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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: 4178

Survival and selection of migrating salmon from capture-recapture models with individual traits

Capture–recapture studies are powerful tools for studying animal population dynamics, providing information on population abundance, survival rates, population growth rates, and selection for phenotypic traits. In these studies, the probability of observing a tagged individual reflects both the probability of the individual surviving to the time of recapture and the probability of recapturing an a
Authors
Richard Zabel, Tyler Wagner, James Congleton, Steven G. Smith, John G. Williams

p,p'-DDE depresses the immune competence of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) leukocytes

p,p′-DDE, the main metabolite of DDT, is still detected in aquatic environments throughout the world. Here, the effects and mechanisms by which p,p′-DDE exposure might affect the immune system of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) was studied. Isolated salmon splenic and pronephric leukocytes were incubated with different concentrations of p,p′-DDE, and cell viability, induction of apoptosi
Authors
Ichiro Misumi, Anthony T. Vella, Jo-Ann C. Leong, Teruyuki Nakanishi, Carl B. Schreck

Survival of captive-reared Puerto Rican Parrots released in the Caribbean National Forest

We report first-year survival for 34 captive-reared Puerto Rican Parrots (Amazona vittata) released in the Caribbean National Forest, Puerto Rico between 2000 and 2002. The purpose of the releases were to increase population size and the potential number of breeding individuals of the sole extant wild population, and to refine release protocols for eventual reintroduction of a second wild populati
Authors
Thomas H. White, Jaime A. Collazo, Francisco Vilella

Bioeconomic analysis of selected conservation practices on soil erosion and freshwater fisheries

Farmers can generate environmental benefits (improved water quality and fisheries and wildlife habitat), but they may not be able to quantify them. Furthermore, farmers may reduce their incomes from managing lands to produce these positive externalities but receive little monetary compensation in return. This study simulated the relationship between agricultural practices, water quality, fish resp
Authors
John Westra, J. K. H. Zimmerman, Bruce C. Vondracek

Habitat use, movements and home range of wintering Lesser Scaup in Florida

Radio telemetry and diurnal time activity budgets were used to show that wintering Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) used different habitats for comfort and feeding activities at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (Merritt Island), Florida and adjacent estuarine areas. Management should take this spatial consideration into account. The same data were used to determine if habitat use differed betw
Authors
Garth Herring, Jaime A. Collazo

First record of the plains minnow, Hybognathus placitus, in Canada

Seven Plains Minnows, Hybognathus placitus, Family Cyprinidae, were collected on 11 June 2003 from Morgan Creek, in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan, Canada. This collection is the first record of the species in Canada and extends the northern distribution limit of the species. Of 95 Hybognathus spp. collected at the site, only eight specimens were retained for positive identification becaus
Authors
R. M. Sylvester, S. E. Freeling, C. R. Berry

Flight speeds of northern pintails during migration determined by satellite telemetry

Speed (km/hr) during flight is one of several factors determining the rate of migration (km/ day) and flight range of birds. We attached 26-g, back-mounted satellite-received radio tags (platform transmitting terminals; PTTs) to adult female Northern Pintails (Anas acuta) during (1) midwinter 2000–2003 in the northern Central Valley of California, (2) fall and winter 2002–2003 in the Playa Lakes R
Authors
Michael R. Miller, John Y. Takekawa, Joseph P. Fleskes, Dennis L. Orthmeyer, Michael L. Casazza, David A. Haukos, William M. Perry

Prevalence of pox-like lesions and malaria in forest bird communitites on leeward Mauna Loa volcano, Hawaii

Introduced avian pox virus and malaria have had devastating impacts on native Hawaiian forest birds, yet little has been published about their prevalence and distribution in forest bird communities outside of windward Hawaii Island. We surveyed native and non-native forest birds for these two diseases at three different elevations on leeward Mauna Loa Volcano at the Kona Forest Unit of Hakalau For
Authors
Carter T. Atkinson, Julie K. Lease, Robert J. Dusek, Michael D. Samuel

How much is enough? The recurrent problem of setting measurable objectives in conservation

International agreements, environmental laws, resource management agencies, and environmental nongovernmental organizations all establish objectives that define what they hope to accomplish. Unfortunately, quantitative objectives in conservation are typically set without consistency and scientific rigor. As a result, conservationists are failing to provide credible answers to the question “How muc
Authors
Timothy Tear, Peter Kareiva, Paul L. Angermeier, P. Comer, Brian Czech, R. Kautz, L. Landon, D. Mehlman, K. Murphy, M. Ruckelshaus, J. Michael Scott, G. Wilhere

An annotated bibliography of selected guides for stream habitat improvement in the Pacific Northwest

This annotated bibliography is a response to widespread interest in stream habitat improvement in the Pacific Northwest by land managers, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and the lay public. Several guides to stream habitat improvement have been written in the past, but may not be easily accessible to people from diverse backgrounds. This annotated bibliography reviews 11 guides to
Authors
R.F. Keim, A.B. Price, T. S. Hardin, Arne E. Skaugset, D.S. Bateman, R. E. Gresswell, S. D. Tesch

Assessing rarity of species with low detectability: Lichens in Pacific Northwest forests

We show how simple statistical analyses of systematically collected inventory data can be used to provide reliable information about the distribution and habitat associations of rare species. Using an existing design-based sampling grid on which epiphytic macrolichens had been inventoried in the Northwest Forest Plan area of the U.S. Pacific Northwest, we (1) estimate frequencies and standard erro
Authors
T.C. Edwards, D.R. Cutler, L. Geiser, J. Alegria, D. McKenzie

Habitat restoration across large areas: Assessing wildlife responses in the Clearwater basin, Idaho

Over the past century, fire suppression and prevention have altered disturbance regimes across the Pacific Northwest, resulting in a significant divergence of historical and current conditions in forested habitats. To address this continuing trend in habitat changes and begin restoring historical patterns of disturbance, the Clearwater Basin Elk Habitat Initiative (CEI) proposes relatively extensi
Authors
L.K. Scanvara, G. Servheen, W. Melquist, D. Davis, J. M. Scott