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: 41778
Multiple conceptualizations of nature are key to inclusivity and legitimacy in global environmental governance
Despite increasing scientific understanding of the global environmental crisis, we struggle to adopt the policies and practices science suggests we should. One of the reasons for this is the general absence of inclusive engagement and dialogue among a wide range of actors with distinct interactions with nature. Furthermore, there is little consideration of the role of language in understanding and
Authors
Luca Coscieme, Hakon da Silva Hyldmo, Alvaro Fernández-Llamazares, Ignacio Palomo, Tuyeni H. Mwampamba, Odirilwe Selomane, Nadia Sitas, Pedro Jaureguiberry, Yasuo Takahashi, Michelle Lim, Maria P. Barral, Juliana S. Farinaci, Julio Diaz-Jose, Sonali Ghosh, Joyce Ojino, Amani Alassaf, Bernard N. Baatuuwie, Lenke Balint, Zeenatul Basher, Fanny Boeraeve, Sugeng Budiharta, R. Chen, Maylis Desrousseaux, Gregory Dowo, Catherine M. Febria, Houda Ghazi, Zuzanna V. Harmackova, R. Jaffe, Mphatso M. Kalemba, Cosmas K. Lambini, Felicia P.S. Lasmana, Assem A. A. Mohammed, Aidin Niamir, Patricio Pliscoff, Rahat Sabyrbekov, Anna A. Sidorovich, Laura Thompson, Uttam B. Shrestha, Mireia Valle
Using integrated population models for insights into monitoring programs: An application using pink-footed geese
Development of integrated population models (IPMs) assume the absence of systematic bias in monitoring programs, yet many potential sources of systematic bias in monitoring data exist (e.g., under-counts of abundance). By integrating multiple sources of data, we can assess whether various sources of monitoring data provide consistent inferences about changes in population size and, thus, whether m
Authors
Fred Johnson, Guthrie S. Zimmerman, Gitte H. Jensen, Kevin K. Clausen, Morten Frederiksen, Jesper Madsen
Migratory divides coincide with reproductive barriers across replicated avian hybrid zones above the Tibetan Plateau
Migratory divides are proposed to be catalysts for speciation across a diversity of taxa. However, it is difficult to test the relative contributions of migratory behaviour vs. other divergent traits to reproductive isolation. Comparing hybrid zones with and without migratory divides offers a rare opportunity to directly examine the contribution of divergent migratory behaviour to reproductive bar
Authors
Elizabeth Scordato, Christian A. Smith, Georgy A. Semenov, Liu Yu, Matthew R. Wilkins, Wei Liang, Alexander Rubtsov, Gombobaataar Sundev, Kazuo Koyama, Sheela P. Turbek, Michael B. Wunder, Craig A. Stricker, Rebecca Safran
Using morphological measurements to predict subspecies of Midcontinent sandhill cranes
The Midcontinent population of sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) has historically been classified into 3 putative subspecies, but genetic analyses have identified only 2 genetically distinct subspecies. Previous studies have successfully used morphometrics in combination with an individual's sex to differentiate subspecies of sandhill cranes that had been inferred based on breeding area, but n
Authors
Jay A VonBank, David A. Brandt, Aaron T. Pearse, David B. Wester, Bart M Ballard
Estimating population size with imperfect detection using a parametric bootstrap
We develop a novel method of estimating population size from imperfectly detected counts of individuals and a separate estimate of detection probability. Observed counts are separated into classes within which detection probability is assumed constant. Within a detection class, counts are modeled as a single binomial observation X with success probability p where the goal is to estimate index N. W
Authors
Lisa Madsen, Daniel Dalthorp, Manuela Huso, Andy Aderman
Gaps and hotspots in the state of knowledge of pinyon-juniper communities
Pinyon-juniper (PJ) plant communities cover a large area across North America and provide critical habitat for wildlife, biodiversity and ecosystem functions, and rich cultural resources. These communities occur across a variety of environmental gradients, disturbance regimes, structural conditions and species compositions, including three species of juniper and two species of pinyon. PJ communiti
Authors
Jessica A. Hartsell, Stella M. Copeland, Seth M. Munson, Bradley J. Butterfield, John B. Bradford
Population ecology of Roosevelt elk: Conservation and management in Redwood National and State Parks. Butch Weckerly. 2017. University of Nevada Press, Reno, Nevada, USA. 224 pp. $54.95 hardback. ISBN 978- 1943859504.
Long-term research on large ungulate populations typically conjures perceptions of extensive (and expensive) animal capture and telemetry work, and subsequent advanced modeling of resource selection and population dynamics that inform management decisions. In contrast, studies lacking a telemetry component are often limited to animal behavior or natural history. Although compelling from a standpoi
Authors
Mark A. Ricca
Post-fire aspen (Populus tremuloides) regeneration varies in response to winter precipitation across a regional climate gradient
Altered climate and changing fire regimes are synergistically impacting forest communities globally, resulting in deviations from historical norms and creation of novel successional dynamics. These changes are particularly important when considering the stability of a keystone species such as quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), which contributes critical ecosystem services across its broad
Authors
Susan McIlroy, Douglas J. Shinneman
Fluorescent biomarkers demonstrate prospects for spreadable vaccines to control disease transmission in wild bats
Vaccines that autonomously transfer among individuals have been proposed as a strategy to control infectious diseases within inaccessible wildlife populations. However, rates of vaccine spread and epidemiological efficacy in real-world systems remain elusive. Here, we investigate whether topical vaccines that transfer among individuals through social contacts can control vampire bat rabies—a medic
Authors
Kevin M. Bakker, Tonie E. Rocke, Jorge E. Osorio, Rachel C. Abbott, Carlos Tello, Jorge Carerra, William Valderrama, Carlos Shiva, Nestor Falcon, Daniel G. Streicker
Using the STARS Model to evaluate the effects of two proposed projects for the long-term operation of State Water Project Incidental Take Permit Application and CEQA compliance
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) requested analysis of juvenile Chinook salmon survival in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (henceforth identified as “the Delta”) as part of an effects analysis that will be included in an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) Application. This application is in compliance with the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) and Environmental Impact Rep
Authors
Russell W. Perry, Amy C. Hansen, Scott D. Evans, Tobias J. Kock
Fishway entrance gate experiments with adult American Shad
The goal of this multiyear study was to examine how changes to an upstream fishway entrance impacted the passage rate of adult American shad (Alosa sapidissima). We evaluated a total of nine treatment conditions that consisted of three fishway entrance gate types and three submergence depths (i.e., the water surface elevation of the tailwater relative to the height of the gate crest). Approximatel
Authors
Kevin Mulligan, Alexander J. Haro, Brett Towler, Bryan Sojkowski, John Noreika
Upper thermal tolerance and heat shock protein response of juvenile American shad (Alosa sapidissima)
Juvenile American shad (Alosa sapidissima) experience a wide range of temperatures in rivers before migrating to the ocean. Temperatures in these freshwater environments can vary greatly spatially, seasonally, year-to-year, and can be impacted by anthropogenic factors such as power plant discharge or climate change. Currently, there is uncertainty concerning juvenile American shad thermal toleranc
Authors
Shannon Michael Bayse, Ciaran A Shaughnessy, Amy M. Regish, Stephen D. McCormick