I am a Supervisory Ecologist at the USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center. My research focuses on population ecology, community ecology, and restoration in forests and shrublands of the Intermountain West.
My research focuses on how stochastic and anthropogenic disturbances influence species, communities, and habitats. I am interested in how these interactions can affect the outcome of management actions such as habitat restoration or exotic species removal efforts. My experience is in modeling species-habitat relationships, interspecific interactions, habitat connectivity, climate suitability, and in using multivariate approaches to assess community structure and composition. Much of my work has focused on the effects of landscape-scale disturbance or restoration on patch-scale community structure and composition in forest and sagebrush ecosystems. I have worked in several biomes and community types of western North America including studies in alpine lakes and meadows, coniferous forests, riparian forests, mountain streams, sagebrush shrublands, and grasslands. In these systems, I have studied communities of plants, biotic soil crusts, aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, salmonids, birds, small mammals, and ungulate mammals.
Professional Experience
2011 - Present: Supervisory Ecologist, USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, ID
2007 - 2011: Ecologist, USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, ID
2004 - 2007: Lecturer, Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, CA
Education and Certifications
M.S., Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA (2007)
B.S., Biological Sciences (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology), University of California, Irvine, CA (2002)
Science and Products
GIS Clipping and Summarization Tool for Points, Lines, Polygons, and Rasters
Annotated Bibliography of Scientific Research on Greater Sage-Grouse
Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Biology Team (FRESC)
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Characteristics, presence of erosional features, and cover of vegetation and bare ground on fields formerly enrolled in grassland, wetland, and wildlife practices of the Conservation Reserve Program in the central and western United States from 2017 to 20
Reestablishing a foundational species: limitations on post-wildfire sagebrush seedling establishment
Presence of erosional features and cover of grasses, forbs, and bare ground on fields enrolled in grassland, wetland, and wildlife practices of the Conservation Reserve Program in the central and western United States from 2016 to 2018
Ecological drought for sagebrush seedings in the Great Basin
Fuels Database for Intact and Invaded Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) Ecological Sites
Combined wildfire dataset for the United States and certain territories, 1870-2015
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Persistence and quality of vegetation cover in expired Conservation Reserve Program fields
Reestablishing a foundational species: limitations on post-wildfire sagebrush seedling establishment
Importance of local weather and environmental gradients on demography of a broadly distributed temperate frog
Hydroclimatic conditions, wildfire, and species assemblages influence co-occurrence of bull trout and tailed frogs in northern Rocky Mountain streams
Protecting restoration investments from the cheatgrass-fire cycle in sagebrush steppe
Evaluating establishment of conservation practices in the Conservation Reserve Program across the central and western United States
Stream restoration is influenced by details of engineered habitats at a headwater mine site
Harvester ant seed removal in an invaded sagebrush ecosystem: Implications for restoration
Annotated bibliography of scientific research on greater sage-grouse published from 2015 to 2019
Postfire growth of seeded and planted big sagebrush - Strategic designs for restoring Greater Sage-grouse nesting habitat
Extreme arsenic and antimony uptake and tolerance in toad tadpoles during development in highly contaminated wetlands
Small-scale water deficits after wildfires create long-lasting ecological impacts
Non-USGS Publications**
**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.
Interactive Supplement - When and How Often do Seedings Experience a Wildfire?
Interactive Tableau supplement to the paper “Protecting Restoration Investments from the Cheatgrass-fire Cycle in Sagebrush Steppe.”
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
GIS Clipping and Summarization Toolbox
Science and Products
- Science
GIS Clipping and Summarization Tool for Points, Lines, Polygons, and Rasters
Geographic Information System (GIS) analyses are an essential part of natural resource management and research. Calculating and summarizing data within intersecting GIS layers is common practice for analysts and researchers. However, the various tools and steps required to complete this process are slow and tedious, requiring many tools iterating over hundreds, or even thousands of datasets. We prAnnotated Bibliography of Scientific Research on Greater Sage-Grouse
The greater sage-grouse has been a focus of scientific investigation and management action for the past two decades. The sheer number of scientific publications can be a challenge for managers tasked with evaluating and determining the need for potential updates to existing planning documents.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... - Data
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Characteristics, presence of erosional features, and cover of vegetation and bare ground on fields formerly enrolled in grassland, wetland, and wildlife practices of the Conservation Reserve Program in the central and western United States from 2017 to 20
Data included in this data set are from edge-of-field surveys that recorded the presence of erosional features, cover of vegetation and bare ground, and management activities (e.g., haying) on 1092 fields that had expired from three types of conservation practices (grassland, wetland, and wildlife) in the Conservation Reserve Program. Field sampling data were recorded across six US Department of AReestablishing a foundational species: limitations on post-wildfire sagebrush seedling establishment
This dataset contains observations used to better understand the initial establishment of sagebrush (Artemisia sp.), in the first 1-2 years post-wildfire. Field data come from 460 sagebrush populations sampled across the Great Basin and many GIS-derived co-variates are included as well.Presence of erosional features and cover of grasses, forbs, and bare ground on fields enrolled in grassland, wetland, and wildlife practices of the Conservation Reserve Program in the central and western United States from 2016 to 2018
Data included in this data set are from in-field and edge-of-field surveys that recorded the presence of erosional features and cover of vegetation and bare ground on 1786 Conservation Reserve Program fields across three types of conservation practices (grassland, wetland, and wildlife). Field sampling data were recorded across six US Department of Agriculture Farm Production Regions (Corn belt, LEcological drought for sagebrush seedings in the Great Basin
Monthly Standardize Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), Daily soil-water potential (MPa) and soil temperature (degree C) data for plots from SageSuccess. The SageSuccess Project is a joint effort between USGS, BLM, and FWS to understand how to establish big sagebrush and ultimately restore functioning sagebrush ecosystems. Improving the success of land management treatments to restore sFuels Database for Intact and Invaded Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) Ecological Sites
The Fuels Guide and Database for Big Sagebrush Ecological Sites was developed as part of the Joint Fire Sciences Program project "Quantifying and predicting fuels and the effects of reduction treatments along successional and invasion gradients in sagebrush habitats" (Shinneman and others, 2015). The research was carried out by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem ScienCombined wildfire dataset for the United States and certain territories, 1870-2015
The increase in wildfires, particularly in the western U.S., represents one of the greatest threats to multiple native ecosystems. Despite this threat, there is currently no central repository to store both past and current wildfire perimeter data. Currently, wildfire boundaries can only be found in disparate local or national datasets. These datasets are generally restricted to specific locations - Multimedia
- Publications
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Filter Total Items: 44Persistence and quality of vegetation cover in expired Conservation Reserve Program fields
For nearly 40 years, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has implemented practices to reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and provide habitat for wildlife and pollinators on highly erodible cropland in the United States. However, an approximately 40,470 ha (10 million acres) decline in enrolled CRP land over the last decade has greatly reduced the program's environmental benefits. We soAuthorsMark W. Vandever, Kenneth Elgersma, Sarah K. Carter, Ai Wen, Justin L. Welty, Robert Arkle, Timothy J. Assal, David Pilliod, David M. Mushet, Rich IovannaReestablishing a foundational species: limitations on post-wildfire sagebrush seedling establishment
Improving post-wildfire restoration of foundational plant species is crucial for conserving imperiled ecosystems. We sought to better understand the initial establishment of sagebrush (Artemisia sp.), a foundational shrubland species over a vast area of western North America, in the first 1–2 years post-wildfire, a critical time period for population recovery. Field data from 460 sagebrush populatAuthorsRobert Arkle, David Pilliod, Matthew Germino, Michelle Jeffries, Justin L. WeltyImportance of local weather and environmental gradients on demography of a broadly distributed temperate frog
Amphibian populations are sensitive to environmental temperatures and moisture, which vary with local weather conditions and may reach new norms and extremes as contemporary climate change progresses. Using long-term (11–16 years) mark-recapture data from 10 populations of the Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris) from across its U.S. range, we addressed hypotheses about how demographic relatiAuthorsDavid Pilliod, Rebecca McCaffery, Robert Arkle, Rick D. Scherer, Jacqueline B. Cupples, Lisa A. Eby, Blake R. Hossack, Hallie Lingo, Kristin N. Lohr, Bryce A. Maxell, Megan J. McGuire, Chad Mellison, Marisa K. Meyer, James C. Munger, Teri Slatauski, Rachel Van HorneHydroclimatic conditions, wildfire, and species assemblages influence co-occurrence of bull trout and tailed frogs in northern Rocky Mountain streams
Although bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) and tailed frogs (Ascaphus montanus) have co-existed in forested Pacific Northwest streams for millennia, these iconic cold-water specialists are experiencing rapid environmental change caused by a warming climate and enhanced wildfire activity. Our goal was to inform future conservation by examining the habitat associations of each species and conditioAuthorsDavid Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Russel F Thurow, Dan J IsaakProtecting restoration investments from the cheatgrass-fire cycle in sagebrush steppe
The US federal government has recently committed to the difficult task of slowing and managing the invasive grass-fire cycle in sagebrush steppe, where property, livelihoods, and entire ecosystems are at risk. To safely manage this crisis, the government recently proposed to construct about 17,700 km of fuel breaks and millions of hectares of fuel reduction treatments in six western states. A chalAuthorsDavid Pilliod, Michelle Jeffries, Justin L. Welty, Robert ArkleEvaluating establishment of conservation practices in the Conservation Reserve Program across the central and western United States
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is one of the largest private lands conservation programs in the United States, establishing perennial vegetation on environmentally sensitive lands formerly in agricultural production. Over its 35 year existence, the CRP has evolved to include diverse conservation practices (CPs) while concomitantly meeting its core goals ofAuthorsMark W. Vandever, Sarah K. Carter, Timothy J. Assal, Kenneth Elgersma, Ai Wen, Justin L. Welty, Robert Arkle, Rich IovannaStream restoration is influenced by details of engineered habitats at a headwater mine site
A lack of information regarding which ecological factors influence restoration success or failure has hindered scientifically based restoration decision-making. We focus on one headwater site to examine factors influencing divergent ecological outcomes of two post-mining stream restoration projects designed to improve instream conditions following 70 years of mining impacts. One project was designAuthorsRobert Arkle, David PilliodHarvester ant seed removal in an invaded sagebrush ecosystem: Implications for restoration
A better understanding of seed movement in plant community dynamics is needed, especially in light of disturbance‐driven changes and investments into restoring degraded plant communities. A primary agent of change within the sagebrush‐steppe is wildfire and invasion by non‐native forbs and grasses, primarily cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum). Our objectives were to quantify seed removal and evaluate ecAuthorsKelsey E Paolini, Matthew Modlin, Alexis A Suazo, David Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Kerri T. Vierling, Joseph D. HolbrookAnnotated bibliography of scientific research on greater sage-grouse published from 2015 to 2019
The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter GRSG) has been a focus of scientific investigation and management action for the past two decades. The 2015 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listing determination of “not warranted” was in part due to a large-scale collaborative effort to develop strategies to conserve GRSG populations and their habitat and to reduce threats to both. NewAuthorsSarah K. Carter, Robert S. Arkle, Heidi L. Bencin, Benjamin R. Harms, Daniel J. Manier, Aaron N. Johnston, Susan L. Phillips, Steven E. Hanser, Zachary H. BowenPostfire growth of seeded and planted big sagebrush - Strategic designs for restoring Greater Sage-grouse nesting habitat
Wildfires change plant community structure and impact wildlife habitat and population dynamics. Recent wildfire‐induced losses of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) in North American shrublands are outpacing natural recovery and leading to substantial losses in habitat for sagebrush‐obligate species such as Greater Sage‐grouse. Managers are considering restoration strategies that include plantinAuthorsDavid A. Pyke, Robert K. Shriver, Robert Arkle, David Pilliod, Cameron L. Aldridge, Peter S. Coates, Matthew Germino, Julie A. Heinrichs, Mark A. Ricca, Scott ShaffExtreme arsenic and antimony uptake and tolerance in toad tadpoles during development in highly contaminated wetlands
The effects of extreme concentrations of toxic metalloids, such as arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb), on larval amphibians are not well-understood. We sampled Western Toad tadpoles (Anaxyrus boreas) living in As- and Sb-contaminated wetlands throughout their development. Although the tadpoles completed metamorphosis, they accumulated among the highest concentrations of As and Sb ever reported for a lAuthorsMeghan A. Dovick, Thomas R Kulp, Robert Arkle, David PilliodSmall-scale water deficits after wildfires create long-lasting ecological impacts
Ecological droughts are deficits in soil–water availability that induce threshold-like ecosystem responses, such as causing altered or degraded plant-community conditions, which can be exceedingly difficult to reverse. However, 'ecological drought' can be difficult to define, let alone to quantify, especially at spatial and temporal scales relevant to land managers. This is despite a growing needAuthorsRory O'Connor, Matthew Germino, David M Barnard, Caitlin M. Andrews, John B. Bradford, David Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Robert K ShriverNon-USGS Publications**
Arkle, R.S., Pilliod, D.S., Strickler, K.M., 2010, Fire, flow and dynamic equilibrium in stream macroinvertebrate communities: Freshwater Biology, v. 55, p. 299-314.**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.
- Web Tools
Interactive Supplement - When and How Often do Seedings Experience a Wildfire?
Interactive Tableau supplement to the paper “Protecting Restoration Investments from the Cheatgrass-fire Cycle in Sagebrush Steppe.”
- Software
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
GIS Clipping and Summarization Toolbox
This tool is being provided free to the public in support of GIS specialists who calculate summary information. - News