USGS Cool Tools for Hot Topics
USGS Science Applications for Fish and Wildlife Management
Science Center Objects
The USGS Ecosystems Mission Area hosted an interactive session at the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies 2018 Annual Meeting that featured USGS science-based tools and approaches to address a variety of fish and wildlife management hot topics, including how and when to apply them to specific management issues. This page will be updated to provide the latest information on these tools and applications for decision-making.
New Tools to Predict and Detect the Spread of Invasive Species
Contacts:
Cindy Kolar, USGS Invasive Species Program Coordinator
Earl Campbell, USGS Invasive Species Program Manager
Pam Fuller, USGS Fishery Biologist - Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
Margaret Hunter, USGS Research Geneticist - Wetland and Aquatic
Research Center
Topics Covered:
- Invasive Species Range Expansion - Advances in prediction and monitoring tools
- eDNA to detect and estimate occupancy for invasive and imperiled species
- NAS FAST database and tools
Resources:
Disease and Biosurveillance Tools for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Management
Contact:
Dr. Camille Hopkins, USGS Wildlife Disease Coordinator
Topics Covered:
- CWD spread modeling tool
- CWD surveillance sampling design tool
Resources:
- USGS Wildlife Disease
- Wildlife Health Information Sharing Partnership (WHISPers)
- New Approach May Detect Chronic Wasting Disease Earlier, at Less Cost
Using Integrated Population Models can improve precision of T&E Species Management
Contact:
Lianne Ball, USGS Environments Program Manager
Integrated population models (IPM) are unified analyses of multiple data sets such as abundance and one or more demographic rates (e.g., survival or fecundity), permitting a more precise estimation of parameters and more accurate population inference. Combining data sets for an IPM allow us to better target interventions to specific parts of a specie’s life history, distinguish among causal hypotheses, and avoid negative outcomes from interventions.
Using IPMs to inform T&E management decisions has several advantages over traditional modeling techniques such as: leveraging of data to estimate latent quantities, better precision of estimated parameters, and a full accounting of process and sampling variability. An IPM is also more likely to be responsive to possible changes in system dynamics than a set of discrete models and associated weights.
Topics Covered:
-
What are Integrated Population Models and what are they good for?
-
Examples of how they have already been used.
Resources:
- USGS Environments Program Website
- Some of the USGS scientists who can help
- Integrated analysis for population estimation, management impact evaluation, and decision-making for a declining species
- Managing individual nests promotes population recovery of a top predator
- A new parameterization for integrated population models to document amphibian reintroductions
- Brown Trout in the Lees Ferry Reach of the Colorado River—Evaluation of Causal Hypotheses and Potential Interventions
Wind Energy Turbine Mapper and Bat Distribution and Impact Tools
Contacts:
Mona Khalil, USGS Energy & Wildlife Program Specialist
Sue Phillips, USGS Aridlands Research Manager -Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
Brian Reichert, USGS Ecologist - Fort Collins Science Center
Topics Covered:
- North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) - USGS
- U.S. Wind Turbine Database - USGS
- Generalized Mortality Estimator for Birds and Bats
Resources:
- USGS Energy and Wildlife Program
- U.S. Geological Survey—2017 Energy and wildlife research annual report
- United States Wind Turbine Database (USWTDB) Help Guide
Advances and Training Opportunities for Species Distribution Modeling
Contact:
Thomas Edwards, Utah Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Assistant Unit Leader and Research Wildlife Biologist
Topics Covered:
- Advances and training opportunities in species distribution and habitat modelling (SDM) for biologists and decision-makers
- Discussion opportunities for:
- Reasons why application of SDMs to management lags behind modelling advances;
- How best to develop training that alleviates application concerns of SDMs;
- Defining elements of decision-quality SDMs; and
- Structure of two proposed training courses: (i) construction of SDMs, and (ii) proper interpretation of SDMs
Resources:
-
AFWA workshop: Assessing Decision Risk in Species Range Maps and Distribution Models for Use in Conservation and Management
Applications to Support Landscape Restoration
Contact:
Steve Hanser, USGS Sagebrush Ecosystem Program Specialist
Mike Duniway, USGS Research Ecologist and Soil Scientist - Southwest Biological Science Center
Zack Bowen, USGS Branch Chief, Ecosystem Dynamics - Fort Collins Science Center
Topics Covered:
- Land Treatment Digital Library
- Land Treatment Planning Tool
- Conservation and Restoration Strategy Tool, SageDAT
- Disturbance Automated Reclamation Tool
- Everglades Depth Estimation Network
- Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow Viewer
- Seed Selector: a tool for finding appropriate plant materials for restoration and reclamation.
- Climate Distance Mapper: provides resource managers and practitioners climate-based guidance to plan effective restoration in degraded habitats in the southwest.
Resources:
Tools to Support State and Multi-Jurisdictional Monitoring Activities
Contact:
Jake Weltzin, USGS Status & Trends Program Manager
Topics Covered:
- Tools and approaches:
Sampling Design and Protocol Development
Data Management and Tools for Data Exploration, Visualization and Analysis (EVA)
Adaptive Capacity for Species Vulnerability Assessments
Citizen Science and Crowdsourcing
Camera Networks and Advanced Technologies
Ecological Forecasting
- Projects and resources:
MonitoringResources.org
USA National Phenology Network
North American Bat Monitoring Program
Monarch Monitoring and Conservation Assessment Tool
Restoration Assessment and Monitoring Program for the Southwest
Resources:
- Factsheet: MonitoringResources.org—Supporting coordinated and cost-effective natural resource monitoring across organizations
- White-paper: Investing in citizen science can improve natural resource management and environmental protection
- How the USA National Phenology Network Supports Decision Making
- USGS Status & Trends Program