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: 41771
Detection of SARS-CoV-2 by RNAscope® in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry techniques
In situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) are essential tools to characterize SARS-CoV-2 infection and tropism in naturally and experimentally infected animals and also for diagnostic purposes. Here, we describe three RNAscope®-based ISH assays targeting the ORF1ab, spike, and nucleocapsid genes and IHC assays targeting the spike and nucleocapsid proteins of SARS-CoV-2.
Authors
Mariano Carossino, Hon S. Ip, Jürgen a. Richt, Kendra Schultz, Kimberly Harper, Alan T. Loynachan, Fabio Del Piero, Udeni B.R. Balasuriya
The catastrophic decline of tortoises at a fenced natural area
Agassiz’s desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), a threatened species of the southwestern United States, has severely declined to the point where 76% of populations in critical habitat (Tortoise Conservation Areas) are below viability. The potential for rapid recovery of wild populations is low because females require 12–20 years to reach reproductive maturity and produce few eggs annually. We repo
Authors
Kristin H. Berry, Julie L. Yee, Timothy A. Shields, Laura Stockton
Applications of deep convolutional neural networks to predict length, circumference, and weight from mostly dewatered images of fish
Simple biometric data of fish aid fishery management tasks such as monitoring the structure of fish populations and regulating recreational harvest. While these data are foundational to fishery research and management, the collection of length and weight data through physical handling of the fish is challenging as it is time consuming for personnel and can be stressful for the fish. Recent advance
Authors
Nicholas Bravata, Dylan Kelly, Jesse Eickholt, Janine Bryan, Scott M. Miehls, Daniel Zielinski
Forest density intensifies the importance of snowpack to growth in water-limited pine forests
Warming climate and resulting declines in seasonal snowpack have been associated with drought stress and tree mortality in seasonally snow‐covered watersheds worldwide. Meanwhile, increasing forest density has further exacerbated drought stress due to intensified tree‐tree competition. Using a uniquely detailed dataset of population‐level forest growth (n=2495 sampled trees), we examined how inter
Authors
Kelly Erika Gleason, John B. Bradford, Anthony W. D'Amato, Shawn Fraver, Brian J. Palik, Michael A. Battaglia
Macroinvertebrate oviposition habitat selectivity and egg-mass desiccation tolerances: Implications for population dynamics in large regulated rivers
Aquatic insects exhibit complex life cycles that include egg, larval, adult, and, in some instances, pupal stages. Disturbances at any of these life stages can affect overall population dynamics. Yet, efforts to understand the effects of disturbances, such as hydrologic alterations, overwhelmingly focus on the larval life stage of aquatic insects. We evaluated the potential for load-following flow
Authors
Scott W. Miller, Matt Schroer, Jesse R. Fleri, Theodore A. Kennedy
Ecological forecasting—21st century science for 21st century management
Natural resource managers are coping with rapid changes in both environmental conditions and ecosystems. Enabled by recent advances in data collection and assimilation, short-term ecological forecasting may be a powerful tool to help resource managers anticipate impending near-term changes in ecosystem conditions or dynamics. Managers may use the information in forecasts to minimize the adverse ef
Authors
John B. Bradford, Jake Weltzin, Molly L. McCormick, Jill Baron, Zack Bowen, Sky Bristol, Daren Carlisle, Theresa Crimmins, Paul C. Cross, Joe DeVivo, Mike Dietze, Mary Freeman, Jason Goldberg, Mevin Hooten, Leslie Hsu, Karen Jenni, Jennifer L. Keisman, Jonathan Kennen, Kathy Lee, David P. Lesmes, Keith Loftin, Brian W. Miller, Peter S. Murdoch, Jana Newman, Karen L. Prentice, Imtiaz Rangwala, Jordan Read, Jennifer Sieracki, Helen Sofaer, Steve Thur, Gordon Toevs, Francisco Werner, C. LeAnn White, Timothy White, Mark T. Wiltermuth
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Science Synthesis, Analysis and Research Program, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS) Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Kansas Water Science Center, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center
Soil organic carbon stocks and sequestration rates of inland, freshwater wetlands: Sources of variability and uncertainty
Impacts of land use, specifically soil disturbance, are linked to reductions of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Correspondingly, ecosystem restoration is promoted to sequester SOC to mitigate anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, which are exacerbating global climate change. Restored wetlands have relatively high potential to sequester carbon compared to other ecosystems, but SOC accumulation
Authors
Brian Tangen, Sheel Bansal
Identifying sources and year classes contributing to invasive grass carp in the Laurentian Great Lakes
Relative contributions of aquaculture-origin and naturally-reproduced grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in the Laurentian Great Lakes have been unknown. We assessed occurrence and distribution of aquaculture-origin and wild grass carp in the Great Lakes using ploidy and otolith stable oxygen isotope (δ18O) data. We inferred natal river and dispersal from natal location for wild grass carp using
Authors
Gregory W. Whitledge, Duane Chapman, John Farver, Seth Herbst, Nicholas E. Mandrak, Jeffrey G. Miner, Kevin L. Pangle, Patrick Kočovský
Wildfire and the ecological niche: Diminishing habitat suitability for an indicator species within semi‐arid ecosystems
Globally accelerating frequency and extent of wildfire threatens the persistence of specialist wildlife species through direct loss of habitat and indirect facilitation of exotic invasive species. Habitat specialists may be especially prone to rapidly changing environmental conditions because their ability to adapt lags behind the rate of habitat alteration. As a result, these populations may beco
Authors
Shawn T. O'Neil, Peter S. Coates, Brianne E. Brussee, Mark A. Ricca, Shawn P. Espinosa, Scott C. Gardner, David J Delahanty
Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) spawn in the St. Marys River Rapids, Michigan
The St. Marys River connects Lake Superior to Lake Huron, comprising the international border between Michigan, United States, and Ontario, Canada. This Great Lakes connecting channel naturally encompasses various habitats including lakes, wetlands, islands, tributaries, side channels, and main channels. The St. Marys River Rapids are shallow rock areas with high flow velocities (>1 m/s) in the up
Authors
Edward F. Roseman, Eric John Adams, Robin L. DeBruyne, J. Gostiaux, H. Harrington, K. Kapuscinski, A. Moerke, C. Olds
Distribution of niclosamide following granular Bayer applications in lentic environments
Temporal and spatial distribution of niclosamide in the water column and sediment were evaluated after the application of granular Bayluscide in six lentic sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) larval assessment plots. Water and sediment were collected 0.25, 1, 3, 5, and 7 hours after application and were analyzed for niclosamide, the active ingredient in granular Bayluscide. Water samples were collect
Authors
Jeffry Bernardy, Cheryl A. Kaye, Nicholas A. Schloesser, Justin Schueller
Spatiotemporal variation in occurrence and co-occurrence of pesticides, hormones, and other organic contaminants in rivers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, United States
Investigating the spatiotemporal dynamics of contaminants in surface water is crucial to better understand how introduced chemicals are interacting with and potentially influencing aquatic organisms and environments. Within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA, there are concerns about the potential role of contaminant exposure on fish health. Evidence suggests that exposure to contaminants in surfac
Authors
Catherine M. McClure, Kelly Smalling, Vicki S. Blazer, Adam Sperry, Megan K. Schall, Dana W. Kolpin, Patrick J. Phillips, Michelle Hladik, Tyler Wagner