Publications
This list of publications includes peer-review journal articles, official USGS publications series, reports and more authored by scientists in the Ecosystems Mission Area. A database of all USGS publications, with advanced search features, can be accessed at the USGS Publications Warehouse.
Filter Total Items: 41763
The effects of management practices on grassland birds—Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus)
The keys to Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) management are maintaining expansive grasslands; preventing populations of Greater Prairie-Chickens from becoming small and isolated; managing grasslands to maintain proper grassland height, density, and vigor; and reducing woody plant invasion and excessive litter buildup. Within these grasslands, areas should contain short herbace
Authors
W. Daniel Svedarsky, John E. Toepfer, Ronald L. Westemeier, Robert J. Robel, Lawrence D. Igl, Jill A. Shaffer
Distribution and abundance of Least Bell’s Vireos (Vireo bellii pusillus) and Southwestern Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii extimus) at the Mojave River Dam, San Bernardino County, California—2021 Data summary
Executive SummaryWe surveyed for Least Bell’s Vireos (Vireo bellii pusillus; vireo) and Southwestern Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii extimus; flycatcher) at the Mojave River Dam study area near Hesperia, California, in 2021. Four vireo surveys were conducted between April 16 and July 16, 2021, and three flycatcher surveys were conducted between May 27 and July 16, 2021.We detected four terr
Authors
Scarlett L. Howell, Barbara E. Kus
Diet analysis using generalized linear models derived from foraging processes using R package mvtweedie
Diet analysis integrates a wide variety of visual, chemical, and biological identification of prey. Samples are often treated as compositional data, where each prey is analyzed as a continuous percentage of the total. However, analyzing compositional data results in analytical challenges, for example, highly parameterized models or prior transformation of data. Here, we present a novel approximati
Authors
James T. Thorson, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, Taal Levi, Gretchen Roffler
Using surrogate taxa to inform response methods for invasive Grass Carp in the Laurentian Great Lakes
Sampling method decisions are critical for the effective monitoring and management of fisheries. Deploying the most effective sampling methodologies is particularly important when responding to new invasive species, where early response efforts have the best chances for eradication. In the Laurentian Great Lakes, the invasive Grass Carp Ctenopharyngodon idella is sampled using boat electrofishing
Authors
Jason L. Fischer, Lucas Nathan, John Buszkiewicz, Julia Colm, D. Andrew R. Drake, Mark R. DuFour, Patrick Kočovský, Dave Marson, Eric R. B. Smyth, Ryan Young, Kelly F. Robinson
Golden eagle occupancy surveys and monitoring strategy in coastal southern California, United States
Golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) are of increasing conservation concern in western North America. Effective conservation measures for this wide-ranging, federally protected raptor species require monitoring frameworks that accommodate strong inference on the status of breeding populations across vast landscapes. We used a broad-scale sampling design to identify relationships between landscape con
Authors
David Wiens, Peter H. Bloom, Melanie C. Madden, Patrick Kolar, Jeff A. Tracey, Robert N. Fisher
Predator–prey interactions of terrestrial invertebrates are determined by predator body size and species identity
Predator–prey interactions shape ecosystems and can help maintain biodiversity. However, for many of the earth's most biodiverse and abundant organisms, including terrestrial arthropods, these interactions are difficult or impossible to observe directly with traditional approaches. Based on previous theory, it is likely that predator–prey interactions for these organisms are shaped by a combinatio
Authors
Ana Miller-ter Kuile, Austen Apigo, An Bui, Bartholomew DiFiore, Elizabeth S. Forbes, Michelle Lee, Devyn Orr, Daniel L Preston, Rachel Behm, Taylor A. Bogar, Jasmine N. Childress, Rodolfo Dirzo, Maggie Klope, Kevin D. Lafferty, John Mclaughlin, Marisa F Morse, Carina Motta, Kevin Park, Katherine A. Plummer, David A. Weber, Ronny Young, Hillary S. Young
Factors affecting spatiotemporal variation in survival of endangered winter-run Chinook Salmon outmigrating from the Sacramento River
Among four extant and declining Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) runs in California’s Central Valley, none have declined as precipitously as Sacramento River winter-run Chinook Salmon. In addition to habitat loss, migratory winter-run employ a life history strategy to reside and feed in stopover habitats on their way from freshwaters to the ocean. This life history strategy is widely cons
Authors
Jason L. Hassrick, Arnold J. Ammann, Russell Perry, Sara N. John, Miles E. Daniels
How many Ciscoes are needed for stocking in the Laurentian Great Lakes?
Historically, Cisco Coregonus artedi and deepwater ciscoes Coregonus spp. were the most abundant and ecologically important fish species in the Laurentian Great Lakes, but anthropogenic influences caused nearly all populations to collapse by the 1970s. Fishery managers have begun exploring the feasibility of restoring populations throughout the basin, but questions regarding hatchery propagation a
Authors
Benjamin J. Rook, Michael J. Hansen, Charles R. Bronte
Transforming Palmyra Atoll to native-tree dominance will increase net carbon storage and reduce dissolved organic carbon reef runoff
Native forests on tropical islands have been displaced by non-native species, leading to calls for their transformation. Simultaneously, there is increasing recognition that tropical forests can help sequester carbon that would otherwise enter the atmosphere. However, it is unclear if native forests sequester more or less carbon than human-altered landscapes. At Palmyra Atoll, efforts are underway
Authors
Kate Longley-Wood, Mary Engels, Kevin D. Lafferty, John P. McLaughlin, Alex Wegmann
Dermal denticle shedding rates vary between two captive shark species
Shark dermal scale (denticle) accumulation in the fossil record can provide information about the abundance and composition of past shark communities. Denticles are shed continuously, such that a single shark leaves a scattered composite of many isolated denticles in sediments. However, the rate of denticle shedding as well as how these rates vary among shark species with different life modes and
Authors
Erin M. Dillon, Anshika Bagla, Kiera D. Plioplys, Douglas J. McCauley, Kevin D. Lafferty, Aaron O’Dea
A biological condition gradient for Caribbean coral reefs: Part II. Numeric rules using sessile benthic organisms
The Biological Condition Gradient (BCG) is a conceptual model used to describe incremental changes in biological condition along a gradient of increasing anthropogenic stress. As coral reefs collapse globally, scientists and managers are focused on how to sustain the crucial structure and functions, and the benefits that healthy coral reef ecosystems provide for many economies and societies. We de
Authors
Deborah L Santavy, Susan K Jackson, Benjamin Jessup, Christina Horstmann, Caroline Rogers, Ernesto Weil, Alina Szmant, David Cuevas Miranda, Brian K Walker, Christopher F.G. Jeffrey, David Ballantine, William S. Fisher, Randy Clark, Hector Ruiz Torres, Brandi Todd, Sandy Raimondo
Perils of life on the edge: Climatic threats to global diversity patterns of wetland macroinvertebrates
Climate change is rapidly driving global biodiversity declines. How wetland macroinvertebrate assemblages are responding is unclear, a concern given their vital function in these ecosystems. Using a data set from 769 minimally impacted depressional wetlands across the globe (467 temporary and 302 permanent), we evaluated how temperature and precipitation (average, range, variability) affects the r
Authors
Luis B. Epele, Marta G. Grech, Emilio A. Williams-Subiza, Cristina Stenert, Kyle McLean, Hamish S. Greig, Leonardo Maltchik, Mateus M. Pires, Matthew S. Bird, Aurelie Boissezon, Dani Boix, Eliane Demierre, Patricia E. García, Stephanie Gascón, Michael Jeffries, Jamie M. Kneitel, Olga Loskutov, Luz M. Manzo, Gabriela Mataloni, Musa C. Mlambo, Beat Oertli, Jordi Sala, Erica E. Scheibler, Haitao Wu, Scott A Wissinger, Darold P. Batzer