Blake Hossack, Ph.D.
Blake Hossack's research is focused on measuring population and community responses to climate change, energy development, invasive species, and wetland mitigation and management
Research Interests
Most of Blake's research is focused on wetlands and amphibians, with long-term research areas in the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem (Montana), Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (Wyoming), southern Arizona and Mexico, the northern Great Plains, and the subarctic (Manitoba). To improve conservation success, Blake has increasingly sought to integrate research into management applications. He is stationed at the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana, where he coordinates activities for the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI).
Current Research Projects:
- Long-term research on amphibians and wetlands in the Desert Southwest, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and Crown of the Continent Ecosystem
- Effects of disease on imperiled amphibian populations
- Designing citizen science programs for research on effects of climate change on wetland communities in the Canadian Subarctic
- Measurement of the threat of climate to aquatic species, their capacity for local adaptation, and adaptive management to reduce threats.
- Integrating metapopulation ecology and landscape ecology for improved population viability analysis and conservation decision-making.
- Quantifying the ecological value of mitigation and other constructed wetlands
- Informing recovery of threatened and endangered amphibians in the US-Mexico Borderlands
- Effects of energy development on wetland communities in the Prairie Pothole Region
- Using environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect and monitor pathogens and rare herpetofauna
- Documenting responses of aquatic communities to installation of beaver dam analog structures in headwater streams in prairie and sagebrush lands
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Fish and Wildlife Biology. 2011. University of Montana, Missoula
M.S. Wildlife Biology. 1998. University of Idaho, Moscow
B.S. Wildlife Biology. 1996. University of Montana, Missoula
Science and Products
Importance of local weather and environmental gradients on demography of a broadly distributed temperate frog
Looking ahead, guided by the past: The role of U.S. national parks in amphibian research and conservation
Identifying factors linked with persistence of reintroduced populations: Lessons learned from 25 years of amphibian translocations
The role of monitoring and research in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in framing our understanding of the effects of disease on amphibians
Multi-species amphibian monitoring across a protected landscape: Critical reflections on 15 years of wetland monitoring in Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks
Low occurrence of ranavirus in the Prairie Pothole Region of Montana and North Dakota (USA) contrasts with prior surveys
Effects of salinity and a glucocorticoid antagonist, RU486, on waterborne aldosterone and corticosterone of northern leopard frog larvae
Thermal conditions predict intraspecific variation in senescence rate in frogs and toads
Distribution of tiger salamanders in northern Sonora, Mexico: Comparison of sampling methods and possible implications for an endangered subspecies
Staggered-entry analysis of breeding phenology and occupancy dynamics of Arizona toads from historically occupied habitats of New Mexico, USA
Amphibian population responses to mitigation: Relative importance of wetland age and design
Comparative effects of energy-related saline wastewaters and sodium chloride on hatching, survival, and fitness-associated traits of two amphibian species
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Importance 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 HorneLooking ahead, guided by the past: The role of U.S. national parks in amphibian research and conservation
Protected areas like national parks are essential elements of conservation because they limit human influence on the landscape, which protects biodiversity and ecosystem function. The role of national parks in conservation, however, often goes far beyond limiting human influence. The U.S. National Park Service and its system of land units contribute substantively to conservation by providing proteAuthorsBrian J. Halstead, Andrew M. Ray, Erin L. Muths, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Rob Grasso, Michael J. Adams, Kathleen Semple Delaney, Jane Carlson, Blake R. HossackIdentifying factors linked with persistence of reintroduced populations: Lessons learned from 25 years of amphibian translocations
Conservation translocations are increasingly used to help recover imperiled species. However, success of establishing populations remains low, especially for amphibians. Identifying factors associated with translocation success can help increase efficiency and efficacy of recovery efforts. Since the 1990s, several captive and semi-captive facilities have produced Chiricahua Leopard Frogs (Rana chiAuthorsBlake R. Hossack, Paige E. Howell, Audrey K Owens, C Cobos, Caren S. Goldberg, David L. Hall, Shaula Hedwall, Susi MacVean, Magnus McCaffery, A. Hunter McCall, C Mosley, Emily Bea Oja, James C. Rorabaugh, Brent H. Sigafus, Michael J SredlThe role of monitoring and research in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in framing our understanding of the effects of disease on amphibians
Emerging infectious disease threatens amphibian biodiversity worldwide, including in landscapes that are protected from many anthropogenic stressors. We summarized data from studies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), one of the largest and most complete temperate-zone ecosystems on Earth, to assess the current state of knowledge about ranaviruses and the novel amphibian chytrid fungus (BdAuthorsErin L. Muths, Blake R. HossackMulti-species amphibian monitoring across a protected landscape: Critical reflections on 15 years of wetland monitoring in Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks
Widespread amphibian declines were well documented at the end of the 20th century, raising concerns about the need to identify individual and interactive contributors to this global trend. At the same time, there was growing interest in the use of amphibians as ecological indicators. In the United States, wetland and amphibian monitoring programs were launched in some national parks as a necessaryAuthorsAndrew M. Ray, Blake R. Hossack, William R. Gould, Debra A. Patla, Stephen Frank Spear, Robert W. Klaver, Paul E Bartelt, David P. Thoma, Kristin L Legg, Rob Daley, Charles R Peterson, P S CornLow occurrence of ranavirus in the Prairie Pothole Region of Montana and North Dakota (USA) contrasts with prior surveys
Ranaviruses are emerging pathogens that have caused mortality events in amphibians worldwide. Despite the negative effects of ranaviruses on amphibian populations, monitoring efforts are still lacking in many areas, including in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America. Some PPR wetlands in Montana and North Dakota (USA) have been contaminated by energy-related saline wastewaters, and incAuthorsBrian J. Tornabene, Erica J Crespi, Bernardo A. Traversari, Kenzi M Stemp, Creagh W Breuner, Caren S. Goldberg, Blake R. HossackEffects of salinity and a glucocorticoid antagonist, RU486, on waterborne aldosterone and corticosterone of northern leopard frog larvae
Increased salinity is an emerging contaminant of concern for aquatic taxa. For amphibians exposed to salinity, there is scarce information about the physiological effects and changes in osmoregulatory hormones such as corticosterone (CORT) and aldosterone (ALDO). Recent studies have quantified effects of salinity on CORT physiology of amphibians based on waterborne hormone collection methods, butAuthorsBrian J. Tornabene, Creagh W Breuner, Blake R. Hossack, Erica J CrespiThermal conditions predict intraspecific variation in senescence rate in frogs and toads
Variation in temperature is known to influence mortality patterns in ectotherms. Even though a few experimental studies on model organisms have reported a positive relationship between temperature and actuarial senescence (i.e., the increase in mortality risk with age), how variation in climate influences the senescence rate across the range of a species is still poorly understood in free-rangingAuthorsHugo Cayuela, Jean-François Lemaître, Erin L. Muths, Rebecca McCaffery, Thierry Frétey, Bernard Le Garff, Benedikt R. Schmidt, Kurt Grossenbacher, Omar Lenzi, Blake R. Hossack, Lisa A Eby, Brad A. Lambert, Johan Elmberg, Juha Merilä, Jérôme MW Gippet, Jean-Michel Gaillard, David PilliodDistribution of tiger salamanders in northern Sonora, Mexico: Comparison of sampling methods and possible implications for an endangered subspecies
Many aquatic species in the arid USA-Mexico borderlands region are imperiled, but limited information on distributions and threats often hinders management. To provide information on the distribution of the Western Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma mavortium), including the USA-federally endangered Sonoran Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma mavortium stebbinsi), we used traditional (seines, dip-nets) and moderAuthorsBlake R. Hossack, Julio A. Lemos-Espinal, Brent H. Sigafus, Erin L. Muths, Gerardo Carreon Arroyo, Daniel Toyos Martinez, David Hurtado Felix, Guillermo Molina Padilla, C. S. Goldberg, T. R. Jones, M. J. Sredl, Thierry Chambert, J. C. RorabaughStaggered-entry analysis of breeding phenology and occupancy dynamics of Arizona toads from historically occupied habitats of New Mexico, USA
For species with variable phenology, it is often challenging to produce reliable estimates of population dynamics or changes in occupancy. The Arizona Toad (Anaxyrus microscaphus) is a southwestern USA endemic that has been petitioned for legal protection, but status assessments are limited by a lack of information on population trends. Also, timing and consistency of Arizona Toad breeding variesAuthorsMJ Forzley, Mason J. Ryan, IM Latella, JT Giermakowski, Erin L. Muths, Brent H. Sigafus, Blake R. HossackAmphibian population responses to mitigation: Relative importance of wetland age and design
Wetland creation is a common practice to mitigate for the loss of natural wetlands. However, there is still uncertainty about how effectively created wetlands replace habitat provided by natural wetlands. This uncertainty is due in part because post-construction monitoring of biological communities, and vertebrates especially, is rare and typically short-term (<5 years). We estimated occupancy ofAuthorsEmily Bea Oja, Leah S Swartz, Erin L. Muths, Blake R. HossackComparative effects of energy-related saline wastewaters and sodium chloride on hatching, survival, and fitness-associated traits of two amphibian species
Salinity (sodium chloride [NaCl]) is a prevalent and persistent contaminant that negatively affects freshwater ecosystems. Although most studies focus on effects of salinity from road salts (primarily NaCl), high-salinity wastewaters from energy extraction (wastewaters) could be more harmful because they contain NaCl and other toxic components. Many amphibians are sensitive to salinity, and theirAuthorsBrian J. Tornabene, Creagh Breuner, Blake R. Hossack - News