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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

Practical guidance on characterizing availability in resource selection functions under a use-availability design

Habitat selection is a fundamental aspect of animal ecology, the understanding of which is critical to management and conservation. Global positioning system data from animals allow fine-scale assessments of habitat selection and typically are analyzed in a use-availability framework, whereby animal locations are contrasted with random locations (the availability sample). Although most use-availab
Authors
Joseph M. Northrup, Mevin Hooten, Charles R. Anderson, George Wittemyer

Reconciling resource utilization and resource selection functions

Summary: 1. Analyses based on utilization distributions (UDs) have been ubiquitous in animal space use studies, largely because they are computationally straightforward and relatively easy to employ. Conventional applications of resource utilization functions (RUFs) suggest that estimates of UDs can be used as response variables in a regression involving spatial covariates of interest. 2. It has b
Authors
Mevin Hooten, Ephraim M. Hanks, Devin S. Johnson, Mat W. Alldredge

Microhabitat use of the diamond darter

The only known extant population of the diamond darter (Crystallaria cincotta) exists in the lower 37 km of Elk River, WV, USA. Our understanding of diamond darter habitat use was previously limited, because few individuals have been observed during sampling with conventional gears. We quantified microhabitat use of diamond darters based on measurements of water depth, water velocity and per cent
Authors
Stuart A. Welsh, Dustin M. Smith, Nate D. Taylor

Incorporating harvest rates into the sex-age-kill model for white-tailed deer

Although monitoring population trends is an essential component of game species management, wildlife managers rarely have complete counts of abundance. Often, they rely on population models to monitor population trends. As imperfect representations of real-world populations, models must be rigorously evaluated to be applied appropriately. Previous research has evaluated population models for white
Authors
Andrew S. Norton, Duane R. Diefenbach, Christopher S. Rosenberry, Bret D. Wallingford

To stock or not to stock? Assessing restoration potential of a remnant American shad spawning run with hatchery supplementation

Hatchery supplementation has been widely used as a restoration technique for American Shad Alosa sapidissima on the East Coast of the USA, but results have been equivocal. In the Penobscot River, Maine, dam removals and other improvements to fish passage will likely reestablish access to the majority of this species’ historic spawning habitat. Additional efforts being considered include the stocki
Authors
Michael M. Bailey, Joseph D. Zydlewski

Seasonal comparison of aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages in a flooded coastal freshwater marsh

Marsh flooding and drying may be important factors affecting aquatic macroinvertebrate density and distribution in coastal freshwater marshes. Limited availability of water as a result of drying in emergent marsh may decrease density, taxonomic diversity, and taxa richness. The principal objectives of this study are to characterize the seasonal aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblage in a freshwater
Authors
Sung-Ryong Kang, Sammy L. King

A novel approach to surveying sturgeon using side-scan sonar and occupancy modeling

Technological advances represent opportunities to enhance and supplement traditional fisheries sampling approaches. One example with growing importance for fisheries research is hydroacoustic technologies such as side-scan sonar. Advantages of side-scan sonar over traditional techniques include the ability to sample large areas efficiently and the potential to survey fish without physical handling
Authors
H. Jared Flowers, Joseph E. Hightower

Water temperature and baseflow discharge of streams throughout the range of Rio Grande cutthroat trout in Colorado and New Mexico—2010 and 2011

This study characterized the thermal regime in a number of Colorado and New Mexico streams that contain populations of Rio Grande cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii virginalis) and had no previous record of continual temperature records. When compared to Colorado’s water temperature criteria (Cold Tier 1), a portion of these populations appeared to be at risk from elevated stream temperatures,
Authors
Matthew P. Zeigler, Andrew S. Todd, Colleen A. Caldwell

Effects of simulated angler capture and live-release tournaments on walleye survival

We examined the effects of acclimation water temperature,live‐well (LW) water temperature,and LW dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration on survival of adult Walleyes Sander vitreus subjected to simulated tournament conditions (angling,LW confinement,and weigh‐in procedures) under controlled laboratory conditions. We tested three acclimation temperatures (12,18,and 24°C),and three LW temperature diffe
Authors
John H. Loomis, Harold L. Schramm, Bruce C. Vondracek, Patrick D. Gerard, Christopher J. Chizinski

Clinical and molecular epidemiology of veterinary blastomycosis in Wisconsin

No abstract available.
Authors
Jennifer L. Anderson, Brian L. Sloss, Jennifer K. Meece

Adaptive management of flows from dams: a win-win framework for water users

Alabama is blessed with more than 77,000 miles of rivers and streams that carve through the terrestrial landscape of the state. When you think about it, every road you drive on crosses a river and many of our major cities are located on the bank of a river. In fact, Alabama's capital cities - Cahawba (Dallas County; 1820-1826), Tuscaloosa (Tuscaloosa County; 1826-1846), and Montgomery County; 18
Authors
Elise R. Irwin

Fish assemblage relationships with physical characteristics and presence of dams in three eastern Iowa rivers

Fish assemblages in rivers of the Midwestern United States are an important component of the region's natural resources and biodiversity. We characterized the physical environment and presence of dams in a series of reaches in three eastern Iowa rivers tributary to the Mississippi River and related these characteristics to the fish assemblages present. Some physical characteristics were similar am
Authors
Clay Pierce, Nicholas L. Ahrens, Anna K. Loan-Wilsey, Gregory A. Simmons, Gregory T. Gelwicks