Publications
Browse publications authored by our scientists. Publications available are: USGS-authored journal articles, series reports, book chapters, other government publications, and more.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Filter Total Items: 5110
Bright spots for advancing ecological understanding and conservation decision-making Bright spots for advancing ecological understanding and conservation decision-making
A lot can be learned by studying bright spots—defined as unexpected positive outcomes. In fields like public health, education, and oncology, identifying factors behind bright spots reveals previously unknown drivers of success that can be replicated elsewhere. This concept is being applied in conservation but is hampered by variations in definitions of bright spots and confusion with...
Authors
Holly Susan Embke, Zachary S. Feiner, Gretchen Hansen, Daniel A. Isermann, Olaf P. Jensen, Christopher I. Rounds, Quinn Smith, M. Jake Vander Zanden
Animal trajectory imputation and uncertainty quantification via deep learning Animal trajectory imputation and uncertainty quantification via deep learning
Imputing missing data in animal trajectories is crucial for understanding animal movements during unobserved periods. However, the traditional methods, such as linear interpolation and the continuous-time correlated random walk model, are often inadequate to capture the complexity of animal movements. Here, we develop a deep learning approach to animal trajectory imputation by a...
Authors
Kehui Yao, Ian P. McGahan, Jun Zhu, Daniel J. Storm, Daniel P. Walsh
Inferring Brown-Capped Rosy-Finch demography and breeding distribution trends from long-term wintering data in New Mexico Inferring Brown-Capped Rosy-Finch demography and breeding distribution trends from long-term wintering data in New Mexico
The three North American Rosy-Finch species (Brown-capped [Leucosticte australis], Black [L. atrata], and Gray-crowned [L. tephrocotis]) are among the most climate-threatened species in the United States. New Mexico is an important location for investigating the effects of climate change because it is the southernmost location in which Brown-capped Rosy-Finches breed and the southernmost...
Authors
Whitney A. Watson, Corrie C. Borgman, Steven Cox, Abigail Jean Lawson
Evaluating large wood additions as a scalable method of urban stream restoration Evaluating large wood additions as a scalable method of urban stream restoration
Urbanization is associated with increased erosion and habitat homogenization in stream ecosystems. This habitat degradation often has biological consequences, such as decreased species richness. Conventional stream restoration practices are costly, and projects are limited to small areas with easy access. A scalable, low-cost method of stream restoration is needed to address the...
Authors
Peter Grap, Stephen F. Matter, Adam Lehmann, Dylan Ward, Michael Thomas Booth
A flexible conservation and connectivity tool to inform stream conservation prioritization A flexible conservation and connectivity tool to inform stream conservation prioritization
Healthy stream networks rely on diverse fish assemblages and the mobility of fish between habitats to maintain ecosystem structure and function. Anthropogenic structures that impede fish movement (e.g., roads, dams) disrupt life cycles of migratory fishes and isolate fish populations making them more sensitive to environmental stressors. Growing interest in barrier removal is driven by...
Authors
Sarah G. Winikoff, Craig Paukert, Nicholas Sievert, Jane S. Rogosch
Using integrated step-selection analyses to map high-risk electrocution areas for a highly mobile species Using integrated step-selection analyses to map high-risk electrocution areas for a highly mobile species
Knowledge of animal-movement patterns is a crucial component in identifying areas with high potential for human–wildlife conflict and in prioritizing associated management actions. Electrical energy infrastructure is a major source of mortality for animals worldwide, with millions of birds colliding with or being electrocuted by power lines and power-pole infrastructure each year...
Authors
Caroline D. Cappello, Kenneth V. Jacobson, James T. Driscoll, Kyle M. McCarty, Javan Mathias Bauder
Shared leadership can promote success in collaborative research networks in ecology Shared leadership can promote success in collaborative research networks in ecology
1. While collaborative science is becoming the norm in ecology, many ecologists participating in collaborations are less aware of the body of research that studies the processes by which collaborative teams organize and communicate. 2. Here, we discuss how we successfully used a shared leadership model in the Dry Rivers Research Coordination Network. We discuss how this model promote...
Authors
Daniel C. Allen, Amy J. Burgin, Erin C. Seybold, Walter K. Dodds, Michelle H. Busch, Anna Bergstrom, Corey A. Krabbenhoft, Kate S. Boersma, James C. Stegen, Julian D. Olden, Carla L. Atkinson, C. Nathan Jones, Thibault Datry, Sarah E. Godsey, Arial J. Shogren, Annika W. Walters, Stephen Plont, Richard H. Walker, Margaret Shanafield, Meryl C. Mims, Adam N. Price, Chelsea R. Smith, Yaqi You, Michael T. Bogan, Ryan M. Burrows, Mathis L. Messager, Rachel Stubbington, Margaret A. Zimmer
Warmer Is deadlier: A meta‐analysis reveals increasing temperatures accentuate disease effects on fisheries hosts Warmer Is deadlier: A meta‐analysis reveals increasing temperatures accentuate disease effects on fisheries hosts
Rapid warming could drastically alter host–parasite relationships, which is especially important for fisheries crucial to human nutrition and economic livelihoods, yet we lack a synthetic understanding of how warming influences parasite-induced mortality in these systems. We conducted a meta-analysis using 266 effect sizes from 52 empirical papers on harvested aquatic species and...
Authors
M. M. Tomamichel, K. I. Lowe, K. M.H. Arnold, M. E. Frischer, Brian J. Irwin, C. W. Osenberg, R. J. Hall, J. E. Byers
Spatiotemporal risk avoidance varies seasonally, relative to risk intensity, in a reestablishing predator–prey system Spatiotemporal risk avoidance varies seasonally, relative to risk intensity, in a reestablishing predator–prey system
Predation establishes risk, which can indirectly influence prey behavior and ecology. We evaluated the influence of Mexican gray wolves (Canis lupus baileyi) on habitat selection and spatiotemporal predator avoidance strategies of elk (Cervus canadensis). We fit 866 adult female elk with GPS collars across areas of varying wolf densities within the Mexican wolf experimental population...
Authors
Cara J. Thompson, Nicole M. Tatman, Zachary J. Farley, Scott T. Boyle, Allison R. Greenleaf, James W. Cain
An analytical approach to explore prospects and limits of nutrition-sensitive fisheries governance under climate change An analytical approach to explore prospects and limits of nutrition-sensitive fisheries governance under climate change
Researchers and policymakers increasingly recognize the contribution of aquatic food systems, such as fisheries, to food security and nutrition. Yet governing fisheries for nutrition objectives is complicated by the multiple overlapping processes that shape availability and access to nutrients over time, including fishing sustainability, climate change, trade dynamics, and consumer...
Authors
Abigail Bennett, Julia G. Mason, Willow Battista, Christopher M. Free, Jessica A. Gephart, Kristin M. Kleisner, Emma D. Rice, Kelly Filer Robinson, John Virdin
Blueprints for riverine cod nest boxes draw from multiple design considerations Blueprints for riverine cod nest boxes draw from multiple design considerations
Designing aquatic nest boxes is rarely afforded detailed scientific account. Here we provide some historical context for nest boxes used in production of large-bodied fishes of the Australian freshwater cod genus Maccullochella. Our experience with eastern freshwater cod is used as a case study to: (a) convey aspects of the complexity of the nest box design process and to (b) demonstrate...
Authors
Brendan C. Ebner, Shaun S. Morris, John St Vincent Welch, Paul C. Ryan, Mitch Turner, Leo M. Cameron, Natalie Poitras, Brooke Coonrod, Stuart A. Welsh, Matthew McLellan, Lachie Jess, Stephen Vidler, Brett A. Ingram, S. Thurstan, S. J. Rowland, S. Blake, G. L. Butler
High-intensity fire supports restoration of grassland species richness and community composition following woody encroachment High-intensity fire supports restoration of grassland species richness and community composition following woody encroachment
Woody encroachment has driven drastic declines in grassland biodiversity and productivity. In the U.S. Great Plains, high-intensity prescribed fire is increasingly being used to shift encroaching redcedar woodlands to a grassland state. High-intensity fire treatments drive redcedar mortality and increase herbaceous biomass. However, it is unclear how grassland community composition...
Authors
Victoria M. Donovan, Alison K. Ludwig, Dillon T. Fogarty, Caleb Powell Roberts, Dirac Twidwell