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.
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: 175561
Exploring the dynamic interactions between the Southern San Andreas Fault and a normal fault under the Salton Sea Exploring the dynamic interactions between the Southern San Andreas Fault and a normal fault under the Salton Sea
We investigate the dynamic interactions between the Southern San Andreas Fault (SSAF) and a proximal normal fault (NF) beneath the Salton Sea in southern California. The NF, positioned near the SSAF terminus at Bombay Beach, exhibits 11–15 displacement events across 14 stratigraphic sequences, with a range of 0.2–1.4 m of vertical offset since ∼2–3 ka. Notably, four of these events may...
Authors
Luis Ivan Bazan Flores, Christodoulos Kyriakopoulos, David D. Oglesby, Aron J. Meltzner, Thomas K. Rockwell, John M. Fletcher, Daniel S. Brothers
Quality of groundwater used for domestic supply in the eastern Sacramento Valley and adjacent foothills, California Quality of groundwater used for domestic supply in the eastern Sacramento Valley and adjacent foothills, California
Summary More than 2 million Californians rely on groundwater from privately owned domestic wells for drinking-water supply. This report summarizes a water-quality survey of domestic and small-system drinking-water supply wells in the eastern Sacramento Valley and adjacent foothills where more than 25,000 residents are estimated to use privately owned domestic wells. Study results show...
Authors
George L. Bennett
Soil cover heterogeneity associated with biocrusts predicts patch-level plant diversity patterns Soil cover heterogeneity associated with biocrusts predicts patch-level plant diversity patterns
Context Soil resource heterogeneity drives plant species diversity patterns at local and landscape scales. In drylands, biocrusts are patchily distributed and contribute to soil resource heterogeneity important for plant establishment and growth. Yet, we have a limited understanding of how such heterogeneity may relate to patterns of plant diversity and community structure. Objectives We...
Authors
Caroline A. Havrilla, Miguel L. Villarreal
Phenotypic homogenization and potential fitness constraints following non-native introgression in an endemic sportfish Phenotypic homogenization and potential fitness constraints following non-native introgression in an endemic sportfish
Introgressive hybridization may lead to contrasting evolutionary outcomes that are difficult to predict since they depend on the fitness effects of endogenous genomic interactions and environmental factors. Conservation of endemic biodiversity may be more effective with require direct measurement of introgressed ancestry and fitness in wild populations, especially for keystone taxa at...
Authors
Joe C. Gunn, Sarah J. Clements, Grant Adams, Edward M. Sterling, Michael J. Moore, Taylor N. Volkers, Lori S. Eggert
Climate-smart agriculture for Ukraine: Winter wheat breeding for food security and climate adaptation Climate-smart agriculture for Ukraine: Winter wheat breeding for food security and climate adaptation
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, people have experienced food insecurity challenges because of increased prices of staple food commodities and loss of income or livelihood. Globally, countries with limited capacity to adapt have struggled to recover from pandemic-related disruptions and are further challenged to address adverse effects of climate change on...
Authors
Veronica Romero, August Raleigh Schultz, Kathryn Powlen, Sachin D. Shah
Converting non-standard data to standardized data Converting non-standard data to standardized data
Fishery biologists spend considerable effort over multiple years collecting data on fish population and community status using a particular sampling method or set of methods. However, new (and often more effective) sampling methods and technologies are continuously being developed. To incorporate these new sampling techniques, fishery biologists need a means for converting fish sampling...
Authors
James T. Peterson, Derrick T. de Kerckhove, Henrique C. Giacomini, Craig Paukert
Coldwater fish in wadeable streams Coldwater fish in wadeable streams
Although we are consistent with the past edition of this volume regarding standard sampling techniques for wadeable, coldwater streams, this edition reflects recent literature, advances in calibrating numbers, and obtaining lengths of fish collected and provides additional clarity regarding effort. We also specify a minimum of two netters and one electrofisher operator for backpack...
Authors
Jeffrey A. Falke, Jason Dunham, Amanda E. Rosenberger, Russell F. Thurow, Andrew Dolloff, Philip J. Howell, W. Carl Saunders
An introduction to standardized sampling An introduction to standardized sampling
In 2009, the first edition of Standard Methods for Sampling North American Freshwater Fishes was published. This was the first time in the history of fisheries science that standardization of methods and equipment had taken place on such a large geographic scale. Since its publication, the methods have been used extensively across North America by local, state, and federal agencies...
Authors
Scott A. Bonar, Joseph D. Conroy, Salvador Contreras-Balderas, Alison C. Iles
A strategic and science-based framework for management of invasive annual grasses in the sagebrush biome A strategic and science-based framework for management of invasive annual grasses in the sagebrush biome
In the last 20 years, the North American sagebrush biome has lost over 500,000 ha of intact and largely intact sagebrush plant communities on an annual basis. Much of this loss has been associated with expansion and infilling of invasive annual grasses (IAGs). These species are highly competitive against native perennial grasses in disturbed environments, and create fuel conditions that...
Authors
Chad S. Boyd, Megan K. Creutzburg, Alexander V. Kumar, Joseph T. Smith, Kevin E. Doherty, Brian A. Mealor, John B. Bradford, Matthew Cahill, Stella M. Copeland, Cameron A. Duquette, Lindy Garner, Martin C. Holdrege, Bill Sparklin, Todd B. Cross
Effect of invasive plant removal on the density of Peromyscus sonoriensis (western deer mice) in Point Reyes National Seashore, California, USA. Effect of invasive plant removal on the density of Peromyscus sonoriensis (western deer mice) in Point Reyes National Seashore, California, USA.
Non-native plants can affect communities through direct competition, and by providing refuge to seed predators, creating apparent competition with native plants. Ammophila arenaria (European beachgrass) has been introduced to coastal dune habitats throughout the western United States where it forms dense monocultures, stabilizes dunes, and alters abiotic and biotic conditions. The...
Authors
Jonathan P. Rose, Lorraine S Parsons, Patrick M. Kleeman, Brian J. Halstead
Statistical analysis Statistical analysis
Effective monitoring of populations is critical for assessing the efficacy of conservation and management activities, determining the conservation status of a species, and examining trends over time. However, far too often, monitoring efforts fall short of adequately describing the population. Poorly defined problems and objectives, a lack of standard operating procedures, a poor...
Authors
David R Stewart, Kristin M Broms, Ken G Gerow, Micheal A Allen, Michael C. Quist
Standard data management practices Standard data management practices
Accomplishing data management in a standardized and practical way begins with an understanding of what data management is. The Data Management Association defines data management as “the development, execution, and supervision of plans, policies, programs, and practices that deliver, control, protect, and enhance the value of data and information assets throughout their lifecycles”...
Authors
Rebecca Krogman, Jennifer M. Bayer, Arthur Cooper, Jeff Kopaska, Nancy J. Leonard, Jeremy Pritt, Colleen Roe, Erin Tracy, Paul A. Venturelli, Daniel J. Wieferich, Dana M. Infante