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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: 5011

Higher nest predation favors rapid fledging at the cost of plumage quality in nestling birds Higher nest predation favors rapid fledging at the cost of plumage quality in nestling birds

Life-history theory predicts that rapid growth comes at a cost to offspring quality and adult longevity. However, trade-offs have been examined primarily based on proximate variation within species rather than evolved differences across species. Evolved differences are important to examine because species may co-evolve mechanisms to reduce long-term costs of rapid growth. For example...
Authors
Thomas E. Martin, Lea M. Callan1, Frank A. La Sorte2, 4 Vanya G. Rohwer1

Quantifying thermal-imager effectiveness for detecting bird nests on farms Quantifying thermal-imager effectiveness for detecting bird nests on farms

We conducted a designed experiment to test whether having a thermal-imaging camera available affected researchers' nest detection rates when searching for bird nests in cropland and grassland habitat in an agricultural landscape of Iowa, USA, in 2016. With known active nests present, naïve observers searched for nests with and without a thermal imager available. We did not find a...
Authors
Matthew D. Stephenson, Lisa A. Schulte, Robert W. Klaver

Effects of exercise and bioprocessed soybean meal diets during rainbow trout rearing Effects of exercise and bioprocessed soybean meal diets during rainbow trout rearing

Background: Alternative protein sources to fishmeal in fish feeds are needed. Objectives: Evaluate rearing performance of adult rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) (initial weight 139.0 ±1.5 g, length 232.9 ± 0.8 mm, mean ± SE) fed one of the two isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets (46% protein, 16% lipid) and reared at one of the two levels of exercise (water velocities of either 3.6 cm...
Authors
Jill M. Voorhees, Michael E. Barnes, Steven R. Chipps, Michael L. Brown

The complimentary role of lentic and lotic habitats for Arctic grayling in a complex stream-lake network in Arctic Alaska The complimentary role of lentic and lotic habitats for Arctic grayling in a complex stream-lake network in Arctic Alaska

Lakes can be important to stream dwelling fishes, yet how individuals exploit habitat heterogeneity across complex stream-lake networks is poorly understood. Furthermore, despite growing awareness that intermittent streams are widely used by fish, studies documenting use of seasonally accessible lakes remain scarce. We studied Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) in a small seasonally...
Authors
Mark S. Wipfli, Kurt C. Heim1, Christopher D. Arp2, Matthew S. Whitman3

Latitude and daily-weather effects on gobbling activity of wild turkeys in Mississippi Latitude and daily-weather effects on gobbling activity of wild turkeys in Mississippi

Weather has been recognized as a density independent factor influencing the abundance, distribution, and behavior of vertebrates. Male wild turkeys’ (Meleagris gallopavo) breeding behavior includes vocalizations and courtship displays to attract females, the phenology of which can vary with latitude. State biologists design spring turkey-hunting season frameworks centered on annual...
Authors
Matthew D. Palumbo, Francisco Vilella, Guiming Wang, Bronson K. Strickland, Dave Godwin, P. Grady Dixon, Benjamin D. Rubin, Marcus A. Lashley

Adaptive management of flows from R.L. Harris Dam (Tallapoosa River, Alabama)—Stakeholder process and use of biological monitoring data for decision making Adaptive management of flows from R.L. Harris Dam (Tallapoosa River, Alabama)—Stakeholder process and use of biological monitoring data for decision making

Adaptive management has been applied to problems with multiple conflicting objectives in various natural resources settings to learn how management actions affect divergent values regarding system response. Hydropower applications have only recently begun to emerge in the field, yet in the specific example reported herein, stakeholders invested in determining the best management...
Authors
Elise R. Irwin, Mary Freeman, James Peterson, Kathryn D.M. Kennedy, M. Clint Lloyd, Kristie M. Ouellette Coffman, Ely Kosnicki, Tom Hess

Reservoir diel water quality patterns relative to riparian shade Reservoir diel water quality patterns relative to riparian shade

Investigations into the effects of riparian shade on water quality have focused on streams, with less emphasis on natural lakes, and almost no attention given to reservoirs. In view of this gap, our objective was to assess diel water quality patterns in the nearshore zone of a reservoir and test whether diel patterns differed relative to the presence or absence of riparian shade. Light...
Authors
Leandro E. Miranda, C.D. Raines

Multiscale habitat factors explain variability in stream fish occurrence in the Ozark Highlands ecoregion, USA Multiscale habitat factors explain variability in stream fish occurrence in the Ozark Highlands ecoregion, USA

The dynamic, multiscale nature of stream systems makes it challenging to establish basic ecological principles to guide stream fish conservation and management. For example, finer-scale instream habitat is often constrained by coarser-scale characteristics driving observed species distributions. Additionally, instream environmental variability can result in patchy species distributions...
Authors
Robert Mollenhauer, Yan Zhou, Shannon K. Brewer

Fish assemblage structure and fisheries resources in Puerto Rico’s riverine estuaries Fish assemblage structure and fisheries resources in Puerto Rico’s riverine estuaries

Tropical estuaries are diverse and productive habitats with respect to their fish assemblages and associated fisheries, but these ecosystems and fisheries are imperiled by multiple anthropogenic threats. Despite the economic, social, and biodiversity value of tropical estuarine fish assemblages, they are poorly understood, especially those on Caribbean islands. We sampled the fish...
Authors
A.C. Engman, Thomas J. Kwak, J.R. Fischer, C.G. Lilyestrom

Patterns of acoustical activity of bats prior to and 10 years after WNS on Fort Drum Army Installation, New York Patterns of acoustical activity of bats prior to and 10 years after WNS on Fort Drum Army Installation, New York

Previous acoustic surveys, netting, and count data have shown that overall bat activity patterns have shifted among most species between pre- and post-white-nose syndrome (WNS) years in much of North America where WNS has occurred. However, the significance of these changes is based on the species-specific susceptibility to WNS. We used acoustically recorded echolocation passes obtained...
Authors
Tomás Nocera, W. Mark Ford, Alexander Silvis, Christopher A. Dobony

Integrating fish assemblage data, modeled stream temperatures, and thermal tolerance metrics to develop thermal guilds for water temperature regulation: Wyoming case study Integrating fish assemblage data, modeled stream temperatures, and thermal tolerance metrics to develop thermal guilds for water temperature regulation: Wyoming case study

Many streams are experiencing increased average temperatures due to anthropogenic activity and climate change. As a result, surface water temperature regulation is critical for preserving a diverse stream fish species assemblage. The development of temperature regulations has generally been based on laboratory measurements of individual species' thermal tolerances rather than community...
Authors
Caitlin P. Mandeville, Frank J. Rahel, Lindsay S. Patterson, Annika W. Walters
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