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: 175589
Effect of backwatering a streamgage weir on the passage performance of adult American Shad (Alosa sapidissima) Effect of backwatering a streamgage weir on the passage performance of adult American Shad (Alosa sapidissima)
Streamgage designs often include a full-width artificial hydraulic control (e.g., concrete weir) to aid in the computation of streamflow. While important to water resource managers, these weirs also tend to act as full or partial barriers to fish migration, effectively hindering the health and survival of these populations. In this study, we conducted experiments to quantify the effect...
Authors
Kevin B. Mulligan, Alexander Haro, John Noreika
Efficient mammal biodiversity surveys for ecological restoration monitoring Efficient mammal biodiversity surveys for ecological restoration monitoring
Efficient biodiversity surveys are critical for successful restoration monitoring and management. We studied the effect of varying sampling effort on the observed species richness of surveys of small mammals (trapping transects), bats (passive acoustic detection), and medium to large mammals (trail cameras). Field studies provided mammalian biodiversity data for 4 bottomland hardwood...
Authors
Nicholas S. Green, Mark L. Wildhaber, Janice L. Albers, Thomas W. Pettit, Michael J. Hooper
Estimates of Southern White-tailed Ptarmigan daily nest survival from multiple sites in the Southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado Estimates of Southern White-tailed Ptarmigan daily nest survival from multiple sites in the Southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado
Estimating vital rates of avian species is important to understand population dynamics and develop potential conservation strategies that target rates for management. Avian species have reduced potential for high annual fecundity in alpine ecosystems due to a short breeding window and harsh weather conditions. We located nests from Southern White-tailed Ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura...
Authors
Gregory T. Wann, Amy E. Seglund, Phillip A. Street, Nicholas J. Parker, Shelley L. Nelson, Jonathan P. Runge, Clait E. Braun, Cameron L. Aldridge
Estimating occupancy of focal bee species Estimating occupancy of focal bee species
Current bee monitoring efforts have a limited capacity for understanding factors affecting wild bee population changes, including the effects of management. To improve the effectiveness of wild bee monitoring, we first discuss principles of biological monitoring and provide a framework to design monitoring projects to estimate species occupancy, where occupancy is defined as the...
Authors
Clint Otto, Larissa L. Bailey, Brianne Du Clos, Tamara Smith, Elaine Evans, Ian S. Pearse, Saff Killingsworth, Sarina Jepsen, Hollis Woodard
Evaluating risks associated with capture and handling of mule deer for individual-based, long-term research Evaluating risks associated with capture and handling of mule deer for individual-based, long-term research
Capture and handling techniques for individual-based, long-term research that tracks the life history of animals by recapturing the same individuals for several years has vastly improved study inferences and our understanding of animal ecology. Yet there are corresponding risks to study animals associated with physical trauma or capture myopathy that can occur during or following capture...
Authors
Tayler N. LaSharr, Samantha P. H. Dwinnell, Brittany L. Wagler, Hall Sawyer, Rhiannon P. Jakopak, Anna C. Ortega, Luke R. Wilde, Matthew J. Kauffman, Katey S. Huggler, Patrick W. Burke, Miguel Valdez, Patrick Lionberger, Douglas G. Brimeyer, Brandon Scurlock, Jill E. Randall, Rusty C. Kaiser, Mark Thonhoff, Gary L. Fralick, Kevin L. Monteith
Evaluating the suitability of large-scale datasets to estimate nitrogen loads and yields across different spatial scales Evaluating the suitability of large-scale datasets to estimate nitrogen loads and yields across different spatial scales
Decision makers are often confronted with inadequate information to predict nutrient loads and yields in freshwater ecosystems at large spatial scales. We evaluate the potential of using data mapped at large spatial scales (regional to global) and often coarse resolution to predict nitrogen yields at varying smaller scales (e.g., at the catchment and stream reach level). We applied the...
Authors
Andres Felipe Suarez-Castro, Dale M. Robertson, Bernhard Lehner, Marcelo L. de Souza, Michael Kittridge, David A. Saad, Simon Linke, Rich W. McDowell, Mohammad H. Ranjbar, Olivier Ausseil, David P. Hamilton
Geophysical identification of potential groundwater – surface water interactions in the Bonita Peak Mining District, San Juan County, Colorado Geophysical identification of potential groundwater – surface water interactions in the Bonita Peak Mining District, San Juan County, Colorado
This report includes the results and interpretation of geophysical investigations to aid in the location, identification, and conceptual site model (CSM) development of the near surface groundwater and surface water hydrology of the Upper Cement Creek and California Gulch of the Animas Rivers within the Bonita Peak Mining Districts (BPMD). Mine influenced water (MIW) from numerous mine...
Authors
Dale D. Werkema, Neil C. Terry, Martin A. Briggs, Elizabeth Rutila, Stephen Dyment
Groundwater/surface-water interaction Groundwater/surface-water interaction
No abstract available.
Authors
Howard W. Reeves, Serban Danielescu, Elizabeth Priebe, Helen Zhang
Habitat selection in a southern Lake Sturgeon population: Implications of temporal, spatial, and ontogenetic variation for restoration Habitat selection in a southern Lake Sturgeon population: Implications of temporal, spatial, and ontogenetic variation for restoration
Successful species reintroduction requires restoration of receiving habitats to support growth, survival, and reproduction that reverse the initial causes of decline. Little is known about whether present habitat conditions can support all life stages of reintroduced southern Lake Sturgeon populations that were possibly extirpated by the mid-1900s due to overharvest and habitat...
Authors
M.J. Moore, Craig P. Paukert, S. Owens, T. Moore
Historical and prehistorical water levels of Mormon Lake, Arizona as a measure of climate change on the southwest Colorado Plateau, USA Historical and prehistorical water levels of Mormon Lake, Arizona as a measure of climate change on the southwest Colorado Plateau, USA
Mormon Lake, elevation 2166 m with maximum historic surface area of 31.4 km2, lies in a forested endorheic basin covering 103 km2. It is the largest unaltered freshwater body on the 337,000 km2 Colorado Plateau. Prehistorical (before AD 1878) highstands were ca. 9 and 24 m relative to depocenter datum. These levels likely occurred during four multidecadal episodes of cool, wet conditions...
Authors
Richard Hereford, Lee Amoroso
Immediate effect of floating solar energy deployment on greenhouse gas dynamics in ponds Immediate effect of floating solar energy deployment on greenhouse gas dynamics in ponds
Floating photovoltaic (FPV) solar energy offers promise for renewable electricity production that spares land for other societal benefits. FPV deployment may alter greenhouse gas (GHG) production and emissions from waterbodies by changing physical, chemical, and biological processes, which can have implications for the carbon cost of energy production with FPV. Here, we use an ecosystem...
Authors
Nicholas E. Ray, Meredith A. Holgerson, Steven Mark Grodsky