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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

Genetic attributes and research interests

No abstract available.
Authors
Elizabeth P Flesch, Tabitha Graves, Robert A. Garrott, Sarah Dewey, Carson Butler

Enhancing marsh elevation using sediment augmentation: A case study from southern California, USA

Tidal marshes are an important component of estuaries that provide habitat for fish and wildlife, protection from flooding, recreation opportunities, and can improve water quality. Critical to maintaining these functions is vertical accretion, a key mechanism by which tidal marshes build elevation relative to local sea level. The beneficial use of dredged material to build marsh elevations in resp
Authors
Evyan Borgnis Sloane, Karen M. Thorne, Christine R Whitcraft, Victoria Touchstone

Tree mortality response to drought-density interactions suggests opportunities to enhance drought resistance

The future of dry forests around the world is uncertain given predictions that rising temperatures and enhanced aridity will increase drought-induced tree mortality. Using forest management and ecological restoration to reduce density and competition for water offers one of the few pathways that forests managers can potentially minimize drought-induced tree mortality. Competition for water during
Authors
John B. Bradford, Robert K Shriver, Marcos D. Robles, Lisa A McCauley, Caitlin M. Andrews, Michael A. Crimmins, David M. Bell

Editorial: Environmental DNA innovations for conservation

Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis refers to the collection of bulk environmental samples such as water, sediment, or air, and studying the genetic remnants that organisms have shed into their environment to gain information about species presence.
Authors
Matthew A Barnes, Katy E. Klymus, Hiroki Yamanaka

Behavior and movement of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in the forebay of Bonneville Dam, Columbia River, August–December 2020

A telemetry study was conducted during August–December 2020 to evaluate behavior and movement patterns of adult smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in the forebay of Bonneville Dam, Washington. A total of 40 smallmouth bass were collected, tagged, and released during August–September in seven distinct areas of the dam forebay and monitored until mid-December. Movement data from 36 tagged smallm
Authors
Tobias J. Kock, Gabriel S. Hansen, Scott D. Evans

Bayesian modeling can facilitate adaptive management in restoration

There is an urgent need for near-term predictions of ecological restoration outcomes despite imperfect knowledge of ecosystems. Restoration outcomes are always uncertain but integrating Bayesian modeling into the process of adaptive management allows researchers and practitioners to explicitly incorporate prior knowledge of ecosystems into future predictions. Although barriers exist, employing qua
Authors
Cara Applestein, T. Trevor Caughlin, Matthew Germino

Rapid embryonic development supports the early onset of gill functions in two coral reef damselfishes

The gill is one of the most important organs for growth and survival of fishes. Early life stages in coral reef fishes often exhibit extreme physiological and demographic characteristics that are linked to well-established respiratory and ionoregulatory processes. However, gill development and function in coral reef fishes is not well-understood. Therefore, we investigated gill morphology, oxygen
Authors
LA Prescott, Amy M. Regish, SJ McMahon, Stephen D. McCormick, JL Rummer

Invasive black carp as a reservoir host for the freshwater mollusk parasite Aspidogaster conchicola: Further evidence of mollusk consumption and implications for parasite dispersal

Black Carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) has invaded the Mississippi River and is a potential threat to native mollusks. During prior diet research, we discovered that the fluke Aspidogaster conchicola, a mollusk parasite, occurs regularly in the gastrointestinal tract of Black Carp. The fluke remains in fish intestines for extended periods after the fish has consumed its host. Flukes were found in 33%
Authors
Barry C. Poulton, Jennifer Bailey, Patrick Kroboth, Amy E. George, Duane Chapman

Telemetry reveals migratory drivers and disparate space use across seasons and age-groups in American horseshoe crabs

Identifying mechanisms that underpin animal migration patterns and examining variability in space use within populations is crucial for understanding population dynamics and management implications. In this study, we quantified the migration rates, seasonal changes in migratory connectivity, and residency across population demographics (age and sex) to understand the proximate cues of migration ti
Authors
Justin J. Bopp, Matthew Sclafani, Michael G. Frisk, Kim McKown, Catherine Zeigler, David R. Smith, Robert Cerrato

Sustaining transmission in different host species: The emblematic case of Sarcoptes scabiei

Some pathogens sustain transmission in multiple different host species, but how this epidemiologically important feat is achieved remains enigmatic. Sarcoptes scabiei is among the most host generalist and successful of mammalian parasites. We synthesize pathogen and host traits that mediate sustained transmission and present cases illustrating three transmission mechanisms (direct, indirect, and c
Authors
E Browne, MM Driessen, Paul C. Cross, L. E. Escobar, Janet E. Foley, JR López-Olvera, KD Niedringhaus, Liza Rossi, Scott Carver

Effects of sea ice decline and summer land use on polar bear home range size in the Beaufort Sea

Animals responding to habitat loss and fragmentation may increase their home ranges to offset declines in localized resources or they may decrease their home ranges and switch to alternative resources. In many regions of the Arctic, polar bears (Ursus maritimus) exhibit some of the largest home ranges of any quadrupedal mammal. Polar bears are presently experiencing a rapid decline in Arctic sea i
Authors
Anthony M. Pagano, George M. Durner, Todd C. Atwood, David C. Douglas

Sediment-ecological connectivity in a large river network

Sediment eroded from the headwaters of a large basin strongly influences channels and ecosystems far downstream, but the connection is often difficult to trace. Disturbance-dependent riparian trees are thought to rely primarily on floods for formation of the sand bars necessary for seedling establishment, but pulses of sediment should also promote formation of such features. In order to expand und
Authors
John T. Kemper, R. D. Thaxton, Sara L. Rathburn, J. M. Friedman, Erich R. Mueller, Michael L. Scott