Resource monitoring is critically important for documenting trends and learning from the past (i.e., adaptive management), yet it has been plagued with poor design and execution. We are developing and testing novel approaches to wildlife monitoring, including the use of non-invasive field sampling and molecular markers to determine patterns of species occurrence and population abundance relative to management actions or habitat conditions. We are using remote sensing methods to improve mapping and prediction of wildlife habitats and the quality of those habitats for different species.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Biology Team (FRESC)
Below are publications associated with this project.
Genomics-informed delineation of conservation units in a desert amphibian
A national-scale assessment of mercury bioaccumulation in United States National Parks using dragonfly larvae as biosentinels through a citizen-science framework
A round-robin evaluation of the repeatability and reproducibility of environmental DNA assays for dreissenid mussels
Integration of eDNA-based biological monitoring within the US Geological Survey’s national streamgage network
Adding invasive species bio-surveillance to the U.S. Geological Survey streamgage network
Can’t see the random forest for the decision trees: Selecting predictive models for restoration ecology
Appropriate sample sizes for monitoring burned pastures in sagebrush steppe: How many plots are enough, and can one size fit all?
Quantifying climate sensitivity and climate-driven change in North American amphibian communities
An introduction and practical guide to use of the Soil-Vegetation Inventory Method (SVIM) data
An analytical framework for estimating aquatic species density from environmental DNA
Methodological considerations of terrestrial laser scanning for vegetation monitoring in the sagebrush steppe
Lidar aboveground vegetation biomass estimates in shrublands: Prediction, uncertainties and application to coarser scales
- Overview
Resource monitoring is critically important for documenting trends and learning from the past (i.e., adaptive management), yet it has been plagued with poor design and execution. We are developing and testing novel approaches to wildlife monitoring, including the use of non-invasive field sampling and molecular markers to determine patterns of species occurrence and population abundance relative to management actions or habitat conditions. We are using remote sensing methods to improve mapping and prediction of wildlife habitats and the quality of those habitats for different species.
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Biology Team (FRESC)
Wildlife respond to changes in their environment, some of which are dramatic and others subtle. To fully understand the factors that drive changes in populations and communities, we need better information on wildlife ecology in natural and human-altered landscapes. We conduct research and provide technical assistance to address applied questions about the ecology and conservation of wildlife... - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 32Genomics-informed delineation of conservation units in a desert amphibian
Delineating conservation units (CUs, e.g., evolutionarily significant units, ESUs, and management units, MUs) is critical to the recovery of declining species because CUs inform both listing status and management actions. Genomic data have strengths and limitations in informing CU delineation and related management questions in natural systems. We illustrate the value of using genomic data in combAuthorsBrenna R. Forester, Melanie Murphy, Chad Mellison, Jeffrey Petersen, David Pilliod, Rachel Van Horne, Jim Harvey, W. Chris FunkA national-scale assessment of mercury bioaccumulation in United States National Parks using dragonfly larvae as biosentinels through a citizen-science framework
We conducted a national-scale assessment of mercury (Hg) bioaccumulation in aquatic ecosystems using dragonfly larvae as biosentinels, by developing a citizen science network to facilitate biological sampling. Implementing a carefully designed sampling methodology for citizen scientists, we developed an effective framework for landscape-level inquiry that might otherwise be resource limited. We asAuthorsCollin Eagles-Smith, James Willacker, Sarah J. Nelson, Collen M Flanagan Pritz, David P. Krabbenhoft, Celia Y. Chen, Joshua T. Ackerman, Evan H. Campbell Grant, David PilliodA round-robin evaluation of the repeatability and reproducibility of environmental DNA assays for dreissenid mussels
Resource managers may be hesitant to make decisions based on environmental (e)DNA results alone since eDNA is an indirect method of species detection. One way to reduce the uncertainty of eDNA is to identify laboratory‐based protocols that ensure repeatable and reproducible results. We conducted a double‐blind round‐robin analysis of probe‐based assays for DNA of dreissenid (Dreissena spp.) musselAuthorsAdam J. Sepulveda, Patrick R. Hutchins, Craig Jackson, Carl Ostberg, Matthew Laramie, Jon Amberg, Timothy Counihan, Andrew B. Hoegh, David PilliodIntegration of eDNA-based biological monitoring within the US Geological Survey’s national streamgage network
This study explores the feasibility and utility of integrating environmental DNA (eDNA) assessments of species occurrences into the United States (U.S.) Geological Survey’s national streamgage network. We used an existing network of five gages in southwest Idaho to explore the type of information that could be gained as well as the associated costs and limitations. Hydrologic technicians were traiAuthorsDavid Pilliod, Matthew Laramie, Dorene McCoy, Scott MacleanAdding invasive species bio-surveillance to the U.S. Geological Survey streamgage network
The costs of invasive species in the United States alone are estimated to exceed US$100 billion per year so a critical tactic in minimizing the costs of invasive species is the development of effective, early-detection systems. To this end, we evaluated the efficacy of adding environmental (e)DNA surveillance to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgage network, which consists of > 8,200 streamAuthorsAdam J. Sepulveda, Christian Schmidt, Jon Amberg, Patrick R. Hutchins, Christian Stratton, Christopher A. Mebane, Matthew Laramie, David PilliodCan’t see the random forest for the decision trees: Selecting predictive models for restoration ecology
Improving predictions of restoration outcomes is increasingly important to resource managers for accountability and adaptive management, yet there is limited guidance for selecting a predictive model from the multitude available. The goal of this paper was to identify an optimal predictive framework for restoration ecology using eleven modeling frameworks (including, machine learning, inferential,AuthorsDavid Barnard, Matthew Germino, David Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Cara Applestein, Bill Davidson, Matthew FiskAppropriate sample sizes for monitoring burned pastures in sagebrush steppe: How many plots are enough, and can one size fit all?
Statistically defensible information on vegetation conditions is needed to guide rangeland management decisions following disturbances such as wildfire, often for heterogeneous pastures. Here we evaluate the number of plots needed to make informed adaptive management decisions using >2000 plots sampled on the 2015 Soda Fire that burned across 75 pastures and 113,000 ha in Idaho and Oregon, USA. WeAuthorsCara Applestein, Matthew J. Germino, David Pilliod, Matthew Fisk, Robert ArkleQuantifying climate sensitivity and climate-driven change in North American amphibian communities
Changing climate will impact species’ ranges only when environmental variability directly impacts the demography of local populations. However, measurement of demographic responses to climate change has largely been limited to single species and locations. Here we show that amphibian communities are responsive to climatic variability, using >500,000 time-series observations for 81 species across 8AuthorsDavid A.W. Miller, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Erin L. Muths, Staci M. Amburgey, M. J. Adams, Maxwell B. Joseph, J. Hardin Waddle, Pieter T.J. Johnson, Maureen E. Ryan, Benedikt R. Schmidt, Daniel L. Calhoun, Courtney L. Davis, Robert N. Fisher, David M. Green, Blake R. Hossack, Tracy A.G. Rittenhouse, Susan C. Walls, Larissa L. Bailey, Sam S. Cruickshank, Gary M. Fellers, Thomas A. Gorman, Carola A. Haas, Ward Hughson, David S. Pilliod, Steven J. Price, Andrew M. Ray, Walter Sadinski, Daniel Saenz, William J. Barichivich, Adrianne B. Brand, Cheryl S. Brehme, Rosi Dagit, Katy S. Delaney, Brad M. Glorioso, Lee B. Kats, Patrick M. Kleeman, Christopher Pearl, Carlton J. Rochester, Seth P. D. Riley, Mark F. Roth, Brent SigafusByEcosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Southwest Biological Science Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Wetland and Aquatic Research CenterAn introduction and practical guide to use of the Soil-Vegetation Inventory Method (SVIM) data
Long-term vegetation dynamics across public rangelands in the western United States are not well understood because of the lack of large-scale, readily available historic datasets. The Bureau of Land Management’s Soil-Vegetation Inventory Method (SVIM) program was implemented between 1977 and 1983 across 14 western states, but the data have not been easily accessible. We introduce the SVIM vegetatAuthorsBrittany S. Barker, David S. Pilliod, Justin L. Welty, Robert S. Arkle, Michael G. "Sherm" Karl, Gordon ToevsAn analytical framework for estimating aquatic species density from environmental DNA
Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis of water samples is on the brink of becoming a standard monitoring method for aquatic species. This method has improved detection rates over conventional survey methods and thus has demonstrated effectiveness for estimation of site occupancy and species distribution. The frontier of eDNA applications, however, is to infer species density. Building upon previous stAuthorsThierry Chambert, David S. Pilliod, Caren S. Goldberg, Hideyuki Doi, Teruhiko TakaharaMethodological considerations of terrestrial laser scanning for vegetation monitoring in the sagebrush steppe
Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) provides fast collection of high-definition structural information, making it a valuable field instrument to many monitoring applications. A weakness of TLS collections, especially in vegetation, is the occurrence of unsampled regions in point clouds where the sensor’s line-of-sight is blocked by intervening material. This problem, referred to as occlusion, may beAuthorsKyle E. Anderson, Nancy Glenn, Lucas Spaete, Douglas J. Shinneman, David S. Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Susan McIlroy, DeWayne R. DerryberryLidar aboveground vegetation biomass estimates in shrublands: Prediction, uncertainties and application to coarser scales
Our study objectives were to model the aboveground biomass in a xeric shrub-steppe landscape with airborne light detection and ranging (Lidar) and explore the uncertainty associated with the models we created. We incorporated vegetation vertical structure information obtained from Lidar with ground-measured biomass data, allowing us to scale shrub biomass from small field sites (1 m subplots and 1AuthorsAihua Li, Shital Dhakal, Nancy F. Glenn, Luke P. Spaete, Douglas J. Shinneman, David S. Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Susan McIlroy