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: 5110
Circuit theory and model-based inference for landscape connectivity Circuit theory and model-based inference for landscape connectivity
Circuit theory has seen extensive recent use in the field of ecology, where it is often applied to study functional connectivity. The landscape is typically represented by a network of nodes and resistors, with the resistance between nodes a function of landscape characteristics. The effective distance between two locations on a landscape is represented by the resistance distance between...
Authors
Ephraim M. Hanks, Mevin Hooten
Influence of richness and seeding density on invasion resistance in experimental tallgrass prairie restorations Influence of richness and seeding density on invasion resistance in experimental tallgrass prairie restorations
In recent years, agricultural producers and non-governmental organizations and agencies have restored thousands of hectares of cropland to grassland in the Great Plains of the United States. However, little is known about the relationships between richness and seeding density in these restorations and resistance to invasive plant species. We assessed the effects of richness and seeding...
Authors
Kristine T. Nemec, Craig R. Allen, Christopher J. Helzer, David A. Wedin
Animal migration amid shifting patterns of phenology and predation: Lessons from a Yellowstone elk herd Animal migration amid shifting patterns of phenology and predation: Lessons from a Yellowstone elk herd
Migration is a striking behavioral strategy by which many animals enhance resource acquisition while reducing predation risk. Historically, the demographic benefits of such movements made migration common, but in many taxa the phenomenon is considered globally threatened. Here we describe a long-term decline in the productivity of elk (Cervus elaphus) that migrate through intact...
Authors
Arthur D. Middleton, Matthew J. Kauffman, Douglas E. McWhirter, John G. Cook, Rachel C. Cook, Abigail A. Nelson, Michael D. Jimenez, Robert W. Klaver
Rejoinder: Challenge and opportunity in the study of ungulate migration amid environmental change Rejoinder: Challenge and opportunity in the study of ungulate migration amid environmental change
Increasingly, animals that migrate long distances to exploit seasonal habitats must traverse political boundaries capable of altering the very ecological gradients that promote migratory behavior. This transboundary aspect of migration presents many new challenges and opportunities for research and conservation (e.g., Bolger et al. 2008, Taillon et al. 2012). Work to date has often...
Authors
Arthur D. Middleton, Matthew J. Kauffman, Douglas E. McWhirter, John G. Cook, Rachel C. Cook, Abigail A. Nelson, Michael D. Jimenez, Robert W. Klaver
Redd dewatering effects on hatching and larval survival of the robust redhorse Redd dewatering effects on hatching and larval survival of the robust redhorse
Riverine habitats have been altered and fragmented from hydroelectric dams and change spatially and temporally with hydropower flow releases. Hydropeaking flow regimes for electrical power production inundate areas that create temporary suitable habitat for fish that may be rapidly drained. Robust redhorse Moxostoma robustum, an imperiled, rare fish species, uses such temporary habitats...
Authors
J. M. Fisk, Thomas J. Kwak, R. J. Heise, F. W. Sessions
The influence of coarse-scale environmental features on current and predicted future distributions of narrow-range endemic crayfish populations The influence of coarse-scale environmental features on current and predicted future distributions of narrow-range endemic crayfish populations
1.A major limitation to effective management of narrow-range crayfish populations is the paucity of information on the spatial distribution of crayfish species and a general understanding of the interacting environmental variables that drive current and future potential distributional patterns. 2.Maximum Entropy Species Distribution Modeling Software (MaxEnt) was used to predict the...
Authors
Joseph J. Dyer, Shannon K. Brewer, Thomas A. Worthington, Elizabeth A. Bergey
Invasive zebra mussels (Driessena polymorpha) and Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) survive gut passage of migratory fish species: implications for dispersal Invasive zebra mussels (Driessena polymorpha) and Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) survive gut passage of migratory fish species: implications for dispersal
The introduction and spread of invasive species is of great concern to natural resource managers in the United States. To effectively control the spread of these species, managers must be aware of the multitude of dispersal methods used by the organisms. We investigated the potential for survival through the gut of a migrating fish (blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus) as a dispersal...
Authors
Michael R. Gatlin, Daniel E. Shoup, James M. Long
Gradients of microhabitat and crappie (Pomoxis spp.) distributions in reservoir coves Gradients of microhabitat and crappie (Pomoxis spp.) distributions in reservoir coves
Embayments are among the most widespread littoral habitats found in Mississippi flood-control reservoirs. These macrohabitats represent commonly used nursery zones for age-0 crappies, Pomoxis spp., despite barren and eroded shorelines formed over 60–70 years of annual water level fluctuations. We tested if embayments displayed microhabitat gradients linked to the effect of water level...
Authors
Levi J. Kaczka, Leandro E. Miranda
Quantifiable long-term monitoring on parks and nature preserves Quantifiable long-term monitoring on parks and nature preserves
Herpetofauna have declined globally, and monitoring is a useful approach to document local and long-term changes. However, monitoring efforts often fail to account for detectability or follow standardized protocols. We performed a case study at Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve in Cary, NC to model occupancy of focal species and demonstrate a replicable long-term protocol useful to parks...
Authors
Scott Beck, Christopher Moorman, Christopher S. DePerno, Theodore R. Simons
Greater sage-grouse winter habitat use on the eastern edge of their range Greater sage-grouse winter habitat use on the eastern edge of their range
Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) at the western edge of the Dakotas occur in the transition zone between sagebrush and grassland communities. These mixed sagebrush (Artemisia sp.) and grasslands differ from those habitats that comprise the central portions of the sage-grouse range; yet, no information is available on winter habitat selection within this region of their...
Authors
Christopher C. Swanson, Mark A. Rumble, Troy W. Grovenburg, Nicholas W. Kaczor, Robert W. Klaver, Katie M. Herman-Brunson, Jonathan A. Jenks, Kent C. Jensen
Expert assessment of vulnerability of permafrost carbon to climate change Expert assessment of vulnerability of permafrost carbon to climate change
Approximately 1700 Pg of soil carbon (C) are stored in the northern circumpolar permafrost zone, more than twice as much C than in the atmosphere. The overall amount, rate, and form of C released to the atmosphere in a warmer world will influence the strength of the permafrost C feedback to climate change. We used a survey to quantify variability in the perception of the vulnerability of
Authors
E.A.G. Schuur, B.W. Abbott, W.B. Bowden, V. Brovkin, P. Camill, J.G. Canadell, J. P. Chanton, F. S. Chapin, T.R. Christensen, P. Ciais, B.T. Crosby, C.I. Czimczik, G. Grosse, J. Harden, D.J. Hayes, G. Hugelius, J.D. Jastrow, Jack B. Jones, Thomas Kleinen, C.D. Koven, G. Krinner, P. Kuhry, D.M. Lawrence, A. D. McGuire, Susan M. Natali, J. A. O'Donnell, C.-L. Ping, W.J. Riley, A. Rinke, V.E. Romanovsky, A. B. K. Sannel, C. Schädel, K. Schaefer, J. Sky, Z.M. Subin, C. Tarnocai, M.R. Turetsky, M. P. Waldrop, K.M. Walter Anthony, K.P. Wickland, C. J. Wilson, S.A. Zimov
Newly documented host fishes for the eastern elliptio mussel (Elliptio complanata) Newly documented host fishes for the eastern elliptio mussel (Elliptio complanata)
The eastern elliptio Elliptio complanata is a common, abundant, and ecologically important freshwater mussel that occurs throughout the Atlantic Slope drainage in the United States and Canada. Previous research has shown E. complanata glochidia to be host fish generalists, parasitizing yellow perch Perca flavescens, banded killifish Fundulus diaphanus, banded sculpin Cottus carolinae...
Authors
William A. Lellis, Barbara St. John White, Jeffrey C. Cole, Connie S. Johnson, Julie L. Devers, Ellen van Snik-Gray, Heather S. Galbraith