Adrianne Brand is a wildlife biologist with the Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (NEARMI).
With a focus on threats and declines in amphibians populations, NEARMI seeks to better understand the factors contributing to changes in amphibian populations and provide information to resource managers on the status of amphibians on DOI lands in the region. The scope of work includes conducting annual monitoring surveys, carrying out research projects, and working with land managers to better inform natural resource decision making for both rare and common species.
Professional Experience
05/2009 – present Wildlife Biologist, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Turners Falls, MA
08/2006 - 12/2008 Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant, Towson University, Towson, MD
05/2005 – 08/2006 Field/Research Technician – West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
05/2004 – 08/2004 Biology Intern, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Lewisburg, WV
Education and Certifications
2008 M.S. – Biology, Towson University, Towson, MD 21252.
2006 B.S. - Wildlife and Fisheries Resources & B.S. - Environmental Protection, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
Science and Products
Collaborative Project to Understand Red-backed Salamander Population Dynamics and Climate Change Adaptation
Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative
Assessing amphibian communities in the National Capital Region
Monitoring Vernal Pool Amphibians in the Northeast
Pre-listing Science Support in the Northeast
Assessing Amphibian Disease Risk in the Northeast
Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI): Understanding Amphibian Populations in the Northeastern United States
Managing the Extinction Risk of the Shenandoah Salamander
Mercury concentrations in amphibian tissues across the United States, 2016-2021
Long-term effects of timber harvest on vernal pool availability and occupancy of two obligate amphibians
Abiotic and biotic factors reduce viability of a high-elevation salamander in its native range
Report to NECSC: Adaptive capacity in a forest indicator species
Field data to support speciation with gene flow in a narrow endemic West Virginia cave salamander (Gyrinophilus subterraneus)
Current use pesticides in larval amphibian tissues, amphibian pathogen and wetland sediment screening data from three northeastern National Wildlife Refuges, 2013-2014
Data from a national survey for the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans
Long-term effects of timber harvest on ephemeral pool and occupancy of Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) and Wood Frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus)
Testing assumptions in the use of PIT tags to study movement of Plethodon salamanders
Speciation with gene flow in a narrow endemic West Virginia cave salamander (Gyrinophilus subterraneus)
Summary and synthesis of 15 years of the Amphibian Vital Sign monitoring in the National Capital Region Inventory and Monitoring Network
Monitoring the status and trends of the Shenandoah salamander in Shenandoah National Park
Moving from decision to action in conservation science
Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) not detected in an intensive survey of wild North American amphibians
Factors facilitating co-occurrence at the Range Boundary of Shenandoah and Red-backed Salamanders
Proactive management of amphibians: Challenges and opportunities
Knowing your limits: Estimating range boundaries and co-occurrence zones for two competing plethodontid salamanders
North-facing slopes and elevation shape asymmetric genetic structure in the range-restricted salamander Plethodon shenandoah
Estimating occurrence, prevalence, and detection of amphibian pathogens: Insights from occupancy models
Science and Products
- Science
Collaborative Project to Understand Red-backed Salamander Population Dynamics and Climate Change Adaptation
In 2013, the Salamander Population and Adaptation Research Network started as a partnership between researchers at Penn State University and the USGS Northeast Amphibian and Research Monitoring Initiative with the intention of creating a research network to address climate adaptation and population dynamics across multiple scales. Our goals are to understand impacts of land use and climate change...Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative
The U.S. Geological Survey’s Eastern Ecological Science Center is home to the Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (NEARMI), one of 7 ARMI regions across the United States. NEARMI works on public lands in thirteen states from Maine to Virginia, including many National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges.Assessing amphibian communities in the National Capital Region
The National Capital Region Network (NCRN) has identified amphibians as a priority taxonomic group for its Inventory and Monitoring program. Amphibian monitoring was initiated in 2005, and is currently concentrated in Antietam National Battlefield (ANTI), Catoctin Mountain Park (CATO), Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (CHOH), George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP), Harpers...Monitoring Vernal Pool Amphibians in the Northeast
In 2004, the Northeast Amphibian Research Monitoring Initiative (NE ARMI) in collaboration with National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service initiated a region-wide study on the distribution of vernal pools and estimate the proportion of pools that were occupied by pool-associated amphibians (specifically, wood frogs, Lithobates sylvaticus, and spotted salamanders, Ambystoma maculatum).Pre-listing Science Support in the Northeast
We are working closely with multiple partners to provide updated information, model potential outcomes, and identify key uncertainties relevant to amphibian and reptile species proposed for listing in the northeast US. We also provide timely science to partners to assist in recovery of listed species, which may involve field research, data analysis, or decision support.Assessing Amphibian Disease Risk in the Northeast
Disease in amphibian populations can have a range of effects, from devastating declines following introduction of a novel pathogen to recurring breakout events on a landscape. Elucidating mechanisms underlying the effects of diseases on amphibian populations is crucial to help managers make appropriate decisions to achieve management goals for amphibians.Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI): Understanding Amphibian Populations in the Northeastern United States
Amphibians are found in all physiographic regions of the Northeast, from sea level to the heights of the Appalachian, Adirondack, and White Mountains. The Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) is tasked with providing timely science on the status of amphibian populations and research needed by resource managers to address potential threats and declines to populations.Managing the Extinction Risk of the Shenandoah Salamander
The Shenandoah salamander is an endangered salamander that is at risk of extinction due to its small, high-elevation range, competition with the co-occurring red-backed salamander, and the predicted future climate in the Appalachian mountain range. We are working with multiple partners to understand the current status of the species, predict future extinction risk, and continually engage... - Data
Mercury concentrations in amphibian tissues across the United States, 2016-2021
Comma-separated values (.csv) file containing data related to amphibian sampling across the United States between 2016 and 2021. Data files contain mercury concentrations in amphibian and dragonfly tissues, mercury concentrations in sediment, as well as amphibian morphometrics, and habitat and climate characteristics where the samples were collected.Long-term effects of timber harvest on vernal pool availability and occupancy of two obligate amphibians
This data set is comprised of 3 files of information collected on amphibians and vernal pool habitats at Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge from 2004 - 2016.Abiotic and biotic factors reduce viability of a high-elevation salamander in its native range
Includes data used to estimate population demographic parameters for an exemplary high-elevation amphibian species, the federally endangered Shenandoah salamander (Plethodon shenandoah). These parameters were entered into a Markov projection model which we used to forecast the future population status of the Shenandoah salamander.Report to NECSC: Adaptive capacity in a forest indicator species
Data contain metabolic rates of red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) exposed to different thermal regimes, and the movements of salamanders marked with PIT tags and exposed to electromagnetic fields.Field data to support speciation with gene flow in a narrow endemic West Virginia cave salamander (Gyrinophilus subterraneus)
This data set is comprised of 4 files consisting of field observations, morphological measurements, and water quality measurements relevant to a publication on the classification and population status of the WV Spring salamander, Gyrinophilius subterraneus.Current use pesticides in larval amphibian tissues, amphibian pathogen and wetland sediment screening data from three northeastern National Wildlife Refuges, 2013-2014
The data include concentrations of current use pesticides in tissues of larval wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) and spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) and the presence of ranavirus in wood frogs and spotted salamanders from three northeastern National Wildlife Refuges sampled in 2013 and 2014. The data also include estrogenicity, protein phosphatase 2A inhibition and a suite of 15 major andData from a national survey for the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans
This dataset provides the results of a national survey of the conterminous U.S. for the salamander chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative from May 2014 to August 2017. Sites were sampled by capturing amphibians by hand or by traps or nets that were then swabbed individually using methods that prev - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 20
Long-term effects of timber harvest on ephemeral pool and occupancy of Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) and Wood Frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus)
The effects of timber harvest on amphibians can be complex and persist for years postharvest, but overall they are poorly understood. We examined how timber harvest has impacted two pool-breeding species, Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) and Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus), across the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, West Virginia, USA. We surveyed Spotted Salamanders and Wood FroAuthorsAmber NM Wiewel, Adrianne Brand, Evan H. Campbell GrantTesting assumptions in the use of PIT tags to study movement of Plethodon salamanders
Studying the movements of organisms that live underground for at least a portion of their life history is challenging, given the state of current technology. Passive integrated transponders (PIT tags) provide a way to individually identify and, more recently, study the movement of smaller animals, including those that make subterranean movements. However, there are widespread assumptions of the usAuthorsSean C Sterrett, Todd L. Dubreuil, Matthew J. O'Donnell, Adrianne Brand, Evan H. Campbell GrantSpeciation with gene flow in a narrow endemic West Virginia cave salamander (Gyrinophilus subterraneus)
Due to their limited geographic distributions and specialized ecologies, cave species are often highly endemic and can be especially vulnerable to habitat degradation within and surrounding the cave systems they inhabit. We investigated the evolutionary history of the West Virginia Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus subterraneus), estimated the population trend from historic and current survey data,AuthorsEvan H. Campbell Grant, Kevin P. Mulder, Adrianne B. Brand, Douglas B. Chambers, Addison H. Wynn, Grace Capshaw, Matthew L. Niemiller, John G. Phillips, Jeremy F. Jacobs, Shawn R. Kuchta, Rayna C. BellSummary and synthesis of 15 years of the Amphibian Vital Sign monitoring in the National Capital Region Inventory and Monitoring Network
The amphibian monitoring program, designed and conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative program, is designed to estimate the status and trends of amphibian populations to assist management decisions in individual parks and across the National Capital Region Network. Detection/non-detection data for stream and wetland habitats has been collected in 2 paAuthorsEvan H. Campbell Grant, Adrianne Brand, AD WrightMonitoring the status and trends of the Shenandoah salamander in Shenandoah National Park
The Shenandoah salamander (Plethodon shenandoah) is a federally endangered salamander whose distribution is restricted to high-elevation habitats in Shenandoah National Park (SHEN). During the ranking of vital signs monitoring priorities for this park, “Federal Threatened and Endangered Species” received the 2nd highest ranking for terrestrial vital signs because of ecological, management, and polAuthorsEvan H. Campbell Grant, Adrianne Brand, John E. B. WoffordMoving from decision to action in conservation science
Biodiversity loss is a major threat to the integrity of ecosystems and is projected to worsen, yet the path to successful conservation remains elusive. Decision support frameworks (DSFs) are increasingly applied by resource managers to navigate the complexity, uncertainty, and differing socio-ecological objectives inherent to conservation problems. Most published conservation research that uses DSAuthorsAlexander Wright, Riley F Bernard, Brittany A. Mosher, Katherine O'Donnell, Taylor Braunagel, Graziella V. DiRenzo, Jillian Elizabeth Fleming, Charles Shafer, Adrianne B. Brand, Elise F. Zipkin, Evan H. Campbell GrantBatrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) not detected in an intensive survey of wild North American amphibians
The salamander chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans [Bsal]) is causing massive mortality of salamanders in Europe. The potential for spread via international trade into North America and the high diversity of salamanders has catalyzed concern about Bsal in the U.S. Surveillance programs for invading pathogens must initially meet challenges that include low rates of occurrence on the lAuthorsHardin Waddle, Daniel A. Grear, Brittany Mosher, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Michael J. Adams, Adam R. Backlin, William Barichivich, Adrianne B. Brand, Gary M. Bucciarelli, Daniel L. Calhoun, Tara Chestnut, Jon M. Davenport, Andrew E. Dietrich, Robert N. Fisher, Brad Glorioso, Brian J. Halstead, Marc P Hayes, R. Ken Honeycutt, Blake R. Hossack, Patrick M. Kleeman, Julio A. Lemos-Espinal, Jeffrey M. Lorch, Robert W. Atkinson, Erin L. Muths, Christopher Pearl, Katherine Richgels, Charles W Robinson, Mark F. Roth, Jennifer Rowe, Walter Sadinski, Brent H. Sigafus, Iga Stasiak, Samuel Sweet, Susan C. Walls, Gregory J Watkins-Colwell, C. LeAnn White, Lori A Williams, Megan E. WinzelerFactors facilitating co-occurrence at the Range Boundary of Shenandoah and Red-backed Salamanders
The transition from species in allopatry to sympatry, i.e., the co-occurrence zone of competing species, allows for investigation of forces structuring range limits and provides evidence of the evolutionary and population responses of competing species, including mechanisms facilitating co-occurrence (e.g., character displacement). The Shenandoah Salamander (Plethodon shenandoah), an endangered plAuthorsStaci M. Amburgey, David A. W. Miller, Adrianne B. Brand, Andrew E Dietrich, Evan H. Campbell GrantProactive management of amphibians: Challenges and opportunities
Delaying species management reduces the chance of successful recovery, increases the risk of extinction, and can be expensive. Acting before major declines are realized affords access to a greater suite of cost-effective management actions to sustain populations, reducing the likelihood of declines warranting protected status. It is clear that reactive management approaches are not sufficient forAuthorsSC Sterrett, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Katz R, Adrianne Brand, William R. Fields, Dietrich A, Hocking D, Foreman T, Wiewel AKnowing your limits: Estimating range boundaries and co-occurrence zones for two competing plethodontid salamanders
Understanding threats to species persistence requires knowledge of where species currently occur. We explore methods for estimating two important facets of species distributions, namely where the range limit occurs and how species interactions structure distributions. Accurate understanding of range limits is crucial for predicting range dynamics and shifts in response to interspecific interactionAuthorsS. M. Amburgey, D. A. W. Miller, Adrianne B. Brand, Andrea M. Dietrich, Evan H. Campbell GrantNorth-facing slopes and elevation shape asymmetric genetic structure in the range-restricted salamander Plethodon shenandoah
Species with narrow environmental preferences are often distributed across fragmented patches of suitable habitat, and dispersal among subpopulations can be difficult to directly observe. Genetic data collected at population centers can help quantify gene flow, which is especially important for vulnerable species with a disjunct range. Plethodon shenandoah is a Federally Endangered salamander knowAuthorsKP Mulder, Nandadevi Córtes-Rodríguez, Adrianne B. Brand, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Robert C. FleischerEstimating occurrence, prevalence, and detection of amphibian pathogens: Insights from occupancy models
Understanding the distribution of pathogens across landscapes and their prevalence within host populations is a common aim of wildlife managers. Despite the need for unbiased estimates of pathogen occurrence and prevalence for planning effective management interventions, many researchers fail to account for imperfect pathogen detection. Instead raw data are often reported, which may lead to ineffeAuthorsB. A. Mosher, Adrianne Brand, ANM Wiewel, D. A. W. Miller, MT Gray, Debra L. Miller, Evan H. Campbell Grant - News