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: 41860
Coyote use of prairie dog colonies is most frequent in areas used by American badgers
The consequences of intraguild predation on vulnerable subordinate species are an important consideration in the recovery of endangered species. In prairie ecosystems, coyotes (Canis latrans) are the primary predator of endangered black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes; hereafter, ferrets) and presumably compete for prairie dog (Cynomys spp.) prey. Coyote predation of ferrets is thought to occur a
Authors
Rebecca Windell, Larissa L. Bailey, Travis Livieri, David A. Eads, Dean E. Biggins, Stewart Breck
Geographic principles applied to population dynamics: A spatially interpolated integrated population model
A major impediment to wildlife conservation and management, from a quantitative perspective, is dealing with high degrees of uncertainty associated with population estimates. Integrated population models (IPMs) can help alleviate that challenge, but they are often limited to narrow spatial or temporal windows owing to the financial and logistical burdens of acquiring requisite datasets. To expand
Authors
Brian G. Prochazka, Peter S. Coates, Shawn T. O'Neil, Shawn P. Espinosa, Cameron L. Aldridge
Factors influencing larval coregonine spatial distribution in Lake Geneva (Europe) and Lake Superior (North America) during a single season near known spawning sites
Survival rate of the larval stage is an important driver of fish recruitment. To understand mechanisms regulating larval survival it is important to understand the relative importance of abiotic and biotic factors that shape larval spatial distributions. We studied larval Coregonus distributions in surface waters (surface to 1 m) by repeatedly sampling study sites in two lakes that varied greatly
Authors
Jamie A. Dobosenski, Daniel Yule, Jean Guillard, Orlane Anneville, Edmund J. Isaac, Jason D. Stockwell, Jared T. Myers, Amanda Susanne Ackiss, Rosaura J. Chapina, Seth A. Moore
Satellite telemetry reveals high-use internesting areas and international foraging extent for loggerhead turtles tagged in southeast Florida, USA
Developing conservation strategies for highly migratory marine species relies on understanding their spatial distributions. Nesting populations of female loggerhead (Caretta caretta) turtles typically travel from widely dispersed foraging areas and make use of common internesting areas between nesting events. Protection of these areas is essential to the conservation of this species. In this study
Authors
Glenn D. Goodwin, Kristen Hart, Abby C. Evans, Derek A. Burkholder
Population and spatial dynamics of desert bighorn sheep in Grand Canyon during an outbreak of respiratory pneumonia
Introduction: Terrestrial species in riverine ecosystems face unique constraints leading to diverging patterns of population structure, connectivity, and disease dynamics. Desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) in Grand Canyon National Park, a large native population in the southwestern USA, offer a unique opportunity to evaluate population patterns and processes in a remote riverine syste
Authors
Clinton W. Epps, P. Brandon Holton, Ryan J. Monello, Rachel S. Crowhurst, Sarah Mccrimmon Gaulke, William Michael Janousek, Tyler G. Creech, Tabitha Graves
Mammalian lures monitored with time-lapse cameras increase detection of pythons and other snakes
BackgroundEnhancing detection of cryptic snakes is critical for the development of conservation and management strategies; yet, finding methods that provide adequate detection remains challenging. Issues with detecting snakes can be particularly problematic for some species, like the invasive Burmese python (Python bivittatus) in the Florida Everglades.MethodsUsing multiple survey methods, we pred
Authors
Marina E. McCampbell, McKayla M. Spencer, Kristen Hart, Gabrielle Link, Andrew J. Watson, Robert A. McCleery
A reproducible manuscript workflow with a Quarto template
Scientists and resource managers increasingly use Markdown-based tools to create reproducible reports and manuscripts. These workflows allow people to use standardized methods that are more reproducible, efficient, and transparent than other standard office tools. We present a Quarto template and demonstrate how this template may be used for a journal, the Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management,
Authors
Richard A. Erickson, Althea A. Archer, Michael N. Fienen
Assessing the vertical accuracy of digital elevation models by quality level and land cover
The vertical accuracy of elevation data in coastal environments is critical because small variations in elevation can affect an area’s exposure to waves, tides, and storm-related flooding. Elevation data contractors typically quantify the vertical accuracy of lidar-derived digital elevation models (DEMs) on a per-project basis to gauge whether the datasets meet quality and accuracy standards. Here
Authors
Minoo Han, Nicholas Enwright, Dean B. Gesch, Jason M. Stoker, Jeffrey J. Danielson, Christopher J. Amante
Back from the brink: Estimating daily and annual abundance of natural-origin salmon smolts from 30-years of mixed-origin capture-recapture data
Evaluating the status and trends of natural-origin anadromous fish populations over time requires robust estimates of out-migrating juvenile abundance. Information on abundance is typically acquired by capturing actively migrating fish as they pass stationary monitoring platforms. Challenges to estimation include protracted migration timing, temporally varying capture probabilities and the contemp
Authors
Dalton Hance, John Plumb, Russell Perry, Kenneth Tiffan
Amur Falcon Falco amurensis
No abstract available.
Authors
Jaume Orta, Guy M. Kirwan, Jeffrey S. Marks, Ryan C. Burner, Sundev Gombobaatar, Paul van Els, Chuenchom Hansasuta
Projected sea-level rise and high tide flooding at De Soto National Memorial, Florida
IntroductionNational parks and preserves in the South Atlantic-Gulf Region contain valuable coastal habitats such as tidal wetlands and mangrove forests, as well as irreplaceable historic buildings and archeological sites located in low-lying areas. These natural and cultural resources are vulnerable to accelerated sea-level rise and escalating high tide flooding events. Through a Natural Resource
Authors
Hana R. Thurman, Nicholas M. Enwright, Michael J. Osland, Davina L. Passeri, Richard H. Day, Bethanie M. Simons
Distribution, abundance, and breeding activities of the Least Bell's Vireo at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California—2020 annual report
Executive SummaryThe purpose of this report is to provide the Marine Corps with an annual summary of abundance, breeding activity, demography, and habitat use of endangered Least Bell’s Vireos (Vireo bellii pusillus) at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton (MCBCP, or Base). Surveys for the Least Bell's Vireo were conducted at MCBCP, California, between April 1 and July 10, 2020. Core survey areas and
Authors
Suellen Lynn, Michelle Treadwell, Barbara E. Kus