Publications
Browse more than 160,000 publications authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS. Publications available are: USGS-authored journal articles, series reports, book chapters, other government publications, and more.
Mission Area Publications
Mission Area Publications
We are focused on some of the most significant issues society faces, and our science is making a substantial contribution to the well-being of the Nation and the world. Learn more about the major topics our research covers and the programs focused on those topics.
Filter Total Items: 171804
Long-term apparent survival of a cold-stunned subpopulation of juveniles green turtles
Understanding the effects of extreme weather on animal populations is fundamental to ecological and conservation sciences and species management. Climate change has resulted in both warm and cold temperature extremes, including an increased frequency of severe cold snaps at middle latitudes in North America. These unusually cold air masses cause rapid declines in nearshore ocean temperatures in co
Authors
Robert Michael Mollenhauer, Margaret Lamont, Allen M. Foley
Predation probabilities and functional responses: How piscivorous waterbirds respond to pulses in fish abundance
How predators respond to changes in prey abundance (i.e., functional responses) is foundational to consumer–resource interactions, predator–prey dynamics, and the stability of predator–prey systems. Predation by piscivorous waterbirds on out-migrating juvenile steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is considered a factor affecting the recovery of multiple Endangered Species Act-listed steelhead pop
Authors
Nathan J. Hostetter, Q. Payton, D.D. Roby, K. Collis, A.F. Evans
Distribution and demography of coastal Cactus Wrens (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) in southern San Diego County, California — 2021 Data summary
We surveyed for coastal Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) in 378 established plots in southern San Diego County in 2021, encompassing 3 genetic clusters (Otay, Lake Jennings, and Sweetwater/Encanto). Two surveys were completed at each plot between March 1 and July 31. Cactus Wrens were detected in 130 plots (34 percent of plots), remaining virtually the same as the percentage of plots
Authors
Suellen Lynn, Barbara E. Kus
Temporal mismatch in space use by a sagebrush obligate species after large-scale wildfire
The increase in size and frequency of wildfires in sagebrush steppe ecosystems has significant impacts on sagebrush obligate species. We modeled seasonal habitat use by female greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in the Trout Creek Mountains of Oregon and Nevada, USA, to identify landscape characteristics that influenced sage-grouse habitat selection and to create predictive surfaces of
Authors
Elizabeth M. Schuyler, Christian A. Hagen, Christopher R. Anthony, Lee J. Foster, Katie Dugger
Quantitative SWOT analysis: A structured and collaborative approach to reintroduction site selection for the endangered Pacific pocket mouse
Species extinction and loss of biodiversity are major crises in the Anthropocene. Translocations of threatened and endangered species, the movement of individuals to augment existing or establish new populations, are increasingly important conservation tools, but have historically had limited success. Selection of a suitable receiver site is essential to translocation success, with poor site suita
Authors
Rachel Y. Chock, William B Miller, Shauna N D King, Cheryl S. Brehme, Robert N. Fisher, Hans Sin, Peggy Wilcox, Jill Terp, Scott Tremor, Matthew R Major, Korie Merrill, Wayne D Spencer, Sherri Sullivan, Deborah M Shier
Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death in Hawaiʻi
Ceratocystis lukuohia and Ceratocystis huliohia are two newly recognized fungi that have arrived in Hawai‘i and are causing a serious vascular wilt and canker disease, respectively, of ‘ōhi‘a trees (Metrosideros polymorpha), the most common and important tree species in Hawai‘i. Management of these diseases has presented challenges due to unique etiological aspects and the exceptionally pathogenic
Authors
Philip Cannon, James B. Friday, Thomas Harrington, Lisa Keith, Marc Hughes, Rob Hauff, Flint Hughes, Ryan L. Perroy, David Benitez, Kylle Roy, Robert W. Peck, Sheri L. Smith, Blaine Luiz, Susan Cordell, Christian Giardina, Jennifer Juzwik, Stephanie G. Yelenik, Zachary Cook
A conceptual framework to integrate biodiversity, ecosystem function, and ecosystem service models
Global biodiversity and ecosystem service models typically operate independently. Ecosystem service projections thus may be overly optimistic because they do not account for the role of biodiversity in maintaining ecological functions underpinning their provision. We review models used in recent global model intercomparison projects and develop a novel model integration framework to more fully acc
Authors
Sarah R. Weiskopf, Bonnie J.E. Myers, Maria Isabel Arce-Plata, Julia L. Blanchard, Simon Ferrier, Elizabeth A. Fulton, Mike Harfoot, Forest Isbell, Justin A. Johnson, Akira S. Mori, Ensheng Weng, Zuzana Harmáčková, Maria Cecilia Londoño-Murcia, Brian W. Miller, Laura Pereira, Isabel M.D. Rosa
Coupling near-surface geomorphology with mangrove community diversity at the estuarine scale: A case study at Dongzhaigang Bay, China
Coastal wetlands are key features of the Earth’s surface and are characterized by a diverse array of coupled geomorphological and biological processes. However, the links between the distribution of biodiversity (e.g., species and structural diversity) and the formation of coastal geomorphology are not well understood on a landscape scale most useful to coastal zone managers. This study describes
Authors
Guogui Chen, Wei Hong, Xuan Gu, Ken Krauss, Kaiyuan Zhao, Haifeng Fu, Luzhen Chen, Mao Wang, Wenqing Wang
Impacts of ocean-atmosphere teleconnection patterns on the south-central United States
Recent research has linked the climate variability associated with ocean-atmosphere teleconnections to impacts rippling throughout environmental, economic, and social systems. This research reviews recent literature through 2021 in which we identify linkages among the major modes of climate variability, in the form of ocean-atmosphere teleconnections, and the impacts to temperature and precipitati
Authors
Robert V. Rohli, Gregg Snedden, Elinor R. Martin, Kristine L. DeLong
New generation hyperspectral data From DESIS compared to high spatial resolution PlanetScope data for crop type classification
Thoroughly investigating the characteristics of new generation hyperspectral and high spatial resolution spaceborne sensors will advance the study of agricultural crops. Therefore, we compared the performances of hyperspectral Deutsches Zentrum fur Luftund Raumfahrt- (DLR) Earth Sensing Imaging Spectrometer (DESIS) and high spatial resolution PlanetScope in classifying eight crop types in Californ
Authors
Itiya Aneece, Daniel Foley, Prasad Thenkabail, Adam Oliphant, Pardhasaradhi G. Teluguntla
Engaging stakeholders to develop a decision support model of conservation risk and management capacity to prioritize investments in Bull Trout recovery
Rarely are sufficient resources available to support the full suite of management actions to promote recovery of a species across their entire distribution. Decision support models are a tool that can inform natural resource management decisions with consideration of the perspectives from a variety of stakeholders who work across large geographic and jurisdictional extents. We offer an example of
Authors
William R. Brignon, M. Brian Davis, Stephanie Gunkel, Jason B. Dunham, Michael H. Meeuwig, Chris S Allen, Shaun Clements
Characterization of vegetated and ponded wetlands with implications towards coastal wetland marsh collapse
Coastal wetlands provide numerous ecosystem services; yet these ecosystems are increasingly vulnerable to climate change stressors, especially excessive flooding from sea-level rise and storm events. This study highlights the important contribution of vegetation belowground biomass to marsh stability and identifies loss of vegetation as a critical driver of marsh collapse. We investigated the shea
Authors
Jack A. Cadigan, Navid H. Jafari, Camille Stagg, Claudia Laurenzano, Brian D. Harris, Amina E. Meselhe, Jason Dugas, Brady Couvillion