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: 42177
Myiasis infection by the toad fly (Lucilia bufonivora; Calliphoidae) in amphibians in Montana, USA
Toad flies in the genus Lucilia (previously referred to as Bufolucilia spp.) parasitize and cause myiasis in several amphibian species in North America. From 2019 to 2022, we documented Lucilia bufonivora infections in post-metamorphic western toads (Anaxyrus boreas) during amphibian surveys in four wetlands in Glacier National Park, Montana, US. We found nine infected adult toads in...
Authors
Leah M. Fischer, Blake Hossack
Evaluation of a rapid assessment function to aid monitoring and management of common ravens (Corvus corax) in Washington state
Expanding human enterprise leading to resource subsidies for generalist species has resulted in widespread increases in common raven (Corvus corax) populations across the Western U.S. Ravens are an efficient predator and increased population abundance has led to adverse effects to multiple sensitive prey species. In regions where problematic interactions between ravens and their prey...
Authors
Brianne E. Brussee, Shawn T. O'Neil, Michael T. Atamian, Colin G. Leingang, Peter S. Coates
The effectiveness of wildfire at meeting restoration goals across a fire severity gradient in the Sierra Nevada
As a consequence of both warming temperatures and over a century of fire suppression, wildfires in the historically frequent-fire forests of the western US have increased both in size and intensity, resulting in large patches of high severity fire that are well outside the historic range of variation. Postfire fuels research has often focused on such high severity patches because of the...
Authors
Adrian Das, Lisa Rosenthal, Kristen L. Shive
A comprehensive assessment of membrane bioreactor contaminant removal efficacy through analytical chemistry, fish exposures, and microbiome characterization
Treated municipal wastewater effluent is an important pathway for Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) to enter aquatic ecosystems. As the aging wastewater infrastructure in many industrialized countries requires upgrades or replacement, assessing new treatment technologies in the context of CEC effects may provide additional support for science-based resource management. Here, we used...
Authors
Charles H. Christen, Sarah M. Elliott, Richard L. Kiesling, Alissa VanDenBoom, Satomi Kohno, Carrie E Givens, Heiko L. Schoenfuss
Integrating sea level rise scenarios into Everglades restoration planning
One of the largest and most expensive restoration efforts in the world is occurring in the Everglades, a sub-tropical freshwater wetland system located in southern Florida. This unique ecosystem supports several endangered species, provides flood control for Florida’s large urban population, and provides water for both agriculture and drinking supply within the state. The Comprehensive...
Authors
Laura D'Acunto, Stephanie S. Romañach, Stephanie Castellano, Mysha Clarke
Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) abundance in a National Conservation Area in Idaho has increased since the 1970s–1990s
The Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (NCA), in southwestern Idaho, USA supports a large population of breeding Prairie Falcons (Falco mexicanus). Abundance of Prairie Falcons in the NCA was previously monitored in 1976–1978 and 1990–1994. That research indicated maximum counts for each period in 1976 and 1992 and a possible population decline across that...
Authors
Steven Alsup, James R. Belthoff, Karen Steenhof, Michael N. Kochert, Todd Eli Katzner
Hotter temperatures alter riparian plant outcomes under regulated river conditions
Climate change and river regulation alter environmental controls on riparian plant occurrence and cover worldwide. Simultaneous changes to river flow and air temperature could result in unanticipated plant responses to novel environmental conditions. Increasing temperature could alter riparian plant response to hydrology and other factors, while river regulation may exacerbate...
Authors
Emily C. Palmquist, Kiona Ogle, Bradley J. Butterfield, Thomas G. Whitham, Gerard J. Allan, Patrick B. Shafroth
American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) as wetland ecosystem carbon stock regulators
Blue carbon refers to organic carbon sequestered by oceanic and coastal ecosystems. This stock has gained global attention as a high organic carbon repository relative to other ecosystems. Within blue carbon ecosystems, tidally influenced wetlands alone store a disproportionately higher amount of organic carbon than other blue carbon systems. North America harbors 42% of tidally...
Authors
Christopher M. Murray, Tyler S. Coleman, Wray Gabel, Ken W. Krauss
Understanding and managing introduction pathways into protected areas in a changing climate
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework 2030 calls for the conservation of 30% of the world’s ecosystems, focusing on protecting areas vital to biodiversity, identifying and managing invasive species introduction pathways, and minimizing the impacts of climate change on biodiversity. While protected areas (PAs) have historically limited the introduction, establishment, and...
Authors
Deah Lieurance, Susan Canavan, Katelyn T. Faulkner, Kathryn A. O’Shaughnessy, Julie L. Lockwood, Elliott W.R. Parsons, Julian D. Avery, Wesley M. Daniel
The transition from resistance to acceptance: Managing a marine invasive species in a changing world
Marine invasive species can transform coastal ecosystems, yet mitigating their effects can be difficult, and even impractical. Often, marine invasive species are managed at poorly matched spatial scales, and at the same time, rates of spread and establishment are increasing under climate change and can outpace resources available for population suppression. These circumstances challenge...
Authors
Abigail G. Keller, Timothy D. Counihan, Edwin G. Grosholz, Carl Boettiger
Biotic and abiotic drivers of ecosystem temporal stability in herbaceous wetlands in China
Maintaining the stability of ecosystems is critical for supporting essential ecosystem services over time. However, our understanding of the contribution of the diverse biotic and abiotic factors to this stability in wetlands remains limited. Here, we combined data from a field vegetation survey of 725 herbaceous wetland sites in China with remote sensing information from the Enhanced...
Authors
Guodong Wang, Nanlin Hu, Yann Hautier, Beth A Middleton, Ming Wang, Meiling Zhao, Jingci Meng, Zijun Ma, Bo Liu, Yanjie Liu, Mingkai Jiang
Improving hydroacoustic methods for monitoring suspended-sand flux and grain size in sediment-laden rivers
Suspended-sand concentration and grain-size data in rivers provide valuable information on the catchment's dynamics for scientists and river managers. Producing continuous measurements of suspended-sand concentrations remains a scientific challenge due to their high spatial and temporal variability. Traditional methods such as sediment-rating curves may be highly uncertain, and optical...
Authors
Jessica Marggraf, Jerome Le Coz, Benoıt Camenen, Francois Lauters, Guillaume Dramais, Gilles Pierrefeu, David Topping