Publications
Click below for access to more than 170,000 publications written by USGS scientists over the century-plus history of the bureau.
Filter Total Items: 756
Linking plant and animal functional diversity with an experimental community restoration in a Hawaiian lowland wet forest
Testing how plant restoration influences animal taxonomic and functional diversity can shift restoration projects beyond mainly plant community considerations. We incorporated multi-trophic interactions into restoration by describing an ongoing functional trait-based restoration experiment in Hawaiian lowland tropical wet forest (Liko Nā Pilina Experiment), where litter arthropods are examined fro
Authors
Rebecca Ostertag, Esther Sebastián-González, Robert W. Peck, Trebor Hall, Jihoo Kim, Nicole DiManno, Donald Rayonne, Susan Cordell, Paul C. Banko, Amanda Uowolo
Forest bird trends within Haleakala National Park
In 2017, the comprehensive east Maui bird surveys allowed for an update in status and evaluation of trends in bird populations within Haleakalā National Park. This report describes a finer-scale analysis of the park lands, distinguishing between the upper Kīpahulu Valley plus adjacent high-elevation areas compared to the rest of the park. I report abundance estimates and assess trends for six nati
Authors
Kevin W. Brinck
Ambrosia beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) communities and frass production in ʻŌhiʻa (Myrtales: Myrtaceae) infected with Ceratocystis (Microascales: Ceratocystidaceae) fungi responsible for Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death
Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD) is a deadly disease that is threatening the native Hawaiian keystone tree species, ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha Gaudich). Ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) and their frass are hypothesized to play a major role in the spread of ROD, although their ecological niches and frass production within trees and across the landscape are not well understood. We cha
Authors
Kylle Roy, Kelly Jaenecke, Robert W. Peck
Habitat suitability and ecological associations of two non-native ungulate species on the Hawaiian island of Lanai
The ability to effectively manage game species for specific conservation objectives is often limited by the scientific understanding of their distribution and abundance. This is especially true in Hawai‘i where introduced game mammals are poorly studied and have low value relative to native species in other states. We modeled the habitat suitability and ecological associations of European mouflon
Authors
Steve C. Hess, Lucas Fortini, Christina Leopold, Jacob Muise, Jonathan Sprague
Analysis of genomic sequence data reveals the origin and evolutionary separation of Hawaiian hoary bat populations
We examine the genetic history and population status of Hawaiian hoary bats (Lasiurus semotus), the most isolated bats on Earth, and their relationship to northern hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus), through whole-genome analysis of single-nucleotide polymorphisms mapped to a de novo-assembled reference genome. Profiles of genomic diversity and divergence indicate that Hawaiian hoary bats are distinct
Authors
Corinna A. Pinzari, Lin Kang, Pawel Michalak, Lars S Jermiin, Donald K Price, Frank Bonaccorso
Architecture of remnant trees influences native woody plant recruitment in abandoned Hawaiian pastures
Abandoned tropical pastures offer opportunities for passive and active restoration of native forest communities. Tree architecture of remnant canopy trees may be one important factor that can facilitate native plant recruitment in abandoned pastures but has largely been overlooked. Here, we evaluated patterns of native woody plant recruitment under remnant trees in abandoned pastures on Hawai’i Is
Authors
Evan M Rehm, Stephanie G. Yelenik, Marley Puanani Smith, Carla M. D’Antonio
Using density surface models to estimate spatio-temporal changes in population densities and trend
Precise measures of population abundance and trend are needed for species conservation; these are most difficult to obtain for rare and rapidly changing populations. We compare uncertainty in densities estimated from spatio–temporal models with that from standard design‐based methods. Spatio–temporal models allow us to target priority areas where, and at times when, a population may most benefit.
Authors
Richard J. Camp, David L Miller, Len Thomas, Steve T. Buckland, Steve J. Kendall
Ecological forecasting—21st century science for 21st century management
Natural resource managers are coping with rapid changes in both environmental conditions and ecosystems. Enabled by recent advances in data collection and assimilation, short-term ecological forecasting may be a powerful tool to help resource managers anticipate impending near-term changes in ecosystem conditions or dynamics. Managers may use the information in forecasts to minimize the adverse ef
Authors
John B. Bradford, Jake Weltzin, Molly L. McCormick, Jill Baron, Zack Bowen, Sky Bristol, Daren Carlisle, Theresa Crimmins, Paul C. Cross, Joe DeVivo, Mike Dietze, Mary Freeman, Jason Goldberg, Mevin Hooten, Leslie Hsu, Karen Jenni, Jennifer L. Keisman, Jonathan Kennen, Kathy Lee, David P. Lesmes, Keith Loftin, Brian W. Miller, Peter S. Murdoch, Jana Newman, Karen L. Prentice, Imtiaz Rangwala, Jordan Read, Jennifer Sieracki, Helen Sofaer, Steve Thur, Gordon Toevs, Francisco Werner, C. LeAnn White, Timothy White, Mark T. Wiltermuth
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Science Synthesis, Analysis and Research Program, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS) Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Kansas Water Science Center, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center
Restoration at the landscape scale as a means of mitigation and adaptation to climate change
Purpose of ReviewAlthough landscape-scale restoration efforts are gaining traction worldwide, their success is generally unknown. We review landscape-scale restorations to gain insight to whether focal ecological outcomes have been achieved, in the face of changing environmental conditions.Recent FindingsOnly 9% of the 477 articles that resulted from our search were studies of landscape-scale rest
Authors
Betsy von Holle, Stephanie G. Yelenik, Elise S Gornish
Stable isotope analysis of multiple tissues from Hawaiian honeycreepers indicates elevational movement
We have limited knowledge of the patterns, causes, and prevalence of elevational migration despite observations of seasonal movements of animals along elevational gradients in montane systems worldwide. While a third of extant Hawaiian landbird species are estimated to be elevational migrants this assumption is based primarily on early naturalist’s observations with limited empirical evidence. In
Authors
Kristina L. Paxton, Jeffery F Kelly, Sandra M Pletchet, Eben H. Paxton
Use of whole blood samples preserved in DNA lysis buffer for serological detection of avian malaria in Hawaiian forest birds
Recent detections of avian malarial parasites in native and non-native forest birds at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge and reports of epidemic transmission of the disease in high elevation habitats as well as controversy over accuracy of the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) diagnostic test that was being used led to a request by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to see if existing blood sample
Authors
Carter T. Atkinson
Local to landscape-level controls of water fluxes through Hawaiian forests: Effects of invasive animals and plants on soil infiltration capacity across substrate and moisture gradients
Given the potential effect of invasive plants and animals to water fluxes through forests, the invasive-driven degradation of native ecosystems is a topic of great concern for many downstream land and water managers. The infiltration rate determines the partitioning between runoff and infiltration into soil in Hawaiian forests and beyond. Thus, to explore the ecohydrological effects of plant and a
Authors
Lucas B. Fortini, Christina Leopold, Kimberlie Perkins, Oliver A. Chadwick, Stephanie G. Yelenik, James D. Jacobi, Kaiena Bishaw, Makani Gregg, Sarah N. Rosa