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.
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Estimating Pacific walrus abundance and survival with multievent mark-recapture models Estimating Pacific walrus abundance and survival with multievent mark-recapture models
Arctic marine ecosystems are undergoing rapid physical and biological change associated with climate warming and loss of sea ice. Sea ice loss will impact many species through altered spatial and temporal availability of resources. In the Bering and Chukchi Seas, the Pacific walrus Odobenus rosmarus divergens is one species that could be impacted by rapid environmental change, and thus...
Authors
William S. Beatty, Patrick R. Lemons, Jason P. Everett, Cara J. Lewis, Rebecca L. Taylor, Robert J. Lynn, Suresh A. Sethi, Lori T. Quakenbush, John J. Citta, Michelle Kissling, Natalia Kryukova, John K. Wennburg
Multi-objective modeling as a decision-support tool for free-roaming horse management Multi-objective modeling as a decision-support tool for free-roaming horse management
Decisions related to controversial problems in natural resource management receive the greatest support when they account for multiple objectives of stakeholders in a structured and transparent fashion. In the United States, management of free-roaming horses (Equus caballus; horses) is a controversial multiple-objective problem because disparate stakeholder groups have varying objectives...
Authors
Brian Patrick Folt, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, L. Stefan Ekernas
Golden eagle nesting territory distribution in wind energy landscapes of the southern Great Plains Golden eagle nesting territory distribution in wind energy landscapes of the southern Great Plains
Deaths of four Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) due to collision trauma at a new wind energy facility in east-central New Mexico during 2004–2005 prompted concerns about the species' population status in the encompassing Southern Great Plains region, primarily because its breeding distribution there was poorly documented and wind energy development was expanding rapidly. Therefore, we...
Authors
D.W. Stahlecker, Z.P. Wallace, D.G. Mikesic, Clint W. Boal, R.K. Murphy, W.H. Howe, M.B. Ruehmann
Status of landbirds in the National Park of American Samoa Status of landbirds in the National Park of American Samoa
The National Park of American Samoa (NPSA) was surveyed in 2011 and 2018 using point-transect distance sampling to estimate trends in landbird distribution, composition, population density, and abundance. Surveys were conducted within the Ta‘ū Unit and Tutuila Unit, each on separate islands of American Samoa. We detected a total of 14 species during surveys and there were sufficient...
Authors
Seth Judge, Richard J. Camp, Visa Vaivai, Patrick J. Hart
Laysan albatross exhibit complex behavioral plasticity in the subtropical and subarctic North Pacific Ocean Laysan albatross exhibit complex behavioral plasticity in the subtropical and subarctic North Pacific Ocean
Animals that regularly traverse habitat extremes between the subtropics and subarctic are expected to exhibit foraging behaviors that respond to changes in dynamic ocean habitats, and these behaviors may facilitate adaptations to novel and changing climates. During the chick-provisioning stage, Laysan albatross Phoebastria immutabilis parents regularly undertake short- and long-distance...
Authors
Morgan Elizabeth Gilmour, Jonathan J. Felis, Michelle M. Hester, Lindsay C. Young, Josh Adams
The biogeography of relative abundance of soil fungi versus bacteria in surface topsoil The biogeography of relative abundance of soil fungi versus bacteria in surface topsoil
Fungi and bacteria are the two dominant groups of soil microbial communities worldwide. By controlling the turnover of soil organic matter, these organisms directly regulate the exchange of carbon between the soil and the atmosphere. Fundamental differences in the physiology and life history of bacteria and fungi suggest that variation in the biogeography of soil fungal and bacterial...
Authors
Kailiang Yu, Johan van den Hoogen, Zhiqiang Wang, Colin Averill, Devin Routh, Gabriel Reuben Smith, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Kate M. Scow, Fei Mo, Mark Waldrop, Yuanhe Yang, Weize Tang, Franciska De Vries, Richard D. Bardgett, Peter Manning, Felipe Bastida, Sara G. Baer, Elizabeth Bach, Carlos J. Garcia, Qingkui Wang, Linna Ma, Baodong Chen, Xianjing He, Sven Teurlinex, Amber Heijboer, James A. Bradley, Thomas W. Crowther
Status of forest birds on Tinian Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, with an emphasis on the Tinian monarch (Monarcha takatsukasae) (Passeriformes; Monarchidae) Status of forest birds on Tinian Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, with an emphasis on the Tinian monarch (Monarcha takatsukasae) (Passeriformes; Monarchidae)
Landbird populations on Tinian Island have been periodically surveyed since 1982 to evaluate the status of non-native and native landbirds. We report the results of surveys in 2013 and the observed changes during 31 years in species population trends based on surveys since 1982. A total of 11 native and 3 non-native species were detected during the 2013 survey. Population sizes were...
Authors
Rick L Spalding, Richard J. Camp, Paul C. Banko, Nathan C Johnson, Angela D Anders
Testing the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system using synthesized earthquake sequences Testing the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system using synthesized earthquake sequences
We test the behavior of the United States (US) West Coast ShakeAlert earthquake early warning (EEW) system during temporally close earthquake pairs to understand current performance and limitations. We consider performance metrics based on source parameter and ground‐motion forecast accuracy, as well as on alerting timeliness. We generate ground‐motion times series for synthesized...
Authors
Maren Bose, Jennifer Andrews, Colin T O’Rourke, Deborah L. Kilb, Angela Lux, Julian Bunn, Jeffrey J. McGuire
Foraging ecology of Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus in the Caribbean during early chick rearing revealed by GPS tracking Foraging ecology of Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus in the Caribbean during early chick rearing revealed by GPS tracking
Investigating the foraging patterns of tropical seabirds can provide important information about their ocean habitat affinities as well as prey choice. Foraging studies of Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus populations in the Caribbean are lacking. We sought to rectify this by opportunistically sampling regurgitates at nest sites on the island of St. Eustatius, Lesser Antilles, and...
Authors
H. Madden, Y. G. Satgé, B. Wilkinson, Patrick G.R. Jodice
Perceptions of conservation introduction to inform decision support among U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees Perceptions of conservation introduction to inform decision support among U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees
Executive Summary Around the globe, fish and wildlife managers are facing increasingly complex management issues because of multiscale ecological effects like climate change, species invasion, and land-use change. Managers seeking to prevent extinctions or preserve ecosystems are increasingly considering more interventionist techniques to overcome the resulting changes. Among those...
Authors
Nicholas W. Cole, Julia B. Goolsby, Amanda E. Cravens
Loss of street tree canopy increases stormwater runoff Loss of street tree canopy increases stormwater runoff
Urban forests have largely been overlooked for the role they play in reducing stormwater runoff volume by using hydrologic processes such as interception (rainfall intercepted by tree canopy), evapotranspiration (the transfer of water from vegetation into the atmosphere) and infiltration (percolation of rainwater into the Earth’s soil). Early research into the effects of trees on urban...
Authors
William R. Selbig, Steven P. Loheide, William Shuster, Bryant C. Scharenbroch, Robert C. Coville, James Kruegler, William Avery, Ralph J. Haefner, David Nowak
Undeveloped and developed phases in the centennial evolution of a barrier-marsh-lagoon system: The case of Long Beach Island, New Jersey Undeveloped and developed phases in the centennial evolution of a barrier-marsh-lagoon system: The case of Long Beach Island, New Jersey
Barrier islands and their associated backbarrier environments protect mainland population centers and infrastructure from storm impacts, support biodiversity, and provide long-term carbon storage, among other ecosystem services. Despite their socio-economic and ecological importance, the response of coupled barrier-marsh-lagoon environments to sea-level rise is poorly understood...
Authors
Christopher Tenebruso, Shane Nichols-O’Neill, Jorge Lorenzo-Trueba, Daniel J. Ciarletta, Jennifer L. Miselis