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
Effect of adult male sterilization on the behavior and social associations of a feral polygynous ungulate: The horse
Castration is commonly used to control the behavior of companion animals and livestock, yet there have been few longitudinal studies of its effects. Despite the ubiquity of this surgery in ridden horses, the effects of castration (termed gelding in horses) have rarely been examined in a reproductive population. We tested effects of gelding on maintenance and social behaviors of individuals pre- an
Authors
Sarah R. B. King, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Mary J. Cole
Immunopathology
No abstract available.
Authors
Khattapan Jantawongsri, Brian Jones, Diane G. Elliott, Heike Schmidt-Posthaus, Barbara F. Nowak
The use of continuous sediment-transport measurements to improve sand-load estimates in a large sand-bedded river: The Lower Chippewa River, WI
Accurately determining sediment loads is necessary for managing river environments but is difficult because multiple processes can lead to large discharge-independent changes in sediment transport. Thus, estimations of sediment load using discharge–sediment rating curves fit to sparse or historical sediment-transport measurements can be inaccurate, necessitating alternative approaches to reduce un
Authors
David Dean, David Topping, D. D. Buscombe, Joel T. Groten, Jeffrey R. Ziegeweid, Faith A. Fitzpatrick, John (William) Lund, Erin Nicole Coenen
Functional wetland loss drives emerging risks to waterbird migration networks
Migratory waterbirds (i.e., shorebirds, wading birds, and waterfowl) rely on a diffuse continental network of wetland habitats to support annual life cycle needs. Emerging threats of climate and land-use change raise new concerns over the sustainability of these habitat networks as water scarcity triggers cascading ecological effects impacting wetland habitat availability. Here we use important wa
Authors
J Patrick Donnelly, Johnnie N Moore, Michael L. Casazza, Shea P Coons
Winter 2020-2021 edition
In this edition: 2021 year in review, native seed development process, RestoreNet protocol published and lots of associated research, a handful of climate change science, and more.
Authors
Molly L. McCormick, Seth M. Munson, John B. Bradford
Temporal variability in TiO2 engineered particle concentrations in rural Edisto River
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is widely used in engineered particles including engineered nanomaterial (ENM) and pigments, yet its occurrence, concentrations, temporal variability, and fate in natural environmental systems are poorly understood. For three years, we monitored TiO2 concentrations in a rural river basin (Edisto River, < 1% urban land cover) in South Carolina, United States. The total conce
Authors
Md Mahmudun Nabi, J. Wang, Celeste A. Journey, Paul M. Bradley, Mohammed Baalousha
Ten practical questions to improve data quality
High-quality rangeland data are critical to supporting adaptive management. However, concrete, cost-saving steps to ensure data quality are often poorly defined and understood.Data quality is more than data management. Ensuring data quality requires 1) clear communication among team members; 2) appropriate sample design; 3) training of data collectors, data managers, and data users; 4) observer an
Authors
Sarah E. McCord, Justin L. Welty, Jennifer Courtwright, Catherine Dillon, Alexander Laurence-Traynor, Sarah H. Burnett, Ericha M. Courtright, Gene Fults, Jason W. Karl, Justin W. Van Zee, Nicholas P. Webb, Craig E. Tweedie
Nocturnal light-specific temporal partitioning facilitates coexistence for a small mesopredator, the eastern spotted skunk
Eastern spotted skunks are of conservation concern where competition and predation are a possible cause of their decline. Using camera traps at a food subsidy, we investigated nocturnal temporal overlap of spotted skunks with co-occurring predators. Spotted skunks were more active during dark nights, when their activity overlapped with the largest predator (coyotes), but not with other mesopredato
Authors
Courtney J. Marneweck, Cameron R. Forehand, Charles D. Waggy, Stephen N. Harris, Todd E. Katzner, David S. Jachowski
Maximizing species distribution model performance when using historical occurrences and variables of varying persistency
Occurrence data used to build species distribution models often include historical records from locations in which the species no longer exists. When these records are paired with contemporary environmental values that no longer represent the conditions the species experienced, the model creates false associations that hurt predictive performance. The extent of mismatching increases with the numbe
Authors
Jason T. Bracken, Amelie Y. Davis, Katy O'Donnell, William Barichivich, Susan C. Walls, Tereza Jezkova
The effects of requested flows for native fish on sediment dynamics, geomorphology, and riparian vegetation for the Green River in Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Releases of water from Flaming Gorge Dam together with climate-related variations in runoff determine the streamflow regime of the Green River, which affects the physical characteristics of the channel and riparian ecosystem of the Green River corridor in Canyonlands National Park. The dam has decreased peak streamflows and raised base streamflows, resulting in vegetation encroachment and channel
Authors
Paul E. Grams, Jonathan M. Friedman, David Dean, David J. Topping
Woody plant encroachment of grassland and the reversibility of shrub dominance: Erosion, fire, and feedback processes
Many grass-dominated ecosystems in dryland regions have experienced increasing woody plant density and abundance during the past century. In many cases, this process has led to land degradation and declines in ecosystem functions. An example is the Chihuahuan Desert in the southwestern United States, which experienced different stages of shrub encroachment in the past 150 years. Among a wide varie
Authors
Junran Li, Sujith Ravi, Guan Wang, R. Scott Van Pelt, Thomas E. Gill, Joel B. Sankey
Multi-scale patterns in occurrence of an ephemeral pool-breeding amphibian
Species distributions are governed by processes occurring at multiple spatial scales. For species with complex life cycles, the needs of all life stages must be met within the dispersal limitations of the species. Multi-scale processes can be particularly important for these species, where small-scale patterns in specific habitat components can affect the distribution of one life stage, whereas la
Authors
Brian J. Halstead, Jonathan P. Rose, Denise Clark, Patrick M. Kleeman, Robert N. Fisher