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Publications

Browse publications authored by our scientists.  Publications available are: USGS-authored journal articles, series reports, book chapters, other government publications, and more. **Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

Filter Total Items: 3984

Ultraviolet-assisted oiling assessment improves detection of oiled birds experiencing clinical signs of hemolytic anemia after exposure to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

While large-scale oil spills can cause acute mortality events in birds, there is increasing evidence that sublethal oil exposure can trigger physiological changes that have implications for individual performance and survival. Therefore, improved methods for identifying small amounts of oil on birds are needed. Because ultraviolet (UV) light can be used to identify thin crude oil films in water an
Authors
J. A. Fallon, E. P. Smith, N. Shoch, J. D. Paruk, E. A. Adams, D. C. Evers, Patrick Jodice, M. Perkins, D. E. Meatty, W. A. Hopkins

Movement of synthetic organic compounds in the food web after the introduction of invasive quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis) in Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona, USA

Introductions of dreissenid mussels in North America have been a significant concern over the last few decades. This study assessed the distribution of synthetic organic compounds (SOCs) in the food web of Lake Mead, Nevada/Arizona, USA and how this distribution was influenced by the introduction of invasive quagga mussels. A clear spatial gradient of SOC concentrations in water was observed betwe
Authors
Steven L. Goodbred, Michael R. Rosen, Reynaldo Patiño, David Alvarez, Kathy R. Echols, Kerensa King, John Umek

Risk of predation on offspring reduces parental provisioning, but not flight performance or survival across early life stages

Developmental responses can help young animals reduce predation risk but can also yield costs to performance and survival in subsequent life stages with major implications for lifetime fitness. Compensatory mechanisms may evolve to offset such costs, but evidence from natural systems is largely lacking.In songbirds, increased nest predation risk should favour reduced provisioning, but also young t
Authors
James C. Mouton, Bret W. Tobalske, Natalie A. Wright, Thomas E. Martin

Bidirectional connectivity via fish ladders in a large Neotropical river: Response to a comment

In a recent article, we described fitting electronic tags to the fish Prochilodus lineatus to document how a fishway connected aquatic habitats downstream and upstream of a major dam. Moreover, given that tagged fish remained upstream or downstream for periods extending months and years before returning to the fishway, and that observed patterns of passage were consistent with seasonal migratory c
Authors
L.F. Celestino, F.J. Sanz-Ronda, Leandro E. Miranda, M. C. Makrakis, J. H. Pinheiro Dias, S. Makrakis

Passive acoustic monitoring effectively detects Northern Spotted Owls and Barred Owls over a range of forest conditions

Passive acoustic monitoring using autonomous recording units (ARUs) is a fast-growing area of wildlife research especially for rare, cryptic species that vocalize. Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) populations have been monitored since the mid-1980s using mark–recapture methods. To evaluate an alternative survey method, we used ARUs to detect calls of Northern Spotted Owls and Barr
Authors
Leila S. Duchac, Damon B. Lesmeister, Katie M. Dugger, Zachary J. Ruff, Raymond J. Davis

Citizen scientists record novel leaf phenology of invasive shrubs in eastern U.S. forests

Invasive shrubs are an emergent concern in deciduous forests of eastern North America. Their extended leaf phenology (ELP) – earlier leaf emergence and later leaf off compared to native shrubs and the overstory canopy – can simultaneously provide photosynthetic benefits to invasive shrubs while negatively affecting native flora and fauna through providing novel understory shade when the overstory
Authors
Erynn E. Maynard-Bean, Margot Kaye, Tyler Wagner, Eric P. Burkhart

Spatiotemporal variation in occurrence and co-occurrence of pesticides, hormones, and other organic contaminants in rivers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, United States

Investigating the spatiotemporal dynamics of contaminants in surface water is crucial to better understand how introduced chemicals are interacting with and potentially influencing aquatic organisms and environments. Within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, USA, there are concerns about the potential role of contaminant exposure on fish health. Evidence suggests that exposure to contaminants in surfac
Authors
Catherine M. McClure, Kelly Smalling, Vicki S. Blazer, Adam Sperry, Megan K. Schall, Dana W. Kolpin, Patrick J. Phillips, Michelle Hladik, Tyler Wagner

A fishery after the decline: The Susquehanna River Smallmouth Bass story

The Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu fishery in the Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania, is one of the most socioeconomically important fisheries in the region and has recently undergone considerable changes. These changes started in 2005, when disease was documented in young-of-the-year (age-0) Smallmouth Bass. Shortly thereafter, declines in abundance of both juveniles and adults were obse
Authors
Megan K. Schall, Geoffrey D. Smith, Vicki S. Blazer, Heather L. Walsh, Yan Li, Tyler Wagner

Genomic identification of intergeneric hybrids in New World wood-warblers (Aves: Parulidae)

The documentation of hybrids between distantly related taxa can illustrate an initial step to explain how genes might move between species that do not exhibit complete reproductive isolation. In birds, some of the most phylogenetically distant hybrid combinations occur between genera. Traditionally, morphological and plumage characters have been used to assign the identity of the parental species
Authors
David P. L. Toews, Gunnar R. Kramer, Andrew W. Jones, Courtney L. Brennan, Benjamin E. Cloud, David Andersen, Irby J. Lovette, Henry Streby

Vegetation sampling and management

What is the utility of vegetation measurements for wildlife managers? In the prairie, savanna, tundra, forest, steppe, and wetland regions of the world, mixtures of plant species provide wildlife with food, cover and, in some circumstances, water; the 3 essential habitat elements necessary to sustain viable wildlife populations. We define habitat in reference to use of a vegetation type by an anim
Authors
Kenneth F. Higgins, Kurt Jenkins, Daniel W. Uresk, Lora B. Perkins, Kent C. Jensen, Jack E. Norland, Robert W. Klaver, David E. Naugle

Research and experimental design

No abstract available.
Authors
Edward O. Garton, Jocelyn L. Aycrigg, Courtney J. Conway, Jon S. Horne

Complex patterns of genetic and morphological differentiation in the Smallmouth Bass subspecies (Micropterus dolomieu dolomieu and M. d. velox) of the Central Interior Highlands

Due to geologic processes and recent anthropogenic introductions, patterns of genetic and morphological diversity within the Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu), which are endemic to the central and eastern United States (USA), are poorly understood. We assessed genetic and morphological differentiation between the widespread Northern Smallmouth Bass (M. d. dolomieu) and the more restricted Neo
Authors
Joe C. Gunn, Leah K. Berkman, Jeff K. Koppelman, A. T. Taylor, Shannon K. Brewer, James M. Long, Lori S. Eggert