Amy Yackel Adams, PhD
Amy Yackel Adams is a Research Ecologist focusing on improving management decisions of invasive reptiles worldwide.
Amy leads a diverse research program with other USGS scientists and various collaborators (NPS, USDA-NWRC, USFWS, DoD, universities, and state agencies) pertaining to early detection and rapid response, biology, ecology, genetics, control tool evaluation, eradication, and quantitative model development to improve adaptive management of invasive reptile species. Yackel Adams’ research areas in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem and Pacific Islands include: 1) Population and vital rate estimation of invasive Burmese Pythons, Veiled Chameleons, and Brown Treesnakes; 2) Estimating the impact of Brown Treesnakes on prey populations; 3) Enhancing early detection of invasive reptiles using new tools; and 4) Development and evaluation of removal and abundance models to inform and optimize eradication efforts.
Education and Certifications
PhD, Ecology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, 2005
MS, Ecology, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, 1999
BS, Resource Conservation and Environmental Studies, University of Montana, 1986
Science and Products
Salvator merianae (Argentine Tegu). Attempted Predation.
Vulnerability of shortgrass prairie bird assemblages to climate change
Extremes of heat, drought and precipitation depress reproductive performance in shortgrass prairie passerines
Phrynosoma hernandesi (Greater Short-Horned Lizard). Commensalism
Heterodon nasicus (plains hog-nosed snake) diet
Detection rates of geckos in visual surveys: Turning confounding variables into useful knowledge
General herpetological collecting is size-biased for five Pacific lizards
The influence of disturbed habitat on the spatial ecology of Argentine black and white tegu (Tupinambis merianae), a recent invader in the Everglades ecosystem (Florida, USA)
Brumation of introduced Black and White Tegus, Tupinambis merianae (Squamata: Teiidae), in southern Florida
Stability of detectability over 17 years at a single site and other lizard detection comparisons from Guam
Selective predation by feral cats on a native skink on Guam
Do predators control prey species abundance? An experimental test with brown treesnakes on Guam
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.
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 79
Salvator merianae (Argentine Tegu). Attempted Predation.
No abstract available.AuthorsEmma Hanslowe, Charles V. Calafiore, Kathryn N. Sykes, Noah Van Ee, Bryan Falk, Amy Yackel, Robert ReedVulnerability of shortgrass prairie bird assemblages to climate change
The habitats and resources needed to support grassland birds endemic to North American prairie ecosystems are seriously threatened by impending climate change. To assess the vulnerability of grassland birds to climate change, we consider various components of vulnerability, including sensitivity, exposure, and adaptive capacity (Glick et al. 2011). Sensitivity encompasses the innate characteristicAuthorsSusan K. Skagen, Victoria Dreitz, Reesa Y. Conrey, Amy Yackel, Arvind O. PanjabiExtremes of heat, drought and precipitation depress reproductive performance in shortgrass prairie passerines
Climate change elevates conservation concerns worldwide because it is likely to exacerbate many identified threats to animal populations. In recent decades, grassland birds have declined faster than other North American bird species, a loss thought to be due to habitat loss and fragmentation and changing agricultural practices. Climate change poses additional threats of unknown magnitude to theseAuthorsReesa Y. Conrey, Susan K. Skagen, Amy Yackel, Arvind O. PanjabiPhrynosoma hernandesi (Greater Short-Horned Lizard). Commensalism
Commensalism is a relationship between two organisms whereby one benefits without negatively affecting the other. Like other horned lizards, Phyrnosoma hernandesi feeds primarily on ants, but will take other insects (Powell and Russell 1983. Can. J. Zool. 62:428–440). Here we describe apparent com-mensalism between P. hernandesi and Lark Buntings (Calamo-spiza melanocorys).AuthorsAmy Yackel, Rod D. Adams, Susan K. Skagen, Daniel J. MartinHeterodon nasicus (plains hog-nosed snake) diet
No abstract available.AuthorsAmy A. Yackel Adams, Daniel J. Martin, Rod D. AdamsDetection rates of geckos in visual surveys: Turning confounding variables into useful knowledge
Transect surveys without some means of estimating detection probabilities generate population size indices prone to bias because survey conditions differ in time and space. Knowing what causes such bias can help guide the collection of relevant survey covariates, correct the survey data, anticipate situations where bias might be unacceptably large, and elucidate the ecology of target species. We uAuthorsBjorn Lardner, Gordon H. Rodda, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Julie A. Savidge, Robert N. ReedGeneral herpetological collecting is size-biased for five Pacific lizards
Accurate estimation of a species' size distribution is a key component of characterizing its ecology, evolution, physiology, and demography. We compared the body size distributions of five Pacific lizards (Carlia ailanpalai, Emoia caeruleocauda, Gehyra mutilata, Hemidactylus frenatus, and Lepidodactylus lugubris) from general herpetological collecting (including visual surveys and glue boards) witAuthorsGordon H. Rodda, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Earl W. Campbell, Thomas H. FrittsThe influence of disturbed habitat on the spatial ecology of Argentine black and white tegu (Tupinambis merianae), a recent invader in the Everglades ecosystem (Florida, USA)
The threat of invasive species is often intensified in disturbed habitat. To optimize control programs, it is necessary to understand how degraded habitat influences the behavior of invasive species. We conducted a radio telemetry study to characterize movement and habitat use of introduced male Argentine black and white tegus (Tupinambis merianae) in the Everglades of southern Florida from May toAuthorsPage E. Klug, Robert N. Reed, Frank J. Mazzotti, Michelle A. McEachern, Joy J. Vinci, Katelin K. Craven, Amy A. Yackel AdamsBrumation of introduced Black and White Tegus, Tupinambis merianae (Squamata: Teiidae), in southern Florida
An established population of Tupinambis merianae (Black and White Tegu) in southeastern Florida threatens the Everglades ecosystem. Understanding the behavioral ecology of Black and White Tegus could aid in management and control plans. Black and White Tegus are seasonally active and brumate during the winter in their native range, but brumation behavior is largely unstudied in either the native oAuthorsMichelle McEachern, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Page E. Klug, Lee A. Fitzgerald, Robert N. ReedStability of detectability over 17 years at a single site and other lizard detection comparisons from Guam
To obtain quantitative information about population dynamics from counts of animals, the per capita detectabilities of each species must remain constant over the course of monitoring. We characterized lizard detection constancy for four species over 17 yr from a single site in northern Guam, a relatively benign situation because detection was relatively easy and we were able to hold constant the sAuthorsGordon H. Rodda, Kathryn Dean-Bradley, Earl W. Campbell, Thomas H. Fritts, Bjorn Lardner, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Robert N. ReedSelective predation by feral cats on a native skink on Guam
Two species of skinks (Fig. 1) occur in a 5-ha plot on Guam where we have been conducting intensive research on Brown Treesnake (Boiga irregularis) population biology for nearly a decade (Rodda et al. 2007). The Pacific Blue-tailed Skink (Emoia caeruleocauda [de Vis 1892]) is native to Guam, whereas the Curious Skink (Carlia ailanpalai Zug 2004) is invasive. On the evening of 27 November 2012, PMLAuthorsBjörn Lardner, Robert N. Reed, Amy A. Yackel Adams, M.J. Mazurek, Thomas J. Hinkle, Patricia M. Levasseur, Meredith S. Palmer, Julie A. SavidgeDo predators control prey species abundance? An experimental test with brown treesnakes on Guam
The effect of predators on the abundance of prey species is a topic of ongoing debate in ecology; the effect of snake predators on their prey has been less debated, as there exists a general consensus that snakes do not negatively influence the abundance of their prey. However, this viewpoint has not been adequately tested. We quantified the effect of brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) predationAuthorsEarl W. Campbell, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Sarah J. Converse, Thomas H. Fritts, Gordon H. RoddaNon-USGS Publications**
Graham, L., A.A. Yackel Adams, and E.A. Odell. 1999. Devaluation of non-experiments in the current ecological paradigm. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 26(4): 1002-1006.**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.
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