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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

Fire characteristics and hydrologic connectivity influence short-term responses of north temperate lakes to wildfire Fire characteristics and hydrologic connectivity influence short-term responses of north temperate lakes to wildfire

Despite increasing wildfires, few studies have investigated seasonal water quality responses to wildfire characteristics (e.g., burn severity) across a large number of lakes. We monitored 30 total lakes (15 burned, 15 control) monthly following the Greenwood Fire in Minnesota, USA, a lake-rich region with historically prevalent wildfire. We found increases in median concentrations of...
Authors
Ian M. McCullough, Jennifer A. Brentrup, Tyler Wagner, Jean-Francois Lapierre, Jerald Henneck, Andrea M. Paul, Mathilde Belair, Max. A. Moritz, Christopher T. Filstrup

The challenges of success: Future wolf conservation and management in the United States The challenges of success: Future wolf conservation and management in the United States

Gray wolf (Canis lupus) recovery and conservation has been a remarkable success over the last 30 years in the United States. Remarkable success yields remarkable challenges, however. As populations expand, wolves will colonize more human-dominated landscapes and face numerous challenges, such as fragmented habitats, barriers to dispersal, and increased encounters with humans, pets, and...
Authors
David Edward Ausband, L. David Mech

Native fish abundance and habitat selection changes in the presence of nonnative piscivores Native fish abundance and habitat selection changes in the presence of nonnative piscivores

We compared abundance patterns and developed resource selection models for imperilled native southwestern (USA) fishes in the presence and absence of Black Bass (Micropterus spp.) to evaluate how fishes alter their selection for habitats when sympatric with a nonnative piscivore. We collected data using snorkel surveys and in-stream habitat sampling in Fossil Creek (AZ), upstream (native...
Authors
Christopher J. Jenney, Javan Mathias Bauder, Scott A. Bonar

Conservation at the nexus of niches: Multidimensional niche modeling to improve management of Prairie Chub Conservation at the nexus of niches: Multidimensional niche modeling to improve management of Prairie Chub

Objective A central challenge in applied ecology is understanding how organisms are spatially and temporally distributed and how management might be tailored to maintain or restore species distributions. The niche concept is central to understanding species distributions, but the diversity of niche definitions requires that multiple dimensions be considered. For example, the Grinnellian...
Authors
Zachary D. Steffensmeier, Shannon K. Brewer, Maeghen Wedgeworth, Trevor A. Starks, Anthony W. Rodger, Erin Nguyen, Joshuah S. Perkin

Prey ration, temperature, and predator species influence digestion rates of prey DNA inferred from qPCR and metabarcoding Prey ration, temperature, and predator species influence digestion rates of prey DNA inferred from qPCR and metabarcoding

Diet analysis is a vital tool for understanding trophic interactions and is frequently used to inform conservation and management. Molecular approaches can identify diet items that are impossible to distinguish using more traditional visual-based methods. Yet, our understanding of how different variables, such as predator species or prey ration size, influence molecular diet analysis is...
Authors
Cory Dick, Wesley A. Larson, Kirby Karpan, Diana S. Baetscher, Yue Shi, Suresh Sethi, Nann A. Fangue, Mark J. Henderson

Effects of sucker gigging on fish populations in Oklahoma scenic rivers Effects of sucker gigging on fish populations in Oklahoma scenic rivers

Suckers (Catostomidae) are ecologically important, and some support popular fisheries, despite not being considered ‘sport fish’ in most states. Gigging suckers is a popular and culturally significant pastime in the Ozark Highlands, but little is known about the effect of gigging harvest on population dynamics of suckers. Therefore, research is needed to determine safe levels of sucker...
Authors
D. Zetner, D. E. Shoup, Shannon K. Brewer

Global status of non-native Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides, Centrachidae) and Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus Dolomieu, Centrarchidae): Disparate views as beloved sportfish and feared invader Global status of non-native Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides, Centrachidae) and Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus Dolomieu, Centrarchidae): Disparate views as beloved sportfish and feared invader

Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides, LMB) and Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu, SMB) are among the most highly invasive species across the globe, but are simultaneously among the most highly sought-after game fish. To explain these disparate views, data on invasive status and angling participation of these two species were compiled at the country level. Largemouth Bass were found
Authors
James M. Long, L. Seguy

Toxic algae in inland waters of the conterminous United States—A review and synthesis Toxic algae in inland waters of the conterminous United States—A review and synthesis

Cyanobacteria are the most common toxigenic algae in inland waters. Their toxins can affect the health of aquatic and terrestrial organisms, including humans. Other algal groups, such as haptophytes (e.g., Prymnesium parvum) and euglenoids (e.g., Euglena sanguinea), can also form harmful algal blooms (HABs) whose toxins cause injury to aquatic biota but currently have no known effects on...
Authors
Reynaldo Patino, Victoria Christensen, Jennifer L. Graham, Jane S. Rogosch, Barry H. Rosen

The persistence of time: The lifespan of Bacillus anthracis spores in environmental reservoirs The persistence of time: The lifespan of Bacillus anthracis spores in environmental reservoirs

Anthrax is a lethal bacterial zoonosis primarily affecting herbivorous wildlife and livestock. Upon host death Bacillus anthracis vegetative cells form spores capable of surviving for years in soil. Anthrax transmission requires host exposure to large spore doses. Thus, conditions that facilitate higher spore concentrations or promote spore survival will increase the probability that a...
Authors
Zoe R. Barandongo, Amelie C. Dolfi, Spencer A. Bruce, Kristyna Rysava, Yen-Hua Huang, Hendrina Joel, Ayesha Hassim, Pauline L. Kamath, Henriette van Heerden, Wendy Christine Turner

Bayesian spatio-temporal survival analysis for all types of censoring with application to a wildlife disease study Bayesian spatio-temporal survival analysis for all types of censoring with application to a wildlife disease study

In this article, we consider modeling arbitrarily censored survival data with spatio-temporal covariates. We demonstrate that under the piecewise constant hazard function, the likelihood for uncensored or right-censored subjects is proportional to the likelihood of multiple conditionally independent Poisson random variables. To address left- or interval-censored subjects, we propose to...
Authors
Kehui Yao, Jun Zhu, Daniel J. O'Brien, Daniel P. Walsh
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