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.
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Assisted migration of coho salmon: Influences of passage and habitat availability on population dynamics Assisted migration of coho salmon: Influences of passage and habitat availability on population dynamics
Assisted migration is a means of introducing a species into a previously unoccupied area. Although this idea is relatively new for many species, there are many extant examples involving fish that can be instructive. We studied a case of assisted migration where upstream access of migrating adult coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch over a naturally impassible barrier was established through
Authors
Joseph R. Benjamin, Jason Dunham, Nicholas Scheidt, Carla Rothenbuecher, Cory Sipher
Little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) are resistant to SARS-CoV-2 infection Little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) are resistant to SARS-CoV-2 infection
It has been proposed that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus that spread through human populations as a pandemic originated in Asian bats. There is concern that infected humans could transmit the virus to native North American bats; therefore, the susceptibility of several North American bat species to the pandemic virus has been experimentally...
Authors
Jeffrey S. Hall, Sean Nashold, Erik K. Hofmeister, Ariel Elizabeth Leon, Elizabeth Falendysz, Hon S. Ip, Carly M. Malave, Tonie E. Rocke, Mariano Carossino, Udeni B.R. Balasuriya, Susan Knowles
Disturbance amplifies sensitivity of dryland productivity to precipitation variability Disturbance amplifies sensitivity of dryland productivity to precipitation variability
Variability of the terrestrial global carbon sink is largely determined by the response of dryland productivity to annual precipitation. Despite extensive disturbance in drylands, how disturbance alters productivity-precipitation relationships remains poorly understood. Using remote-sensing to pair more than 5600 km of natural gas pipeline corridors with neighboring undisturbed areas in...
Authors
Tyson J. Terry, Osvaldo E. Sala, Scott Ferrenberg, Sasha C. Reed, Brooke B. Osborne, Samuel E. Jordan, Steven R. Lee, Peter B. Adler
Computational approaches improve evidence synthesis and inform broad fisheries trends Computational approaches improve evidence synthesis and inform broad fisheries trends
Addressing ecological impacts with effective conservation actions requires information on the links between human pressures and localized responses. Understanding links is a priority for many conservation contexts, including the world's fresh waters, which face intensifying threats to disproportionately high species diversity, including more than half of the world's fish species...
Authors
Gretchen L. Stokes, Abigail J. Lynch, John V. Flores, Jesse P. Wong, Connor Morang, Chelsie Romulo, Simon Funge-Smith, John Valbo-Jorgensen, Samuel J. Smidt
Modeling the effects of spatial distribution on dynamics of an invading Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) Blake population Modeling the effects of spatial distribution on dynamics of an invading Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) Blake population
To predict the potential success of an invading non-native species, it is important to understand its dynamics and interactions with native species in the early stages of its invasion. In spatially implicit models, mathematical stability criteria are commonly used to predict whether an invading population grows in number in an early time period. But spatial context is important for real...
Authors
Yuanming Lu, Junfei Xia, Robert D. Holt, Don DeAngelis
Experimental changes in food and ectoparasites affect dispersal timing in juvenile burrowing owls Experimental changes in food and ectoparasites affect dispersal timing in juvenile burrowing owls
Natal dispersal is a key demographic trait that affects population dynamics, and intraspecific variation in dispersal affects gene flow among populations and source-sink dynamics. However, relatively little is known about the selective pressures and trade-offs that animals face when departing their natal area due to the logistical difficulties associated with monitoring animals during...
Authors
Victoria Garcia, Courtney J. Conway, Christopher P. Nadeau
Insights on using solid bitumen reflectance as a thermal maturity proxy in the Bakken Formation, Williston Basin, USA Insights on using solid bitumen reflectance as a thermal maturity proxy in the Bakken Formation, Williston Basin, USA
To further refine the use of solid bitumen reflectance (BRo in %) as a measurement of thermal maturity in source-rock reservoirs, we examined its relationship to other thermal proxies in the Bakken Formation. Comparisons included criteria from programmed temperature pyrolysis, gas chromatography (GC), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Thirty-two organic-rich samples...
Authors
Paul C. Hackley, Clint Scott, Justin E. Birdwell, Jennifer Nedzweckas, Brett J. Valentine, Tongwei Zhang, Timothy O Nesheim
Reversal in estuarine sand supply driven by Holocene sea level rise: A model for sand transport in large structural estuaries, San Francisco Bay, California, USA Reversal in estuarine sand supply driven by Holocene sea level rise: A model for sand transport in large structural estuaries, San Francisco Bay, California, USA
Reversal in estuarine sand supply driven by Holocene sea level rise: A model for sand transport in large structural estuaries, San Francisco Bay, California, USA
Authors
M.A. Malkowski, Z.T. Sickmann, Theresa A. Fregoso, Lester McKee, D. Stockli, Bruce E. Jaffe
Discordance between taxonomy and population genomic data: An avian example relevant to the United States Endangered Species Act Discordance between taxonomy and population genomic data: An avian example relevant to the United States Endangered Species Act
Population genomics can reveal cryptic biological diversity that may impact fitness while simultaneously serving to delineate relevant conservation units. Here, we leverage the power of whole-genome resequencing for conservation by studying 433 individual lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus; LEPC, a federally endangered species of conservation concern in the United States)...
Authors
Andrew N. Black, Andrew J. Mularo, Jong Yoon Jeon, David A. Haukos, Kristin J. Bondo, Kent A. Fricke, Andy Gregory, Blake Grisham, Zachary E. Lowe, J. Andrew DeWoody
Aftershock forecasting Aftershock forecasting
Aftershocks can compound the impacts of a major earthquake, disrupting recovery efforts and potentially further damaging weakened buildings and infrastructure. Forecasts of the probability of aftershocks can therefore aid decision-making during earthquake response and recovery. Several countries issue authoritative aftershock forecasts. Most aftershock forecasts are based on simple...
Authors
Jeanne L. Hardebeck, Andrea L. Llenos, Andrew J. Michael, Morgan T. Page, Max Schneider, Nicholas van der Elst
Crop type classification, trends, and patterns of central California agricultural fields from 2005 to 2020 Crop type classification, trends, and patterns of central California agricultural fields from 2005 to 2020
California produces many key agricultural products in the United States. Current geospatial agricultural datasets are limited in mapping accuracy, spatial context, or observation period. This study uses machine learning and high-resolution imagery to produce a time series of crop maps to assess crop type trends and patterns across central California from 2005 to 2020. National...
Authors
Britt Windsor Smith, Christopher E. Soulard, Jessica J. Walker
Shallow storage of the explosive Earthquake Flat Pyroclastics magma body, Okataina Volcanic Center, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand: Evidence from phase-equilibria experiments Shallow storage of the explosive Earthquake Flat Pyroclastics magma body, Okataina Volcanic Center, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand: Evidence from phase-equilibria experiments
Rhyolitic tuffs range widely in their crystal contents from nearly aphyric to crystal-rich, and their crystal cargoes inform concepts of upper crustal magma reservoirs. The Earthquake Flat pyroclastics (Okataina Volcanic Center, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand) are 10 km3 of rhyolitic tuffs with abundant (~ 40 vol.%) plagioclase and quartz, minor biotite, hornblende, and orthopyroxene...
Authors
Elizabeth R. G. Grant, Dawnika L. Blatter, Thomas W. Sisson, Kari M Cooper