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: 41763
Lake Ontario’s nearshore zooplankton: Community composition changes and comparisons to the offshore
In large lake systems the nearshore habitat is an intermediate zone between the shoreline and offshore, is an important nursery for larval fish, and is highlighted as an area in need of research in the Laurentian Great Lakes. In this study, we used two long-term monitoring programs to characterize the nearshore zooplankton community composition using seasonal data (May – October) and to compare th
Authors
Stephanie Figary, Kristen T. Holeck, Christopher Hotaling, James M. Watkins, Jana Lantry, Mike Connerton, Scott Prindle, Zy Biesinger, Brian O'Malley, Lars G. Rudstam
Laboratory studies of potential competition for food and substrate among early juvenile Missouri River sturgeon and sympatric chub species
Juvenile Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus predominantly consume midges (family Chironomidae) and other macroinvertebrates, while Shovelnose Sturgeon S. platorynchus, Sicklefin Chub Macrhybopsis meeki, and Shoal Chub M. hyostoma feed on those same macroinvertebrates throughout life. The primary objective of this study was to assess the substrate component of habitat selection, specifically sele
Authors
Mark L. Wildhaber, Janice L. Albers
Towards vibrant fish populations and sustainable fisheries that benefit all: Learning from the last 30 years to inform the next 30 years
A common goal among fisheries science professionals, stakeholders, and rights holders is to ensure the persistence and resilience of vibrant fish populations and sustainable, equitable fisheries in diverse aquatic ecosystems, from small headwater streams to offshore pelagic waters. Achieving this goal requires a complex intersection of science and management, and a recognition of the interconnecti
Authors
Steven J. Cooke, Elizabeth A. Fulton, Warwick H. H. Sauer, Abigail Lynch, Jason S. Link, Aaron A. Koning, Joykrushna Jena, Luiz G. M. Silva, Alison J. King, Rachel Kelly, Matthew Osborne, Julia Nakamura, Ann L. Preece, Atsushi Hagiwara, Kerstin Forsberg, Julie B. Kellner, Ilaria Coscia, Sarah Helyar, Manuel Barange, Elizabeth A. Nyboer, Meryl J. Williams, Ratana Chuenpagdee, Gavin A. Begg, Bronwyn M. Gillanders
Gene expression reveals immune response strategies of naïve Hawaiian honeycreepers experimentally infected with introduced avian malaria
The unprecedented rise in the number of new and emerging infectious diseases in the last quarter century poses direct threats to human and wildlife health. The introduction to the Hawaiian archipelago of Plasmodium relictum and the mosquito vector that transmits the parasite has led to dramatic losses in endemic Hawaiian forest bird species. Understanding how mechanisms of disease immunity to avia
Authors
Kristina L. Paxton, Loren Cassin-Sackett, Carter T. Atkinson, Elin Videvall, Michael G. Campana, Robert C. Fleischer
Ecological significance of Wild Huckleberries (Vaccinium membranaceum)
Wild huckleberry (Vaccinium globare/membranaceum complex) is a keystone species in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The fruits are a primary food source for grizzly bears and other wildlife, as well as an important traditional and contemporary human food. Huckleberry shrubs also provide cover and nesting habitat for many animal species, including small mammals and birds. The flowers pro
Authors
Janene Lichtenberg, Tabitha Graves
A river basin spatial model to quantitively advance understanding of riverine tree response dynamics to water availability and hydrological management
Ecological condition continues to decline in arid and semi-arid river basins globally due to hydrological over-abstraction combined with changing climatic conditions. Whilst provision of water for the environment has been a primary approach to alleviate ecological decline, how to accurately monitor changes in riverine trees at fine spatial and temporal scales, remains a substantial challenge. This
Authors
Tanya M. Doody, Sicong Gao, Willem Vervoot, Jodie Pritchard, Michah Davies, Martin Nolan, Pamela L. Nagler
Efficacy of florfenicol and oxytetracycline administered in feed to control cisco mortality associated with Aeromonas salmonicida infections
Two medications (one with florfenicol and one with oxytetracycline) that are approved in the United States to control mortality due to furunculosis associated with Aeromonas salmonicida were assessed to determine their efficacy in medicated feeds to treat A. salmonicida-infected Cisco (also known as Lake Herring) Coregonus artedi. Cisco were subjected to static infection baths containing A. salmon
Authors
Aaron R. Cupp, Maren T. Tuttle-Lau, Eric Leis, Samantha L. Wolfe, Justin Smerud, John W. Oliver, Richard A. Erickson, Austin Hannah, Aaron Johnson, Rachel Grace Nelson, Isaac Standish, Joel Wils, Mark P. Gaikowski
Dissolved organic matter transformations in a freshwater rivermouth
River-to-lake transitional areas are biogeochemically active ecosystems that can alter the amount and composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) as it moves through the aquatic continuum. However, few studies have directly measured carbon processing and assessed the carbon budget of freshwater rivermouths. We compiled measurements of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and DOM in several water colum
Authors
Nolan J.T. Pearce, James H. Larson, Mary Anne Evans, Sean Bailey, Paul C. Frost, William F. James, Marguerite A. Xenopoulos
Climate change and maple syrup: Producer observations, perceptions, knowledge, and adaptation strategies
Introduction: Climate change is impacting forest-based agricultural systems with implications for producer decision-making and livelihoods. This article presents a case study on the observations, perceptions, knowledge, and adaptation strategies of maple syrup producers in the United States to climate change.Methods: We carried out two semi-structured surveys with maple producers on: (1) climate c
Authors
Selena Ahmed, David A. Lutz, T Joshua Rapp, Ryan H. Huish, Boris Dufour, Autumn Brunelle, Toni Lyn Morelli, Kristina A. Stinson, Teresa Warne
Soil surface treatments and precipitation timing determine seedling development across southwestern US restoration sites
Restoration in dryland ecosystems often has poor success due to low and variable water availability, degraded soil conditions, and slow plant community recovery rates. Restoration treatments can mitigate these constraints but, because treatments and subsequent monitoring are typically limited in space and time, our understanding of their applicability across broader environmental gradients remains
Authors
Hannah Lucia Farrell, Seth M. Munson, Bradley J. Butterfield, Michael C. Duniway, Aksasha M Faist, Elise S Gornish, Caroline Havrilla, Loralee Larios, Sasha C. Reed, Helen I Rowe, Katherine M. Laushman, Molly L. McCormick
Perfluorooctanesulfonate adversely affects a mayfly (Neocloeon triangulifer) at environmentally realistic concentrations
Of the emerging contaminant types thought to threaten freshwater biota, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances appear to be particularly widespread, and limited studies conducted with these compounds thus far indicate insects may be particularly sensitive to them. This study investigated the short- and long-term effects of two commonly detected compounds on the laboratory-reared mayfly Neocloeon tria
Authors
David J. Soucek, Rebecca A. Consbrock, Erin L. Pulster, Brittany G. Perrotta, David Walters, Jeffery Steevens
Increased whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) growth and defense under a warmer and regionally drier climate
Introduction: Tree defense characteristics play a crucial role in modulating conifer bark beetle interactions, and there is a growing body of literature investigating factors mediating tree growth and resin-based defenses in conifers. A subset of studies have looked at relationships between tree growth, resin duct morphology and climate; however, these studies are almost exclusively from lower-ele
Authors
Nicholas E. Kichas, Gregory T. Pederson, Sharon M. Hood, Richard G. Everett, David B. McWethy