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: 5185
Exploring management options for moose at their southern range limits considering growing disease risk Exploring management options for moose at their southern range limits considering growing disease risk
1. Populations of cold-adapted species are increasingly vulnerable along their low-latitude range limits due to shifting environmental conditions, biotic interactions, and anthropogenic pressures. Managing these populations is particularly challenging because of complex ecological dynamics, conflicting stakeholder interests, and decision-making under uncertainty. 2. We explored...
Authors
Jennifer A. Grauer, Jacqueline L. Frair, Krysten L. Schuler, David W. Kramer, Angela K. Fuller
Multiscale resource selection for a reintroduced elk population Multiscale resource selection for a reintroduced elk population
Patterns of resource selection are driven by the decision-making processes of animals occurring at multiple scales from where to establish a home range (i.e., second order selection) to which resource patches to use within the home range (i.e., third order selection). Elk (Cervus canadensis) were reintroduced to southwestern Virginia, USA, from 2012 to 2014 following successful...
Authors
Braiden A. Quinlan, Brett R. Jesmer, Jacalyn P. Rosenberger, W. Mark Ford, Michael J. Cherry
Relative activity of three bat species Impacted by white-nose syndrome on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Relative activity of three bat species Impacted by white-nose syndrome on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
White-nose syndrome, a disease caused by the fungal-pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has caused drastic reductions in populations of several North American hibernating species of bats including Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown Bat), Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared Bat), and Perimyotis subflavus (Tricolored Bat). Recent data indicate that populations of Little Brown Bats...
Authors
Megan L. Moran, Amber S. Litterer, Jesse L. De La Cruz, Sabrina M. Deeley, W. Mark Ford
Seasonal and annual survival of acoustically tagged juvenile Gulf sturgeon in the Apalachicola River, Florida, USA Seasonal and annual survival of acoustically tagged juvenile Gulf sturgeon in the Apalachicola River, Florida, USA
Gulf sturgeon Acipenser desotoi are anadromous fish that have undergone major population declines throughout their range. Habitat alteration and previous overharvest in commercial fisheries led to the species being listed as ‘threatened’ under the US Endangered Species Act in 1991. An accurate understanding of population dynamics, including survival, is necessary for monitoring...
Authors
Russell T. Wilson, Adam J. Kaeser, Stephen W. Parker, Brian J. Irwin, Martin J. Hamel, Adam G. Fox
Potential causes of shedding aggregations in prairie rattlesnakes Potential causes of shedding aggregations in prairie rattlesnakes
Aggregation is common across taxa and typically confers clear benefits to group members (e.g., allo-parenting, group defense, thermoregulation, access to resources). But aggregation can also be costly. The mechanisms that underpin aggregation—and the cues that elicit it—inform our understanding of how animals resolve tradeoffs among selection pressures. Snakes sometimes form conspicuous
Authors
Emily Martin, Courtney J. Conway
Ungulate migrations of the Western United States, volume 6 Ungulate migrations of the Western United States, volume 6
This report, volume 6 in the “Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States” report series, showcases the migrations of 23 ungulate herds in the Western United States. The report series is produced by the Corridor Mapping Team (CMT). Led by the U.S. Geological Survey, the CMT is a collaboration among 11 State agencies, as well as regional and Federal partners, and an expanding number...
Authors
Matthew J. Kauffman, Blake Lowrey, Jennifer L. McKee, Chloe J. Beaupre, Jeffrey Beck, Jon P. Beckmann, Scott Bergen, Joel Berger, Regan Berkley, Nathan Borg, Peyton Carl, Michelle Cowardin, Sarah Dewey, Katie M. Dugger, Amy Ehrhart, Jessica Fort, Eric Freeman, Ian Freeman, Emily R. Gelzer, David German, Jacob Gray, Evan Greenspan, Zach Gregory, Emily Hagler, Makeda Hanson, Valerie D. Hinojoza-Rood, Pat Hnilicka, Nick Jaffe, Andrew F. Jakes, Aran Johnson, Jaron T. Kolek, Art Lawson, Zach Lockyer, Daryl Lutz, Cody McKee, Jane McKeever, Jerod A. Merkle, Matthew A. Mumma, Dennis Newman, Erika Peckham, Jill E. Randall, Tempe Regan, Adele K. Reinking, Robert Ritson, William J. Rudd, Brianna M. Russo, Hall Sawyer, Cody Schroeder, Brandon Scurlock, Jeff Short, Bret Stansberry, Erik Steiner, Alethea Steingisser, Tom Stephenson, Eric VanNatta, Cody F. Wallace, Brad Weinmeister, Don Whittaker, Tatjana Woody, Sean Yancey
Cost of migration increased during an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus Cost of migration increased during an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
Migration is thought to be costly such that challenges faced during migration likely affect how birds migrate through direct selection on migratory behavior. Survival throughout the annual cycle and conditions that affect the survival costs of migration are therefore critical to our understanding of the causes and consequences of migration. Estimating daily survival throughout the annual...
Authors
Neil Paprocki, Jeff W Kidd, Courtney J. Conway
Leveraging local species data, a global database, and an occupancy model to explore bee–plant interactions Leveraging local species data, a global database, and an occupancy model to explore bee–plant interactions
Global declines in bee populations are threatening the ecosystem services they provide, including pollination. Many bee–plant interactions are understudied, producing an incomplete understanding of resulting ecosystem-level vulnerabilities. The last decade has generated a wealth of opportunistic data originating from natural history collection records, published ecological datasets, and...
Authors
Michelle J. Lee, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo, Chengyi Diao, Katja C. Seltmann
Adaptive capacity of freshwater organisms in North America: Current understanding and future applications Adaptive capacity of freshwater organisms in North America: Current understanding and future applications
Freshwater species are increasingly threatened by climate change, yet our ability to assess their vulnerability remains incomplete. Typically, climate change vulnerability assessments (CCVAs) evaluate three components: exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Adaptive capacity, defined as the ability of a species to adjust to changing conditions, provides critical insight into how...
Authors
Holly Susan Embke, Karen M Alofs, David B. Bunnell, Christy M. Caudill, Cindy Chu, Corey Garland Dunn, Kaelyn Fogelman, Spencer T. Gardner, Tomas O Hook, Scott A. Jackson, Matthew Keefer, Scott T Koenigbauer, Olivia E. LeDee, Stuart A. Ludsin, Abigail Lynch, Bonnie Myers, Elizabeth A. Nyboer, Travis Seaborn, Cory Suski, Lindsey Thurman, Annika W. Walters, Jacob Thomas Westhoff
Landscape composition and proximity to water affect American badger occupancy in shortgrass prairies Landscape composition and proximity to water affect American badger occupancy in shortgrass prairies
Land use change in prairie ecosystems is pervasive. Prairie obligate species may be affected by these changes, though many carnivore-specific examples are unknown. We used 3 years (2018–2020) of camera-trap (n = 381) data from Kansas, USA, to assess multiscale effects of landscape composition on habitat use by American badgers (badger, Taxidea taxus). We predicted that site occupancy and
Authors
Colleen W. Piper, Ty J. Werdel, Matt S. Peek, Andrew M. Ricketts, Daniel Shelby Sullins, Adam A. Ahlers
Is new actually better? A structural comparison of collaborative governance structures for the management of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Maine Is new actually better? A structural comparison of collaborative governance structures for the management of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Maine
Collaborative governance structures (CGS) have been increasingly adopted to address joint-jurisdictional management challenges. While the establishment of CGSs has been widely studied, their practical development has remained a conspicuous gap. CGSs are variable systems with several developmental stages (activation, collectivity, and institutionalization) which eventually lead to...
Authors
Melissa E. Flye, Carly C. Sponarski, Danielle Frechette, Joseph D. Zydlewski
Statewide agent-based model for management of chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer: PAOvCWD Statewide agent-based model for management of chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer: PAOvCWD
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an always-fatal disease infecting wild cervids globally. Ecologically and economically important, CWD presents a challenge for managing white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We built an agent-based model to simulate CWD transmission and assess potential management actions that could slow disease spread: PAOvCWD. We developed PAOvCWD using contact...
Authors
Nathaniel H. Wehr, Christopher S. Rosenberry, David Stainbrook, Maureen Staats, Andrea L. Korman, W. David Walter