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Publications

USGS research activities relevant to Alaska have yielded more than 9400 historical publications. This page features some of the most recent newsworthy research findings.

Filter Total Items: 3082

Succession on subalpine placer mine spoil: Effects of revegetation with Alnus viridis, Alaska, U.S.A. Succession on subalpine placer mine spoil: Effects of revegetation with Alnus viridis, Alaska, U.S.A.

Alnus viridis seedlings were planted on placer mine spoil in an Alaskan subalpine watershed to bypass a seedling establishment bottleneck for A. viridis, and to evaluate the interaction between A. viridis and the dominant riparian woody plants, Salix alaxensis and Populus balsamifera. The study area was divided into 11 replicate blocks, each on a homogeneous recontoured spoil pile...
Authors
Roseann V. Densmore

Variability in colony attendance of crevice-nesting horned puffins: Implications for population monitoring Variability in colony attendance of crevice-nesting horned puffins: Implications for population monitoring

It is difficult to survey crevice-nesting seabirds because nest-sites are hard to identify and count, and the number of adult birds attending a colony can be extremely variable within and between days. There is no standardized method for surveying crevice-nesting horned puffins (Fratercula corniculata), and consequently little is known about abundance or changes in their numbers. We...
Authors
A.M.A. Harding, John F. Piatt, G.V. Byrd, Scott A. Hatch, N. B. Konyukhov, E.U. Golubova, J.C. Williams

From the field: Brown bear habituation to people — Safety, risks, and benefits From the field: Brown bear habituation to people — Safety, risks, and benefits

Recently, brown bear (Ursus arctos) viewing has increased in coastal Alaska and British Columbia, as well as in interior areas such as Yellowstone National Park. Viewing is most often being done under conditions that offer acceptable safety to both people and bears. We analyze and comment on the underlying processes that lead brown bears to tolerate people at close range. Although...
Authors
Stephen Herrero, Tom Smith, Terry D. DeBruyn, Kerry Gunther, Colleen A. Matt

Testing archival tag technology in coho salmon Testing archival tag technology in coho salmon

Archive tags with temperature and light-geolocation sensors will be monitored for post-smolt coho salmon in Cook Inlet. Light/location relationships specific to the Gulf of Alaska developed under Project 00478 will be applied in this study of movement and migration paths for coho salmon during maturation in ocean environments in Cook Inlet. Salmon for this study will be reared in...
Authors
Jennifer L. Nielsen, Philip Richards, Thor Tingey, Derek Wilson, Christian E. Zimmerman

Using Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) imagery to detect polar bear maternal dens: Operations manual Using Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) imagery to detect polar bear maternal dens: Operations manual

Recent research has shown that Forward Looking Infia-Red (FLIR) imagery can detect polar bear dens despite total snow cover over their deming habitat. FLIR imagers detect a AT or difference in temperature between objects in the imager's field of view. During the Arctic winter, the groundlsnow surface is typically cold, providing a dark background in the FLIR imager. Sources of heat...
Authors
Geoffrey S. York, Steven C. Amstrup, Kristin S. Simac

Seafloor habitat mapping and classification in Glacier Bay, Alaska: Phase 1 & 2 1996-2004 Seafloor habitat mapping and classification in Glacier Bay, Alaska: Phase 1 & 2 1996-2004

Glacier Bay is a diverse fjord ecosystem with multiple sills, numerous tidewater glaciers and a highly complex oceanographic system. The Bay was completely glaciated prior to the 1700’s and subsequently experienced the fastest glacial retreat recorded in historical times. Currently, some of the highest sedimentation rates ever observed occur in the Bay, along with rapid uplift (up to 2.5...
Authors
Philip N. Hooge, Paul R. Carlson, Jennifer Mondragon, Lisa L. Etherington, G.R. Cochran
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