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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: 41764

Riparian forests buffer the negative effects of cropland on macroinvertebrate diversity in lowland Amazonian streams

Riparian forests regulate stream ecosystems and biodiversity. Therefore, changes to riparian structure may threaten stream ecosystem function by triggering taxonomic and functional changes to aquatic communities. Because macroinvertebrate assemblages are sensitive to environmental changes, they can be effective indicators of stream integrity in disturbed landscapes. To assess the role of riparian
Authors
Nubia C.S. Marques, Kathi Jo Jankowski, Marcia N. Macedo, Leandro Juen, Ana Luiza-Andrade, Linda A. Deegan

Differential susceptibility of Yukon River and Salish Sea stocks of Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha to ichthyophoniasis

Preliminary evidence suggests that Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha from the Yukon River may be more susceptible to Ichthyophonus sp. infections than Chinook from stocks further south. To investigate this hypothesis in a controlled environment, we experimentally challenged juvenile Chinook from the Yukon River and from the Salish Sea with Ichthyophonus sp. and evaluated mortality, infection
Authors
Diane G. Elliott, Carla M. Conway, Constance L. McKibben, Ashley MacKenzie, Lucas M. Hart, Maya Groner, Maureen K. Purcell, Jacob L. Gregg, Paul Hershberger

Growth and defense characteristics of whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var latifolia) in a high-elevation, disturbance-prone mixed-conifer forest in northwestern Montana, USA

Recent, widespread tree mortality in the western U.S. resulting from changes in climate, pathogens, insect activity, and forest management practices has led to concerns for many ecologically and culturally important species. Within conifers, resin-based defenses have long been recognized as a primary defense mechanism against a variety of insects and pathogens. Oleoresin produced by trees contain
Authors
Nicholas E. Kichas, Amy M. Trowbridge, Kenneth F. Raffa, Shealyn C. Malone, Sharon M. Hood, Richard G. Everett, David B. McWethy, Gregory T. Pederson

When a typical jumper skips: Itineraries and staging habitats used by Red Knots (Calidris canutus piersmai) migrating between northwest Australia and the New Siberian Islands

The ecological reasons for variation in avian migration, with some populations migrating across thousands of kilometres between breeding and non-breeding areas with one or few refuelling stops, in contrast to others that stop more often, remain to be pinned down. Red Knots Calidris canutus are a textbook example of a shorebird species that makes long migrations with only a few stops. Recognizing t
Authors
Theunis Piersma, Eva Kok, Chris J. Hassell, Yvonne I. Verkuil, Guangchun Lei, He-Bo Peng, Eldar Rakhimberdiev, Paul Howey, Ying-Chi Chan, Lee Tibbitts, Julia Karagicheva

Activity patterns of anadromous fish below a tide gate: Observations from high‐resolution imaging sonar

The construction of dams and tide gates on waterways has altered the physical structure of many coastal, estuarine, and freshwater systems. These changes have come at a cost to fish populations, most notably diadromous species, which rely on connectivity between marine and freshwater systems. These anthropogenic structures can have direct effects on migrating fish, such as blocking fish passage, o
Authors
Christopher B. Rillahan, Derrick Alcott, Theodore R. Castro-Santos, Pingguo He

The demographic and ecological factors shaping diversification among rare Astragalus species

AimEvolutionary radiations are central to the origin and maintenance of biodiversity, yet we rarely understand how they are jointly shaped by demography and ecological opportunity. Astragalus is the largest plant genus in the world and is disproportionately comprised of rare species restricted to narrow geographic and ecological regions. Here, we explored the demographic and ecological mechanisms
Authors
Matthew Richard Jones, Daniel E. Winkler, Robert Massatti

Artificial lights with different spectra do not alter detrimental attraction of young Chinook salmon and sockeye salmon along lake shorelines

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is common in lakes with developed shorelines, especially prevalent in the nearshore areas where juvenile fishes, including salmonids, are present. One concern is that fishes may be attracted to ALAN and become more vulnerable to predators. The use of longer wavelength lights has been suggested to reduce the effects of ALAN; however, the response in juvenile salmoni
Authors
Roger A. Tabor, Elizabeth K Perkin, David Beauchamp, Lyle L. Britt, Rebecca Haehn, John A. Greene, Timothy J. Robinson, Scott Stolnack, Daniel W Lantz, Zachary J Moore

Weighing the unknowns: Value of information for biological and operational uncertainty in invasion management

The management of biological invasions is a worldwide conservation priority. Unfortunately, decision-making on optimal invasion management can be impeded by lack of information about the biological processes that determine invader success (i.e. biological uncertainty) or by uncertainty about the effectiveness of candidate interventions (i.e. operational uncertainty). Concurrent assessment of both
Authors
Shou-Li Li, Joseph Keller, Michael C. Runge, Katriona Shea

Implications of zoonoses from hunting and use of wildlife in North American arctic and boreal biomes: Pandemic potential, monitoring, and mitigation

The COVID-19 pandemic has re-focused attention on mechanisms that lead to zoonotic disease spillover and spread. Commercial wildlife trade, and associated markets, are recognized mechanisms for zoonotic disease emergence, resulting in a growing global conversation around reducing human disease risks from spillover associated with hunting, trade, and consumption of wild animals. These discussions a
Authors
Lucy Keatts, Martin D. Robards, Sarah H. Olson, Karsten Hueffer, Stephen Insley, Damien O. Joly, Susan Kutz, David S. Lee, Cheryl-Lesley B. Chetkiewicz, Stephane Lair, Nicholas D. Preston, Martin Pruvot, Justina C. Ray, Donald Reid, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Raphaela Stimmelmayr, Craig Stephen, Chris Walzer

Enigmatic near‐extirpation in a boreal toad metapopulation in northwestern Montana

North America's protected lands harbor biodiversity and provide habitats where species threatened by a variety of stressors in other environments can thrive. Yet disease, climate change, and other threats are not limited by land management boundaries and can interact with conditions within protected landscapes to affect sensitive populations. We examined the population dynamics of a boreal toad (A
Authors
Rebecca McCaffery, Robin E. Russell, Blake R. Hossack

Incorporating biogeochemistry into dryland restoration

Dryland degradation is a persistent and accelerating global problem. Although the mechanisms initiating and maintaining dryland degradation are largely understood, returning productivity and function through ecological restoration remains difficult. Water limitation commonly drives slow recovery rates within drylands; however, the altered biogeochemical cycles that accompany degradation also play
Authors
Kristina E. Young, Sasha C. Reed, Scott Ferrenberg, Akasha M. Faist, Daniel E. Winkler, Catherine E. Cort, Anthony Darrouzet-Nardi

Trends in agricultural triazole fungicide sse in the United States, 1992–2016 and possible implications for antifungal-resistant fungi in human disease

Background:The fungus Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) is the leading cause of invasive mold infections, which cause severe disease and death in immunocompromised people. Use of triazole antifungal medications in recent decades has improved patient survival; however, triazole-resistant infections have become common in parts of Europe and are emerging in the United States. Triazoles are also a
Authors
Mitsuru Toda, Karlyn D. Beer, Kathryn Kuivila, Tom M. Chiller, Brendan R. Jackson