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Click below for access to more than 170,000 publications written by USGS scientists over the century-plus history of the bureau.

Filter Total Items: 798

Estimated groundwater recharge for mid-century and end-of-century climate projections, Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Maui, and the Island of Hawai‘i Estimated groundwater recharge for mid-century and end-of-century climate projections, Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Maui, and the Island of Hawai‘i

Demand for freshwater in the State of Hawaiʻi is expected to increase by roughly 13 percent from 2020 to 2035. Groundwater availability in Hawaiʻi is affected by a number of factors, including land cover, rainfall, runoff, evapotranspiration, and climate change. To evaluate the availability of fresh groundwater under projected future-climate conditions, estimates of groundwater recharge...
Authors
Heidi L. Kāne, Alan Mair, Adam G. Johnson, Kolja Rotzoll, James Mifflin, Delwyn S. Oki

Post-Typhoon Mawar population counts of the endangered yǻyaguak (Mariana swiftlet) on Guam Post-Typhoon Mawar population counts of the endangered yǻyaguak (Mariana swiftlet) on Guam

The yǻyaguak (Mariana swiftlet, Aerodramus bartschi) is an endangered cave-roosting species native to Guam and southern Mariana Islands, Micronesia. The population on Guam has declined substantially over the last half century, likely due to the introduction of the brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis), but other factors have been proposed including habitat loss, pesticides, reduced food...
Authors
Eben H. Paxton, P. Marcos Gorresen, Paul M. Cryan, Megan Parker

Groundwater and surface-water interactions in the He‘eia watershed, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i—Insights from analysis of historical data and numerical groundwater-model simulations Groundwater and surface-water interactions in the He‘eia watershed, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i—Insights from analysis of historical data and numerical groundwater-model simulations

He‘eia and ‘Ioleka‘a Streams in the He‘eia watershed on O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, receive substantial discharge from dike-impounded groundwater. Previous studies indicated that groundwater withdrawals from the watershed affect streamflow. Resource managers and users seek information that can be used to balance the needs of competing uses of groundwater and streamflow in the watershed.In this study...
Authors
Scot K. Izuka, Heidi L. Kāne, Kolja Rotzoll

Evaluation of data collected by Guam Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources during population establishment and monitoring of ko'ko' (Hypotaenidia owstoni) on Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and wildlife monitoring datasets on Coco Evaluation of data collected by Guam Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources during population establishment and monitoring of ko'ko' (Hypotaenidia owstoni) on Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and wildlife monitoring datasets on Coco

Efforts to recover the critically endangered ko’ko’ (Guam rail, Hypotaenidia owstoni) through establishing an experimental population on the island of Rota in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands have been ongoing for three decades. The U.S. Geological Survey collaborated with the Guam Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources and the Government of Guam to evaluate whether...
Authors
Richard J. Camp, Sarah A B Nash, Kristina L. Paxton

Establishment of terrestrial mammals on former reservoir beds following large dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, USA Establishment of terrestrial mammals on former reservoir beds following large dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, USA

Terrestrial wildlife species are important yet often overlooked taxa in the recovery of ecosystems following dam removal. Their presence can shape ecosystem recovery, signal restoration of ecosystem function, and influence food web dynamics and nutrient transfer. We used camera traps to examine seasonal use of two former reservoir beds and an upstream reference reach by the mammalian...
Authors
Rebecca McCaffery, Sara Cendejas-Zarelli, Katy R Goodwin, Patricia J. Happe, Kurt Jenkins, Kimberly A. Sager-Fradkin

Exploring and integrating differences in niche characteristics across regional and global scales to better understand plant invasions in Hawaiʻi Exploring and integrating differences in niche characteristics across regional and global scales to better understand plant invasions in Hawaiʻi

The spread of ecosystem modifying invasive plant (EMIP) species is one of the largest threats to native ecosystems in Hawaiʻi. However, differences in niche characteristics between Hawaiʻi’s isolated insular environment and the wider global distribution of these species have not been carefully examined. We used species distribution modeling (SDM) methods to assess similarities and...
Authors
Lucas Fortini, Lauren R. Kaiser, Curtis Daehler, James D. Jacobi, Monica Dimson, Thomas W Gillespie

Invasive-dominated grasslands in Hawaiʻi are resilient to disturbance Invasive-dominated grasslands in Hawaiʻi are resilient to disturbance

Non-native-dominated landscapes may arise from invasion by competitive plant species, disturbance and invasion of early-colonizing species, or some combination of these. Without knowing site history, however, it is difficult to predict how native or non-native communities will reassemble after disturbance events. Given increasing disturbance levels across anthropogenically impacted...
Authors
Stephanie G. Yelenik, Eli T. Rose, Susan Cordell

Fine-resolution land cover mapping over large and mountainous areas for Lāna‘i, Hawaii using posterior probabilities, and expert knowledge Fine-resolution land cover mapping over large and mountainous areas for Lāna‘i, Hawaii using posterior probabilities, and expert knowledge

The task of accurately mapping species-specific vegetation cover in remote and topographically complex regions like those found in Hawaiʻi presents unique challenges. This study leverages a machine learning approach to accurately classify vegetation into fine species-specific classes across the island of Lāna‘i, Hawaii, offering a novel methodology for tackling such challenges. Utilizing...
Authors
Lucas Fortini, Qiuming Cheng, Yoko Uyehara, Kari Bogner, Jonathan Sprague, Rachel Sprague

Adaptive resource management: Achieving functional eradication of invasive snakes to benefit avian conservation Adaptive resource management: Achieving functional eradication of invasive snakes to benefit avian conservation

Natural resource management often co-occurs with considerable uncertainty. One approach to mitigating uncertainty is through adaptive resource management (ARM), a specialized form of structured decision-making that modifies management decisions or actions through monitoring and implementation.Here, we present a case study on the attempted eradication of an invasive brown treesnake (Boiga...
Authors
Melia Gail Nafus, Amanda Reyes, Thomas Fies, Scott Michael Goetz

Videographic monitoring at caves to estimate population size of the endangered yǻyaguak (Mariana swiftlet) on Guam Videographic monitoring at caves to estimate population size of the endangered yǻyaguak (Mariana swiftlet) on Guam

The yǻyaguak (Mariana swiftlet; Aerodramus bartschi) is an endangered cave-nesting species historically found on Guam and the southern Mariana Islands, Micronesia. The population on Guam has been severely affected by the introduction of the brown treesnake Boiga irregularis. Population status assessments have, however, been challenging due to the limitations of traditional counting...
Authors
P. Marcos Gorresen, Paul M. Cryan, Megan Parker, Frank Alig, Melia Gail Nafus, Eben H. Paxton

Identifying conservation introduction sites for endangered birds through the integration of lidar-based habitat suitability models and population viability analyses Identifying conservation introduction sites for endangered birds through the integration of lidar-based habitat suitability models and population viability analyses

Similar to other single-island endemic Hawaiian honeycreepers, the critically endangered ‘ākohekohe (Palmeria dolei) is threatened by climate-driven disease spread. To avert the imminent risk of extinction, managers are considering novel measures, including the conservation introduction (CI) of ‘ākohekohe from Maui to higher elevation habitats on the Island of Hawai’i. This study...
Authors
Lucas Fortini, Erica Gallerani, Christopher C Warren, Eben H. Paxton

Trajectories and tipping points of piñon–juniper woodlands after fire and thinning Trajectories and tipping points of piñon–juniper woodlands after fire and thinning

Piñon–juniper (PJ) woodlands are a dominant community type across the Intermountain West, comprising over a million acres and experiencing critical effects from increasing wildfire. Large PJ mortality and regeneration failure after catastrophic wildfire have elevated concerns about the long-term viability of PJ woodlands. Thinning is increasingly used to safeguard forests from fire and...
Authors
Michala Lee Phillips, Cara Marie Lauria, Tova Spector, John B. Bradford, Catherine A. Gehring, Brooke B. Osborne, Armin J. Howell, Edmund E. Grote, Renee Rondeau, Gillian Trimber, Benjamin Robinson, Sasha C. Reed
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