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Publications

Below is a list of WERC's peer-reviewed publications. If you are searching for a specific publication and cannot find it in this list, please contact werc_web@usgs.gov

Filter Total Items: 3617

Pathways for avian influenza virus spread: GPS reveals wild waterfowl in commercial livestock facilities and connectivity with the natural wetland landscape

Zoonotic diseases are of considerable concern to the human population and viruses such as avian influenza (AIV) threaten food security, wildlife conservation and human health. Wild waterfowl and the natural wetlands they use are known AIV reservoirs, with birds capable of virus transmission to domestic poultry populations. While infection risk models have linked migration routes and AIV outbreaks,
Authors
Fiona McDuie, Elliott Matchett, Diann Prosser, John Y. Takekawa, Maurice E. Pitesky, Austen Lorenz, Madeline M McCuen, Cory T. Overton, Josh T. Ackerman, Susan E. W. De La Cruz, Michael L. Casazza

Sea otters in a California estuary: Detecting temporal and spatial dynamics with volunteer monitoring

Volunteer monitoring can support conservation of imperiled wildlife, by providing higher resolution data in space and time than those available from professional scientists. However, concerns have been raised that data collected by amateurs are inaccurate or inconsistent and thus do not allow for robust detection of spatial or temporal trends. We evaluated the rigor and value of volunteer monitori
Authors
Ron Eby, Susan Rosso, John Copriviza, Robert Scoles, Yohn Gideon, Joseph Mancino, Karl A. Mayer, Julie L. Yee, Kerstin Wasson

Efficacy of manipulating reproduction of common ravens to conserve sensitive prey species: Three case studies

Expansion of human enterprise across western North America has resulted in an increase in availability of anthropogenic resource subsidies for generalist species. This has led to increases in generalists’ population numbers across landscapes that were previously less suitable for their current demographic rates. Of particular concern are growing populations of common ravens (Corvus corax; ravens),
Authors
Corina A. Sanchez, Brianne E. Brussee, Peter S. Coates, Kerry L. Holcomb, Seth M. Harju, Timothy A. Shields, Mercy Vaughn, Brian G. Prochazka, Steven R. Mathews, Steffen Cornell, Chad V. Olson, David J. Delehanty

Synthesis of nest predation impacts of common ravens on sensitive avian species

Decades of mounting scientific evidence have revealed that common raven (Corvus corax; raven) population numbers have been increasing across nearly all regions of their geographic range in North America. Concomitantly, numerous native wildlife species have experienced elevated predation rates from ravens as populations have increased and expanded their range. Managers are concerned that increased
Authors
Peter S. Coates, William C. Webb, Seth J. Dettenmaier, Seth M. Harju, David J. Delehanty

A desert tortoise-common raven viable conflict threshold

Since 1966, common raven (Corvus corax; raven) abundance has increased throughout much of this species’ Holarctic distribution, fueled by an ever-expanding supply of anthropogenic resource subsidies (e.g., water, food, shelter, and nesting substrate) to ecoregion specific raven population carrying capacities. Consequently, ravens are implicated in declines of both avian and reptilian species of co
Authors
Kerry L. Holcomb, Peter S. Coates, Brian G. Prochazka, Timothy Shields, William I. Boarman

A rapid assessment function to estimate common raven population densities: Implications for targeted management

Common raven (Corvus corax; raven) populations have increased over the past 5 decades within the western United States. Raven population increases have been largely attributed to growing resource subsidies from expansion of human enterprise. Concomitantly, managers are becoming increasingly concerned about elevated adverse effects on multiple sensitive prey species, damage to livestock and agricul
Authors
Brianne E. Brussee, Peter S. Coates, Shawn T. O'Neil, Seth J. Dettenmaier, Pat J. Jackson, Kristy B. Howe, David J. Delehanty

SMaRT: A science-based tiered framework for common ravens

Large-scale increases and expansion of common raven (Corvus corax; raven) populations are occurring across much of North America, leading to increased negative consequences for livestock and agriculture, human health and safety, and sensitive species conservation. We describe a science-based adaptive management framework that incorporates recent quantitative analyses and mapping products for addre
Authors
Seth J. Dettenmaier, Peter S. Coates, Cali L. Roth, Sarah C. Webster, Shawn T. O'Neil, Kerry L. Holcomb, John C. Tull, Pat J. Jackson

Estimating trends of common raven populations in North America, 1966—2018

Over the last half century, common raven (Corvus corax; raven) populations have increased in abundance across much of North America. Ravens are generalist predators known to depredate the eggs and young of several sensitive species. Quantifying raven population increases at multiple spatial scales across North America will help wildlife resource managers identify areas where population increases p
Authors
Seth M. Harju, Peter S. Coates, Seth J. Dettenmaier, Jonathan B. Dinkins, Pat J. Jackson, Michael P. Chenaille

Evaluating common raven take for greater sage-grouse in Oregon’s Baker County Priority Conservation Area and Great Basin Region

The common raven (Corvus corax; raven) is a nest predator of species of conservation concern, such as the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Reducing raven abundance by take requires authorization under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. To support U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s take decisions (e.g., those that authorize killing a specified proportion or number of individuals annually
Authors
Frank F. Rivera-Milán, Peter S. Coates, Jacqueline B. Cupples, Michael Greenfield, Patrick K. Devers

Common ravens disrupt greater sage-grouse lekking behavior in the Great Basin, USA

Expansion of human enterprise has contributed to increased abundance and distribution of common ravens (Corvus corax; ravens) across sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems within western North America. Ravens are highly effective nest predators of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse), a species of high conservation concern. Sage-grouse population trends are estimated using c
Authors
Joseph Atkinson, Peter S. Coates, Brianne E. Brussee, Ian A. Dwight, Mark A. Ricca, Pat J. Jackson

Case 3853 – Eumeces niger Hombron & Jacquinot, 1853 (currently Emoia nigra) (Reptilia, Scincidae): proposed conservation of prevailing usage by setting aside a lectotype designation for Gongylus (Eumeces) freycineti Duméril & Bibron, 1839 (currently Emoia

The purpose of the present application, under Articles 74.1.1 and 81.1 of the Code, is to maintain consistent usage of the commonly used name Emoia nigra (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1853) by setting aside a lectotype designation for Gongylus (Eumeces) freycineti Duméril & Bibron, 1839 by Wells & Wellington in 1985 in favour of a later lectotype designation by Brown in 1991.
Authors
Glenn M. Shea, Robert N. Fisher, Ivan Ineich

What are the toxicological effects of mercury in Arctic biota?

No abstract available.
Authors
Rune Dietz, Robert J. Letcher, Josh T. Ackerman, Benjamin D. Barst, Niladri Basu, Olivier Chastel, John Chételat, Sam Dastnai, Jean-Pierre Desforges, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Igor Eulaers, Jérôme Fort, Jacob Nabe-Nielsen, Feiyue Wang, Simon Wilson