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
Are Agrofuels a conservation threat or opportunity for grassland birds in the United States? Are Agrofuels a conservation threat or opportunity for grassland birds in the United States?
In the United States, government-mandated growth in the production of crops dedicated to biofuel (agrofuels) is predicted to increase the demands on existing agricultural lands, potentially threatening the persistence of populations of grassland birds they support. We review recently published literature and datasets to (1) examine the ability of alternative agrofuel crops and their...
Authors
Bruce A. Robertson, Robert A. Rice, Christine Ribic, Bruce A. Babcock, Douglas A. Landis, James R. Herkert, Robert J. Fletcher, Joseph J Fontaine, Patrick J. Doran, Douglas W. Schemske
Site choice among Minnesota walleye anglers: The influence of resource conditions, regulations and catch orientation on Lake Preference Site choice among Minnesota walleye anglers: The influence of resource conditions, regulations and catch orientation on Lake Preference
Understanding angler site choice preferences is important in the management of recreational fisheries to forecast angling demand and effort. This study investigated lake choice by recreational anglers fishing for walleye Sander vitreus in Minnesota and examined how choices were influenced by lake characteristics, angler demographics, and angler catch orientation. We collected data...
Authors
Caroline Carlin, Susan A. Schroeder, David C. Fulton
Origins of invasive piscivores determined from the strontium isotope ratio (87Sr/86Sr) of otoliths Origins of invasive piscivores determined from the strontium isotope ratio (87Sr/86Sr) of otoliths
We examined strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) in fish otoliths to determine the origins of invasive piscivores in the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB, western USA). We examined 87Sr/86Sr from fishes in different reservoirs, as well as the temporal stability and interspecies variability of 87Sr/86Sr of fishes within reservoirs, determined if 87Sr/86Sr would be useful for...
Authors
Brian A. Wolff, Brett M. Johnson, Andre R. Breton, Patrick J. Martinez, Dana L. Winkelman, Bronwyn Gillanders
Combining lake and watershed characteristics with Landsat TM data for remote estimation of regional lake clarity Combining lake and watershed characteristics with Landsat TM data for remote estimation of regional lake clarity
Water clarity is a reliable indicator of lake productivity and an ideal metric of regional water quality. Clarity is an indicator of other water quality variables including chlorophyll-a, total phosphorus and trophic status; however, unlike these metrics, clarity can be accurately and efficiently estimated remotely on a regional scale. Remote sensing is useful in regions containing a...
Authors
Ian M. McCullough, Cyndy Loftin, Steven A. Sader
Leopardus braccatus (Carnivora: Felidae) Leopardus braccatus (Carnivora: Felidae)
Leopardus braccatus (Cope, 1889) is a small felid—not much larger than a domestic house cat—commonly called the Pantanal cat. No comprehensive surveys have been conducted to determine how many L. braccatus exist in the wild. It is found in humid, warm grasslands and wooded areas of extreme northwestern Argentina, southwestern and south- and north-central (newly reported ranges) Brazil...
Authors
Anita L. Barstow, David M. Leslie
Quantity, structure, and habitat selection of natural spawning reefs by walleyes in a north temperate lake: A multiscale analysis Quantity, structure, and habitat selection of natural spawning reefs by walleyes in a north temperate lake: A multiscale analysis
Spawning habitat, the cornerstone of self-sustaining, naturally reproducing walleyeSander vitreus populations, has received limited quantitative research. Our goal was to quantitatively describe the structure and quantity of natural walleye spawning habitat and evaluate potential selection of habitat in Big Crooked Lake, Wisconsin. In 2004 and 2005, we located and delineated walleye egg...
Authors
Joshua K. Raabe, Michael A. Bozek
Fish assemblage dynamics in a Neotropical floodplain relative to aquatic macrophytes and the homogenizing effect of a flood pulse Fish assemblage dynamics in a Neotropical floodplain relative to aquatic macrophytes and the homogenizing effect of a flood pulse
The presence of aquatic macrophytes is a key factor in the selection of habitats by fish in floodplain lakes because these plants enhance the physical and biological complexities of aquatic habitats. The seasonal flood pulse may influence this interaction, but there is no information in the literature about the effects that flood events may have on macrophytes assemblages and its...
Authors
L.C. Gomes, C. K. Bulla, A. A. Agostinho, L. P. Vasconcelos, Leandro E. Miranda
Conflicting research on the demography, ecology, and social behavior of Gunnison's prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni) Conflicting research on the demography, ecology, and social behavior of Gunnison's prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni)
Gunnison's prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni) are rare, diurnal, colonial, burrowing, ground-dwelling squirrels. Studies of marked individuals living under natural conditions in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s showed that males are heavier than females throughout the year; that adult females living in the same territory are consistently close kin; and that females usually mate with the...
Authors
John L. Hoogland, Jack F. Cully, Linda S. Rayor, James P. Fitzgerald
Species abundance and potential biological control services in shade vs. sun coffee in Puerto Rico Species abundance and potential biological control services in shade vs. sun coffee in Puerto Rico
Birds, lizards and insects were surveyed in three sun and three shade coffee plantations in Puerto Rico to provide a comprehensive comparison of biodiversity between plantations types and to identify potential interrelationships (e.g., biological or natural control services) between members of each taxon and coffee pests. Abundance of avian species, including insectivorous species, was
Authors
Rena R. Borkhataria, Jaime A. Collazo, Martha J. Groom
Variation in spring harvest rates of male wild turkeys in New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania Variation in spring harvest rates of male wild turkeys in New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania
Spring harvest rates of male wild turkeys (Meleagris gallapavo) influence the number and proportion of adult males in the population and turkey population models have treated harvest as additive to other sources of mortality. Therefore, hunting regulations and their effect on spring harvest rates have direct implications for hunter satisfaction. We used tag recovery models to estimate...
Authors
Duane R. Diefenbach, Mary Jo Casalena, Michael V. Schiavone, Michael Reynolds, Robert Eriksen, Wendy C. Vreeland, Bryan L. Swift, Robert C. Boyd
Emerging prion disease drives host selection in a wildlife population Emerging prion disease drives host selection in a wildlife population
Infectious diseases are increasingly recognized as an important force driving population dynamics, conservation biology, and natural selection in wildlife populations. Infectious agents have been implicated in the decline of small or endangered populations and may act to constrain population size, distribution, growth rates, or migration patterns. Further, diseases may provide selective...
Authors
Stacie J. Robinson, Michael D. Samuel, Chad J. Johnson, Marie Adams, Debbie I. McKenzie
Demographic population model for American shad: will access to additional habitat upstream of dams increase population sizes? Demographic population model for American shad: will access to additional habitat upstream of dams increase population sizes?
American shad Alosa sapidissima are in decline in their native range, and modeling possible management scenarios could help guide their restoration. We developed a density-dependent, deterministic, stage-based matrix model to predict the population-level results of transporting American shad to suitable spawning habitat upstream of dams on the Roanoke River, North Carolina and Virginia...
Authors
Julianne E. Harris, Joseph E. Hightower