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: 5125
A direct-gradient multivariate index of biotic condition A direct-gradient multivariate index of biotic condition
Multimetric indexes constructed by summing metric scores have been criticized despite many of their merits. A leading criticism is the potential for investigator bias involved in metric selection and scoring. Often there is a large number of competing metrics equally well correlated with environmental stressors, requiring a judgment call by the investigator to select the most suitable...
Authors
Leandro E. Miranda, J.N. Aycock, K. J. Killgore
Biological assessment of environmental flows for Oklahoma Biological assessment of environmental flows for Oklahoma
Large-scale patterns in fish assemblage structure and functional groups are influenced by alterations in streamflow regime. In this study, we defined an objective threshold for alteration for Oklahoma streams using a combination of the expected range of 27 flow indices and a discriminant analysis to predict flow regime group. We found that fish functional groups in reference flow...
Authors
William L. Fisher, Titus S. Seilheimer, Jason M. Taylor
Development and evaluation of a boat-mounted RFID antenna for monitoring freshwater mussels Development and evaluation of a boat-mounted RFID antenna for monitoring freshwater mussels
Development of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags has substantially increased the ability of researchers and managers to monitor populations of aquatic organisms. However, use of transportable RFID antenna systems (i.e., backpack-mounted) is currently limited to wadeable aquatic environments (
Authors
Jesse R. Fischer, Travis E. Neebling, Michael C. Quist
A study of the spawning ecology and early life history survival of Bonneville Cutthroat Trout A study of the spawning ecology and early life history survival of Bonneville Cutthroat Trout
We completed a large‐scale field experiment in four tributaries of the Logan River, Utah, where the largest metapopulation of imperiled Bonneville cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii utah persists. We documented the spatial and temporal distributions of spawners, quantified substrate use versus substrate availability, and evaluated differences in hatch and emergence fry success between...
Authors
Phaedra Budy, Sara Wood, Brett B. Roper
American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus)
The American Oystercatcher is a large, conspicuous shorebird, common in coastal salt marshes and along sand beaches throughout the central part of its range. One of the few birds to specialize on bivalve mollusks living in saltwater, this species is completely restricted to marine habitats. Two races breed in North America—the eastern nominate race along the Atlantic coast from southern...
Authors
Theodore R. Simons, E. Nol, R. Boettcher
The structure of Mediterranean rocky reef ecosystems across environmental and human gradients, and conservation implications The structure of Mediterranean rocky reef ecosystems across environmental and human gradients, and conservation implications
Historical exploitation of the Mediterranean Sea and the absence of rigorous baselines makes it difficult to evaluate the current health of the marine ecosystems and the efficacy of conservation actions at the ecosystem level. Here we establish the first current baseline and gradient of ecosystem structure of nearshore rocky reefs at the Mediterranean scale. We conducted underwater...
Authors
Enric Sala, Enric Ballesteros, Panagiotis Dendrinos, Antonio Di Franco, Francesco Ferretti, David Foley, Simonetta Fraschetti, Alan M. Friedlander, Joaquim Garrabou, Harun Guclusoy, Paolo Guidetti, Benjamin S. Halpern, Bernat Hereu, Alexandros A. Karamanlidis, Zafer Kizilkaya, Enrique Macpherson, Luisa Mangialajo, Simone Mariani, Fiorenza Micheli, Antonio Pais, Kristin Riser, Andrew A. Rosenberg, Marta Sales, Kimberly A. Selkoe, Rick Starr, Fiona Tomas, Mikel Zabala
Winter ecology and habitat use of lesser prairie-chickens in west Texas, 2008-11 Winter ecology and habitat use of lesser prairie-chickens in west Texas, 2008-11
The lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) has experienced declines in population and occupied range by more than 90 percent since the late 1800s. The lesser prairie-chicken has been listed as a candidate species for protection under the Endangered Species Act and is undergoing review for actual listing. Populations and distribution of lesser prairie-chickens in Texas are...
Authors
Clint W. Boal, Nicholas E. Pirius
Timing and proximate causes of mortality in wild bird populations: testing Ashmole’s hypothesis Timing and proximate causes of mortality in wild bird populations: testing Ashmole’s hypothesis
Fecundity in birds is widely recognized to increase with latitude across diverse phylogenetic groups and regions, yet the causes of this variation remain enigmatic. Ashmole’s hypothesis is one of the most broadly accepted explanations for this pattern. This hypothesis suggests that increasing seasonality leads to increasing overwinter mortality due to resource scarcity during the lean...
Authors
Daniel C. Barton, Thomas E. Martin
Red-tailed Hawk movements and use of habitat in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico Red-tailed Hawk movements and use of habitat in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico
The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is a top predator of upland ecosystems in the Greater Antilles. Little information exists on the ecology of the insular forms of this widely distributed species. We studied movements and resource use of the Red-tailed Hawk from 2000 to 2002 in the montane forests of northeastern Puerto Rico. We captured 32 and used 21 radio-marked Red-tailed Hawks...
Authors
Francisco Vilella, Wyatt F. Nimitz
Trends in Marine Debris along the U.S. Pacific Coast and Hawai’i 1998-2007 Trends in Marine Debris along the U.S. Pacific Coast and Hawai’i 1998-2007
We assessed amounts, composition, and trends of marine debris for the U.S. Pacific Coast and Hawai’i using National Marine Debris Monitoring Program data. Hawai’i had the highest debris loads; the North Pacific Coast region had the lowest debris loads. The Southern California Bight region had the highest land-based debris loads. Debris loads decreased over time for all source categories...
Authors
Christine Ribic, Seba B. Sheavly, David J. Rugg, Eric S. Erdmann
Habitat persistence for sedentary organisms in managed rivers: the case for the federally endangered dwarf wedgemussel (Alasmidonta heterodon) in the Delaware River Habitat persistence for sedentary organisms in managed rivers: the case for the federally endangered dwarf wedgemussel (Alasmidonta heterodon) in the Delaware River
1. To manage the environmental flow requirements of sedentary taxa, such as mussels and aquatic insects with fixed retreats, we need a measure of habitat availability over a variety of flows (i.e. a measure of persistent habitat). Habitat suitability measures in current environmental flow assessments are measured on a ‘flow by flow’ basis and thus are not appropriate for these taxa. Here...
Authors
Kelly O. Maloney, William A. Lellis, Randy M. Bennett, Terry J. Waddle
Floodplain wetlands of the southeastern coastal plain Floodplain wetlands of the southeastern coastal plain
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Authors
Sammy L. King, Loretta L. Battaglia, Cliff R. Hupp, Richard F. Keim, B. Graeme Lockaby