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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: 5022

Tourism-supported working lands sustain a growing jaguar population in the Colombian Llanos Tourism-supported working lands sustain a growing jaguar population in the Colombian Llanos

Understanding large carnivore demography on human-dominated lands is a priority to inform conservation strategies, yet few studies examine long-term trends. Jaguars (Panthera onca) are one such species whose population trends and survival rates remain unknown across working lands. We integrated nine years of camera trap data and tourist photos to estimate jaguar density, survival...
Authors
Matthew Hyde, Esteban Payan, Jorge Barragan, Diana Stasiukynas, William L. Kendall, Samantha Rincon, Jeronimo Rodriguez, Kevin R. Crooks, Stewart W. Breck, Valeria Boron

Accuracy and precision of sea-finding orientation as a function of dune proximity in hatchlings of two species of sea turtles Accuracy and precision of sea-finding orientation as a function of dune proximity in hatchlings of two species of sea turtles

Context: Sea turtle hatchlings generally emerge at night from nests on sand beaches and immediately orient using visual cues, which are believed to entail the difference in brightness between the light seen in the seaward direction and that seen in the duneward direction. Aim: The aim of this study was to understand how dune proximity affected hatchling orientations in two sea turtle...
Authors
Shigetomo Hirama, Blair Witherington, Andrea Sylvia, Raymond Carthy

Migration, breeding location, and seascape shape seabird assemblages in the northern Gulf of Mexico Migration, breeding location, and seascape shape seabird assemblages in the northern Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico supports many seabird species, yet data gaps describing species composition and habitat use are prevalent. We used vessel-based observations from the Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species to identify and characterize distinct seabird assemblages in the northern Gulf of Mexico (within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone; nGoM). Using cluster...
Authors
Pamela E. Michael, Kathy M. Hixson, Jeffery S. Gleason, Christopher Haney, Yvan Satgé, Patrick G.R. Jodice

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in United States tapwater: Comparison of underserved private-well and public-supply exposures and associated health implications Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in United States tapwater: Comparison of underserved private-well and public-supply exposures and associated health implications

Drinking-water quality is a rising concern in the United States (US), emphasizing the need to broadly assess exposures and potential health effects at the point-of-use. Drinking-water exposures to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a national concern, however, there is limited information on PFAS in residential tapwater at the point-of-use, especially from private-wells. We...
Authors
Kelly L. Smalling, Kristin M. Romanok, Paul M. Bradley, Matthew C. Morriss, James L. Gray, Leslie K. Kanagy, Stephanie E. Gordon, Brianna Williams, Sara E. Breitmeyer, Daniel K. Jones, Laura A. DeCicco, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Tyler Wagner

Exposure to risk factors experienced during migration is not associated with recent Vermivora warbler population trends Exposure to risk factors experienced during migration is not associated with recent Vermivora warbler population trends

Context Understanding the factors limiting populations of animals is critical for effective conservation. Determining which factors limit populations of migratory species can be especially challenging because of their reliance on multiple, often geographically distant regions during their annual cycles.Objectives We investigated whether distribution-wide variation in recent breeding...
Authors
Gunnar R. Kramer, David E. Andersen, David A. Buehler, Petra B. Wood, Sean M. Peterson, J.A. Lehman, Kyle R. Aldinger, Lesley P. Bulluck, Sergio Harding, John A. Jones, John P. Loegering, Curtis Smalling, Rachel Vallender, Henry M. Streby

Invasive Brook Stickleback Culaea inconstans occurrence, habitat drivers, and spatial overlap with native fishes in Wyoming, USA Invasive Brook Stickleback Culaea inconstans occurrence, habitat drivers, and spatial overlap with native fishes in Wyoming, USA

A central focus of modern fisheries management is eradicating invaders that threaten imperiled native fishes. However, vast landscapes and limited funding and personnel resources demand a prioritized approach to management. Brook Stickleback Culaea inconstans (Kirtland, 1840) is an aquatic invasive species in Wyoming, USA, that may pose a risk to native biodiversity. Our aim was to...
Authors
Jacob S. Ruthvena, Josh Leonard, Annika W. Walters

Wetland management practices and secretive marsh bird habitat in the Mississippi Flyway: A review Wetland management practices and secretive marsh bird habitat in the Mississippi Flyway: A review

Management regimes on publicly owned freshwater wetlands in the Mississippi Flyway of North America (i.e., Flyway) have historically emphasized waterfowl, but there is limited information on how waterfowl-focused wetland management affects other wetland-dependent wildlife. Secretive marsh birds (SMBs) depend on wetlands with emergent vegetation throughout their migratory life cycle and...
Authors
Kristen M. Malone, Elisabeth B. Webb, Doreen C. Mengel, Laura Kearns, Ann E. McKellar, Sumner W. Matteson, Benjamin R. Williams

Pollinator conservation and climate science at the U.S. Geological Survey Pollinator conservation and climate science at the U.S. Geological Survey

Introduction Ecosystems—whether agricultural, urban, or natural—depend on pollinators, great and small. Pollinators in the form of bees, birds, butterflies, bats, and even moths provide vital, but often invisible services, from contributing to biodiverse terrestrial wildlife and plant communities to supporting healthy watersheds. Pollinator declines worldwide have been noted as land-use...
Authors
Elise R. Irwin, Jonathan R. Mawdsley

Turkey Vulture survival is reduced in areas of greater road density Turkey Vulture survival is reduced in areas of greater road density

The demography of, and factors that influence these metrics, are largely unknown for most vultures in the Americas. Survivorship of Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) may be influenced by landscape heterogeneity and human disturbance. We quantified the effects of landscape composition (Shannon’s diversity index) and configuration (contagion, edge density, and largest patch index), and...
Authors
Adrian Naveda-Rodriguez, Keith L. Bildstein, David R. Barber, Jean-Francois Therrien, Michael L. Avery, Bryan M. Kluever, Scott A. Rush, Francisco Vilella

Integrating community science and agency-collected monitoring data to expand monitoring capacity at large spatial scales Integrating community science and agency-collected monitoring data to expand monitoring capacity at large spatial scales

Monitoring species to better understand their status, ecology, and management needs is a major expense for agencies tasked with biodiversity conservation. Community science data have the potential to improve monitoring for minimal cost, given appropriate analytical frameworks. We describe a framework for integrating data from the eBird community science platform with agency-collected...
Authors
Hannah A. Sipe, Ilai N. Keren, Sarah J. Converse

Fall migration, oceanic movement, and site residency patterns of eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) on the mid-Atlantic Coast Fall migration, oceanic movement, and site residency patterns of eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) on the mid-Atlantic Coast

Along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States, eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) are present during fall mating and migration, though little is currently known about most aspects of bat migration. To reveal migration patterns, and understand drivers of over-water flight, we captured and radio-tagged 115 eastern red bats using novel technology, and subsequently tracked and...
Authors
Michael C. True, Katherine M. Gorman, Hila Taylor, Richard J. Reynolds, W. Mark Ford
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