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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: 41772

Successful restoration of Metrosideros polymorpha (ʻōhiʻa) is possible in forest sites with active Rapid ‘Ōhiʻa Death infections

Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD), caused by the fungal pathogen Ceratocystis, is killing large numbers of ʻōhiʻa trees (Metrosideros polymorpha) in Hawaiʻi. ʻŌhiʻa are a dominant tree in Hawaiian forests, have a range that goes from arid to wet forest climates, and are important for endangered species habitat and ecosystem function. To test whether actively planting ʻōhiʻa seedlings is a viable restoratio
Authors
Stephanie G. Yelenik, Kylle Roy, Jeff Stallman

Biological and habitat assessment of the Lower Rouge River, Michigan 2018

A key component of evaluating the success of habitat remediation projects is determining preremediation conditions, biotic and abiotic, to establish a baseline and compare with postproject conditions. The Rouge River, Michigan, is a Great Lakes Area of Concern with a listed Beneficial Use Impairment related to loss of fish and wildlife habitat. A biological and habitat assessment was completed in
Authors
Edward F. Roseman, Jason Fischer, Robin L. DeBruyne, Scott A. Jackson

A social-ecological odyssey in fisheries and wildlife management

No abstract available.
Authors
Andrew K. Carlson, William W. Taylor, Melissa R Cronin, Mitchell Eaton, Lauren E. Eckert, Mark A Kaemingk, Andrea J. Reid, Ashley Trudeau

Prioritizing habitats based on abundance and distribution of molting waterfowl in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area of the National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska

The National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A) encompasses more than 9.5 million hectares of federally managed land on the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska, where it supports a diversity of wildlife, including millions of migratory birds. Within the NPR-A, Teshekpuk Lake and the surrounding area provide important habitat for migratory birds, including large numbers of waterfowl and shoreb
Authors
Paul L. Flint, Vijay Patil, Bradley Shults, Sarah J. Thompson

Threats posed by the Fungal Kingdom to humans, wildlife, and agriculture

The Fungal Kingdom includes at least six million eukaryotic species and is remarkable with respect to its profound impact on global health, biodiversity, ecology, agriculture, manufacturing, and biomedical research. Approximately 625 fungal species have been reported to infect vertebrates, 200 of which can be human-associated, either as commensals and members of our microbiome or as pathogens that
Authors
Matthew C. Fisher, Sarah J. Gurr, Christina A. Cuomo, David S. Blehert, Hailing Jin, Eva H. Stukenbrock, Jason E. Stajich, Regine Kahmann, Charles Boone, David W. Denning, Neil A. R. Gow, Bruce S. Klein, James W. Kronstad, Donald C. Sheppard, John W. Taylor, Gerard D. Wright, Joseph Heitman, Arturo Casadevall, Leah E. Cowen

Ringed seal (Pusa hispida) seasonal movements, diving, and haul-out behavior in the Beaufort, Chukchi, and Bering Seas (2011–2017)

Continued Arctic warming and sea-ice loss will have important implications for the conservation of ringed seals, a highly ice-dependent species. A better understanding of their spatial ecology will help characterize emerging ecological trends and inform management decisions. We deployed satellite transmitters on ringed seals in the summers of 2011, 2014, and 2016 near Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow),
Authors
Andrew L. Von Duyke, David C. Douglas, Jason K Herreman, Justin A. Crawford

Spatial population structure of a widespread aquatic insect in the Colorado River Basin: Evidence for a Hydropsyche oslari species complex

Structural connectivity and dispersal ability are important constraints on functional connectivity among populations. For aquatic organisms that disperse among stream corridors, the regional structure of a river network can, thus, define the boundaries of gene flow. In this study, we used mitochondrial DNA (mtCO1 barcoding gene) to examine the genetic diversity and population structure of a caddis
Authors
Anya N. Metcalfe, Theodore A. Kennedy, Jane C. Marks, Aaron D. Smith, Jeffrey D. Muehlbauer

Inland fish and fisheries integral to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

Inland fish provide food for billions and livelihoods for millions of people worldwide and are integral to effective freshwater ecosystem function, yet the recognition of these services is notably absent in development discussions and policies, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). How might the SDGs be enhanced if inland fishery services were integrated into policies an
Authors
Abigail Lynch, Vittoria Elliott, Sui C. Phang, Julie E. Claussen, Ian Harrison, Karen J. Murchie, E. Ashley Steel, Gretchen L. Stokes

Temperature‐related responses of an invasive mussel and 2 unionid mussels to elevated carbon dioxide

Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) have exacerbated the decline of native freshwater mussels (Order Unionida) in North America since their arrival in the 1980s. Options for controlling invasive mussels, particularly in unionid mussel habitats, are limited. Previously, carbon dioxide (CO2) showed selective toxicity for zebra mussels, relative to unionids, when applied in cool water (12 °C). We fi
Authors
Diane L. Waller, Michelle R. Bartsch, Eric G. Lord, Richard A. Erickson

Are environmental DNA methods ready for aquatic invasive species management?

Multiple studies have demonstrated environmental (e)DNA detections of rare, invasive species. However, invasive species managers struggle with using eDNA results because detections might not indicate species presence. We evaluated if eDNA methods have matured to a point where they can be widely applied to aquatic invasive species management. We found that eDNA methods meet legal standards for bein
Authors
Adam J. Sepulveda, Nanette M Nelson, Christopher L. Jerde, Gordon Luikart

Factors affecting sampling strategies for design of an effects‐directed analysis for endocrine‐active chemicals

Effects‐directed analysis (EDA) is an important tool for identifying unknown bioactive components in a complex mixture. Such an analysis of endocrine‐active chemicals (EACs) from water sources has promising regulatory implications but also unique logistical challenges. We propose a conceptual EDA (framework) based on a critical review of EDA literature and concentrations of common EACs in waste an
Authors
Jennifer Brennan, Robert W. Gale, David Alvarez, Jason P. Berninger, Jessica Kristin Leet, Yan Li, Tyler Wagner, Donald E. Tillitt

Wildfire reveals transient changes to individual traits and population responses of a native bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii)

1. Fire-induced changes in the abundance and distribution of organisms, especially plants, can alter resource landscapes for mobile consumers driving bottom-up effects on their population sizes, morphologies, and reproductive potential. We expect these impacts to be most striking for obligate visitors of plants, like bees and other pollinators, but these impacts can be difficult to interpret due t
Authors
John Michael Mola, Michael R. Miller, Sean M. O'Rourke, Neal M. Williams