Hammond, Stacey A. Archfield, Dan Broman, Laura Condon, Hisham Eldardiry, Carolyn G. Olson, Jen Steyaert
Comparison of cisco (Coregonus artedi) aerobic scope and thermal tolerance between two latitudinally-separated populations
The cisco Coregonus artedi is a coldwater fish that is distributed throughout much of Canada and the northern United States, including the Laurentian Great Lakes. Cisco historically supported large commercial fisheries in the Great Lakes during the late 1800s and early 1900s, but many populations declined and never recovered. Restoration efforts focusing on re-establishing cisco in the Great Lakes
Authors
Martin Albert Simonson, David Bunnell, Charles P. Madenjian, Kevin Keeler, Joseph Schmitt
The effect of drying boreal lakes on plants, soils, and microbial communities in lake margin habitats
Decadal scale lake drying in interior Alaska results in lake margin colonization by willow shrub and graminoid vegetation, but the effects of these changes on plant production, biodiversity, soil properties, and soil microbial communities are not well known. We studied changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) storage, plant and microbial community composition, and soil microbial activ
Authors
Vijay P. Patil, Jack McFarland, Kimberly Wickland, Kristen L. Manies, Mark Winterstein, Teresa N. Hollingsworth, Eugénie S. Euskirchen, Mark Waldrop
Age, growth, and trophic ecology of the Redeye Bass, an introduced invader of California rivers
ObjectiveThe Redeye Bass Micropterus coosae is a piscivore introduced into California, which has become a threat to the state's endemic freshwater fishes. It has eliminated native fishes from the middle reaches of the Cosumnes River, our study stream, which is the largest stream without a major dam on its main stem in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River drainage, central California, USA. We thoroughl
Authors
Beth C. Long, Peter B. Moyle, Matthew J. Young, Patrick K. Crain
Social vulnerability and water insecurity in the western US: A systematic review of framings, indicators, and uncertainty
Water insecurity poses a complex challenge for the western United States. Large populations are exposed and susceptible to physical and social factors that can leave them with precarious access to sufficient water supplies. Consideration of social issues by water managers can help ensure equitable supply. However, how social factors affect water insecurity conditions remains unclear. This paper re
Authors
Oronde Oliver Drakes, Diana Restrepo-Osorio, Kathryn Powlen, Megan Hines
DNA-based studies and genetic diversity indicator assessments are complementary approaches to conserving evolutionary potential
Genetic diversity is essential for maintaining healthy populations and ecosystems. Several approaches have recently been developed to evaluate population genetic trends without necessarily collecting new genetic data. Such “genetic diversity indicators” enable rapid, large-scale evaluation across dozens to thousands of species. Empirical genetic studies, when available, provide detailed informatio
Authors
Sean M. Hoban, Ivan Paz-Vinas, Robyn E. Shaw, Luis Castillo-Reina, Jessica M. da Silva, J. Andrew DeWoody, Robert Ekblom, Ancuta Fedorca, Brenna R. Forester, W. Chris Funk, Julia C. Geue, Myriam Heuertz, Peter M. Hollingsworth, Alice C. Hughes, Margaret Hunter, Christina Hvilsom, Fumiko Ishihama, Rebecca Jordan, Belma Kalamujić Stroil, Francine Kershaw, Colin K. Khoury, Viktoria Köppä, Linda Laikre, Anna J. MacDonald, Alicia Mastretta-Yanes, Mariah H. Meek, Joachim Mergeay, Katie L. Millette, David O'Brien, Victor J. Rincón-Parra, M. Alejandra Rodriguez-Morales, Meredith C. Schuman, Gernot Segelbacher, Paul Sunnucks, Rebecca S. Taylor, Henrik Thurfjell, Cristiano Vernesi, Catherine E. Grueber