Brian W Miller, Ph.D.
Dr. Brian Miller is a Research Ecologist with the North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center, one of the nine regional centers that form the National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Center (CASC) network.
The USGS CASC program teams scientists with natural and cultural resource managers and local communities to help fish, wildlife, water, land, and people adapt to a changing climate. Brian focuses on developing and applying scenario planning, ecological simulation modeling, and related tools to help partners navigate climate change impacts and adaptation options. Brian has an interdisciplinary background studying human-environment interactions. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he also worked at the Carolina Population Center.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. in Ecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
B.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 21
Filter Total Items: 62
Combining state-and-transition simulations and species distribution models to anticipate the effects of climate change Combining state-and-transition simulations and species distribution models to anticipate the effects of climate change
State-and-transition simulation models (STSMs) are known for their ability to explore the combined effects of multiple disturbances, ecological dynamics, and management actions on vegetation. However, integrating the additional impacts of climate change into STSMs remains a challenge. We address this challenge by combining an STSM with species distribution modeling (SDM). SDMs estimate...
Authors
Brian W. Miller, Leonardo Frid, Tony Chang, N. B. Piekielek, Andrew J. Hansen, Jeffrey T. Morisette
Integrating research tools to support the management of social-ecological systems under climate change Integrating research tools to support the management of social-ecological systems under climate change
Developing resource management strategies in the face of climate change is complicated by the considerable uncertainty associated with projections of climate and its impacts and by the complex interactions between social and ecological variables. The broad, interconnected nature of this challenge has resulted in calls for analytical frameworks that integrate research tools and can...
Authors
Brian W. Miller, Jeffrey T. Morisette
Recovery of the black-footed ferret: Progress and continuing challenges- Proceedings of the Symposium on the Status of the Black-footed Ferret and Its Habitat, Fort Collins, Colorado, January 28-29, 2004 Recovery of the black-footed ferret: Progress and continuing challenges- Proceedings of the Symposium on the Status of the Black-footed Ferret and Its Habitat, Fort Collins, Colorado, January 28-29, 2004
The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) is a member of the weasel family (Mustelidae) and is closely related to the Siberian polecat (M. eversmannii) of Asian steppes and the European polecat (M. putorius). Compared to its relatives, the black-footed ferret is an extreme specialist, depending on the prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) of North American grasslands for food and using prairie...
Radio telemetry for black-footed ferret research and monitoring Radio telemetry for black-footed ferret research and monitoring
By 1973, radio telemetry was regarded as an important potential tool for studying the elusive, nocturnal, and semifossorial black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), but fears of using invasive techniques on this highly endangered mammal caused delays. We began radio collaring ferrets in 1981. Use of radio telemetry on ferrets proved to be both challenging and rewarding. We document two...
Authors
Dean E. Biggins, Jerry L. Godbey, Brian J. Miller, Louis R. Hanebury
The prairie dog as a keystone species The prairie dog as a keystone species
The prairie dog has a pronounced impact on its grassland ecosystem (King 1955; Uresk and Bjugstad 1983; Miller et al. 1994; Society for Conservation Biology 1994; Wuerthner 1997; Johnsgard 2005). They maintain short vegetation by their grazing and by selective removal of tall plants and shrubs; provide shelter, foraging grounds, and nesting habitat for a diverse array of animals; serve...
Authors
Natasha B. Kotliar, Brian J. Miller, Richard P. Reading, Timothy W. Clark
Growth and survival of Mountain Plovers Growth and survival of Mountain Plovers
Growth and survival rates of Mountain Plovers (Charadrius montanus) were monitored using radiotelemetry from hatching until birds left the breeding grounds on the Pawnee National Grassland, Weld County, Colorado. Chick weights increased logarithmically (r) = 0.961) and tarsus length linearly (r = 0.948) with age. Using the average fledgling weight of 69.8 g and an age/weight regression...
Authors
Brian J. Miller, Fritz L. Knopf
A technique for evaluating black-footed ferret habitat A technique for evaluating black-footed ferret habitat
In this paper, we provide a model and step-by-step procedures for rating a prairie dog (Cynomys sp.) complex for the reintroduction of black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes). An important factor in the model is an estimate of the number of black-footed ferret families a prairie dog complex can support for a year; thus, the procedures prescribe how to estimate the size of a prairie dog...
Authors
Dean E. Biggins, Brian J. Miller, Louis R. Hanebury, Bob Oakleaf, Adrian H. Farmer, Ron Crete, Arnold Dood
Proceedings of the symposium on the management of prairie dog complexes for the reintroduction of the black-footed ferret Proceedings of the symposium on the management of prairie dog complexes for the reintroduction of the black-footed ferret
The workshop featured a review of current knowledge in the biology of prairie dogs in the context of managing black-footed ferret habitat. The review addressed two main components. The first consisted of a series of papers on prairie dog habitat and biology. The second component of the workshop was a summary of the participants' discussion about managing prairie dog complexes. This...
Authors
Dean E. Biggins, Brian J. Miller, Ronald Crete
Rehabilitation of a Species: The Black-Footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes) Rehabilitation of a Species: The Black-Footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes)
Black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) are an endangered carnivore endemic to North America. This small nocturnal member of the weasel family is totally dependent on the prairie dog (Cynomys spp.) ecosystem for survival. The ferret lives in prairie dog burrows and relies on prairie dogs for 90 percent of its diet (3,21). Poisoning of prairie dogs was largely responsible for the 98...
Authors
Brian Miller, Dean E. Biggins, Lou Hanebury, Courtney Conway, Chris Wemmer
A proposal to conserve black-footed ferrets and the prairie dog ecosystem A proposal to conserve black-footed ferrets and the prairie dog ecosystem
Prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) have been poisoned throughout this century because of grazing competition with livestock. Recent evidence showed these early claims were exaggerated, but animal control was already entrenched in government policy. As a result, ongoing government subsidized poisoning has reduced prairie dogs to about 2% of their former distribution. The reduction of prairie...
Authors
Brian Miller, Christen Wemmer, Dean Biggins, Richard P. Reading
Non-USGS Publications**
Miller, B. W. 2015. Using geospatial analysis to assess the influence of land-use change and conservation on pastoralist access to drought resources. Nomadic Peoples 19(1): 120-145.
Miller, B. W., Leslie, P. W., McCabe, J. T. 2014. Coping with natural hazards in a conservation context: resource-use decisions of Maasai households during recent and historical drought. Human Ecology 42(5): 753-768.
Miller, B. W., & Doyle, M. W. 2014. Rangeland management and fluvial geomorphology in northern Tanzania. Geomorphology 214: 366-377.
Miller, B. W., Caplow, S. C., Leslie, P. W. 2012. Feedbacks between conservation and social-ecological systems. Conservation Biology 26(2): 218-227.
Miller, B. W., Breckheimer I., McCleary, A. L., Guzmán-Ramirez, L., Caplow, S. C., Jones-Smith, J. C., Walsh, S. J. 2010. Using stylized agent-based models for population-environment research: a case study from the Galápagos Islands. Population and Environment 31(6): 401-426.
Walsh, S. J., Miller, B. W., Breckheimer, I., McCleary, A. L., Guzman-Ramirez, L., Caplow, S. C., Jones-Smith, J. C. 2009. Complexity Theory and Spatial Simulation Models to Assess Population-Environment Interactions in the Galápagos Islands. In: M. Wolff and M. Gardener (eds.), Proceedings of the Galápagos Science Symposium, Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos, Ecuador. Pp 145-148.
**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: 21
Filter Total Items: 62
Combining state-and-transition simulations and species distribution models to anticipate the effects of climate change Combining state-and-transition simulations and species distribution models to anticipate the effects of climate change
State-and-transition simulation models (STSMs) are known for their ability to explore the combined effects of multiple disturbances, ecological dynamics, and management actions on vegetation. However, integrating the additional impacts of climate change into STSMs remains a challenge. We address this challenge by combining an STSM with species distribution modeling (SDM). SDMs estimate...
Authors
Brian W. Miller, Leonardo Frid, Tony Chang, N. B. Piekielek, Andrew J. Hansen, Jeffrey T. Morisette
Integrating research tools to support the management of social-ecological systems under climate change Integrating research tools to support the management of social-ecological systems under climate change
Developing resource management strategies in the face of climate change is complicated by the considerable uncertainty associated with projections of climate and its impacts and by the complex interactions between social and ecological variables. The broad, interconnected nature of this challenge has resulted in calls for analytical frameworks that integrate research tools and can...
Authors
Brian W. Miller, Jeffrey T. Morisette
Recovery of the black-footed ferret: Progress and continuing challenges- Proceedings of the Symposium on the Status of the Black-footed Ferret and Its Habitat, Fort Collins, Colorado, January 28-29, 2004 Recovery of the black-footed ferret: Progress and continuing challenges- Proceedings of the Symposium on the Status of the Black-footed Ferret and Its Habitat, Fort Collins, Colorado, January 28-29, 2004
The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) is a member of the weasel family (Mustelidae) and is closely related to the Siberian polecat (M. eversmannii) of Asian steppes and the European polecat (M. putorius). Compared to its relatives, the black-footed ferret is an extreme specialist, depending on the prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) of North American grasslands for food and using prairie...
Radio telemetry for black-footed ferret research and monitoring Radio telemetry for black-footed ferret research and monitoring
By 1973, radio telemetry was regarded as an important potential tool for studying the elusive, nocturnal, and semifossorial black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), but fears of using invasive techniques on this highly endangered mammal caused delays. We began radio collaring ferrets in 1981. Use of radio telemetry on ferrets proved to be both challenging and rewarding. We document two...
Authors
Dean E. Biggins, Jerry L. Godbey, Brian J. Miller, Louis R. Hanebury
The prairie dog as a keystone species The prairie dog as a keystone species
The prairie dog has a pronounced impact on its grassland ecosystem (King 1955; Uresk and Bjugstad 1983; Miller et al. 1994; Society for Conservation Biology 1994; Wuerthner 1997; Johnsgard 2005). They maintain short vegetation by their grazing and by selective removal of tall plants and shrubs; provide shelter, foraging grounds, and nesting habitat for a diverse array of animals; serve...
Authors
Natasha B. Kotliar, Brian J. Miller, Richard P. Reading, Timothy W. Clark
Growth and survival of Mountain Plovers Growth and survival of Mountain Plovers
Growth and survival rates of Mountain Plovers (Charadrius montanus) were monitored using radiotelemetry from hatching until birds left the breeding grounds on the Pawnee National Grassland, Weld County, Colorado. Chick weights increased logarithmically (r) = 0.961) and tarsus length linearly (r = 0.948) with age. Using the average fledgling weight of 69.8 g and an age/weight regression...
Authors
Brian J. Miller, Fritz L. Knopf
A technique for evaluating black-footed ferret habitat A technique for evaluating black-footed ferret habitat
In this paper, we provide a model and step-by-step procedures for rating a prairie dog (Cynomys sp.) complex for the reintroduction of black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes). An important factor in the model is an estimate of the number of black-footed ferret families a prairie dog complex can support for a year; thus, the procedures prescribe how to estimate the size of a prairie dog...
Authors
Dean E. Biggins, Brian J. Miller, Louis R. Hanebury, Bob Oakleaf, Adrian H. Farmer, Ron Crete, Arnold Dood
Proceedings of the symposium on the management of prairie dog complexes for the reintroduction of the black-footed ferret Proceedings of the symposium on the management of prairie dog complexes for the reintroduction of the black-footed ferret
The workshop featured a review of current knowledge in the biology of prairie dogs in the context of managing black-footed ferret habitat. The review addressed two main components. The first consisted of a series of papers on prairie dog habitat and biology. The second component of the workshop was a summary of the participants' discussion about managing prairie dog complexes. This...
Authors
Dean E. Biggins, Brian J. Miller, Ronald Crete
Rehabilitation of a Species: The Black-Footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes) Rehabilitation of a Species: The Black-Footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes)
Black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) are an endangered carnivore endemic to North America. This small nocturnal member of the weasel family is totally dependent on the prairie dog (Cynomys spp.) ecosystem for survival. The ferret lives in prairie dog burrows and relies on prairie dogs for 90 percent of its diet (3,21). Poisoning of prairie dogs was largely responsible for the 98...
Authors
Brian Miller, Dean E. Biggins, Lou Hanebury, Courtney Conway, Chris Wemmer
A proposal to conserve black-footed ferrets and the prairie dog ecosystem A proposal to conserve black-footed ferrets and the prairie dog ecosystem
Prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) have been poisoned throughout this century because of grazing competition with livestock. Recent evidence showed these early claims were exaggerated, but animal control was already entrenched in government policy. As a result, ongoing government subsidized poisoning has reduced prairie dogs to about 2% of their former distribution. The reduction of prairie...
Authors
Brian Miller, Christen Wemmer, Dean Biggins, Richard P. Reading
Non-USGS Publications**
Miller, B. W. 2015. Using geospatial analysis to assess the influence of land-use change and conservation on pastoralist access to drought resources. Nomadic Peoples 19(1): 120-145.
Miller, B. W., Leslie, P. W., McCabe, J. T. 2014. Coping with natural hazards in a conservation context: resource-use decisions of Maasai households during recent and historical drought. Human Ecology 42(5): 753-768.
Miller, B. W., & Doyle, M. W. 2014. Rangeland management and fluvial geomorphology in northern Tanzania. Geomorphology 214: 366-377.
Miller, B. W., Caplow, S. C., Leslie, P. W. 2012. Feedbacks between conservation and social-ecological systems. Conservation Biology 26(2): 218-227.
Miller, B. W., Breckheimer I., McCleary, A. L., Guzmán-Ramirez, L., Caplow, S. C., Jones-Smith, J. C., Walsh, S. J. 2010. Using stylized agent-based models for population-environment research: a case study from the Galápagos Islands. Population and Environment 31(6): 401-426.
Walsh, S. J., Miller, B. W., Breckheimer, I., McCleary, A. L., Guzman-Ramirez, L., Caplow, S. C., Jones-Smith, J. C. 2009. Complexity Theory and Spatial Simulation Models to Assess Population-Environment Interactions in the Galápagos Islands. In: M. Wolff and M. Gardener (eds.), Proceedings of the Galápagos Science Symposium, Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos, Ecuador. Pp 145-148.
**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.