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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Toward conciliation in the habitat fragmentation and biodiversity debate Toward conciliation in the habitat fragmentation and biodiversity debate
Landscape-scale conservation planning is urgent given the extent of anthropogenic land-use change and its pervasive impacts on Earth’s biodiversity. However, such efforts are hindered by disagreements over the effects of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity that have persisted since the mid-1970s. We contend that nearly 50 years later, these disagreements have become a locked-in debate
Authors
Jonathon Joseph Valente, Dustin G. Gannon, Jessica Hightower, Hankyu Kim, Kara G. Leimberger, Rossana Macedo, Josee Rousseau, Matthew Weldy, Rachel Zitomer, Lenore Fahrig, Robert J. Fletcher, Jianguo Wu, Matthew G. Betts
The patchwork governance of ecologically available water: A case study in the Upper Missouri Headwaters, Montana, United States The patchwork governance of ecologically available water: A case study in the Upper Missouri Headwaters, Montana, United States
Institutional authority and responsibility for allocating water to ecosystems (“ecologically available water” [EAW]) is spread across local, state, and federal agencies, which operate under a range of statutes, mandates, and planning processes. We use a case study of the Upper Missouri Headwaters Basin in southwestern Montana, United States, to illustrate this fragmented institutional...
Authors
Amanda E. Cravens, Julia B. Goolsby, Theresa Jedd, Deborah J. Bathke, Shelley Crausbay, Ashley E Cooper, Jason Dunham, Tonya Haigh, Kimberly R. Hall, Michael J. Hayes, Jamie McEvoy, Rebecca L Nelson, Marketa Podebradska, Aaron R. Ramirez, Elliot Wickham, Dionne Zoanni
Colorado River Basin Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and Technology (ASIST) pilot project progress toward an information management and technology plan Colorado River Basin Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and Technology (ASIST) pilot project progress toward an information management and technology plan
Executive Summary The U.S. Geological Survey carries out a wide variety of multidisciplinary science projects through the Bureau’s regions, mission areas, programs, and science centers. However, this structure can limit interactions among individual scientists, segregate data holdings, and make it difficult to apply holistic, interdisciplinary science. In addition, technological advances...
Authors
Eric D. Anderson, Jennifer R. Erxleben, Sharon L. Qi, Adrian P. Monroe, Katharine G. Dahm
Spatio-temporal clustering of post-caldera eruptions at Yellowstone caldera: Implications for volcanic hazards and pre-eruptive magma reservoir configuration Spatio-temporal clustering of post-caldera eruptions at Yellowstone caldera: Implications for volcanic hazards and pre-eruptive magma reservoir configuration
At least 28 rhyolitic lava flows, domes, and tuffs erupted within Yellowstone caldera following its formation 631 ka. Understanding the timing of intracaldera eruptions is essential for characterizing natural hazards posed by Yellowstone volcano. We present 40Ar/39Ar eruption ages for the Mallard Lake Member and Central Plateau Member of the Plateau Rhyolite, which comprise products from...
Authors
Mark E. Stelten, Nicole Thomas, Anthony Francis Pivarunas, Duane Champion
Comment on “A new decade in seismoacoustics (2010–2022)” by Fransiska Dannemann Dugick, Clinton Koch, Elizabeth Berg, Stephen Arrowsmith, and Sarah Albert Comment on “A new decade in seismoacoustics (2010–2022)” by Fransiska Dannemann Dugick, Clinton Koch, Elizabeth Berg, Stephen Arrowsmith, and Sarah Albert
An increase in seismic stations also having microbarographs has led to increased interest in the field of seismoacoustics. A review of the recent advances in this field can be found in Dannemann Dugick et al. (2023). The goal of this note is to draw the attention of the readers of Dannemann Dugick et al. (2023) to several additional interactions between the solid Earth and atmosphere...
Authors
Adam T. Ringler, Robert Anthony, Brian Shiro, Toshiro Tanimoto, David C. Wilson
Beyond overlap: Considering habitat preference and fitness outcomes in the umbrella species concept Beyond overlap: Considering habitat preference and fitness outcomes in the umbrella species concept
Umbrella species and other surrogate species approaches to conservation provide an appealing framework to extend the reach of conservation efforts beyond single species. For the umbrella species concept to be effective, populations of multiple species of concern must persist in areas protected on behalf of the umbrella species. Most assessments of the concept, however, focus exclusively...
Authors
J. D. Carlisle, K. T. Smith, J. L. Beck, M. A. Murphy, Anna D. Chalfoun
Application of a catch multiple survey analysis for Atlantic horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus in the Delaware Bay Application of a catch multiple survey analysis for Atlantic horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus in the Delaware Bay
Objective This paper applies a catch multiple survey analysis (CMSA) to Atlantic horseshoe crabs Limulus polyphemus in the Delaware Bay to generate robust population estimates for harvest management. Currently, horseshoe crabs along the U.S. Atlantic coast are harvested as bait for other fisheries and collected for their blood, which is used in a biomedical industry. The Delaware Bay is...
Authors
Kristen A. Anstead, John A. Sweka, Linda Barry, Eric M. Hallerman, David R. Smith, Natalie Ameral, Michael Schmidtke, Richard A. Wong
Status, trend, and monitoring effectiveness of Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) at sea abundance and reproductive output off central California, 1999–2021 Status, trend, and monitoring effectiveness of Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) at sea abundance and reproductive output off central California, 1999–2021
Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) have been listed as “endangered” by the State of California and “threatened” by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 1992 in California, Oregon, and Washington. Information regarding murrelet abundance, distribution, and habitat associations is critical for risk assessment, effective management, evaluation of conservation efficacy, and...
Authors
Jonathan Felis, Josh Adams, Benjamin H. Becker
Relationships among rare plant communities and abiotic conditions in managed spring-fed arid wetlands Relationships among rare plant communities and abiotic conditions in managed spring-fed arid wetlands
Spring-fed wetlands within arid and semiarid systems are hotspots for endemism and distribution of rare plants. Interactions among groundwater and the geomorphic and climatic features of the setting control the abiotic conditions, particularly soil salinity and moisture, that support these plants. However, water uncertainty and land use change challenge the persistence of conditions...
Authors
Antonio Cantu de Leija, Sammy L. King
Prioritization of species status assessments for decision support Prioritization of species status assessments for decision support
Species status assessments are used to inform U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) decision making for Endangered Species Act (ESA) classification decisions, recovery planning, and more. The large number of species that require assessment and uncertainty in the data available impede the process of assigning and completing the assessments, which makes creating a multiyear work plan...
Authors
Ashley B.C. Goode, Erin Rivenbark, Jessica A. Gilbert, Conor P. McGowan
A synergistic future for AI and ecology A synergistic future for AI and ecology
Research in both ecology and AI strives for predictive understanding of complex systems, where nonlinearities arise from multidimensional interactions and feedbacks across multiple scales. After a century of independent, asynchronous advances in computational and ecological research, we foresee a critical need for intentional synergy to meet current societal challenges against the...
Authors
Barbara A. Han, Kush R. Varshney, Shannon L. LaDeau, Ajit Subramaniam, Kathleen C. Weathers, Jacob Aaron Zwart
The diversity of volcanic hazard maps around the world: Insights from map makers The diversity of volcanic hazard maps around the world: Insights from map makers
The IAVCEI Working Group on Hazard Mapping has been active since 2014 and has facilitated several activities to enable sharing of experiences of how volcanic hazard maps are developed and used around the world. One key activity was a global survey of 90 map makers and practitioners to collect data about official, published volcanic hazard maps and how they were developed. The survey...
Authors
Jan Lindsay, Danielle Charlton, Mary Ann T. Clive, Daniel Bertin, Sarah E. Ogburn, Heather M. Wright, John W. Ewert, Eliza S. Calder, Bastian Steinke