Publications
Listed here are publications, reports and articles by the Land Change Science Program in the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area.
Filter Total Items: 1145
The feasibility of using national-scale datasets for classifying wetlands in Arizona with machine learning The feasibility of using national-scale datasets for classifying wetlands in Arizona with machine learning
The advent of machine learning techniques has led to a proliferation of landscape classification products. These approaches can fill gaps in wetland inventories across the United States (U.S.) provided that large reference datasets are available to develop accurate models. In this study, we tested the feasibility of expediting the classification process by sourcing requisite training and...
Authors
Christopher E. Soulard, Jessica J. Walker, Britt Windsor Smith, Jason R. Kreitler
Chronology and Paleoenvironment of the Tunga Formation, a new lowermost Miocene sequence in the East Pisco Basin of southern Peru Chronology and Paleoenvironment of the Tunga Formation, a new lowermost Miocene sequence in the East Pisco Basin of southern Peru
The East Pisco Basin, occupying the coastal plain of Peru between 13°S and 16°S, is widely known for its extensive Eocene to Quaternary biosiliceous deposits and excellent preservation of fossil marine vertebrates. Biochronologic studies published over the past 35 years record a hiatus of about 13 million years (*32–19 Ma) separating the youngest Paleogene deposits (Otuma Formation) from...
Authors
Thomas J. Devries, John A. Barron, Diana Ochoa, Kristen McDougall
An integrative paradigm for building causal knowledge An integrative paradigm for building causal knowledge
A core aspiration of the ecological sciences is to determine how systems work, which implies the challenge of developing a causal understanding. Causal inference has long been approached from a statistical perspective, which can be limited and restrictive for a variety of reasons. Ecologists and other natural scientists have historically pursued mechanistic knowledge as an alternative...
Authors
James Grace
U.S. Geological Survey climate science plan—Future research directions U.S. Geological Survey climate science plan—Future research directions
Executive Summary Climate is the primary driver of environmental change and is a key consideration in defining science priorities conducted across all mission areas in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Recognizing the importance of climate change to its future research agenda, the USGS’s Climate Science Steering Committee requested the development of a Climate Science Plan to identify...
Authors
Tamara Wilson, Ryan P. Boyles, Nicole DeCrappeo, Judith Z. Drexler, Kevin D. Kroeger, Rachel A. Loehman, John M. Pearce, Mark P. Waldrop, Peter D. Warwick, Anne M. Wein, Sara L. Zeigler, Beard
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Energy Resources Program, Volcano Hazards Program, Alaska Science Center, California Water Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Volcano Science Center, Western Geographic Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Design, development, and implementation of IsoBank: A centralized repository for isotopic data Design, development, and implementation of IsoBank: A centralized repository for isotopic data
Stable isotope data have made pivotal contributions to nearly every discipline of the physical and natural sciences. As the generation and application of stable isotope data continues to grow exponentially, so does the need for a unifying data repository to improve accessibility and promote collaborative engagement. This paper provides an overview of the design, development, and...
Authors
Oliver N. Shipley, Anna J. Dabrowski, Gabriel J. Bowen, Brian Hayden, Jonathan N. Pauli, Christopher Jordan, Lesleigh Anderson, Adriana Bailey, Clement P. Bataille, Carla Cicero, Hilary G. Close, Craig Cook, Joseph A. Cook, Ankur R. Desai, Jaivime Evaristo, Tim R. Filley, Christine France, Sora Lee Kim, Sebastian H. Kopf, Julie Loisel, Philip J. Manlick, Jamie M. McFarlin, Bailey C. McMeans, Tamsin C. O’Connel, Brice X. Semmens, Chris Stantis, Paul Szejner, Suzanne E. Pilaar Birch, Annie L. Putman, Craig A. Stricker, Tara L.E. Trammell, Mark D. Uhen, Samantha Weintraub-Leff, Matthew J. Wooller, John W. Williams, Christopher T. Yarnes, Hanna B. Vander Zanden, Seth D. Newsome
Current and future potential net greenhouse gas sinks of existing, converted, and restored marsh and mangrove forest habitats Current and future potential net greenhouse gas sinks of existing, converted, and restored marsh and mangrove forest habitats
Marsh and mangrove forest habitats are productive at capturing and storing carbon, thus actions to protect and create coastal blue carbon sinks could help mitigate global warming. Dredged material is often used to create coastal habitats and evaluating the carbon impact of placement alternatives (PA) could help inform restoration and climate policies. Output from a Delft3D-FM...
Authors
Melissa Millman Baustian, Hoonshin Jung, Bingqing Liu, Leland C. Moss, Madeline R. Foster-Martinez, Christopher R. Esposito, Ioannis Y. Georgiou, Martijn C. Bregman, Diana R. Di Leonardo, Brett McMann, Scott A. Hemmerling, Michael D. Miner
U.S. Geological Survey Mississippi River Science Forum—Summary of data and science needs and next steps U.S. Geological Survey Mississippi River Science Forum—Summary of data and science needs and next steps
The U.S. Geological Survey hosted a Mississippi River Science Forum with Federal agencies; Tribal, State, and local governments located in States that border the Mississippi River; academia; and other interested stakeholders. The purpose of the forum was to share current (2023) science; identify data gaps and areas of concern; and to prioritize next steps needed to advance the goals of...
Authors
John C. Nelson, Richard A. Rebich, Kathi Jo Jankowski, Thea M. Edwards, James H. Larson, Dale M. Robertson, Lori A. Sprague, Sarah M. Stackpoole, Katherine M. Summers, Peter J. Cinotto, Paul H. Rydlund, Christopher J. Churchill, Wesley M. Daniel, Owen P. McKenna, Beth Middleton, Jacoby Carter, Stephen B. Hartley, Jeffrey W. Frey, Kelly L. Warner
Bayesian approaches to proxy uncertainty quantification in paleoecology: A mathematical justification and practical integration Bayesian approaches to proxy uncertainty quantification in paleoecology: A mathematical justification and practical integration
Paleoenvironmental data are essential for reconstructing environmental conditions in the distant past, and these reconstructions strongly depend on proxies and age–depth models. Proxies are indirect measurements that substitute for variables that cannot be directly measured, such as past precipitation. Conversely, an age–depth model is a tool that correlates the observed proxy with a...
Authors
Marco A. Aquino-Lopez, Lysanna Anderson, Joan-Albert Sanchez-Cabeza, Ana Carolina Ruiz-Fernandez, J. Andres Christen
Trees have similar growth responses to first-entry fires and reburns following long-term fire exclusion Trees have similar growth responses to first-entry fires and reburns following long-term fire exclusion
Managing fire ignitions for resource benefit decreases fuel loads and reduces the risk of high-severity fire in fire-suppressed dry conifer forests. However, the reintroduction of low-severity wildfire can injure trees, which may decrease their growth after fire. Post-fire growth responses could change from first-entry fires to reburns, as first-entry fires reduce fuel loads and the...
Authors
Kevin G. Willson, Ellis Q. Margolis, Mathew D. Hurteau
Aboveground carbon stocks across a hydrological gradient: Ghost forests to non-tidal freshwater forested wetlands Aboveground carbon stocks across a hydrological gradient: Ghost forests to non-tidal freshwater forested wetlands
Upper estuarine forested wetlands (UEFWs) play an important role in the sequestration of atmospheric carbon (C), which is facilitated by their position at the boundary of terrestrial and maritime environments but threatened by sea level rise. This study assessed the change in aboveground C stocks along the estuarine–riverine hydrogeomorphic gradient spanning salt-impacted freshwater...
Authors
Christopher J. Shipway, Jamie A. Duberstein, William H. Conner, Ken Krauss, Gregory E. Noe, Stefanie L. Whitmire
Forest cover lessens hurricane impacts on peak streamflow Forest cover lessens hurricane impacts on peak streamflow
Cyclonic storms (i.e., hurricanes) are powerful disturbance events that often cause widespread forest damage. Storm-related canopy damage reduces rainfall interception and evapotranspiration, but impacts on streamflow regimes are poorly understood. We quantify streamflow changes in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria in September 2017, and evaluate whether forest cover and storm...
Authors
Jazlynn S. Hall, Martha A. Scholl, James B. Shanley, Serena Matt, Maria Uriarte
Pre-fire assessment of post-fire debris flow hazards in the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed Pre-fire assessment of post-fire debris flow hazards in the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed
Background Wildfires are increasing in size and severity due to climate change combined with overstocked forests. Fire increases the likelihood of debris flows, posing significant threats to life, property, and water supplies. Aims We conducted a debris-flow hazard assessment of the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed (SFMW) to answer two questions: (1) where are debris flows most likely to...
Authors
Manuel K. Lopez, Ellis Q. Margolis, Anne C. Tillery, S. Bassett, Alan Hook