Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Publications

Below is a list of available NOROCK peer reviewed and published science. If you are in search of a specific publication and cannot find it below or through a search, please contact twojtowicz@usgs.gov.

Filter Total Items: 1211

Movement patterns, habitat use, and survival of Lahontan cutthroat trout in the Truckee River

Habitat fragmentation, hybridization, and competition with nonnative salmonids are viewed as major threats to Lahontan cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi. Understanding Lahontan cutthroat trout behavior and survival is a necessary step in the reintroduction and establishment of naturally reproducing populations of Lahontan cutthroat trout. We used weekly radiotelemetry monitoring to exa
Authors
Alexander V. Alexiades, Mary M. Peacock, Robert K. Al-Chokhachy

Yellowstone bison genetics: let us move forward

White and Wallen (2012) disagree with the conclusions and suggestions made in our recent assessment of population structure among Yellowstone National Park (YNP) bison based on 46 autosomal microsatellite loci in 661 animals (Halbert et al. 2012). First, they suggest that "the existing genetic substructure (that we observed) was artificially created." Specifically, they suggest that the substructu
Authors
Natalie D. Halbert, Peter J.P. Gogan, Philip W. Hedrick, Jacquelyn M. Wahl, James N. Derr

Assessing the impacts of river regulation on native bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) and westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) habitats in the upper Flathead River, Montana, USA

Hungry Horse Dam on the South Fork Flathead River, Montana, USA, has modified the natural flow regimen for power generation, flood risk management and flow augmentation for anadromous fish recovery in the Columbia River. Concern over the detrimental effects of dam operations on native resident fishes prompted research to quantify the impacts of alternative flow management strategies on threatened
Authors
Clint C. Muhlfeld, Leslie A. Jones, D. Kotter, William J. Miller, Doran Geise, Joel Tohtz, Brian Marotz

Density and Genetic Structure of Black Bears in Coastal South Carolina

No abstract available.
Authors
J. Michael Drewry, Frank T. van Manen, Deanna M. Ruth

Water-quality and geophysical data for three study sites within the Williston Basin and Prairie Pothole Region

This report is a data release for water geochemical sample analyses and geophysical surveys for three sites within the Williston Basin and Prairie Pothole Region of Montana and North Dakota. The data collection sites and procedures are described.
Authors
Todd M. Preston, Bruce D. Smith, Joanna N. Thamke, Tara L. Chesley-Preston

RAD sequencing yields a high success rate for westslope cutthroat and rainbow trout species-diagnostic SNP assays

Hybridization with introduced rainbow trout threatens most native westslope cutthroat trout populations. Understanding the genetic effects of hybridization and introgression requires a large set of high-throughput, diagnostic genetic markers to inform conservation and management. Recently, we identified several thousand candidate single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers based on RAD sequencing
Authors
Stephen J. Amish, Paul A. Hohenlohe, Sally Painter, Robb F. Leary, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Fred W. Allendorf, Gordon Luikart

Examining spring wet slab and glide avalanche occurrence along the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA

Wet slab and glide snow avalanches are dangerous and yet can be particularly difficult to predict. Wet slab and glide avalanches are presumably triggered by free water moving through the snowpack and the subsequent interaction with layer or ground interfaces, and typically occur in the spring during warming and subsequent melt periods. In Glacier National Park (GNP), Montana, both types of avalanc
Authors
Erich H. Peitzsch, Jordy Hendrikx, Daniel B. Fagre, Blase Reardon

Climate change and infectious disease dynamics

No abstract available.
Authors
Raina K. Plowright, Paul C. Cross, Gary Tabor, Emily S. Almberg, Leslie Bienen, Peter J. Hudson

Genetic population substructure in bison at Yellowstone National Park

The Yellowstone National Park bison herd is 1 of only 2 populations known to have continually persisted on their current landscape since pre-Columbian times. Over the last century, the census size of this herd has fluctuated from around 100 individuals to over 3000 animals. Previous studies involving radiotelemetry, tooth wear, and parturition timing provide evidence of at least 2 distinct groups
Authors
Natalie D. Halbert, Peter J. Gogan, Philip W. Hedrick, Jacquelyn M. Wahl, James N. Derr

Assessing the status and trend of bat populations across broad geographic regions with dynamic distribution models

Bats face unprecedented threats from habitat loss, climate change, disease, and wind power development, and populations of many species are in decline. A better ability to quantify bat population status and trend is urgently needed in order to develop effective conservation strategies. We used a Bayesian autoregressive approach to develop dynamic distribution models for Myotis lucifugus, the littl
Authors
Thomas J. Rodhouse, Patricia C. Ormsbee, Kathryn M. Irvine, Lee A. Vierling, Joseph M. Szewczak, Kerri T. Vierling

Guidelines for collecting and maintaining archives for genetic monitoring

Rapid advances in molecular genetic techniques and the statistical analysis of genetic data have revolutionized the way that populations of animals, plants and microorganisms can be monitored. Genetic monitoring is the practice of using molecular genetic markers to track changes in the abundance, diversity or distribution of populations, species or ecosystems over time, and to follow adaptive and
Authors
Jennifer A. Jackson, Linda Laikre, C. Scott Baker, Katherine C. Kendall

Stable isotopes to detect food-conditioned bears and to evaluate human-bear management

We used genetic and stable isotope analysis of hair from free-ranging black bears (Ursus americanus) in Yosemite National Park, California, USA to: 1) identify bears that consume human food, 2) estimate the diets of these bears, and 3) evaluate the Yosemite human–bear management program. Specifically, we analyzed the isotopic composition of hair from bears known a priori to be food-conditioned or
Authors
John B. Hopkins, Paul L. Koch, Charles C. Schwartz, Jake M. Ferguson, Schuyler S. Greenleaf, Steven T. Kalinowski