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: 176955
Statewide agent-based model for management of chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer: PAOvCWD Statewide agent-based model for management of chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer: PAOvCWD
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an always-fatal disease infecting wild cervids globally. Ecologically and economically important, CWD presents a challenge for managing white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We built an agent-based model to simulate CWD transmission and assess potential management actions that could slow disease spread: PAOvCWD. We developed PAOvCWD using contact...
Authors
Nathaniel H. Wehr, Christopher S. Rosenberry, David Stainbrook, Maureen Staats, Andrea L. Korman, W. David Walter
Nearshore ecosystems in the Gulf of Alaska Nearshore ecosystems in the Gulf of Alaska
No abstract available.
Authors
Heather Coletti, Sarah Beth Traiger, Katrin Iken, Brenda Konar, Brenda Ballachey, James L. Bodkin, George G. Esslinger, Kimberly A. Kloecker
Dog attacks on wild desert tortoises: A risk model Dog attacks on wild desert tortoises: A risk model
We retrospectively compiled a database of 6,727 live, wild Agassiz's desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) and evaluated them for clinical signs of trauma to shell and limbs at 50 sites in the Mojave and Colorado (western Sonoran) deserts of California, USA, spanning the years 1977–2006. Our objectives were to 1) identify tortoises with severe trauma to shell, limbs, and gular horns...
Authors
Andrea S. Carlson, Kristin H. Berry, Jeremy S. Mack
Invasion resistance varies by fuel break type in sagebrush ecosystems Invasion resistance varies by fuel break type in sagebrush ecosystems
Background Wildfire is an increasingly important driver of changes within sagebrush (Artemisia spp. L.) ecosystems of the western USA, often resulting in increased spread of exotic annual grasses, such as cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.), and subsequent losses of native vegetation and wildlife habitat. Fuel breaks— areas of land treated to reduce or redistribute fuel loads — are widely...
Authors
Austin L. Nash, Brianne E. Brussee, Cali L. Weise, Douglas J. Shinneman, Susan K. McIlroy, Sarah C. Webster, Steven R. Mathews, Seth J. Dettenmaier, Lea A. Condon, Michele R. Crist, Cameron L. Aldridge, Julie A. Heinrichs, Mark A. Ricca, Shawn T. O’Neil, Peter S. Coates
Stress states on the eve of past earthquakes inform earthquake rupture through fault complexity along the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults Stress states on the eve of past earthquakes inform earthquake rupture through fault complexity along the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults
Estimating the evolving state of stress along active fault systems can provide insight into the conditions that generated past ground‐rupturing earthquakes and influenced their ability to propagate through areas of geometric complexity, such as fault branches and stepovers. We use quasi‐static forward numerical models that incorporate the 3D complex configuration of active faults in...
Authors
Emery Anderson-Merritt, Michelle Cooke, Katherine M. Scharer
Optimizing cryo-focused pyrolysis GC/MS for tracing soil organic matter across diverse ecosystems Optimizing cryo-focused pyrolysis GC/MS for tracing soil organic matter across diverse ecosystems
The cycling of organic matter in terrestrial soils and sediments is central to a range of biogeochemical processes that regulate nutrient cycling, crop productivity, trace gas emissions, and contaminant transport. Pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (py-GC/MS) is a powerful tool for characterizing bulk soil organic matter (SOM) at the molecular level. In this study, we used a...
Authors
Abrar Shahriar, Mavrik Zavarin, Erin E. Nuccio, Katherine E. Grant, Karis J. McFarlane, Jennifer Pett-Ridge, David Toews, Jason P. Sexton, Rebecca Ryals, Joy Baccel, Aiden J. Berndt, Rene Boiteau, Ishtiaq Ahmed Jawad, Yu Yang, Sheel Bansal, Edward J. O’Loughlin, Kenneth M. Kemner, Roser Matamala, Keith D. Morrison
Intertidal community responses to perturbations along Alaska park coastlines Intertidal community responses to perturbations along Alaska park coastlines
Nearshore ecosystems are highly productive zones with strong connections to both terrestrial and open ocean ecosystems. The rocky intertidal is a highly dynamic ecosystem and changes over a variety of spatial and temporal scales depending on the factors contributing to the change. Here we summarize how nearshore communities and species responded to several perturbations to intertidal...
Authors
Sarah Beth Traiger, Brenda Ballachey, Heather Coletti, Daniel Esler
Investigating the role of lake environments and food chains on the transfer of mercury to lake trout Investigating the role of lake environments and food chains on the transfer of mercury to lake trout
Mercury contamination can pose threats to fish, wildlife, and people. Methylmercury, found in fish, can be particularly detrimental, especially to children. This study explores the sources and concentrations of mercury and proposes how people can become aware and limit their exposure.
Authors
Sarah M. Laske, Krista K. Bartz, Daniel Young
Cyanobacteria and aquatic ecosystem dynamics across 28,000 years of environmental changes in subtropical North America Cyanobacteria and aquatic ecosystem dynamics across 28,000 years of environmental changes in subtropical North America
Ecological pressures on aquatic ecosystems have increased over recent centuries due to human activities and climate change. However, contextualizing ecosystem deterioration is often challenging due to limited knowledge of environmental changes over millennial timescales. Subtropical Carolina bays in North Carolina, USA, have remained unglaciated, preserving paleolimnological records that...
Authors
Savvas Paradeisis-Stathis, Matthew N. Waters, Debra A. Willard, Richard S. Vachula
Correction to “Stable isotope reference materials and scale definitions – outcomes of the 2024 IAEA experts meeting” Correction to “Stable isotope reference materials and scale definitions – outcomes of the 2024 IAEA experts meeting”
This article corrects the following: Camin, F., Besic, D., Brewer, P., Allison, C., Coplen, T., Dunn, P., Gehre, M., Gröning, M., Meijer, H.-A.-J, Hélie, J.-F., Iacumin, P., Kraft, R., Krajnc, B., Kümmel, S., Lee, S., Meija, J., Mester, Z., Mohn, J., Moossen, H., Qi, H., Skrzypek, G., Sperlich, P., Viallon, J., Wassenaar, L. and Wielgosz, R. (2025). Stable Isotope Reference Materials and...
Authors
Federica Camin, D. Besic, P. J. Brewer, C. E Allison, Tyler B. Coplen, P. J. Dunn, M. Gehre, M. Gröning, H.A. J. Meijer, J. F. Hélie, P. Iacumin, R. Kraft, B. Krajnc, S. Kümme, S.S. Lee, J. Meija, Z. Mester, J. Mohn, H. Moossen, Haiping Qi, G. Skrzypek, P. Sperlich, J. Viallon, L. Wassenaar, R. Wielgosz
Differences among runs of Chinook Salmon in routing probability at the Georgiana Slough-Sacramento River junction Differences among runs of Chinook Salmon in routing probability at the Georgiana Slough-Sacramento River junction
The survival of juvenile Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) depends on the specific migration route they take through the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. Factors such as flow magnitude, flow direction, and distribution of fish across the channel significantly affect the likelihood of their entering routes with lower survival probabilities. Management strategies to mitigate the entry...
Authors
Summer M. Burdick, Russell W. Perry, Maggie Jo Raboin, John Plumb
Evaluating drivers of environmental change in a lake sediment core: Insights from spectroscopic metrics of water-extractable organic matter and stable carbon isotopes Evaluating drivers of environmental change in a lake sediment core: Insights from spectroscopic metrics of water-extractable organic matter and stable carbon isotopes
Freshwater lakes play a critical role in the global carbon cycle by storing and transforming organic matter (OM) from both terrestrial and aquatic sources. Small lakes in northern temperate regions, despite their limited surface area, disproportionately influence regional carbon budgets. Buried sediments integrate OM inputs over time and archive ecosystem responses to natural and...
Authors
A.C. Collins, Sabina R. Gifford, Morgan Schaller, Aron Stubbins, Sasha Wagner, Kevin Alexander Ryan