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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Density dependence and weather drive dabbling duck spatiotemporal distributions and intercontinental migration Density dependence and weather drive dabbling duck spatiotemporal distributions and intercontinental migration
Understanding migratory waterfowl spatiotemporal distributions is important because, in addition to their economic and cultural value, wild waterfowl can be infectious reservoirs of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV). Waterfowl migration has been implicated in regional and intercontinental HPAIV dispersal, and predictive capabilities of where and when HPAIV may be introduced...
Authors
Ben D. Golas, Diann Prosser, Andrew M. Ramey, Paul K. Link, Wayne E. Thogmartin
The influence of mountain streamflow on nearshore ecosystem metabolism in a large, oligotrophic lake across a drought and a wet year The influence of mountain streamflow on nearshore ecosystem metabolism in a large, oligotrophic lake across a drought and a wet year
The influence of streamflow can be highly heterogeneous around lake edges, making it challenging to predict how benthic productivity in the littoral zone responds to hydroclimatic change. The degree to which streamflow affects nearshore productivity varies as a function of catchment characteristics, internal lake morphometry, and processes. This study investigates the relative influence...
Authors
Kelly Loria, Heili Lowman, Jasimine Krause, Leon R. Katona, Ramon C. Naranjo, Facundo Scordo, Adrian A. Harpold, Sudeep Chandra, Joanna Blaszczak
Warming Alaskan rivers affect first-year growth in critical northern food fishes Warming Alaskan rivers affect first-year growth in critical northern food fishes
Arctic and subarctic rivers are warming rapidly, with unknown consequences for migratory fishes and the human communities dependent on them. To date, few studies have provided a comprehensive assessment of possible climate change impacts on the hydrology and temperature of Arctic rivers at the regional scale, and even fewer have connected those changes to multiple fish species with input...
Authors
Peyton Thomas, Dylan Blaskey, Yifan Cheng, Michael P. Carey, Heidi K. Swanson, Andrew J. Newman, Cassandra M. Brooks, Nicole M. Herman-Mercer, Keith N. Musselman
Reproductive condition of an invasive snake in urban, savanna, and forest habitats Reproductive condition of an invasive snake in urban, savanna, and forest habitats
Predation by Brown Treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) has caused the decline or extinction of all native forest vertebrates on Guam, including birds, lizards, and bats. Loss of the highest-quality prey has caused shifts in Brown Treesnake size and life history. We sought to understand how reproductive condition varies among habitats island-wide, particularly comparing urban and savanna...
Authors
Andrew M. Durso, Shane R. Siers, Robert Reed, Julie A. Savidge
Wetlands, groundwater and seasonality influence the spatial distribution of stream chemistry in a low-relief catchment Wetlands, groundwater and seasonality influence the spatial distribution of stream chemistry in a low-relief catchment
Evaluating stream water chemistry patterns provides insight into catchment ecosystem and hydrologic processes. Spatially distributed patterns and controls of stream solutes are well-established for high-relief catchments where solute flow paths align with surface topography. However, the controls on solute patterns are poorly constrained for low-relief catchments where hydrogeologic
Authors
Caroline R. Weidner, Jay P. Zarnestke, Anthony D. Kendall, Sherry Lynn Martin, Samuel Nesheim, Arial J. Shogren
Hydrophone placement yields high variability in detection of Epinephelus striatus calls at a spawning site. Hydrophone placement yields high variability in detection of Epinephelus striatus calls at a spawning site.
Passive acoustic monitoring is a cost-effective, minimally invasive technology commonly used to study behavior and population dynamics of soniferous fish species. To understand the strengths and limitations of acoustic monitoring for this purpose at fish spawning aggregations (FSA) requires an assessment of the variability in aggregation-associated sounds (AAS) as a function of time...
Authors
Cameron J. Van Horn, Alli C. Candelmo, Scott A. Heppell, Croy R.M. McCoy, Christine V. Pattengill-Semmens, Lynn Waterhouse, Laurent M. Cherubin, J. Christopher Taylor, William Michaels, James Locascio, Ali K. Ibrahim, Brice X. Semmens
Impacts of flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus L.) on macrophyte diversity and composition in the Upper Mississippi River Impacts of flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus L.) on macrophyte diversity and composition in the Upper Mississippi River
Flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus L.), a perennial plant native to Eurasia, made a widespread appearance in the Upper Mississippi River in the United States in 2020, following extremely high river discharge during the previous year. Flowering rush expanded rapidly and was found at 1–10% of sites (n = 6,630 total sites) across a 400 km river reach within the first 4 years of invasion...
Authors
Alicia Carhart, Danelle M. Larson, Jennifer Froehly, Eric Lund, Stephanie Szura, Seth Fopma
Applying U.S. Geological Survey science to understand effects to water supply in the Upper Colorado River Basin Applying U.S. Geological Survey science to understand effects to water supply in the Upper Colorado River Basin
Introduction The Colorado River Basin is a vital source of water to more than 40 million people in the Western United States and Mexico, including in major cities like Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson, Los Angeles, and San Diego, and supports irrigation for about 16,000 square kilometers of agricultural land. Since 2000, the southwestern United States has been unusually dry due to low
Authors
Natalie K. Day, Cory A. Williams
Harmless tags or hazardous ads? Investigating the potential for ear tags to increase predation on neonatal ungulates Harmless tags or hazardous ads? Investigating the potential for ear tags to increase predation on neonatal ungulates
Studies involving individually marked animals provide insights predicated on the assumption marked individuals are accurate models of their unmarked counterparts. Taxa-specific and marker-specific examinations are needed to determine if marked animals are suitable models for the parameter(s) being measured. Our objective was to determine if brightly colored ear tags influenced the...
Authors
Matthew T. Turnley, W. Sue Fairbanks, Robert Charles Lonsinger, Michael J. Cherry, Marlin M. Dart, Randy W. DeYoung, Derek P. Hahn, Levi J. Heffelfinger, Celine M.J. Rickels, Evan P. Tanner, H. George Wang, M. Colter Chitwood
The American black bear (Ursus americanus) as an apex predator: Investigating the ecological role of the world’s most abundant large carnivore The American black bear (Ursus americanus) as an apex predator: Investigating the ecological role of the world’s most abundant large carnivore
Introduction American black bears (Ursus americanus) have been documented to have top-down effects, both consumptive (through predation) and nonconsumptive (through fear effects). However, their behavioural and dietary adaptability has led to uncertainty about the conditions under which these may occur.Objectives We aimed to (1) investigate when, where, and how often black bears...
Authors
John M. Nettles, Caroline M. Abramowitz, Wesley W. Boone, Stephen N. Harris, Chloe E. Horton, Meghan P. Keating, Dana L. Nelson, Samantha N. Smith, Katelyn N. Steen, Erin K. Buchholtz, David S. Jachowski
Using imaging spectroscopy and elevation in machine learning to estimate soil salinity in intermittently tidal wetlands Using imaging spectroscopy and elevation in machine learning to estimate soil salinity in intermittently tidal wetlands
Coastal soil salinization patterns are changing due to drought, sea level rise (SLR), and changing freshwater inflow. These changes are expected to impact coastal wetland plant health and ecosystem function, such as changes to biomass and productivity. These impacts have led to greater interest in how we monitor soil salinization across spatial and temporal scales. Remote sensing is a...
Authors
German Silva, Dar Roberts, Kristin B. Byrd, Dana Chadwick, Ian Walker, Jennifer King
A global dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation A global dataset of terrestrial biological nitrogen fixation
Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is the main natural source of new nitrogen inputs in terrestrial ecosystems, supporting terrestrial productivity, carbon uptake, and other Earth system processes. We assembled a comprehensive global dataset of field measurements of BNF in all major N-fixing niches across natural terrestrial biomes derived from the analysis of 376 BNF studies. The...
Authors
Carla R. Reis Ely, Steven Perakis, Cory C. Cleveland, Duncan Menge, Sasha Reed, Sarah A. Batterman, Timothy E. Crews, Katherine A Dynarski, Maga G. Gei, Michael J. Gundale, Sarah E. Jovan, Sian Kou-Giesbrecht, Mark B. Peoples, Emilio Rodriguez-Caballero, Verity G. Salmon, Fiona M. Soper, Anika P. Staccone, Benton Taylor, Bettina Weber, Nina Wurzburger