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: 3105
Alaska resource data file: Tanana quadrangle Alaska resource data file: Tanana quadrangle
No abstract available.
Authors
David J. Szumigala, Garth E. Graham, Jennifer E. Athey
Recommendations for the use of mist nets for inventory and monitoring of bird populations Recommendations for the use of mist nets for inventory and monitoring of bird populations
We provide recommendations on the best practices for mist netting for the purposes of monitoring population parameters such as abundance and demography. Studies should be carefully thought out before nets are set up, to ensure that sampling design and estimated sample size will allow study objectives to be met. Station location, number of nets, type of nets, net placement, and schedule...
Authors
C. John Ralph, Erica H. Dunn, Will J. Peach, Colleen M. Handel
History and effects of hatchery salmon in the Pacific History and effects of hatchery salmon in the Pacific
There has been a long history of production of hatchery salmon along the Pacific coast - from California’s first efforts in the 1870s using eggs from chinook and rainbow trout to the recent large-scale production hatcheries for pink salmon in Japan and the Russian Far East. The rationale for this production has also varied from replacement of fish lost in commercial ocean harvests to...
Authors
Jennifer L. Nielsen
Additions to the avifauna of St Matthew Island, Bering Sea Additions to the avifauna of St Matthew Island, Bering Sea
St. Matthew Island (60°24' N, 172°42' W) is located in the north-central Bering Sea and is renowned for its distinctive Beringian flora and fauna. Because of its central position between the coasts of Russia and Alaska, St. Matthew Island and its nearby satellites, Hall and Pinnacle islands, support a mixture of Palearctic and Nearctic avifaunas. Of special interest to North American
Authors
James A. Johnson, Steven M. Matsuoka, Daniel R. Ruthrauff, Michael A. Litzow, Maksim N. Dementyev
Population demographics, survival, and reporduction: Alaska sea otter research Population demographics, survival, and reporduction: Alaska sea otter research
The fundamental force behind population change is the balance between age-specific survival and reproductive rates. Thus, understanding population demographics is crucial when trying to interpret trends in population change over time. For many species, demographic rates change as the population’s status (i.e., relative to prey resources) varies. Indices of body condition indicative of...
Authors
Daniel H. Monson, James L. Bodkin, D.F. Doak, James A. Estes, M. T. Tinker, D.B. Siniff
Studying sea otter foraging ecology: A review of some methodological approaches Studying sea otter foraging ecology: A review of some methodological approaches
The study of foraging ecology plays a central role in our understanding of animal populations and natural communities, and can also provide information necessary for the effective conservation of rare or endangered species. Sea otter researchers are interested in foraging ecology for many different reasons, but for heuristic purposes we identify three general types of research questions...
Authors
M. T. Tinker, J. A. Estes, James L. Bodkin, M. M. Staedler, Daniel H. Monson
Persistent organic pollutants in Alaskan murre (Uria spp.) eggs: Geographical, species, and temporal comparisons Persistent organic pollutants in Alaskan murre (Uria spp.) eggs: Geographical, species, and temporal comparisons
Concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in eggs of common and thick-billed murres (Uria aalge and U. lomvia) from five Alaskan nesting colonies were dominated by 4,4‘-DDE, total polychlorinated biphenyls (ΣPCBs; 46 congeners comprised mainly of PCB congeners 153, 118, 138, 99, and 151), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH), and chlordane compounds (ΣCHL...
Authors
Stacy S. Vander Pol, Paul R. Becker, John R. Kucklick, Rebecca S. Pugh, David G. Roseneau, Kristin S. Simac
Remote sensing of vegetation and land-cover change in Arctic Tundra Ecosystems Remote sensing of vegetation and land-cover change in Arctic Tundra Ecosystems
The objective of this paper is to review research conducted over the past decade on the application of multi-temporal remote sensing for monitoring changes of Arctic tundra lands. Emphasis is placed on results from the National Science Foundation Land–Air–Ice Interactions (LAII) program and on optical remote sensing techniques. Case studies demonstrate that ground-level sensors on...
Authors
Douglas A. Stow, Allen Hope, David McGuire, David Verbyla, John A. Gamon, Fred Huemmrich, Stan Houston, Charles H. Racine, Matthew Sturm, Ken D. Tape, Larry D. Hinzman, Kenji Yoshikawa, Craig E. Tweedie, Brian Noyle, Cherie Silapaswan, David C. Douglas, Brad Griffith, Gensuo Jia, Howard E. Epstein, Donald A. Walker, Scott Daeschner, Aaron Petersen, Liming Zhou, Ranga B. Myneni
Subarctic, alpine nesting by Bairds Sandpipers Calidris bairdii Subarctic, alpine nesting by Bairds Sandpipers Calidris bairdii
Baird's Sandpipers Calidris bairdii were found nesting in alpine habitat in southwestern Alaska (60°48'N, 154°00'W), almost 250 km from the nearest known breeding site, and studied over three consecutive seasons, 1997-1999. The first birds arrived during the second week of May each spring with peak numbers recorded the third week of May. Most nests and newly hatched broods were found on...
Authors
Robert E. Gill, Pavel S. Tomkovich
Many are cold, but a few were frozen Many are cold, but a few were frozen
No abstract available.
Authors
S. Schliebe, T. S. Smith
Temporal and geographic variation in survival of juvenile black brant Temporal and geographic variation in survival of juvenile black brant
First-year survival has important implications for the structure and growth of populations. We examined variation in seasonal survival of first-year Pacific Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) marked late in summer in Alaska at two brood-rearing areas on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (Tutakoke and Kokechik) and one area on the Arctic Coastal Plain to provide insight into the magnitude...
Authors
David H. Ward, Joel A. Schmutz, James S. Sedinger, Karen S. Bollinger, P. D. Martin, B.A. Anderson
Remotely triggered seismicity on the United States west coast following the Mw 7.9 Denali fault earthquake Remotely triggered seismicity on the United States west coast following the Mw 7.9 Denali fault earthquake
The Mw 7.9 Denali fault earthquake in central Alaska of 3 November 2002 triggered earthquakes across western North America at epicentral distances of up to at least 3660 km. We describe the spatial and temporal development of triggered activity in California and the Pacific Northwest, focusing on Mount Rainier, the Geysers geothermal field, the Long Valley caldera, and the Coso...
Authors
S. G. Prejean, D.P. Hill, E. E. Brodsky, S. E. Hough, M.J.S. Johnston, S. D. Malone, D. H. Oppenheimer, A.D. Pitt, K. B. Richards-Dinger