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
Monitoring Least Bitterns (Ixobrychis exilis) in Vermont: Detection probability and occupancy modeling Monitoring Least Bitterns (Ixobrychis exilis) in Vermont: Detection probability and occupancy modeling
Ixobrychus exillis (Least Bittern) is listed as a species of high concern in the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan and is a US Fish and Wildlife Service migratory bird species of conservation concern in the Northeast. Little is known about the population of Least Bitterns in the Northeast because of their low population density, tendency to nest in dense wetland vegetation, and...
Authors
Aswini Cherukuri, Allan Strong, Therese M. Donovan
Evidence for regional nitrogen stress on chlorophyll a in lakes across large landscape and climate gradients Evidence for regional nitrogen stress on chlorophyll a in lakes across large landscape and climate gradients
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) commonly stimulate phytoplankton production in lakes, but recent observations from lakes from an agricultural region suggest that nitrate may have a subsidy‐stress effect on chlorophyll a (Chl a). It is unclear, however, how generalizable this effect might be. Here, we analyzed a large water quality dataset of 2385 lakes spanning 60 regions across 17...
Authors
Christopher T. Filstrup, Tyler Wagner, Samantha K. Oliver, Craig A. Stow, Katherine E. Webster, Emily H. Stanley, John A. Downing
Response of beach-nesting American Oystercatchers to off-road vehicles: An experimental approach reveals physiological nuances and decreased nest attendance Response of beach-nesting American Oystercatchers to off-road vehicles: An experimental approach reveals physiological nuances and decreased nest attendance
Shorebird populations face increasing challenges as rising sea levels and growing human populations constrain their breeding habitats. On recreational beaches, the nesting season often coincides with a season of high visitor use, increasing the potential for conflict, which may negatively influence beach-nesting shorebird species. We designed a field experiment to study the responses of...
Authors
Shilo K. Felton, Kenneth H. Pollock, Theodore R. Simons
Quantifying seining detection probability for fishes of Great Plains sand‐bed rivers Quantifying seining detection probability for fishes of Great Plains sand‐bed rivers
Species detection error (i.e., imperfect and variable detection probability) is an essential consideration when investigators map distributions and interpret habitat associations. When fish detection error that is due to highly variable instream environments needs to be addressed, sand‐bed streams of the Great Plains represent a unique challenge. We quantified seining detection...
Authors
Robert Mollenhauer, Daniel R. Logue, Shannon K. Brewer
Combining multiple sources of data to inform conservation of Lesser Prairie-Chicken populations Combining multiple sources of data to inform conservation of Lesser Prairie-Chicken populations
Conservation of small populations is often based on limited data from spatially and temporally restricted studies, resulting in management actions based on an incomplete assessment of the population drivers. If fluctuations in abundance are related to changes in weather, proper management is especially important, because extreme weather events could disproportionately affect population...
Authors
Beth Ross, David A. Haukos, Christian A. Hagen, James Pitman
Species‐ and habitat‐specific otolith chemistry patterns inform riverine fisheries management Species‐ and habitat‐specific otolith chemistry patterns inform riverine fisheries management
Geology and hydrology are drivers of water chemistry and thus important considerations for fish otolith chemistry research. However, other factors such as species and habitat identity may have predictive ability, enabling selection of appropriate elemental signatures prior to costly, perhaps unnecessary water/age‐0 fish sampling. The goal of this study was to develop a predictive...
Authors
William Radigan, Andrew K. Carlson, Jeremy Kientz, Steven R. Chipps, Mark J. Fincel, Brian D. S. Graeb
History of state wildlife management in the United States History of state wildlife management in the United States
No abstract available.
Authors
John F. Organ
Distinguishing values from science in decision making: Setting harvest quotas for mountain lions in Montana Distinguishing values from science in decision making: Setting harvest quotas for mountain lions in Montana
The relative roles of science and human values can be difficult to distinguish when informal processes are used to make complex and contentious decisions in wildlife management. Structured Decision Making (SDM) offers a formal process for making such decisions, where scientific results and concepts can be disentangled from the values of differing stakeholders. We used SDM to formally...
Authors
Michael S. Mitchell, Hilary Cooley, Justin A. Gude, Jay Kolbe, J. Joshua Nowak, Kelly M. Proffitt, Sarah N. Sells, Mike Thompson
Adaptive influence of extrinsic and intrinsic factors on variation of incubation periods among tropical and temperate passerines Adaptive influence of extrinsic and intrinsic factors on variation of incubation periods among tropical and temperate passerines
Understanding intrinsic (physiological) and extrinsic (e.g., temperature) causes of variation in embryonic development time (incubation period) is important because they can have different impacts on individual quality. Robert Ricklefs and colleagues have argued that longer incubation periods result primarily from intrinsic physiological programs that increase individual quality and...
Authors
Thomas E. Martin, Riccardo Ton, Juan C. Oteyza
AMModels: An R package for storing models, data, and metadata to facilitate adaptive management AMModels: An R package for storing models, data, and metadata to facilitate adaptive management
Agencies are increasingly called upon to implement their natural resource management programs within an adaptive management (AM) framework. This article provides the background and motivation for the R package, AMModels. AMModels was developed under R version 3.2.2. The overall goal of AMModels is simple: To codify knowledge in the form of models and to store it, along with models...
Authors
Therese M. Donovan, Jonathan Katz
The potential of unmanned aerial systems for sea turtle research and conservation: a review and future directions The potential of unmanned aerial systems for sea turtle research and conservation: a review and future directions
The use of satellite systems and manned aircraft surveys for remote data collection has been shown to be transformative for sea turtle conservation and research by enabling the collection of data on turtles and their habitats over larger areas than can be achieved by surveys on foot or by boat. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones are increasingly being adopted to gather data, at...
Authors
Alan F. Rees, Larisa Avens, Katia Ballorain, Elizabeth Bevan, Annette C. Broderick, Raymond R. Carthy, Marjolijn J. A. Christianen, Gwenael Duclos, Michael R. Heithaus, David W. Johnston, Jeffrey C. Mangel, Frank V. Paladino, Kellie Pendoley, Richard D. Reina, Nathan J. Robinson, Robert Ryan, Seth T. Sykora-Bodie, Dominic Tilley, Miguel R. Varela, Elizabeth R. Whitman, Paul A. Whittock, Thane Wibbels, Brendan J. Godley
Potential Longnose Darter population in the Kiamichi River of Oklahoma Potential Longnose Darter population in the Kiamichi River of Oklahoma
No abstract available.
Authors
C.T. Holley, James M. Long