Brian Gerber, PhD
Assistant Unit Leader - Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Brian focuses on collaborative wildlife ecology science aimed to inform conservation and management practice. Brian is interested in all aspects of ecological learning, such as statistical modeling and inference. Brian joined the Cooperative Research Unit at Colorado State University in 2023. From 2017-2023, Brian served as Assistant and then Associate Professor at the University of Rhode Island in the Department of Natural Resources.
Brian completed a bachelor's of science. in Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation at the University of Massachusetts, an master's of science in Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech, and a PhD at Colorado State University.
Professional Experience
Associate Professor - University of Rhode Island
Education and Certifications
PhD - Colorado State University.
M.S. - Virginia Tech
B.S. - University of Massachusetts
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 15
Optimal management decisions are robust to unknown dynamics in an amphibian metapopulation plagued by disease Optimal management decisions are robust to unknown dynamics in an amphibian metapopulation plagued by disease
Identifying conservation actions to recover threatened species can be challenging due to many ecological uncertainties. For example, major threats to a species' conservation are commonly known or suspected, but the specific impacts on population or metapopulation dynamics can be uncertain. This is frequently the case with emerging infectious diseases, including chytridiomycosis, a global...
Authors
Brian D. Gerber, Brittany A. Mosher, Larissa L. Bailey, Erin Muths, Harry J. Crockett, Sarah J. Converse
Extreme site fidelity as an optimal strategy in an unpredictable and homogeneous environment Extreme site fidelity as an optimal strategy in an unpredictable and homogeneous environment
1.Animal site fidelity structures space use, population demography and ultimately gene flow. Understanding the adaptive selection for site fidelity patterns provides a mechanistic understanding to both spatial and population processes. This can be achieved by linking space use with environmental variability (spatial and temporal) and demographic parameters. However, rarely is the...
Authors
Brian D. Gerber, Mevin Hooten, Christopher P. Peck, Mindy B. Rice, James H. Gammonley, Anthony D. Apa, Amy J. Davis
Accounting for location uncertainty in azimuthaltelemetry data improves ecological inference Accounting for location uncertainty in azimuthaltelemetry data improves ecological inference
Background Characterizing animal space use is critical for understanding ecological relationships. Animal telemetry technology has revolutionized the fields of ecology and conservation biology by providing high quality spatial data on animal movement. Radio-telemetry with very high frequency (VHF) radio signals continues to be a useful technology because of its low cost, miniaturization...
Authors
Mevin Hooten, Brian D. Gerber, Christopher P. Peck, Mindy B. Rice, Anthony D. Apa, James H. Gammonley, Amy J. Davis
Adaptive management of animal populations with significant unknowns and uncertainties: A case study Adaptive management of animal populations with significant unknowns and uncertainties: A case study
Conservation and management decision making in natural resources is challenging due to numerous uncertainties and unknowns, especially relating to understanding system dynamics. Adaptive resource management (ARM) is a formal process to making logical and transparent recurrent decisions when there are uncertainties about system dynamics. Despite wide recognition and calls for implementing...
Authors
Brian D. Gerber, William L. Kendall
Identifying species conservation strategies to reduce disease-associated declines Identifying species conservation strategies to reduce disease-associated declines
Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are a salient threat to many animal taxa, causing local and global extinctions, altering communities and ecosystem function. The EID chytridiomycosis is a prominent driver of amphibian declines, which is caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). To guide conservation policy, we developed a predictive decision-analytic model...
Authors
Brian D. Gerber, Sarah J. Converse, Erin L. Muths, Harry J. Crockett, Brittany A. Mosher, Larissa L. Bailey
Evaluating and improving count-based population inference: A case study from 31 years of monitoring Sandhill Cranes Evaluating and improving count-based population inference: A case study from 31 years of monitoring Sandhill Cranes
Monitoring animal populations can be difficult. Limited resources often force monitoring programs to rely on unadjusted or smoothed counts as an index of abundance. Smoothing counts is commonly done using a moving-average estimator to dampen sampling variation. These indices are commonly used to inform management decisions, although their reliability is often unknown. We outline a...
Authors
Brian D. Gerber, William L. Kendall
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
Filter Total Items: 15
Optimal management decisions are robust to unknown dynamics in an amphibian metapopulation plagued by disease Optimal management decisions are robust to unknown dynamics in an amphibian metapopulation plagued by disease
Identifying conservation actions to recover threatened species can be challenging due to many ecological uncertainties. For example, major threats to a species' conservation are commonly known or suspected, but the specific impacts on population or metapopulation dynamics can be uncertain. This is frequently the case with emerging infectious diseases, including chytridiomycosis, a global...
Authors
Brian D. Gerber, Brittany A. Mosher, Larissa L. Bailey, Erin Muths, Harry J. Crockett, Sarah J. Converse
Extreme site fidelity as an optimal strategy in an unpredictable and homogeneous environment Extreme site fidelity as an optimal strategy in an unpredictable and homogeneous environment
1.Animal site fidelity structures space use, population demography and ultimately gene flow. Understanding the adaptive selection for site fidelity patterns provides a mechanistic understanding to both spatial and population processes. This can be achieved by linking space use with environmental variability (spatial and temporal) and demographic parameters. However, rarely is the...
Authors
Brian D. Gerber, Mevin Hooten, Christopher P. Peck, Mindy B. Rice, James H. Gammonley, Anthony D. Apa, Amy J. Davis
Accounting for location uncertainty in azimuthaltelemetry data improves ecological inference Accounting for location uncertainty in azimuthaltelemetry data improves ecological inference
Background Characterizing animal space use is critical for understanding ecological relationships. Animal telemetry technology has revolutionized the fields of ecology and conservation biology by providing high quality spatial data on animal movement. Radio-telemetry with very high frequency (VHF) radio signals continues to be a useful technology because of its low cost, miniaturization...
Authors
Mevin Hooten, Brian D. Gerber, Christopher P. Peck, Mindy B. Rice, Anthony D. Apa, James H. Gammonley, Amy J. Davis
Adaptive management of animal populations with significant unknowns and uncertainties: A case study Adaptive management of animal populations with significant unknowns and uncertainties: A case study
Conservation and management decision making in natural resources is challenging due to numerous uncertainties and unknowns, especially relating to understanding system dynamics. Adaptive resource management (ARM) is a formal process to making logical and transparent recurrent decisions when there are uncertainties about system dynamics. Despite wide recognition and calls for implementing...
Authors
Brian D. Gerber, William L. Kendall
Identifying species conservation strategies to reduce disease-associated declines Identifying species conservation strategies to reduce disease-associated declines
Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are a salient threat to many animal taxa, causing local and global extinctions, altering communities and ecosystem function. The EID chytridiomycosis is a prominent driver of amphibian declines, which is caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). To guide conservation policy, we developed a predictive decision-analytic model...
Authors
Brian D. Gerber, Sarah J. Converse, Erin L. Muths, Harry J. Crockett, Brittany A. Mosher, Larissa L. Bailey
Evaluating and improving count-based population inference: A case study from 31 years of monitoring Sandhill Cranes Evaluating and improving count-based population inference: A case study from 31 years of monitoring Sandhill Cranes
Monitoring animal populations can be difficult. Limited resources often force monitoring programs to rely on unadjusted or smoothed counts as an index of abundance. Smoothing counts is commonly done using a moving-average estimator to dampen sampling variation. These indices are commonly used to inform management decisions, although their reliability is often unknown. We outline a...
Authors
Brian D. Gerber, William L. Kendall
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.