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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: 5083

Predicting carnivore occurrence with noninvasive surveys and occupancy modeling Predicting carnivore occurrence with noninvasive surveys and occupancy modeling

Terrestrial carnivores typically have large home ranges and exist at low population densities, thus presenting challenges to wildlife researchers. We employed multiple, noninvasive survey methods—scat detection dogs, remote cameras, and hair snares—to collect detection–nondetection data for elusive American black bears (Ursus americanus), fishers (Martes pennanti), and bobcats (Lynx...
Authors
Robert A. Long, Therese M. Donovan, Paula MacKay, William J. Zielinski, Jeffrey S. Buzas

Survival of angled saugers in the lower Tennessee River Survival of angled saugers in the lower Tennessee River

An intense winter fishery for sauger Sander canadensis exists in the lower Tennessee River, and the objective of this study was to estimate the survival of angled saugers. In February 2008 and January–March 2009, 81 angled saugers (72 live plus 9 euthanized) were affixed with ultrasonic tags. The movements (or lack thereof) by saugers released alive were compared with those of euthanized...
Authors
Christy L. Kitterman, Phillip William Bettoli

Seasonal habitat shifts by benthic fishes in headwater streams Seasonal habitat shifts by benthic fishes in headwater streams

Fish-habitat associations in streams have been widely studied; however, temporal considerations have been neglected, particularly during the winter. We quantitatively sampled perennial headwater streams in the Missouri Ozarks during the summer (n = 13) and winter (n = 4) to evaluate possible habitat shifts by three benthic fishes at two spatial scales: channel unit and microhabitat...
Authors
Adam V. Rettig, Shannon K. Brewer

Isolation of microsatellite loci from the lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris yerbuenae) Isolation of microsatellite loci from the lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris yerbuenae)

Leptonycteris yerbabuenae is a nectarivore (subfamily: Glossophaginae, family: Phyllostomidae), is found from southern Arizona/southwestern New Mexico to southern Mexico including the Baja California peninsula (Ceballos et al.1997; Cockrum 1991). Leptonycteris yerbabuenae is listed as endangered in the United States (Shull 1988) and threatened in Mexico (SEMARNAT 2002). They migrate up...
Authors
Judith Ramirez, A. Munguia-Vega, Melanie Culver

Seabird use of discards from a nearshore shrimp fishery in the South Atlantic Bight, USA Seabird use of discards from a nearshore shrimp fishery in the South Atlantic Bight, USA

Shrimp trawling is common throughout the southeastern and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the USA and is the primary contributor to fisheries discards in these regions. Tens of thousands of nearshore seabirds nest near shrimp trawling grounds in the USA, but to date, there has been no assessment of the relationship between seabirds and shrimp trawlers. We examined the taxonomic composition of...
Authors
Patrick G.R. Jodice, Lisa C. Wickliffe, Elena B. Sachs

Assessing the role of conspecific attraction in habitat restoration for Henslow's sparrows in Iowa Assessing the role of conspecific attraction in habitat restoration for Henslow's sparrows in Iowa

The presence of conspecific individuals may provide important cues about habitat quality for territorial songbirds. We tested the ability of a conspecific song playback system to attract Henslow’s sparrows to previously unoccupied restored habitat. We successfully attracted Heslow’s sparrows to 3 of 7 treatment plots using conspecific song playbacks and we found no Henslow’s sparrows in...
Authors
Jennifer A. Vogel, Rolf R. Koford, David L. Otis

Radiotelemetry to estimate stream life of adult chum salmon in the McNeil River, Alaska Radiotelemetry to estimate stream life of adult chum salmon in the McNeil River, Alaska

Estimating salmon escapement is one of the fundamental steps in managing salmon populations. The area-under-the-curve (AUC) method is commonly used to convert periodic aerial survey counts into annual salmon escapement indices. The AUC requires obtaining accurate estimates of stream life (SL) for target species. Traditional methods for estimating SL (e.g., mark–recapture) are not...
Authors
Joshua Peirce, Edward O. Otis, Mark S. Wipfli, Erich H. Follmann

Scale-dependent factors affecting North American river otter distribution in the midwest Scale-dependent factors affecting North American river otter distribution in the midwest

The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) is recovering from near extirpation throughout much of its range. Although reintroductions, trapping regulations and habitat improvements have led to the reestablishment of river otters in the Midwest, little is known about how their distribution is influenced by local- and landscape-scale habitat. We conducted river otter sign surveys...
Authors
Mackenzie R. Jeffress, Craig P. Paukert, Joanna B. Whittier, B. K. Sandercock, P. S. Gipson

Depth as an organizer of fish assemblages in floodplain lakes Depth as an organizer of fish assemblages in floodplain lakes

Depth reduction is a natural process in floodplain lakes, but in many basins has been accelerated by anthropogenic disturbances. A diverse set of 42 floodplain lakes in the Yazoo River Basin (Mississippi, USA) was examined to test the hypothesis of whether depth reduction was a key determinant of water quality and fish assemblage structure. Single and multiple variable analyses were...
Authors
Leandro E. Miranda

Environmental controls of wood entrapment in upper Midwestern streams Environmental controls of wood entrapment in upper Midwestern streams

Wood deposited in streams provides a wide variety of ecosystem functions, including enhancing habitat for key species in stream food webs, increasing geomorphic and hydraulic heterogeneity and retaining organic matter. Given the strong role that wood plays in streams, factors that influence wood inputs, retention and transport are critical to stream ecology. Wood entrapment, the process...
Authors
Eric C. Merten, Jacques Finlay, Lucinda Johnson, Raymond Newman, Heinz Stefan, Bruce C. Vondracek

Defining conservation priorities for freshwater fishes according to taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity Defining conservation priorities for freshwater fishes according to taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity

To date, the predominant use of systematic conservation planning has been to evaluate and conserve areas of high terrestrial biodiversity. Although studies in freshwater ecosystems have received recent attention, research has rarely considered the potential trade-offs between protecting different dimensions of biodiversity and the ecological processes that maintain diversity. We provide...
Authors
A. L. Strecker, J. D. Olden, Joanna B. Whittier, Craig P. Paukert
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