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: 5124
Reframing conservation audiences from individuals to social beings Reframing conservation audiences from individuals to social beings
Environmental practitioners often develop communications and behavior change interventions that conceptualize individuals as consumers or as other limited, standalone personae. This view neglects the role of conservation audiences as social beings with complex social relationships and networks, potentially resulting in lost opportunities to increase the effectiveness of conservation...
Authors
L. Thomas-Walters, V. Cologna, E. de Lange, J. Ettinger, M. Selinske, Megan Siobhan Jones
Accounting for multiple uncertainties in a decision-support population viability assessment Accounting for multiple uncertainties in a decision-support population viability assessment
Conservation and management decisions often must be made on strict timelines, based on the “best available information” regarding a species’ current and expected future status. Simulation models are valuable tools for predicting a species’ future status but must incorporate multiple types of uncertainty in order to provide a complete understanding of plausible outcomes. Here we present a
Authors
Erica M. Christensen, Abigail Jean Lawson, E. Rivenbark, P.K. London, D. Castellanos, J.C. Culbertson, S.M. DeMay, C. Eakin, L.S. Pearson, K. Soileau, J. Hardin Waddle, Conor P. McGowan
Peering into the eye of the sea lamprey: What can stable isotopes in lamprey eye lenses reveal about their life history? Peering into the eye of the sea lamprey: What can stable isotopes in lamprey eye lenses reveal about their life history?
The Atlantic sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) is an anadromous species which is a detritivore for years in freshwater, before metamorphosing into a juvenile and feeding parasitically at sea. However, their migratory patterns and marine ecology are poorly characterized. In other fishes, chemical analysis of calcified structures has aided in understanding their life history, but sea...
Authors
Thomas M. Evans, Joseph D. Zydlewski
Northern Mexican gartersnake demographics and movement ecology Northern Mexican gartersnake demographics and movement ecology
The northern Mexican gartersnake (Thamnophis eques; hereafter NMGS) is a federally threatened species occurring in riparian areas in central and southeast Arizona and west-central New Mexico. While previous studies have examined the ecology of this species in central Arizona, less is known about NMGS ecology in grassland landscapes of southeast Arizona. This project continues a long-term...
Authors
Javan Mathias Bauder, Anthony Pawlicki, Matt Goode
Lake temperature and morphometry shape the thermal composition of recreational fishing catch Lake temperature and morphometry shape the thermal composition of recreational fishing catch
Objective Managing freshwater fisheries in warming lakes is challenging because climate change impacts anglers, fish, and their interactions.Methods We integrated recent models of current and future lake temperatures with recreational fisheries catch data from 587 lakes in three north-central U.S. states (Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) to evaluate how the thermal composition of...
Authors
Lyndsie S. Wszola, Nicholas A. Sievert, Abigail J. Lynch, Holly Susan Embke, Anna L. Kaz, Matthew D. Robertson, Stephen R. Midway, Craig P. Paukert
Multiscale processes drive formation of logjam habitats and use by juvenile Chinook salmon across a boreal stream network in Alaska Multiscale processes drive formation of logjam habitats and use by juvenile Chinook salmon across a boreal stream network in Alaska
Boreal forest streams are characterized by large volumes of instream wood, yet the relationship between logjams and Pacific salmon productivity remains underqualified. We located logjams (n = 427) within the distribution of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Chena River, Alaska (Yukon River tributary) and measured dimensions, classified formative process, and snorkel...
Authors
Charles N. Cathcart, Jeffrey A. Falke, Jimmy Fox, Robert Henszey, Katherine Lininger
Mesopelagic diet as pathway of high mercury levels in body feathers of the endangered Black-capped Petrel (Diablotin) Pterodroma hasitata Mesopelagic diet as pathway of high mercury levels in body feathers of the endangered Black-capped Petrel (Diablotin) Pterodroma hasitata
The Diablotin or Black-capped Petrel Pterodroma hasitata is an endangered gadfly petrel found in the western North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and northern Gulf of Mexico. An estimated ~2000 pairs nest at five known sites on Hispaniola, Greater Antilles, although only 120 nests have been located to date. We collected breast feathers and feces from breeding adults in the Dominican Republic...
Authors
Yvan G. Satgé, Sarah E. Janssen, Gemma Clucas, Ernst Rupp, J. Brian Patteson, Patrick G.R. Jodice
Long-term monitoring reveals management effects on Prairie Warbler colonization, local extinction, and detection in a Massachusetts pine barren Long-term monitoring reveals management effects on Prairie Warbler colonization, local extinction, and detection in a Massachusetts pine barren
Habitat management can directly impact Setophaga discolor (Prairie Warbler) abundance and distribution. Despite regional declines, Prairie Warbler populations at Camp Edwards (Bourne, MA) have increased. To investigate habitat-management effects on Prairie Warbler populations at Camp Edwards, we used a dynamic-occupancy model to analyze a long-term monitoring dataset collected across 84...
Authors
Andrew B. Gordon, Donovan Drummey, Anthony Tur, Annie E. Curtis, Jacob C. McCumber, Michael E. Akresh, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo
Postrelease survival of Eleutherodactylus coqui: Advancing managed translocations as an adaptive tool for climate-vulnerable anurans Postrelease survival of Eleutherodactylus coqui: Advancing managed translocations as an adaptive tool for climate-vulnerable anurans
Translocating amphibians to alternative, suitable habitat is a climate adaptation strategy aimed at minimizing the risk of extinction due to projected global warming and drying. Projected conditions could undermine their physiological performance, and thus survival and reproduction. Translocations minimize risks of extinction by increasing spatial redundancy across climate-resilient...
Authors
Rafael Chaparro, Ana C. Rivera-Burgos, Mitchell J. Eaton, Adam Terando, Eloy Martinez, Jaime A. Collazo
Adapting standardized trout monitoring to a changing climate for the upper Yellowstone River, Montana, USA Adapting standardized trout monitoring to a changing climate for the upper Yellowstone River, Montana, USA
Objective Long‐term standardized monitoring programs are fundamental to assessing how fish populations respond to anthropogenic stressors. Standardized monitoring programs may need to adopt new methods to adapt to rapid environmental changes that are associated with a changing climate. In the upper Yellowstone River, Montana, biologists have used a standardized, mark–recapture monitoring...
Authors
Michelle A. Briggs, Hayley Corrine Glassic, Christopher S. Guy, Scott T. Opitz, Jay J. Rotella, David A. Schmetterling
Understanding the role of recreational angling technology in angler expectations of catch, trip catch, and angler satisfaction Understanding the role of recreational angling technology in angler expectations of catch, trip catch, and angler satisfaction
Rapid technological advancement often receives a mix of criticism and welcome implementation. Fishing technologies, such as sonar, are believed to enable anglers to be more efficient and effective in their angling. There are concerns from anglers and managers of increased catch by technology users. We assessed the relationships between technology use—defined as the use of imaging...
Authors
Amanda M. Kerkhove, Ashley Trudeau, Olaf P. Jensen, Daniel A. Isermann, Patricia A. Dombrowski, Alexandra M. Latimer, Zachary S. Feiner
Scale-dependence in elk habitat selection for a reintroduced population in Wisconsin, USA Scale-dependence in elk habitat selection for a reintroduced population in Wisconsin, USA
Habitat selection is a critical aspect of a species' ecology, requiring complex decision-making that is both hierarchical and scale-dependent, since factors that influence selection may be nested or unequal across scales. Elk (Cervus canadensis) ranged widely across diverse ecoregions in North America prior to European settlement and subsequent eastern extirpation. Most habitat selection...
Authors
Jennifer L. Merems, Anna L. Brose, Jennifer Price Tack, Shawn M. Crimmins, Timothy R. Van Deelen