Publications
Read publications and other informational products to learn more about USGS science occurring in the Mississippi Basin.
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Genetic analysis of federally endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow subpopulations in the Greater Everglades, USA Genetic analysis of federally endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow subpopulations in the Greater Everglades, USA
The federally endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis) is endemic to the Greater Everglades ecosystem in southern Florida, inhabiting fragmented marl prairies in six individual subpopulations. The subspecies is threatened by loss of breeding habitat from fire and water management. Genetic information is severely limited for the subspecies but could help inform...
Authors
Caitlin Beaver, Thomas Virzi, Margaret Hunter
A global biodiversity observing system to unite monitoring and guide action A global biodiversity observing system to unite monitoring and guide action
The rate and extent of global biodiversity change is surpassing our ability to measure, monitor and forecast trends. We propose an interconnected worldwide system of observation networks — a global biodiversity observing system (GBiOS) — to coordinate monitoring worldwide and inform action to reach international biodiversity targets.
Authors
Andrew Gonzalez, Petteri Vihervaara, Patricia Balvanera, Amanda E. Bates, Elisa Bayraktarov, Peter J. Bellingham, Andreas Bruder, Jillian Campbell, Michael D. Catchen, Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Jonathan Chase, Nicholas Coops, Mark J. Costello, Maria Dornelas, Gregoire Dubois, Emmett J. Duffy, Hilde Eggermont, Nestor Fernandez, Simon Ferrier, Gary N. Geller, Michael J. Gill, Dominique Gravel, Carlos A. Guerra, Robert P. Guralnick, Michael Harfoot, Tim Hirsch, Sean M. Hoban, Alice C. Hughes, Margaret Hunter, Forest Isbell, Walter Jetz, Norbert Juergens, W. Daniel Kissling, Cornelia B. Krug, Yvan Le Bras, Brian Leung, Maria C. Londoño-Murcia, Jean-Michel Lord, Michel Loreau, Amy Luers, Keping Ma, Anna J. MacDonald, Melodie McGeoch, Katie L. Millette, Zsolt Molnar, Akira S. Mori, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Hiroyuki Muraoka, Laetitia M. Navarro, Tim Newbold, Aidin Niamir, David Obura, Mary O’Connor, Marc Paganini, Henrique M. Pereira, Timothee Poisot, Laura J. Pollock, Andy Purvis, Adriana Radulovici, Duccio Rocchini, Michael E. Schaepman, Gabriela Schaepman-Strub, Dirk S. Schmeller, Ute Schmiedel, Fabien D. Schneider, Mangal M. Shakya, Andrew K Skidmore, Andrew L. Skowno, Yayoi Takeuchi, Mao-Ning Tuanmu, Eren Turak, Woody Turner, Mark C. Urban, Nicolas Urbina-Cardona, Ruben Valbuena, Basile van Havre, Elaine Wright
A Monte-Carlo chemical budget approach to assess ambient groundwater flow in bedrock open boreholes A Monte-Carlo chemical budget approach to assess ambient groundwater flow in bedrock open boreholes
In low-permeability rocks, ambient groundwater flow in open boreholes may go undetected using conventional borehole-flowmeter tools and alternative approaches may be needed to identify flow. Understanding ambient flow in open boreholes is important for tracking of cross contamination in groundwater. Chlorinated volatile organic compound (CVOC) concentrations from three open boreholes set...
Authors
Philip Harte
The Government eDNA Working Group 6th Annual eDNA Technical Exchange Workshop The Government eDNA Working Group 6th Annual eDNA Technical Exchange Workshop
The 6th annual Environmental DNA (eDNA) Technical Exchange Workshop was a virtual workshop hosted and coordinated by the Government eDNA Working Group (GEDWG) on January 24–26, 2023. GEDWG is a no-cost consortium that focuses on bringing together stakeholders associated with federal, state, provincial, municipal, and other government and non-government agencies interested in eDNA and...
Authors
Carol A. Stepien, Richard F. Lance, Katy E. Klymus, Margaret Hunter
Perspectives on the scientific legacy of J. Philip Grime Perspectives on the scientific legacy of J. Philip Grime
Perhaps as much as any other scientist in the 20th century, J.P. Grime transformed the study of plant ecology and helped shepherd the field toward international prominence as a nexus of ideas related to global environmental change. Editors at the Journal of Ecology asked a group of senior plant ecologists to comment on Grime's scientific legacy.This commentary piece includes individual...
Authors
Jason D. Fridley, Xiaojuan Liu, Natalia Perez-Harguindeguy, F. Stuart Chapin III, Mick Crawley, Gerlinde De Deyn, Sandra Diaz, James Grace, Peter Grubb, Susan P. Harrison, Sandra Lavorel, Zhimin Liu, Simon Pierce, Bernhard Schmid, Carly J. Stevens, David A. Wardle, Mark Westoby
Trace elements and consequent ecological risks in mining- influenced streams of Appalachia Trace elements and consequent ecological risks in mining- influenced streams of Appalachia
Appalachian coal surface mines fracture geologic materials, causing release of both major ions and trace elements to water via accelerated weathering. When elevated above natural background, trace elements in streams may produce adverse effects to biota via direct exposure from water and sediment and via dietary exposure in food sources. Other studies have found elevated water...
Authors
Elyse V. Clark, David J. Soucek, Stephen H. Schoenholtz, Keridwen M. Whitmore, Carl E. Zipper
Integrating remote sensing with ground-based observations to quantify the effects of an extreme freeze event on black mangroves (Avicennia germinans) at the landscape scale Integrating remote sensing with ground-based observations to quantify the effects of an extreme freeze event on black mangroves (Avicennia germinans) at the landscape scale
Climate change is altering the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Quantifying ecosystem responses to extreme events at the landscape scale is critical for understanding and responding to climate-driven change but is constrained by limited data availability. Here, we integrated remote sensing with ground-based observations to quantify landscape-scale vegetation damage from...
Authors
Melinda Martinez, Michael Osland, James B. Grace, Nicholas Enwright, Camille Stagg, Simen Kaalstad, Gordon Anderson, Anna R. Armitage, Just Cebrian, Karen L. Cummins, Richard Day, Donna J. Devlin, Kenneth H. Dunton, Laura Feher, Alejandro Fierro-Cabo, Elena A. Flores, Andrew From, A. Randall Hughes, David A. Kaplan, Amy K. Langston, Christopher J. Miller, Charles E. Proffitt, Nathan G.F. Reaver, Colt R. Sanspree, Caitlin M. Snyder, Andrew P. Stetter, Kathleen M. Swanson, Jamie E. Thompson, Carlos Zamora-Tovar
Effects of lead exposure on birds breeding in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District Effects of lead exposure on birds breeding in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District
Lead mining in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District began in the 1700s and continued for nearly 300 years; the waste piles associated with smelting, mining, and milling of lead ores have released metal residues that have contaminated soil and water in the region. Previous studies in the district have indicated potential harm to wildlife, including birds, because of elevated lead
Authors
Rebecka Brasso, Danielle M. Cleveland, Frank R. Thompson, David E. Mosby, Kathy Hixson, Melissa Roach, Barnett A. Rattner, Natalie Karouna-Renier, Julia S. Lankton
Telescoping prey selection in invasive Burmese pythons spells trouble for endangered rodents Telescoping prey selection in invasive Burmese pythons spells trouble for endangered rodents
The allometric scaling of predators and their prey is well established within snakes (i.e., gape-width limits maximum prey sizes). However, while some species exhibit ontogenetic shifts to larger prey as they grow, others exhibit telescoping prey selection and continue to consume small prey in addition to larger prey. The Burmese python (Python bivittatus) is a large dietary generalist...
Authors
Issac Lord, Joseph Redinger, Jeremy Dixon, Kristen Hart, Jacquelyn C. Guzy, Christina M. Romagosa, Michael V. Cove
Contribution of arsenic and uranium in private wells and community water systems to urinary biomarkers in US adults: The Strong Heart Study and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis Contribution of arsenic and uranium in private wells and community water systems to urinary biomarkers in US adults: The Strong Heart Study and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
Background Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic (As) and uranium (U) in the United States (US) occurs from unregulated private wells and federally regulated community water systems (CWSs). The contribution of water to total exposure is assumed to be low when water As and U concentrations are low.Objective We examined the contribution of water As and U to urinary biomarkers in the Strong...
Authors
Maya Spaur, Ronald A. Glabonjat, Kathrin Schilling, Melissa A. Lombard, Galvez-Fernandez, Wil Lieberman-Cribbin, Carolyn Hayek, Vesna Ilievski, Olgica Balac, Chiugo Izuchukwu, Kevin Patterson, Anirban Basu, Benjamin Bostick, Qixuan Chen, Tiffany Sanchez, Ana Navas-Acien, Anne E Nigra
Salinization and sedimentation drive contrasting assembly mechanisms of planktonic and sediment-bound bacterial communities in agricultural streams Salinization and sedimentation drive contrasting assembly mechanisms of planktonic and sediment-bound bacterial communities in agricultural streams
Agriculture is the most dominant land use globally and is projected to increase in the future to support a growing human population but also threatens ecosystem structure and services. Bacteria mediate numerous biogeochemical pathways within ecosystems. Therefore, identifying linkages between stressors associated with agricultural land use and responses of bacterial diversity is an...
Authors
Stephen E. DeVilbiss, Jason M. Taylor, Matthew B. Hicks
Boreal conifers maintain carbon uptake with warming despite failure to track optimal temperatures Boreal conifers maintain carbon uptake with warming despite failure to track optimal temperatures
Warming shifts the thermal optimum of net photosynthesis (ToptA) to higher temperatures. However, our knowledge of this shift is mainly derived from seedlings grown in greenhouses under ambient atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) conditions. It is unclear whether shifts in ToptA of field-grown trees will keep pace with the temperatures predicted for the 21st century under elevated...
Authors
Mirindi E. Dusenge, Jeffery M. Warren, Peter B. Reich, Eric Ward, Bridget K. Murphy, Artur Stefanski, Raimundo Bermudez, Marisol Cruz, David A. McLennan, Anthony W. King, Rebecca A. Montgomery, Paul J. Hanson, Danielle A. Way