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Publications

Read publications and other informational products to learn more about USGS science occurring in the Mississippi Basin.

Filter Total Items: 5565

Characteristics for the external identification of Black Carp from Grass Carp Characteristics for the external identification of Black Carp from Grass Carp

Black Carp Mylopharyngodon piceus and Grass Carp Ctenopharyngodon idella are morphologically similar species native to eastern Asia and imported to North America as biological control organisms. Preferred identification methods are coloration and pharyngeal tooth form. Grass Carp possess serrated teeth and Black Carp molariform teeth. Examination of pharyngeal teeth causes extensive...
Authors
Patrick Kroboth, Duane Chapman, Robert A. Hrabik, D.A. Neely

Dispersal asymmetry in a two-patch system with source–sink populations Dispersal asymmetry in a two-patch system with source–sink populations

This paper analyzes source–sink systems with asymmetric dispersal between two patches. Complete analysis on the models demonstrates a mechanism by which the dispersal asymmetry can lead to either an increased total size of the species population in two patches, a decreased total size with persistence in the patches, or even extinction in both patches. For a large growth rate of the...
Authors
Hong Wu, Yuanshi Wang, Yufeng Li, Donald L. DeAngelis

Evaluating associations between environmental variables and Escherichia coli levels for predictive modeling at Pawtuckaway Beach in Nottingham, New Hampshire, from 2015 to 2017 Evaluating associations between environmental variables and Escherichia coli levels for predictive modeling at Pawtuckaway Beach in Nottingham, New Hampshire, from 2015 to 2017

From 2015 through 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services studied occurrences of high levels of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria at the Pawtuckaway State Park Beach in Nottingham, New Hampshire. Historic data collected by the New Hampshire Department of...
Authors
James F. Coles, Kathleen F. Bush

Deposition potential and flow-response dynamics of emergent sandbars in a braided river Deposition potential and flow-response dynamics of emergent sandbars in a braided river

Sandbars are ubiquitous in sandy‐braided rivers throughout the world. In the Great Plains of the United States, recovery and expansion of emergent sandbar habitat (ESH) has been a priority in lowland rivers where the natural extent of sandbars has been degraded. Recovery efforts are aimed at protection of populations of the interior least tern (Sterna antillarum) and piping plover...
Authors
Jason S. Alexander, Brandon McElroy, Snehalata Huzurbazar, Caroline M. Elliott, Marissa L. Murr

Nitrogen budgets of the Long Island Sound estuary Nitrogen budgets of the Long Island Sound estuary

Nitrogen (N) inputs to coastal ecosystems have significant impacts on coastal community structure. In N limited systems, increases in N inputs may lead to excess productivity and hypoxia. Like many temperate estuaries, Long Island Sound (LIS), a major eastern U.S. estuary, is a N limited system which has experienced seasonal hypoxia since the 1800s. This study is the first effort to...
Authors
Penny Vlahos, Michael Whitney, Christina Menniti, John R. Mullaney, Jonathan Morrison, Yan Jia

Using δ13C and δ18O to analyze loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) response to experimental drought and fertilization Using δ13C and δ18O to analyze loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) response to experimental drought and fertilization

Drought frequency and intensity are projected to increase throughout the southeastern USA, the natural range of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.), and are expected to have major ecological and economic implications. We analyzed the carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions in tree ring cellulose of loblolly pine in a factorial drought (~30% throughfall reduction) and fertilization experiment
Authors
Wen Lin, Jean-Christophe Domec, Eric Ward, John D. Marshall, John S King, Marshall A. Laviner, Thomas R Fox, Jason B. West, Ge Sun, Steve G McNulty, Asko Noormets

Could a freshwater fish be at the root of dystrophic crises in a coastal lagoon? Could a freshwater fish be at the root of dystrophic crises in a coastal lagoon?

Eutrophication has a profound impact on ecosystems worldwide. Grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella, an herbivorous fish, has been introduced to control aquatic plant overgrowth caused by eutrophication, but could have other, potentially detrimental, effects. We used the Po di Volano basin (south of the Po River delta, northern Italy) as a test case to explore whether grass carp effects on...
Authors
Marco Milardi, Elisa Soana, Duane Chapman, Elisa Anna Fano, Giuseppe Castaldelli

Using integrated population models for insights into monitoring programs: An application using pink-footed geese Using integrated population models for insights into monitoring programs: An application using pink-footed geese

Development of integrated population models (IPMs) assume the absence of systematic bias in monitoring programs, yet many potential sources of systematic bias in monitoring data exist (e.g., under-counts of abundance). By integrating multiple sources of data, we can assess whether various sources of monitoring data provide consistent inferences about changes in population size and, thus...
Authors
Fred Johnson, Guthrie S. Zimmerman, Gitte H. Jensen, Kevin K. Clausen, Morten Frederiksen, Jesper Madsen

Instructions for running the analytical code PAT (Purge Analyzer Tool) for computation of in-well time of travel of groundwater under pumping conditions Instructions for running the analytical code PAT (Purge Analyzer Tool) for computation of in-well time of travel of groundwater under pumping conditions

Introduction Understanding the optimal time needed to purge a well while pumping to collect a representative groundwater sample requires an understanding of groundwater flow in wells (in-well flow). Parameters that affect in-well flow include the hydraulic properties of the aquifer, well construction, drawdown from pumping, and pump rate. The time of travel relative to in-well flow is...
Authors
P.T. Harte, B. J. Huffman, Tomas Perina, Herb Levine, Daewon Rojas-Mickelson

Coastal marsh bird habitat selection and responses to Hurricane Sandy Coastal marsh bird habitat selection and responses to Hurricane Sandy

Wetlands provide numerous ecosystem functions such as water purification, nutrient cycling, and wildlife habitat. Avian populations are indicators of wetland health, and understanding their responses to extreme events can aid in targeting restoration efforts following disturbance. Here, we assessed the habitat selection of six coastal wetland bird species (American Bittern, Black-crowned...
Authors
Allison Benscoter, James Beerens, Stephanie Romanach

The importance of natural versus human factors for ecological conditions of streams and rivers The importance of natural versus human factors for ecological conditions of streams and rivers

Streams are influenced by watershed-scale factors, such as climate, geology, topography, hydrology, and soils, which mostly vary naturally among sites, as well as human factors, agriculture and urban development. Thus, natural factors could complicate assessment of human disturbance. In the present study, we use structural equation modeling and data from the 2008-2009 United States...
Authors
Tao Tang, R. Jan Stevenson, James Grace
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