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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

Climate change has indirect effects on resource use and overlap among coexisting bird species with negative consequences for their reproductive success

Climate change can modify ecological interactions, but whether it can have cascading effects throughout ecological networks of multiple interacting species remains poorly studied. Climate-driven alterations in the intensity of plant–herbivore interactions may have particularly profound effects on the larger community because plants provide habitat for a wide diversity of organisms. Here we show th
Authors
Thomas E. Martin, Sonya K. Auer

Computationally efficient statistical differential equation modeling using homogenization

Statistical models using partial differential equations (PDEs) to describe dynamically evolving natural systems are appearing in the scientific literature with some regularity in recent years. Often such studies seek to characterize the dynamics of temporal or spatio-temporal phenomena such as invasive species, consumer-resource interactions, community evolution, and resource selection. Specifical
Authors
Mevin Hooten, Martha J. Garlick, James A. Powell

Current status, issues and applications of GIS to inland fisheries

This chapter is concerned with GIS applications made to inland fisheries. These include fisheries in freshwater rivers, lakes and reservoirs. Although these GIS applications have increased rapidly since the late 1980s, this area of fish production receives less attention than either aquaculture or marine fisheries. This is probably because inland fisheries are often practised in remote areas, at a
Authors
William Fisher

Reforestation to enhance Appalachian mined lands as habitat for terrestrial wildlife

Surface mining is widespread throughout the Appalachian coalfield, a region with extensive forests that are rich in wildlife. Game species for hunting, non-game wildlife species, and other organisms are important contributors to sustainable and productive ecosystems. Although small breaks in the forest canopy are important to wildlife diversity, most native Appalachian wildlife species require pri
Authors
Petra B. Wood, Jeff Larkin, Jeremy Mizel, Carl E. Zipper, Patrick Angel

Re-introduction of Bobcats to Cumberland Island, Georgia, USA: Status and lessons learned after 25 years

The bobcat (Lynx rufus) is a medium-sized spotted cat (4 - 18 kg), widely distributed in North America. Bobcats are legally harvestable in most of their range, and are currently classified as Least Concern by IUCN and listed in Appendix II of CITES, due to similarity of appearance with other spotted cat species. Bobcats in the coastal plain region of Georgia, USA, occur at densities of 0.4 - 0.6 p
Authors
Duane R. Diefenbach, Leslie A. Hansen, Cassandra Miller-Butterworth, Justin H. Bohling, Robert J. Warren, Michael J. Conroy

Management guidelines for enhancing Cerulean Warbler breeding habitat in Appalachian hardwood forests

The Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea) is a migratory songbird that breeds in mature deciduous forests of eastern North America. Cerulean Warblers (hereafter, ceruleans) require heavily forested landscapes for nesting and, within Appalachian forests, primarily occur on ridge tops and steep, upper slopes. They are generally associated with oakdominated (Quercus spp.) stands that contain gaps in t
Authors
Petra Wood, James Sheehan, Patrick D. Keyser, David A. Buehler, Jeff Larkin, Amanda D. Rodewald, Scott H. Stoleson, T. Bently Wigley, Jeremy Mizel, Than J. Boves, Greg George, Marja H. Bakermans, Tiffany A. Beachy, Andrea Evans, Molly E. McDermott, Felicity L. Newell, Kelly A. Perkins, Matt White

WICCI Wildlife Working Group Report

Wisconsin is world-renowned for its diversity of ecological landscapes and wildlife populations.  The northern forests, southern prairies, and interior and coastal wetlands of the state are home to more than 500 terrestrial animal species.  These animals supply the Wisconsin public with aesthetic, cultural, and economic benefits; our identity and economy are intertwined with these natural resource
Authors
Olivia E. LeDee, Suzanne Hagell, K. Martin, David McFarland, Michael Meyer, Andy Paulios, Christine A. Ribic, D. Sample, Timothy R. Van Deelen

Seasonal climate variation and caribou availability: Modeling sequential movement using satellite-relocation data

Livelihood systems that depend on mobile resources must constantly adapt to change. For people living in permanent settlements, environmental changes that affect the distribution of a migratory species may reduce the availability of a primary food source, with the potential to destabilize the regional social-ecological system. Food security for Arctic indigenous peoples harvesting barren ground ca
Authors
Craig Nicolson, Matthew Berman, Colin Thor West, Gary P. Kofinas, Brad Griffith, Don Russell, Darcy Dugan

Influence of sex and reproductive status on seasonal movement of Lake Sturgeon in Namakan Reservoir, Minnesota–Ontario

We evaluated the influence of sex and reproductive condition on seasonal distribution and movement patterns of Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens in Namakan Reservoir, Minnesota–Ontario. Blood samples were collected from 133 Lake Sturgeon prior to spawning and plasma concentrations of testosterone and estradiol-17ß were analyzed using radioimmunoassay. Steroid concentrations were used to determine
Authors
Stephanie L. Shaw, Steven R. Chipps, Steve K. Windels, Molly A. H. Webb, Darryl T. McLeod

The ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) as a model for testing food-value theory

Food-value theory states that territorial animals space themselves such that each territory contains adequate food for rearing young. The ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) is often cited as a species for which this hypothesis is supported because ovenbird territory size is inversely related to ground-invertebrate abundance within territories. However, little is known about juvenile ovenbird diet and
Authors
Henry M. Streby, Sean M. Peterson, Brian Scholtens, Adrian P. Monroe, David Andersen

Vertical structure use by the Stout Iguana (Cyclura pinguis) on Guana Island, BVI

The Stout Iguana (Cyclura pinguis) is a critically endangered species endemic to the Puerto Rico Bank and currently restricted to the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Our study on Guana Island, BVI, focused on vertical structure use. Based on previous incidental observations, we hypothesized that Stout Iguanas use vertical structures and that adults and juveniles use such structures differently. In O
Authors
Christopher A. Cheek, Shay Hlavaty, Rebecca N. Perkins, Mark A. Peyton, Caitlin N. Ryan, Jennifer C. Zavaleta, Clint W. Boal, Gad Perry