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: 5350
Juvenile salmon habitat use drives variation in growth and highlights vulnerability to river fragmentation Juvenile salmon habitat use drives variation in growth and highlights vulnerability to river fragmentation
Widespread stream network fragmentation from dams and culverts has altered habitat connectivity in river ecosystems and presents an acute threat to migratory fish. To support watershed management for an iconic migratory fish group, we assessed juvenile salmon growth outcomes across habitat use strategies and characterized how these life histories may be impacted by stream connectivity...
Authors
Suresh Sethi, Michael P. Carey, Jonathon Gerken, Bradley P. Harris, Nathan Wolf, Curry Cunningham, Felipe Restrepo, Josh Ashline
Nutrient restoration of a large, impounded, ultra-oligotrophic western river to recover declining native fishes Nutrient restoration of a large, impounded, ultra-oligotrophic western river to recover declining native fishes
Declines in many fish populations in large, western rivers have been primarily attributed to the anthropogenic reduction of nutrient inputs and subsequent impacts to the food web. The largest known river fertilization program was implemented starting in 2005 on the Kootenai River in northern Idaho to restore resident fisheries. Annual electrofishing surveys were conducted at multiple...
Authors
Ryan S. Hardy, Tyler J. Ross, Kevin McDonnell, Michael C. Quist, Charlie Holderman, Bryan S. Stevens
Island of misfit tortoises: Waif gopher tortoise health assessment following translocation Island of misfit tortoises: Waif gopher tortoise health assessment following translocation
Translocation, the intentional movement of animals from one location to another, is a common management practice for the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus). Although the inadvertent spread of pathogens is a concern with any translocation effort, waif tortoises—individuals that have been collected illegally, injured and rehabilitated or have unknown origins—are generally excluded from
Authors
Rebecca K. McKee, Kurt. A. Buhlmann, Clinton T. Moore, Matthew C. Allender, Nicole I. Stacy, Tracey D. Tuberville
Comparison of structures used to estimate age and growth of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Comparison of structures used to estimate age and growth of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout
Understanding age and growth of fishes is critical for making meaningful management decisions. Obtaining useful information is dependent on using the best structure (e.g., scale, otolith). The objective of this study was to evaluate precision and reader confidence in age estimates from sagittal otoliths (i.e., whole, sectioned) and scales for Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus...
Authors
Michael C. Quist, Darcy K. McCarrick, Lynsey Harris
Broad Whitefish (Coregonus nasus) isotopic niches: Stable isotopes reveal diverse foraging strategies and habitat use in Arctic Alaska Broad Whitefish (Coregonus nasus) isotopic niches: Stable isotopes reveal diverse foraging strategies and habitat use in Arctic Alaska
Understanding the ecological niche of some fishes is complicated by their frequent use of a broad range of food resources and habitats across space and time. Little is known about Broad Whitefish (Coregonus nasus) ecological niches in Arctic landscapes even though they are an important subsistence species for Alaska’s Indigenous communities. We investigated the foraging ecology and...
Authors
Jason C. Leppi, Daniel J. Rinella, Mark S. Wipfli, Matthew S. Whitman
A framework for integrating inferred movement behavior into disease risk models A framework for integrating inferred movement behavior into disease risk models
Movement behavior is an important contributor to habitat selection and its incorporation in disease risk models has been somewhat neglected. The habitat preferences of host individuals affect their probability of exposure to pathogens. If preference behavior can be incorporated in ecological niche models (ENMs) when data on pathogen distributions are available, then variation in such...
Authors
Eric R. Dougherty, Dana P. Seidel, Jason K. Blackburn, Wendy Christine Turner, Wayne M. Getz
Biodiversity is decimated by the cascading effects of the amphibian-killing chytrid fungus Biodiversity is decimated by the cascading effects of the amphibian-killing chytrid fungus
No abstract available.
Authors
Elise F. Zipkin, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo
Fuels and vegetation changes in southwestern, unburned portions of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA, 2003-2019 Fuels and vegetation changes in southwestern, unburned portions of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA, 2003-2019
Overstory basal area, ericaceous shrub cover (Kalmia latifolia L. and Rhododendron maximum L.), and fuels (i.e., woody fuel loads and depths and O Horizon thickness) were assessed within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA, in 2003 − 2004. Due to recent wildfire activity within the southern Appalachian Mountain region (including Great Smoky Mountains National Park), the potential...
Authors
T. Adam Coates, W. Mark Ford
Using piecewise regression to identify biological phenomena in biotelemetry datasets Using piecewise regression to identify biological phenomena in biotelemetry datasets
1. Technological advances in the field of animal tracking have greatly expanded the potential to remotely monitor animals, opening the door to exploring how animals shift their behavior over time or respond to external stimuli. A wide variety of animal-borne sensors can provide information on an animal’s location, movement characteristics, external environmental conditions, and internal
Authors
David W. Wolfson, David E. Andersen, John R. Fieberg
Large-scale distribution models for optimal prediction of Eastern black rail habitat within tidal ecosystems Large-scale distribution models for optimal prediction of Eastern black rail habitat within tidal ecosystems
Eastern black rails (Laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis) are among the rarest and least-studied birds in North America and were recently listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Spatial models that predict habitat quality across the subspecies range are therefore needed to inform conservation, recovery, and monitoring efforts for this rare bird. We used data from 47...
Authors
Bryan S. Stevens, Courtney J. Conway, Kirsten Luke, Aimee Weldon, Christy Hand, Amy Schwarzer, Fletcher Smith, Craig Watson, Bryan D. Watts
Africa’s drylands in a changing world: Challenges for wildlife conservation under climate and land-use changes in the Greater Etosha Landscape Africa’s drylands in a changing world: Challenges for wildlife conservation under climate and land-use changes in the Greater Etosha Landscape
Proclaimed in 1907, Etosha National Park in northern Namibia is an iconic dryland system with a rich history of wildlife conservation and research. A recent research symposium on wildlife conservation in the Greater Etosha Landscape (GEL) highlighted increased concern of how intensification of global change will affect wildlife conservation based on participant responses to a...
Authors
Wendy Christine Turner, Stéphanie Périquet, Claire E. Goelst, Kimberlie B. Vera, Elissa Z. Cameron, Kathleen A. Alexander, Jerrold L. Belant, Claudine C. Cloete, Pierre du Preez, Wayne M. Getz, Robyn S. Hetem, Pauline L. Kamath, Marthin K. Kasaona, Monique Mackenzie, John Mendelsohn, John K.E. Mfune, Jeff Muntifering, Ruben Portas, H. Ann Scott, W. Maartin Strauss, Wilferd Versfeld, Bettina Wachter, George Wittemyer, J. Werner Kilian
Drought and nutrient pollution produce multiple interactive effects in stream ecosystems Drought and nutrient pollution produce multiple interactive effects in stream ecosystems
Drought and nutrient pollution can affect the dynamics of stream ecosystems in diverse ways. While the individual effects of both stressors are broadly examined in the literature, we still know relatively little about if and how these stressors interact. Here, we performed a mesocosm experiment that explores the compounded effects of seasonal drought via water withdrawals and nutrient...
Authors
R.J. Fournier, Daniel D. Magoulick