Publications
Below is a list of WERC's peer-reviewed publications. If you are searching for a specific publication and cannot find it in this list, please contact werc_web@usgs.gov
Filter Total Items: 3776
Population ecology of Roosevelt elk: Conservation and management in Redwood National and State Parks. Butch Weckerly. 2017. University of Nevada Press, Reno, Nevada, USA. 224 pp. $54.95 hardback. ISBN 978- 1943859504. Population ecology of Roosevelt elk: Conservation and management in Redwood National and State Parks. Butch Weckerly. 2017. University of Nevada Press, Reno, Nevada, USA. 224 pp. $54.95 hardback. ISBN 978- 1943859504.
Long-term research on large ungulate populations typically conjures perceptions of extensive (and expensive) animal capture and telemetry work, and subsequent advanced modeling of resource selection and population dynamics that inform management decisions. In contrast, studies lacking a telemetry component are often limited to animal behavior or natural history. Although compelling from...
Authors
Mark A. Ricca
Wintering in the western subarctic pacific increases mercury contamination of Red-legged Kittiwakes Wintering in the western subarctic pacific increases mercury contamination of Red-legged Kittiwakes
Marine methylmercury concentrations vary geographically and with depth, exposing organisms to different mercury levels in unique habitats. Red-legged kittiwakes (Rissa brevirostris), a specialist predator, forage on fish and invertebrates from the mesopelagic zone, a part of the ocean with elevated methylmercury concentrations. We used kittiwakes as bioindicators of MeHg concentrations...
Authors
Abram S Fleishman, Rachael Orben, Nobuo Kokubun, Alexis Will, Rosana Paredes, Joshua T. Ackerman, Akinori Takahashi, Alexander Kitaysky, Scott A. Shaffer
Effects of invasive plants on fire regimes and postfire vegetation diversity in an arid ecosystem Effects of invasive plants on fire regimes and postfire vegetation diversity in an arid ecosystem
We assessed the impacts of co‐occurring invasive plant species on fire regimes and postfire native communities in the Mojave Desert, western USA. We analyzed the distribution and co‐occurrence patterns of three invasive annual grasses (Bromus rubens, Bromus tectorum, and Schismus spp.) known to alter fuel conditions and community structure, and an invasive forb (Erodium cicutarium) which...
Authors
Emma C. Underwood, Robert C. Klinger, Matthew L. Brooks
Size matters, but not consistently Size matters, but not consistently
E. Pennisi (“Forest giants are the trees most at risk,” News, 6 September, p. 962) interprets presentations of three studies as suggesting that “for trees, size is not strength, and forest giants are disproportionately vulnerable.” However, this conclusion is not well supported. The observation that lightning is a major cause of large-tree mortality on Barro Colorado Island (BCI) is best
Authors
Nathan L. Stephenson, Adrian J. Das
Noninvasive identification of cryptic herpetofauna from fecal samples: A novel approach pairing conservation dog surveys and genetic analysis Noninvasive identification of cryptic herpetofauna from fecal samples: A novel approach pairing conservation dog surveys and genetic analysis
Noninvasive fecal sampling combined with genetic analysis is a powerful technique allowing the study of elusive or otherwise difficult to monitor species without the need for direct contact. While this method is widely used in birds and mammals, it has never been successfully applied on a large scale in reptiles. The blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila) is an endangered species...
Authors
MJ Statham, DA Woollett, S Fresquez, John M. Pfeiffer, Jonathan Q. Richmond, A Whitelaw, NL Richards, Michael F. Westphal, BN Sacks
Pleistocene glacial cycles drove lineage diversification and fusion in the Yosemite toad (Anaxyrus canorus) Pleistocene glacial cycles drove lineage diversification and fusion in the Yosemite toad (Anaxyrus canorus)
Species endemic to alpine environments can evolve via steep ecological selection gradients between lowland and upland environments. Additionally, many alpine environments have faced repeated glacial episodes over the past two million years, fracturing these endemics into isolated populations. In this “glacial pulse” model of alpine diversification, cycles of allopatry and ecologically...
Authors
Paul A. Maier, Amy G. Vandergast, Steven M Ostoja, Andres Aguilar, Andrew J. Bohonak
Precision mapping of snail habitat provides a powerful indicator of human schistosomiasis transmission Precision mapping of snail habitat provides a powerful indicator of human schistosomiasis transmission
Recently, the World Health Organization recognized that efforts to interrupt schistosomiasis transmission through mass drug administration have been ineffective in some regions; one of their new recommended strategies for global schistosomiasis control emphasizes targeting the freshwater snails that transmit schistosome parasites. We sought to identify robust indicators that would enable...
Authors
Chelsea L. Wood, Susanne H. Sokolow, Isabel J. Jones, Andrew J Chamberlin, Kevin D. Lafferty, Armand M. Kuris, Merlijn M. T. Jocque, Skylar R. Hopkins, Grant Adams, Julia C Buck, Andrea J Lund, Ana E Garcia-Vedrenne, Evan Fiorenza, Jason R. Rohr, Fiona Allan, Bonnie Webster, Muriel Rabone, Joanne P Webster, Lydie Bandagny, Raphael Ndione, Simon Senghor, Anne-Marie Schacht, Nicolas Jouanard, Gilles Riveau, Giulio A. De Leo
Track tube construction and field protocol for small mammal surveys with emphasis on the endangered Pacific pocket mouse (Perognathus longimembris pacificus) Track tube construction and field protocol for small mammal surveys with emphasis on the endangered Pacific pocket mouse (Perognathus longimembris pacificus)
Track tubes are used to identify small animals by their tracks. Animals that are small enough to fit into the tubes walk over ink pads and onto cardstock paper to obtain bait within the tube, leaving their footprints. The tracking tubes described in this document are designed to be set on the ground with free access and exit at either end with additional design components for stability...
Authors
Cheryl S. Brehme, Tritia A. Matsuda, Devin T. Adsit-Morris, Denise R. Clark, Jeremy B. Sebes, Melanie Anne T. Burlaza, Robert N. Fisher
Challenges for monitoring the extent and land use/cover changes in monarch butterflies’ migratory habitat across the United States and Mexico Challenges for monitoring the extent and land use/cover changes in monarch butterflies’ migratory habitat across the United States and Mexico
This paper presents a synopsis of the challenges and limitations presented by existing and emerging land use/ land cover (LULC) digital data sets when used to analyze the extent, habitat quality, and LULC changes of the monarch (Danaus plexippus) migratory habitat across the United States of America (US) and Mexico. First, the characteristics, state of the knowledge, and issues related...
Authors
Rafael Moreno-Sanchez, James Raines, Jay E. Diffendorfer, Mark A. Drummond, Jessica Manko
Urbanization reduces genetic connectivity in bobcats (Lynx rufus) at both intra- and interpopulation spatial scales Urbanization reduces genetic connectivity in bobcats (Lynx rufus) at both intra- and interpopulation spatial scales
Urbanization is a major factor driving habitat fragmentation and connectivity loss in wildlife. However, the impacts of urbanization on connectivity can vary among species and even populations due to differences in local landscape characteristics, and our ability to detect these relationships may depend on the spatial scale at which they are measured. Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are relatively...
Authors
Christpher P. Kozakiewicz, Christopher P. Burridge, W. Chris Funk, Patricia E. Salerno, Daryl R. Trumbo, Roderick B. Gagne, Erin E. Boydston, Robert N. Fisher, Lisa M. Lyren, Megan K. Jennings, Seth P. D. Riley, Laurel E.K. Serieys, Sue VandeWoude, Kevin R. Crooks, Scott Carver
Sampling across 20 years (1996–2017) reveals loss of diversity and genetic connectivity in the Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard (Uma inornata) Sampling across 20 years (1996–2017) reveals loss of diversity and genetic connectivity in the Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard (Uma inornata)
The Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard (Uma inornata) is a federally threatened, aeolian sand dune obligate, endemic to the Coachella Valley, California. Historically, U. inornata is thought to have formed a large interconnected metapopulation across the valley, with local dune habitat and population size fluctuations linked to stochastic droughts and flooding. Since the 1950s, aeolian...
Authors
Amy G. Vandergast, Dustin A. Wood, Mark Fisher, Cameron W. Barrows, Anna Mitelberg, Julia G. Smith
Disentangling the effects of habitat biogeochemistry, food web structure, and diet composition on mercury bioaccumulation in a wetland bird Disentangling the effects of habitat biogeochemistry, food web structure, and diet composition on mercury bioaccumulation in a wetland bird
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a globally pervasive contaminant with known toxicity to humans and wildlife. Several sources of variation can lead to spatial differences in MeHg bioaccumulation within a species including: biogeochemical processes that influence MeHg production and availability within an organism’s home range; trophic positions of consumers and MeHg biomagnification efficiency in...
Authors
Laurie Anne Hall, Isa Woo, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, Danika C Tsao, David P. Krabbenhoft, John Y. Takekawa, Susan E.W. De La Cruz