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Access all publications and filter by type, location, and search for keywords to find specific science and data information conducted by our scientists. 

Filter Total Items: 171524

Complex hydrology and variability of nitrogen sources in a karst watershed

Streams draining karst areas with rapid groundwater transit times may respond relatively quickly to nitrogen reduction strategies, but the complex hydrologic network of interconnected sinkholes and springs is challenging for determining the placement and effectiveness of management practices. This study aims to inform nitrogen reduction strategies in a representative agricultural karst setting of
Authors
John Clune, Charles A. Cravotta, Admin Husic, Hilary J Dozier, Kurt Eric Schmidt

Treed Gaussian processes for animal movement modeling

Wildlife telemetry data may be used to answer a diverse range of questions relevant to wildlife ecology and management. One challenge to modeling telemetry data is that animal movement often varies greatly in pattern over time, and current continuous-time modeling approaches to handle such nonstationarity require bespoke and often complex models that may pose barriers to practitioner implementatio
Authors
Camille J. Rieber, Trevor J. Hefley, David A. Haukos

USGS invasive carp database management & integration support

Invasive carp tracking, monitoring, and contracted removal will continue throughout the Upper IWW system as part of an adaptive management effort to mitigate, control, and contain invasive carp. To help facilitate these actions, there is a need to compile and analyze data from the multitude of partner agencies that are collecting invasive carp-related data throughout the Illinois River system. The
Authors
Marybeth K. Brey, Andrea K. Fritts

Floral Composition of Pollen Collected from a Rusty Patched Bumble Bee (Bombus affinis, Cresson) Nest in Southeastern Minnesota

 Understanding the forage diets of imperiled bumble bees can improve conservation planning and habitat restoration efforts. In this study, we describe the taxonomic composition of bee-collected pollen from 2 Rusty Patched Bumble Bee (Bombus affinis, Cresson) nests located in southeastern Minnesota. This is the first published reporting of pollen collected from active B. affinis nests. We also comp
Authors
Michael Simanonok, Elaine Evans, Clint R.V. Otto, Robert S. Cornman, Deborah D. Iwanowicz, Tamara A. Smith

Climate change

Amphibian ecology and distribution are strongly correlated with climate. Regional patterns of amphibian biodiversity are intimately linked to temperature, evapotranspiration rate, and clines in humidity. While amphibians are and will continue to be adversely affected by recent and projected changes in climate, research suggests that adaptation may happen more slowly than the expected rate of envir
Authors
David Bickford, Guinevere O.U. Wogan, Deanna H. Olson, K.S. Seshadri, Mark C. Urban, Ana Carnaval, John Measey, Jodi J.L. Rowley, Sean Rovito, Rudolf von May, Susan Walls

Restoring Pacific Lamprey in the Umpqua River Basin of Oregon: A workshop summary

The Umpqua River Basin in southwestern Oregon (Figure 1) is part of the lands inhabited by the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians and an area of active co-management authority. This Basin supports a unique fish fauna, including important populations of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) and steelhead (O. mykiss), and other native fishes that are endemic to the region (Mims et al. 2018). Amo
Authors
Jason B. Dunham, Krista Jones, Kelly C. Coates, Travis Mackie

How much trapping effort is needed for early detection of European green crab?

We present a case study using trapping data and species accumulation theory to assess the sampling effort needed to detect species that are rare in habitats sampled as part of the management of invasive European green crab Carcinus maenas on the coast of Washington State and Salish Sea shorelines, such as is desired for early detection of invasive species. In response to detections of green crab o
Authors
Timothy D. Counihan, Theresa Thom

Applying local and global sensitivity analysis to inform bigheaded carp management

Natural resource managers commonly use population-level models to aid in understanding the status of target populations or the potential implications of management actions. Sensitivity analyses, specifically, local sensitivity analysis (LSA) and global sensitivity analysis (GSA), exist as tools to improve understanding of these models, the importance of specific parameters to model outcomes, and t
Authors
Richard A. Erickson, Benjamin J. Marcek, Hannah Mann Thompson, Brian Schoenung, John M. Dettmers, Michael N. Fienen

Lake Ontario August gillnet survey and Lake Trout assessment, 2023

Lake Ontario lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) rehabilitation has been annually assessed with fishery independent surveys since 1983, to evaluate program benchmarks and compare observations with management objectives. These surveys provide information on the abundance, strain composition, and condition of the adult lake trout stock, as well as information on levels of natural recruitment, sea lamp
Authors
Brian O'Malley, Scott P. Minihkeim, Olivia Margaret Mitchinson, Scott David Stahl, Michael Connerton, Jessica A. Goretzke, Collin Farrell, Dimitry Gorsky

Identifying the forage base and critical forage taxa for Chesapeake waterbirds

To effectively maximize the conservation value of management plans intended to capture ecosystem-wide health, it is essential to obtain an understanding of emergent patterns in dietary dynamics spanning many species. Chesapeake Bay, USA, is a critical ecosystem used annually by a diverse assortment of waterbird species, including several of conservation concern. However, the ecosystem is threatene
Authors
Matthew Hack, Jeffery D. Sullivan, Cody M. Kent, Diann Prosser

Preparing for today's and tomorrow's water-resources challenges in eastern Long Island, New York

Freshwater is a vital natural resource. Although New York is a water-rich State, the wise and economical use of water resources is needed to ensure that there is enough water of adequate quality for both human and ecological needs—both for today and for tomorrow. Nowhere in New York is this more evident than in Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island, where the public water supply is obtained f
Authors
Ronald Busciolano, John P. Masterson, Robert F. Breault

Realizing the potential of eDNA biodiversity monitoring tools in the marine environment with application to offshore renewable energy

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researches the biological diversity and distribution of species to support management, conservation, and resource use decisions. USGS scientists advance detection and monitoring technologies to assess changes in fish and wildlife populations, biodiversity, and the health of ecosystems. The United States is planning to install 30 gigawatts of offshore marine and wi

Authors
Adam Sepulveda, Cheryl Morrison, Margaret Hunter, Mona Khalil