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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

Gastric mill age estimates for ringed crayfish Faxonius neglectus neglectus (Faxon) and the influence of temperature on band formation

Counting bands via the gastric mill is a potential direct approach for ageing crayfish; however, the validity of ageing crustaceans using the gastric mill is unknown. Our study objectives were to 1) compare gastric mill age estimates to a traditional aging technique, 2) compare ageing precision among the ossicles, and 3) examine the effects of temperature on gastric mill band formation. From 2017–
Authors
Shannon K. Brewer, Joshua B. Mouser, Jason Glover

InFish: A professional network to promote global conservation and responsible use of inland fish

Inland fishes and fisheries make substantial contributions to individuals, society, and the environment in a changing global landscape that includes climate, water allocations, and societal changes. However, current limitations to valuing the services provided by inland fish and their fisheries often leaves them out of key decision‐making discussions. InFish is a voluntary professional network wit
Authors
Abigail J Lynch, Devin M. Bartley, T. Douglas Beard, David Bunnell, Steve J. Cooke, Ian. G. Cowx, Simon Funge-Smith, Craig Paukert, Mark W. Rogers, William W. Taylor

Using ultrasonic acoustics to detect cryptic flying squirrels: Effects of season and habitat suitability

New technologies allow for more efficient and effective monitoring of rare or elusive species. However, standardizing protocol to ensure high detection rates is important prior to widespread use of a new technique. The use of ultrasonic acoustic detectors to survey for flying squirrels (Glaucomys spp.) is a novel method that is more efficient than traditional methods. However, certain methodologie
Authors
Corinne A. Diggins, L. Michelle Gilley, Christine A. Kelly, W. Mark Ford

Can genetic assignment tests provide insight on the influence of captive egression on epizootiology of chronic wasting disease?

Identifying the sources of ongoing and novel disease outbreaks is critical for understanding the diffusion of epizootic diseases. Identifying infection sources is difficult when few physical differences separate individuals with different origins. Genetic assignment procedures show great promise for assessing transmission dynamics in such situations. Here, we use genetic assignment tests to determ
Authors
William L. Miller, W. David Walter

Bark beetle-affected forests provide elk only a marginal refuge from hunters

For nearly 2 decades, the forests of the Rocky Mountains in the United States experienced a bark-beetle (Dendoctronus ponderosae) epidemic. The number of dead and falling trees from this epidemic likely will affect how elk (Cervus canadensis) and hunters use the forest and their interactions. Downed trees potentially create a component of refuge habitat that could affect the effectiveness of hunti
Authors
Bryan G. Lamont, Matthew Kauffman, Jerod A. Merkle, Tony W. Mong, Matthew M. Hayes, Kevin L. Monteith

Efficacy and biases of cover object survey design for sampling eastern red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) at forest edge and interior locations

Terrestrial salamanders are adapted to moist, cool microenvironments that facilitate cutaneous respiration and decrease risk of desiccation. Warmer, drier microenvironments may induce habitat use changes by salamanders to alleviate stressful microenvironmental conditions. Changes in salamander habitat use may bias population metrics when sampling occurs in areas with different microenvironmental c
Authors
Eric L. Margenau, Petra B. Wood, Donald A. Brown

Seasonal habitat use indicates that depth may mediate the potential for invasive round goby impacts in inland lakes

The round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) is among the fastest-spreading introduced aquatic species in North America and is radiating inland from the Great Lakes into freshwater ecosystems across the landscape. Predicting and managing the impacts of round gobies requires information on the factors influencing their distribution in habitats along the invasion front, yet this information is not availa
Authors
Kara J. Andres, Suresh Sethi, Elizabeth Duskey, Jesse M. Lepak, Aaron N. Rice, Bobbi J. Estabrook, Kimberly B. Fitzpatrick, Ellen George, Benjamin Marcy-Quay, Matthew R. Paufve, Kelly Perkins, Anne E. Scofield

Epigenetic response of Louisiana Waterthrush Parkesia motacilla to shale gas development

Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation may vary in response to environmental stressors and introduce adaptive or maladaptive gene expression within and among wild bird populations. We examined the association between DNA methylation and demographic characteristics of the Louisiana Waterthrush Parkesia motacilla in territories with and without disturbance from shale gas development in a Cent
Authors
Mack W. Frantz, Petra B. Wood, Steve Latta, Amy Welsh

Odds ratios and hurdle models: a long-term analysis of parasite infection patterns in endangered young-of-the-year suckers from Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, USA

We used odds ratios and a hurdle model to analyze parasite co-infections over 25 years on >20,000 young-of-the year of endangered Shortnose and Lost River Suckers. Host ecologies differed as did parasite infections. Shortnose Suckers were more likely to be caught inshore and 3–5 times more likely to have Bolbophorus spp. and Contracaecum sp. infections, and Lost River Suckers were more likely to b
Authors
Douglas F. Markle, Andrew Janik, James Peterson, Anindo Choudhury, David C. Simon, Vasyl V. Tkach, Mark R. Terwilliger, Justin L. Sanders, Michael L. Kent

Fish diversity, endemism, threats, and conservation in the Jinsha River basin (upper Yangtze River), China

The Jinsha River, which comprises the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, has among the highest freshwater fish biodiversity and endemism in China, but these characteristics have rarely been quantitatively evaluated at the basin scale. We used fish presence–absence data collected from the entire Jinsha River basin (JRB) from 1964 to 2017 to determine patterns in fish biodiversity. In total, 229 fr
Authors
H. W. Liu, C. Guo, X. Qu, F. Xiong, Craig Paukert, Y. Chen, W. Sullivan

Electrofishing encounter probability, survival, and dispersal of stocked age-0 Muskellunge in Wisconsin lakes

Boat electrofishing is often used to sample age-0 Muskellunge Esox masquinongy for indexing recruitment or evaluating stocking success. However, electrofishing samples typically result in low CPUE, prompting concerns regarding whether catch rates reflect actual abundance or whether boat electrofishing is generally ineffective for capturing age-0 Muskellunge (i.e., if fish are not being encountered
Authors
Daniel J. Dembkowski, Janice A. Kerns, Emma G. Easterly, Daniel A. Isermann

Thermal diversity of salmon streams in the Matanuska-Susitna Basin, Alaska

We present the first description of summer stream thermal regimes in Alaska using metrics that represent the magnitude, variability, frequency, duration, and timing of temperature events related to salmon life histories. We used cluster analysis to characterize thermal regimes present in the Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-Su) Basin based on 10 nonredundant temperature metrics and identified the most impor
Authors
Rebecca Shaftel, Sue Mauger, Jeffrey A. Falke, Daniel Rinella, Jeff Davis, Leslie Jones