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
The effect of group size on reproduction in cooperatively breeding gray wolves depends on density The effect of group size on reproduction in cooperatively breeding gray wolves depends on density
In cooperatively breeding species, large group size is often positively related to reproductive success and group persistence. We have a poor understanding, however, of how group sizes within a population affect reproduction particularly as density varies. We hypothesized that at low densities, wolves in both small and large groups would have similar reproductive rates. At high densities...
Authors
D.E. Ausband, Michael S. Mitchell
Short-term responses to a human-altered landscape do not affect fat dynamics of a migratory ungulate Short-term responses to a human-altered landscape do not affect fat dynamics of a migratory ungulate
According to risk-sensitive foraging theory, animals should make foraging decisions that balance nutritional costs and gains to promote fitness. Human disturbance is a form of perceived risk that can prompt avoidance of risky habitat over acquisition of food. Consequently, behavioural responses to perceived risk could induce nutritional costs.Population declines often coincide with...
Authors
Samantha P. H. Dwinnell, Hall Sawyer, Matthew J. Kauffman, Jill E. Randall, Rusty Kaiser, Mark A. Thonhoff, Gary L. Fralick, Kevin L. Monteith
Comparison of sample types from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for DNA extraction and analyses Comparison of sample types from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for DNA extraction and analyses
Collection of biological samples for DNA is necessary in a variety of disciplines including disease epidemiology, landscape genetics, and forensics. Quantity and quality of DNA varies depending on the method of collection or media available for collection (e.g., blood, tissue, fecal). Blood is the most common sample collected in vials or on Whatman Flinders Technology Associates (FTA)...
Authors
Jessie Edson, Justin Brown, William L. Miller, W. David Walter
Managing wildlife at landscape scales Managing wildlife at landscape scales
Managing wildlife populations on a landscape is not a new concept to the field of wildlife management. However, a variety of barriers exist to effectively manage wildlife species at landscape scales. For example, competing management objectives for the same population can occur in parts of two adjoining states and 3-4 agencies within a single state may be charged with managing the...
Authors
John W. Connelly, Courtney J. Conway
White-nose syndrome-related changes to Mid-Atlantic bat communities across an urban-to-rural gradient White-nose syndrome-related changes to Mid-Atlantic bat communities across an urban-to-rural gradient
Background White-nose Syndrome (WNS) has reduced the abundance of many bat species within the United States’ Mid-Atlantic region. To determine changes within the National Park Service National Capital Region (NCR) bat communities, we surveyed the area with mist netting and active acoustic sampling (2016–2018) and compared findings to pre-WNS (2003–2004) data.Results The results indicated...
Authors
Sabrina M. Deeley, Joshua B. Johnson, W. Mark Ford, J. Edward Gates
Responses of vertebrate wildlife to oil and natural gas development: Patterns and frontiers Responses of vertebrate wildlife to oil and natural gas development: Patterns and frontiers
Purpose of Review Anthropogenic activities can lead to the loss, fragmentation, and alteration of wildlife habitats. I reviewed the recent literature (2014–2019) focused on the responses of avian, mammalian, and herpetofaunal species to oil and natural gas development, a widespread and still-expanding land use worldwide. My primary goals were to identify any generalities in species’...
Authors
Anna D. Chalfoun
Book Review: “From catastrophe to recovery: Stories of fisheries management successes” Krueger, C. C., Taylor, W. M., and Youn, S. J., editors Book Review: “From catastrophe to recovery: Stories of fisheries management successes” Krueger, C. C., Taylor, W. M., and Youn, S. J., editors
No abstract available.
Authors
Joseph D. Zydlewski
Mapping out a future for ungulate migrations Mapping out a future for ungulate migrations
Migration of ungulates (hooved mammals) is a fundamental ecological process that promotes abundant herds, whose effects cascade up and down terrestrial food webs. Migratory ungulates provide the prey base that maintains large carnivore and scavenger populations and underpins terrestrial biodiversity (fig. S1). When ungulates move in large aggregations, their hooves, feces, and urine...
Authors
Matthew J. Kauffman, Francesca Cagnacci, Simon Chamaille-Jammes, Mark Hebblewhite, J. Grant C. Hopcraft, Jerod A. Merkle, Thomas Mueller, Atle Mysterud, Wibke Peters, Christiane Roettger, Alethea Steingisser, James Meacham, Kasahun Abera, Jan Adamczewski, Ellen O. Aikens, Hattie Bartlam-Brooks, Emily Bennitt, Joel Berger, Charlotte Boyd, Steeve D. Cote, Lucie Debeffe, Andrea S. Dekrout, Nandintsetseg Dejid, Emiliano Donadio, Luthando Dziba, William F. Fagan, Claude Fischer, S. Focardi, J. M. Fryxell, Richard W. S. Fynn, Chris Geremia, Benito A. Gonzalez, Anne Gunn, E. Gurarie, Marco Heurich, Jodi A. Hilty, Mark Hurley, Aran Johnson, Kyle Joly, Petra Kaczensky, Corinne J. Kendall, Pavel Kochkarev, Leonid Kolpaschikov, Rafal Kowalczyk, Frank van Langeveld, V. Li Binbin, Alex L. Lobora, Anne Loison, Tinaapi H. Madiri, David P. Mallon, Pascal Marchland, Rodrigo A. Medellin, Erling Meisingset, Evelyn Merrill, Arthur D. Middleton, Kevin Monteith, Malik Morjan, Thomas A. Morrison, Steffen Mumme, Robin Naidoo, A.J. Novaro, Joseph O. Ogutu, Kirk A. Olson, Alfred Oteng-Yeboah, Ovejero Ramiro J.A., Norman Owen-Smith, Antti Paasivaara, Craig Packer, Danilla Panchenko, Luca Pedrotti, Andrew J. Plumptre, Christer Moe Rolandsen, Sonia Said, Albert Salemgareyev, Piotr Savchenko, Hall Sawyer, Moses Selebatso, Matthew Skroch, Erling J. Solberg, Jared A. Stabach, Olav Strand, Michael J. Suitor, Yasuyuki Tachiki, Anne Trainor, Arnold Tshipa, M.Z. Virani, Carly Vynne, Stephanie Ward, George Wittemyer, Wenjing Xu, Steffen Zuther
Responses of vertebrate wildlife to oil and natural gas development: Patterns and frontiers Responses of vertebrate wildlife to oil and natural gas development: Patterns and frontiers
Purpose of Review Anthropogenic activities can lead to the loss, fragmentation, and alteration of wildlife habitats. I reviewed the recent literature (2014–2019) focused on the responses of avian, mammalian, and herpetofaunal species to oil and natural gas development, a widespread and still-expanding land use worldwide. My primary goals were to identify any generalities in species’...
Authors
Anna D. Chalfoun
eDNA metabarcoding outperforms traditional fisheries sampling and reveals fine-scale heterogeneity in a temperate freshwater lake eDNA metabarcoding outperforms traditional fisheries sampling and reveals fine-scale heterogeneity in a temperate freshwater lake
Understanding biodiversity in aquatic systems is critical to ecological research and conservation efforts, but accurately measuring species richness using traditional methods can be challenging. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding, which uses high-throughput sequencing and universal primers to amplify DNA from multiple species present in an environmental sample, has shown great...
Authors
Rebecca R. Gehri, Wesley Larson, Kristen Gruenthal, Nicholas Sard, Yue Shi
Environmental DNA metabarcoding as a tool for biodiversity assessment and monitoring: Reconstructing established fish communities of north-temperate lakes and rivers Environmental DNA metabarcoding as a tool for biodiversity assessment and monitoring: Reconstructing established fish communities of north-temperate lakes and rivers
Aim To evaluate the ability of precipitation-based environmental DNA (eDNA) sample collection and mitochondrial 12S metabarcoding sequencing to reconstruct well-studied fish communities in lakes and rivers. Specific objectives were to 1) determine correlations between eDNA species detections and known community composition based on conventional field sampling, 2) compare efficiency of...
Authors
Peter T. Euclide, Yer Lor, Michael J. Spear, Tariq Tajjioui, M. Jake Vander Zanden, Wesley Larson, Jon Amberg
Survival and contaminants in imperiled and common riverine fishes assessed with an in situ bioassay approach Survival and contaminants in imperiled and common riverine fishes assessed with an in situ bioassay approach
An in situ bioassay approach was used to determine whether aquatic contaminant stressors in a large Atlantic river ecosystem affect the survival of 3 fish species: the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides, juveniles), the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas, adults), and the robust redhorse (Moxostoma robustum, juveniles). Hatchery-propagated fish were placed into cages to assess site...
Authors
C. A. Grieshaber, W. G. Cope, Thomas J. Kwak, T. N. Penland, R. J. Heise, J. M. Law