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: 1216
Responses of pond-breeding amphibians to wildfire: Short-term patterns in occupancy and colonization
Wildland fires are expected to become more frequent and severe in many ecosystems, potentially posing a threat to many sensitive species. We evaluated the effects of a large, stand-replacement wildfire on three species of pond-breeding amphibians by estimating changes in occupancy of breeding sites during the three years before and after the fire burned 42 of 83 previously surveyed wetlands. Annua
Authors
B. R. Hossack, P. S. Corn
The role of natural vegetative disturbance in determining stream reach characteristics in central Idaho and western Montana
We evaluated the relationship between natural vegetative disturbance and changes in stream habitat and macroinvertebrate metrics within 33 randomly selected minimally managed watersheds in central Idaho and western Montana. Changes in stream reach conditions were related to vegetative disturbance for the time periods from 1985 to 1993 and 1993 to 2000, respectively, at the following three spatial
Authors
B.B. Roper, B. Jarvis, J. L. Kershner
Species-area curves indicate the importance of habitats' contributions to regional biodiversity
We examined species-area curves, species composition and similarity (Jaccard's coefficients), and species richness in 17 vegetation types to develop a composite index of a vegetation type's contribution to regional species richness. We collected data from 1 to 1000 m2 scales in 147 nested plots in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA to compare three species-area curve models' abilities to
Authors
G.W. Chong, T.J. Stohlgren
Utility of R0 as a predictor of disease invasion in structured populations
Early theoretical work on disease invasion typically assumed large and well-mixed host populations. Many human and wildlife systems, however, have small groups with limited movement among groups. In these situations, the basic reproductive number, R0, is likely to be a poor predictor of a disease pandemic because it typically does not account for group structure and movement of individuals among g
Authors
Paul C. Cross, Philip L. Johnson, James O. Lloyd-Smith, Wayne M. Getz
Effects of management and climate on elk brucellosis in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Every winter, government agencies feed ∼6000 metric tons (6 × 106 kg) of hay to elk in the southern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) to limit transmission of Brucella abortus, the causative agent of brucellosis, from elk to cattle. Supplemental feeding, however, is likely to increase the transmission of brucellosis in elk, and may be affected by climatic factors, such as snowpack. We assessed t
Authors
P.C. Cross, W.H. Edwards, B.M. Scurlock, E.J. Maichak, J.D. Rogerson
Peptidomic analysis of skin secretions supports separate species status for the tailed frogs, Ascaphus truei and Ascaphus montanus
The tailed frog Ascaphus truei Stejneger, 1899 is the most primitive extant anuran and the sister taxon to the clade of all other living frogs. The species occupies two disjunct ranges in the Northwest region of North America: the Cascade Mountains and coastal area from British Columbia to Northern California, and an inland range in the northern Rocky Mountains and the Blue and Wallowa mountains.
Authors
J.M. Conlon, C.R. Bevier, L. Coquet, J. Leprince, T. Jouenne, H. Vaudry, B. R. Hossack
Economic Growth and Landscape Change
Prato and Fagre offer the first systematic, multi-disciplinary assessment of the challenges involved in managing the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem (CCE), an area of the Rocky Mountains that includes northwestern Montana, southwestern Alberta, and southeastern British Columbia. The spectacular landscapes, extensive recreational options, and broad employment opportunities of the CCE have made it
Authors
Tony Prato, Dan Fagre
Alpine treeline of western North America: Linking organism-to-landscape dynamics
Although the ecological dynamics of the alpine treeline ecotone are influenced by climate, it is an imperfect indicator of climate change. Mechanistic processes that shape the ecotone—seed rain, seed germination, seedling establishment and subsequent tree growth form, or, conversely tree dieback—depend on microsite patterns. Growth forms affect wind and snow, and so develop positive and negative f
Authors
George P. Malanson, David R. Butler, Daniel B. Fagre, Stephen J Walsh, Diana F. Tomback, Lori D. Daniels, Lynn M. Resler, William K. Smith, Daniel J. Weiss, David L. Peterson, Andrew G. Bunn, Christopher A. Hiemstra, Daniel Liptzin, Patrick S. Bourgeron, Zehao Shen, Constance I. Millar
Geographic distribution: Elaphe vulpina (Western Foxsnake)
A geographic description of the distribution of Elaphe vulpina (Western Foxsnake) in northern Michigan.
Authors
K.D. Bowen, E.A. Beever
Ecology, conservation, and status of reptiles in Canada
No abstract available.
Authors
C.N.L. Seburn, C.A. Bishop, P. S. Corn
Scale-dependent approaches to modeling spatial epidemiology of chronic wasting disease.
This e-book is the product of a second workshop that was funded and promoted by the United States Geological Survey to enhance cooperation between states for the management of chronic wasting disease (CWD). The first workshop addressed issues surrounding the statistical design and collection of surveillance data for CWD. The second workshop, from which this document arose, followed logically from
Authors
Mary M. Conner, John E. Gross, Paul C. Cross, Michael R. Ebinger, Robert Gillies, Michael D. Samuel, Michael W. Miller