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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: 5350

Evidence for range contraction of snowshoe hare in Pennsylvania Evidence for range contraction of snowshoe hare in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, Lepus americanus (Snowshoe Hare) is near the southern limits of its range and at risk of range contraction because of loss of early-successional forest and impacts of climate change. We used hunter-harvest data to investigate changes in the distribution of Snowshoe Hare in Pennsylvania (1983–2011), forest inventory and land-use data to assess changes in amount and...
Authors
Duane R. Diefenbach, Stephen L. Rathbun, J.K. Vreeland, Deborah Grove, William J. Kanapaux

Influence of Didymosphenia geminata blooms on prey composition and associated diet and growth of Brown Trout Influence of Didymosphenia geminata blooms on prey composition and associated diet and growth of Brown Trout

We compared diet, stomach fullness, condition, and growth of Brown Trout Salmo trutta among streams with or without blooms of the benthic diatom Didymosphenia geminata in the Black Hills, South Dakota. In Rapid Creek, where D. geminata blooms covered ∼30% of the stream bottom, Brown Trout consumed fewer ephemeropterans (6–8% by weight) than individuals from two stream sections that have...
Authors
Daniel A. James, Steven R. Chipps

Wildfire may increase habitat quality for spring Chinook salmon in the Wenatchee River subbasin, WA, USA Wildfire may increase habitat quality for spring Chinook salmon in the Wenatchee River subbasin, WA, USA

Pacific Northwest salmonids are adapted to natural disturbance regimes that create dynamic habitat patterns over space and through time. However, human land use, particularly long-term fire suppression, has altered the intensity and frequency of wildfire in forested upland and riparian areas. To examine the potential impacts of wildfire on aquatic systems, we developed stream-reach-scale...
Authors
Rebecca L. Flitcroft, Jeffrey A. Falke, Gordon H. Reeves, Paul F. Hessburg, Kris M. McNyset, Lee E. Benda

Consequences of seasonal variation in reservoir water level for predatory fishes: linking visual foraging and prey densities Consequences of seasonal variation in reservoir water level for predatory fishes: linking visual foraging and prey densities

In reservoirs, seasonal drawdown can alter the physical environment and may influence predatory fish performance. We investigated the performance of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in a western reservoir by coupling field measurements with visual foraging and bioenergetic models at four distinct states (early summer, mid-summer, late summer, and fall). The models suggested that lake...
Authors
Stephen L. Klobucar, Phaedra E. Budy

Natural flow regimes of the Ozark-Ouachita Interior Highlands region Natural flow regimes of the Ozark-Ouachita Interior Highlands region

Natural flow regimes represent the hydrologic conditions to which native aquatic organisms are best adapted. We completed a regional river classification and quantitative descriptions of each natural flow regime for the Ozark–Ouachita Interior Highlands region of Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. On the basis of daily flow records from 64 reference streams, seven natural flow regimes were
Authors
Douglas R. Leasure, Daniel D. Magoulick, S. D. Longing

Raft and floating radio frequency identification (RFID) antenna systems for detecting and estimating abundance of PIT-tagged fish in rivers Raft and floating radio frequency identification (RFID) antenna systems for detecting and estimating abundance of PIT-tagged fish in rivers

Portable radio frequency identification (RFID) PIT tag antenna systems are increasingly being used in studies examining aquatic animal movement, survival, and habitat use, and their design flexibility permits application in a wide variety of settings. We describe the construction, use, and performance of two portable floating RFID PIT tag antenna systems designed to detect fish that were...
Authors
Eric R. Fetherman, Brian W. Avila, Dana L. Winkelman

The Impacts of flow alterations to crayfishes in Southeastern Oklahoma, with an emphasis on the mena crayfish (orconectes menae) The Impacts of flow alterations to crayfishes in Southeastern Oklahoma, with an emphasis on the mena crayfish (orconectes menae)

Human activities can alter the environment to the point that it is unsuitable to the native species resulting in a loss of biodiversity. Ecologists understand the importance of biodiversity and the conservation of vulnerable species. Species that are narrowly endemic are considered to be particularly vulnerable because they often use specific habitats that are highly susceptible to human
Authors
Shannon K. Brewer, Joseph J. Dyer

Northern long-eared bat day-roosting and prescribed fire in the central Appalachians Northern long-eared bat day-roosting and prescribed fire in the central Appalachians

The northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis Trovessart) is a cavity-roosting species that forages in cluttered upland and riparian forests throughout the oak-dominated Appalachian and Central Hardwoods regions. Common prior to white-nose syndrome, the population of this bat species has declined to functional extirpation in some regions in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, including...
Authors
W. Mark Ford, Alexander Silvis, Joshua B. Johnson, John W. Edwards, Milu Karp

Application of genetics and genomics to wildlife epidemiology Application of genetics and genomics to wildlife epidemiology

Wildlife diseases can have significant impacts on wildlife conservation and management. Many of the pathogens that affect wildlife also have important implications for domestic animal and human health. However, management interventions to prevent or control wildlife disease are hampered by uncertainties about the complex interactions between pathogens and free-ranging wildlife. We often...
Authors
Julie A. Blanchong, Stacie J. Robinson, Michael D. Samuel, Jeffery T Foster

Space and habitat use by breeding Golden-winged Warblers in the central Appalachian Mountains Space and habitat use by breeding Golden-winged Warblers in the central Appalachian Mountains

Spot-mapping, or recording locations of observed use by territorial songbirds, is often used to delineate core breeding territories. However, a recent radiotelemetry study in Minnesota found that male Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) occurring in high-density populations used resources outside their spot-mapped territories. We compared differences in space use and...
Authors
Mack W. Frantz, Kyle R. Aldinger, Petra Wood, Joseph Duchamp, Timothy Nuttle, Andrew Vitz, Jeffrey L. Larkin

Foreword: The dynamics of change in Alaska’s boreal forests: Resilience and vulnerability in response to climate warming Foreword: The dynamics of change in Alaska’s boreal forests: Resilience and vulnerability in response to climate warming

Long-term research by the Bonanza Creek (BNZ) Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) program has documented natural patterns of interannual and successional variability of the boreal forest in interior Alaska against which we can detect changes in system behavior. Between 2004 and 2010 the BNZ LTER program focused on understanding the dynamics of change through studying the resilience and
Authors
A. David McGuire, F. Stuart Chapin, Roger W. Ruess
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