Publications
Listed here are publications, reports and articles by the Land Change Science Program in the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area.
Filter Total Items: 1284
Contemporary fires are less frequent but more severe in dry conifer forests of the southwestern United States Contemporary fires are less frequent but more severe in dry conifer forests of the southwestern United States
Wildfires in the southwestern United States are increasingly frequent and severe, but whether these trends exceed historical norms remains contested. Here we combine dendroecological records, satellite-derived burn severity, and field measured tree mortality to compare historical (1700-1880) and contemporary (1985-2020) fire regimes at tree-ring fire-scar sites in Arizona and New Mexico...
Authors
E. McClure, J.D. Cooper, C. Guiterman, Ellis Q. Margolis, S. Parks
Dynamic water-quality responses to wildfire in Colorado Dynamic water-quality responses to wildfire in Colorado
In 2020, Colorado experienced the most severe wildfire season in recorded history, with wildfires burning 625 357 acres across the state. Two of the largest fires burned parts of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), and a study was initiated to address concerns about potential effects on drinking water quality from mobilization of ash and sediment. The study took advantage of a wealth of...
Authors
David W. Clow, Garrett Alexander Akie, Sheila F. Murphy, Evan J. Gohring
Effects of recent wildfires on giant sequoia groves were anomalous at millennial timescales: a response to Hanson et al. Effects of recent wildfires on giant sequoia groves were anomalous at millennial timescales: a response to Hanson et al.
Background The giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum [Lindley] Buchholz) of California’s Sierra Nevada recently suffered historically unprecedented wildfires that killed an estimated 13–19% of seed-bearing sequoias across their native range. Hanson et al. recently sought to characterize post-fire reproduction in two severely burned sequoia groves, but their two papers (1) inaccurately...
Authors
Nathan L. Stephenson, David Nicolas Bertil Soderberg, Joshua A. Flickinger, Anthony C. Caprio, Adrian J. Das
Microplastic and associated black particles from road-tire wear: Implications for radiative effects across the cryosphere and in the atmosphere Microplastic and associated black particles from road-tire wear: Implications for radiative effects across the cryosphere and in the atmosphere
The environmental effects of airborne micro- and nano-size plastic particles are poorly understood. Microscopy and chemical analyses of atmospherically deposited particles on snow surfaces at high elevation (2,865–3,690 m) in the Upper Colorado River basin (UCRB; Colorado Rocky Mountains) revealed the presence of black substances intimately associated with microplastic fibers, particles
Authors
Richard L. Reynolds, Heather A. Lowers, George N. Breit, Harland L. Goldstein, Elizabeth Kellisha Williams, Corey Lawrence, Raymond F. Kokaly, Jeff Derry
Marshes to mangroves: Residential surveys reveal perceived wetland trade-offs for ecosystem services Marshes to mangroves: Residential surveys reveal perceived wetland trade-offs for ecosystem services
Coastal landscapes are rapidly changing due to both climate change and the decisions of waterfront landowners. For instance, the climate-driven encroachment of woody mangrove species into grassy marshland areas is predicted to impact coastal ecosystems, with consequences for the ecosystem services these landscapes provide to people. However, there is a dearth of knowledge concerning...
Authors
Savannah H. Swinea, A. Randall Hughes, Michael Osland, Christine C. Shepard, Kalaina B. Thorne, Jahson B. Alemu I, Remi Bardou, Steven B. Scyphers
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 M. 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 A. Middleton, Jacoby Carter, Stephen B. Hartley, Jeffrey W. Frey, Kelly L. Warner