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: 1220
Nature vs. nurture: Evidence for social learning of conflict behaviour in grizzly bears
The propensity for a grizzly bear to develop conflict behaviours might be a result of social learning between mothers and cubs, genetic inheritance, or both learning and inheritance. Using non-invasive genetic sampling, we collected grizzly bear hair samples during 2011–2014 across southwestern Alberta, Canada. We targeted private agricultural lands for hair samples at grizzly bear incident sites,
Authors
Andrea T. Morehouse, Tabitha A. Graves, Nathaniel Mikle, Mark S. Boyce
Genetic status and conservation of Westslope Cutthroat Trout in Glacier National Park
Invasive hybridization is one of the greatest threats to the persistence of Westslope Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi. Large protected areas, where nonhybridized populations are interconnected and express historical life history and genetic diversity, provide some of the last ecological and evolutionary strongholds for conserving this species. Here, we describe the genetic status and d
Authors
Clint C. Muhlfeld, Vincent S. D'Angelo, Christopher C. Downs, John D. Powell, Stephen J. Amish, Gordon Luikart, Ryan Kovach, Matthew Boyer, Steven T. Kalinowski
Whitebark pine mortality related to white pine blister rust, mountain pine beetle outbreak, and water availability
Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) forests in the western United States have been adversely affected by an exotic pathogen (Cronartium ribicola, causal agent of white pine blister rust), insect outbreaks (Dendroctonus ponderosae, mountain pine beetle), and drought. We monitored individual trees from 2004 to 2013 and characterized stand-level biophysical conditions through a mountain pine beetle epi
Authors
Erin Shanahan, Kathryn M. Irvine, David P. Thoma, Siri K. Wilmoth, Andrew Ray, Kristin Legg, Henry Shovic
The effect of UV-C exposure on larval survival of the dreissenid quagga mussel
The rapid spread of quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) has lead to their invasion of Lake Mead, Nevada, the largest reservoir in North America and partially responsible for providing water to millions of people in the southwest. Current strategies for mitigating the growth and spread of quagga mussels primarily include physical and chemical means of removing adults within water treat
Authors
Alecia Stewart-Malone, Michael Misamore, Siri K. Wilmoth, Alejandro Reyes, Wai Hing Wong, Jackson Gross
Using monitoring data to map amphibian breeding hotspots and describe wetland vulnerability in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks
Amphibians have been selected as a “vital sign” by several National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) networks. An eight-year amphibian monitoring data set provided opportunities to examine spatial and temporal patterns in amphibian breeding richness and wetland desiccation across Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Amphibian breeding richness was variable across both parks
Authors
Andrew M. Ray, Kristin Legg, Adam J. Sepulveda, Blake R. Hossack, Debra Patla
Establishing conservation baselines with dynamic distribution models for bat populations facing imminent decline
Aim
Bat mortality rates from white-nose syndrome and wind power development are unprecedented. Cryptic and wide-ranging behaviours of bats make them difficult to survey, and population estimation is often intractable. We advance a model-based framework for making spatially explicit predictions about summertime distributions of bats from capture and acoustic surveys. Motivated by species-energy and
Authors
Thomas J. Rodhouse, Patricia C. Ormsbee, Kathryn M. Irvine, Lee A. Vierling, Joseph M. Szewczak, Kerri T. Vierling
Fall and winter movements and habitat use of the introduced American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeiana) in a Montana pond
American Bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) have been introduced across the globe, including in many northern latitude habitats where wetlands are ice-covered for part of the year. Because bullfrogs are less mobile at low temperatures, greater knowledge about their overwintering habitat may provide additional opportunities for control. Here, we described fall and early-winter movements and habita
Authors
Adam J. Sepulveda, Megan J. Layhee
Impacts of climatic variation on trout: A global synthesis and path forward
Despite increasing concern that climate change may negatively impact trout—a globally distributed group of fish with major economic, ecological, and cultural value—a synthetic assessment of empirical data quantifying relationships between climatic variation and trout ecology does not exist. We conducted a systematic review to describe how temporal variation in temperature and streamflow influences
Authors
Ryan Kovach, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Robert K. Al-Chokhachy, Jason B. Dunham, Benjamin Letcher, Jeffrey L. Kershner
Forty years of grizzly bear recovery in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
No abstract available.
Authors
Frank T. van Manen, Cecily M. Costello, Kerry A. Gunther, Mark A. Haroldson
Potential utility of environmental DNA for early detection of Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)
Considering the harmful and irreversible consequences of many biological invasions, early detection of an invasive species is an important step toward protecting ecosystems (Sepulveda et al. 2012). Early detection increases the probability that suppression or eradication efforts will be successful because invasive populations are small and localized (Vander Zanden et al. 2010). However, most invas
Authors
Jeremy Newton, Adam J. Sepulveda, K Sylvester, Ryan Thum
Meteorological variables to aid forecasting deep slab avalanches on persistent weak layers
Deep slab avalanches are particularly challenging to forecast. These avalanches are difficult to trigger, yet when they release they tend to propagate far and can result in large and destructive avalanches. We utilized a 44-year record of avalanche control and meteorological data from Bridger Bowl ski area in southwest Montana to test the usefulness of meteorological variables for predicting seaso
Authors
Alex Marienthal, Jordy Hendrikx, Karl Birkeland, Kathryn M. Irvine
Predicting spatial distribution of postfire debris flows and potential consequences for native trout in headwater streams
Habitat fragmentation and degradation and invasion of nonnative species have restricted the distribution of native trout. Many trout populations are limited to headwater streams where negative effects of predicted climate change, including reduced stream flow and increased risk of catastrophic fires, may further jeopardize their persistence. Headwater streams in steep terrain are especially suscep
Authors
Edwin R Sedell, Robert E. Gresswell, Thomas E. McMahon