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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Comparison of indices to infer population dynamics of black brant Comparison of indices to infer population dynamics of black brant
To aid managers in assessing status of Pacific black brant Branta bernicla nigricans (hereafter brant), I examined pre-existing long-term data series from summer, fall staging, and wintering areas to infer overall population processes and assessed the utility of the various data sources. Variation in demographic parameters measured in subarctic and Arctic locations suggests some form of
Authors
Paul L. Flint
Fish ear stones offer climate change clues in Alaska's lakes Fish ear stones offer climate change clues in Alaska's lakes
Otoliths, also known as ear stones, are small body parts that help fish with hearing and balance. Like tree rings, otoliths form one light and one dark band per year, creating rings. These rings can be measured to understand fish growth. The wider the ring, the greater the growth. In our study, we used otoliths to understand how one fish species—lake trout—responds to rising temperature...
Authors
Krista K. Bartz, Vanessa R. von Biela, Bryan A. Black, Daniel Young, Peter van der Sleen, Christian E. Zimmerman
Value of information and decision pathways: Concepts and case studies Value of information and decision pathways: Concepts and case studies
Information used in decision making arises from the structuring of observations and data. The collection, dissemination, and use of information has monetary and non-monetary costs (e.g., competition for attention) and necessitates trade-offs. Understanding the benefits of having information (i.e., the value of information, VOI), including resulting societal outcomes, is useful to...
Authors
Pierre D. Glynn, Charles Rhodes, Scott J. Chiavacci, Jennifer Helgeson, Carl D. Shapiro, Crista L. Straub
Satellites quantify the spatial extent of cyanobacterial blooms across the United States at multiple scales Satellites quantify the spatial extent of cyanobacterial blooms across the United States at multiple scales
Previous studies indicate that cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom (cyanoHAB) frequency, extent, and magnitude have increased globally over the past few decades. However, little quantitative capability is available to assess these metrics of cyanoHABs across broad geographic scales and at regular intervals. Here, the spatial extent was quantified from a cyanobacteria algorithm applied to...
Authors
Blake Schaeffer, Erin Urquhart, Megan Coffer, Wilson Salls, Richard Stumpf, Keith A. Loftin, P. Jeremy Werdell
Tick abundance, diversity and pathogen data collected by the National Ecological Observatory Network Tick abundance, diversity and pathogen data collected by the National Ecological Observatory Network
Cases of tick-borne diseases have been steadily increasing in the USA, owing in part to tick range expansion, land cover and associated host population changes, and habitat fragmentation. However, the relative importance of these and other potential drivers remain poorly understood within this complex disease system. Ticks are ectotherms with multi-host lifecycles, which makes them...
Authors
S. H. Paull, K. M. Thibault, Abigail Benson
Airborne electromagnetic survey results near the Poso Creek oil field, San Joaquin Valley, California, fall 2016 Airborne electromagnetic survey results near the Poso Creek oil field, San Joaquin Valley, California, fall 2016
An airborne electromagnetic survey west of the Poso Creek oil field, located in the southeastern San Joaquin Valley, California, was flown in October 2016 to improve understanding of the hydrogeologic setting and the distribution of groundwater salinity in the area. The airborne electromagnetic data were used to develop resistivity models of the subsurface, where the mean depth of...
Authors
Katrina D. Zamudio, Lyndsay B. Ball, Michael J. Stephens
Orbital and in-situ investigation of periodic bedrock ridges in Glen Torridon, Gale Crater, Mars Orbital and in-situ investigation of periodic bedrock ridges in Glen Torridon, Gale Crater, Mars
Wind has been the dominant agent of landscape modification on Mars for the past ~3 billion years. Among the diversity of features formed by aeolian abrasion on the surface of Mars are periodic bedrock ridges (PBRs), a relatively recently recognized class of erosional bedforms on Mars for which Earth analogues are rare. Gale crater, the field site for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory...
Authors
K. M. Stack, W. E. Dietrich, M. P. Lamb, Robert Sullivan, John R. Christian, Claire E Newman, Catherine O’Connell-Cooper, Jonathan W Sneed, Mackenzie D. Day, Mariah Baker, R. A. Arvidson, Christopher M. Fedo, Sabrina Khan, Rebecca Williams, Kristen A. Bennett, A. B. Bryk, Shannon Cofield, Lauren A. Edgar, V. F. Fox, Abigail A. Fraeman, Christopher H House, D. M. Rubin, Vivian Z. Sun, Jason K. Van Beek
Unique land cover classification to assess day-roost habitat selection of northern long-eared bats on the Coastal Plain of North Carolina, USA Unique land cover classification to assess day-roost habitat selection of northern long-eared bats on the Coastal Plain of North Carolina, USA
Reproductively successful and over-wintering populations of the endangered northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) have recently been discovered on the Coastal Plain of North Carolina. Empirical data on resource selection within the region is limited, likely hindering management of these coastal forests. Our objectives were to determine roosting home range size, selection of day...
Authors
Jesse L. De La Cruz, Michael C. True, Hila Taylor, Dorothy Brown, W. Mark Ford
Multidecadal trends in body size of Puget Sound Chinook Salmon: Analysis of data from the Tengu Derby, a culturally unique fishery Multidecadal trends in body size of Puget Sound Chinook Salmon: Analysis of data from the Tengu Derby, a culturally unique fishery
In Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp., downward trends in size and abundance have been reported for species and stocks for over 40 years, but the patterns are inconsistent among regions and species. Interpretation of these trends is complicated by many possible contributing factors, including short time series, data comprising a mix of stocks, and varying gear types. Here, we present data...
Authors
Thomas P. Quinn, Mark David Scheuerell, James P Losee, Doug Hanada
Local populations of eastern oyster from Louisiana differ in low salinity tolerance Local populations of eastern oyster from Louisiana differ in low salinity tolerance
Eastern oysters Crassostrea virginica support a critical commercial industry and provide many ecosystem services to coastal estuaries yet are currently threatened by changing estuarine conditions. A changing climate and the effects of river and coastal management are altering freshwater inflows into productive oyster areas, causing more frequent and extreme salinity exposure. Although...
Authors
Lauren Swam, Megan K. La Peyre, Brian Callam, Jerome F. La Peyre
Opportunities for businesses to use and support development of SEEA-aligned natural capital accounts Opportunities for businesses to use and support development of SEEA-aligned natural capital accounts
Global understanding of the interconnections between the environment and economy has increased, driving the development of frameworks and standards that support the measurement and valuation of natural capital and ecosystem services by both governments and businesses. This paper outlines how businesses can use natural capital accounts (NCA) aligned to the System of Environmental Economic
Authors
Jane Carter Ingram, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Michael Vardon, Charles Rhodes, Stephen M. Posner, Clyde F. Casey, Pierre D. Glynn, Carl D. Shapiro
Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping? Predicting invasion potential of sleeper species Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping? Predicting invasion potential of sleeper species
Sleeper species are non-native species that are established in a region and could become invasive as climate change makes conditions more favorable for many non-native species. Before we can manage potential sleepers, we must first know their identity. We analyzed non-native, established plants in the Northeast United States (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT) using the Environmental Impact
Authors
Ayodele O’Uhuru, Audrey Barker-Plotkin, Justin Dalaba, Will Pfadenhauer, Amanda Suzzi, Toni Lyn Morelli