Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

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

Megalagrion paludicola, a new species of damselfly (Odonata: Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae) from Kauai

A new endemic Hawaiian damselfly, Megalagrion paludicola, is described and illustrated. Adults are found in swampy, low-statured Metrosideros rain forest at 610 m and 1200 m on Kauai I. The nymphs occur in small obscure shaded pools within the swamp.
Authors
J. A. Maciolek, F.G. Howarth

Tolerance of developing salmonid eggs and fry to nitrate exposure

This paper reports on tests which show significant effects on early salmonid life stages of nitrates at levels commonly found in groundwaters in geographical areas that are influenced by fertilizer application. It has long been known, from fish cultural experience, that in certain site specific locations, chronic problems can be expected with salmonid egg development and early fry mortality. Howev
Authors
John W. Kincheloe, Gary A. Wedemeyer, David L. Koch

Chemical changes in an industrial waste liquid during post-injection movement in a limestone aquifer, Pensacola, Florida

An industrial waste liquid containing organonitrile compounds and nitrate ion has been injected into the lower limestone of the Floridan aquifer near Pensacola, Florida since June 1975. Chemical analyses of water from monitor wells and backflow from the injection well indicate that organic carbon compounds are converted to CO2 and nitrate is converted to N2. These transformations are caused by bac
Authors
G. G. Ehrlich, E.M. Godsy, C.A. Pascale, John Vecchioli

Histopathology of yearling sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) infected with infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHN)

Infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHN) is generally believed to be a virus disease of very young salmonids. In recent years there have been increasing numbers of unpublished reports that this disease has been occurring uncharacteristically in fish as old as 7-14 months. Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) of this age the histological changes were not severe. Intestinal tract granular cells though
Authors
William T. Yasutake

Prairie dog distribution in areas inhabited by black-footed ferrets

The distribution of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) towns was delineated in a 1490 km2 study area in Mellette County, South Dakota, and was examined to determine the characteristics of black-looted ferret (Mustela nigripes) habitat. Between 1964 and 1974, black-looted ferrets were observed on 14 prairie dog towns in this area. Eighty-six prairie dog towns, located throughout the st
Authors
C. N. Hillman, R. L. Linder, Robert Dahlgren

Uptake of methoxychlor from food and water by the American toad (Bufo americanus)

Various studies (Mulla et al. 1963; Ferguson and Gilbert 1967; Cooke 1973) have examined the effects of pesticides on anuran amphibians, but the routes of contaminant uptake by transformed amphibians have not been evaluated. The need of frogs and toads to imbibe water from natural surface water would seem to make them vulnerable to uptake from this source. Fish are known to accumulate pesticides f
Authors
R.J. Hall, D. Swineford

Organochlorine residues in eggs of the endangered American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus)

Most of the 27 species and subspecies of surviving crocodilians have declining populations and 22 of them are considered to be severely endangered (IUCN 1971). The United States population of the American Crocodile is no exception; it probably numbers between I00 and 300 individuals (OGDEN 1976). Nests of the species have been regularly surveyed by the staff of Everglades National Park. Our sample
Authors
R.J. Hall, T. E. Kaiser, W. B. Robertson, P.C. Patty

Organochlorine poisoning of herons

Over a period of years interested individuals have submitted many dead or moribund herons of various species to our laboratory to learn whether the birds had been affected by diseases or organochlorine poisoning. Residue concentrations in carcasses of birds and mammals are considered the best measure of sublethal exposure, whereas residues in brains are best to use for diagnosing death by most or
Authors
Harry M. Ohlendorf, Douglas M. Swineford, Louis N. Locke

Relation of environmental factors to breeding status of royal and sandwich terns in South Carolina, USA

The population ecology of the royal tern Sterna maxima and sandwich tern Sterna sandvicensis was investigated in South Carolina from 1970 through 1977. Royal and sandwich terns nested together in all of the colonies that we located.The peak in egg laying usually occurred in early May; peak hatching occurred from late May to mid-June. Clutch size for both species was one egg. Tidal flooding was the
Authors
L. J. Blus, R. M. Prouty, B.S. Neely

Human related mortality of birds in the United States

Modern man serves as both a direct and an indirect cause of the death of birds. In the early 1970's, human activity was responsible for the death of approximately 196 million birds per year, or about 1.9% of the wild birds of the continental United States that died each year. Hunting was the largest direct mortality factor and accounted for about 61% of human related bird deaths. Control or pre
Authors
R.C. Banks