Bryan Tarbox is an Ecologist at the Fort Collins Science Center, whose current work focuses on sage-grouse conservation efforts.
Bryan Tarbox is an interdisciplinary ecologist with experience in conservation planning and adaptive management, prioritization modeling and landscape conservation design, land use/cover change dynamics, avian ecology, wildlife-agriculture dynamics, and human dimensions of conservation. Conservation in working landscapes is a common theme that ties together projects ranging from foraging behavior of avian insectivores in Andean silvopastures to conservation prioritization of Texas grass- and rangelands. Specific methodologies he has employed include: tree-based fuzzy logic modeling systems, The Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation, generalized linear mixed models using both frequentist and Bayesian approaches, and various other statistical, remote sensing and GIS techniques.
He received a BS in rangeland ecology and management from Texas A&M University, completed his PhD at the University of Florida studying conservation biology, and conducted a post-doc at Texas State University focused on landscape conservation design and conservation planning. He is currently working on a variety of projects related to sage-grouse conservation efforts.
Science and Products
Prioritizing Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems Tool (PReSET): A USGS-facilitated Decision-support Tool for Sagebrush Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration Actions
Invasive Annual Grass (IAG) Spatial Dataset Compilation and Synthesis
U.S. range-wide spatial prediction layers of lek persistence probabilities for greater sage-grouse
Database of invasive annual grass spatial products for the western United States January 2010 to February 2021
Bridging the gap between spatial modeling and management of invasive annual grasses in the imperiled sagebrush biome
A user guide to selecting invasive annual grass spatial products for the western United States
Compendium to invasive annual grass spatial products for the western United States, January 2010-February 2021
Science and Products
- Science
Prioritizing Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems Tool (PReSET): A USGS-facilitated Decision-support Tool for Sagebrush Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration Actions
Sagebrush ecosystems, one of the most imperiled in North America, face continued and widespread degradation due to multiple factors, including climate change, invasive species, and increased human development. Effective sagebrush management must consider how to best conserve and restore habitats to stem the decline of species that rely on them, especially given limited conservation resources. To...Invasive Annual Grass (IAG) Spatial Dataset Compilation and Synthesis
USGS is working closely with partners in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the Intermountain West Joint Venture (IMJV) to collect and summarize spatial datasets that describe measurable aspects of invasive annual grasses (e.g., biomass or presence) across the western United Stated and beyond. The products developed through this project provide... - Data
U.S. range-wide spatial prediction layers of lek persistence probabilities for greater sage-grouse
This dataset contains two predictive lek (breeding site) persistence raster layers covering the U.S. greater sage-grouse distribution. In the United States, locations where males display and breed with females (i.e., leks) are often monitored annually by state wildlife agencies, providing valuable information on the persistence of birds in the surrounding areas. A U.S. range-wide lek database wasDatabase of invasive annual grass spatial products for the western United States January 2010 to February 2021
Invasive annual grasses (IAGs) present a persistent challenge for the ecological management of rangelands, particularly the imperiled sagebrush biome in western North America. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae), and Ventenata spp. are spreading across sagebrush rangelands and already occupy at least 200,000 kilometers squared (km sq.) of the intermountain west. T - Publications
Bridging the gap between spatial modeling and management of invasive annual grasses in the imperiled sagebrush biome
Invasions of native plant communities by non-native species present major challenges for ecosystem management and conservation. Invasive annual grasses such as cheatgrass, medusahead, and ventenata are pervasive and continue to expand their distributions across imperiled sagebrush-steppe communities of the western United States. These invasive grasses alter native plant communities, ecosystem funcA user guide to selecting invasive annual grass spatial products for the western United States
Invasive annual grasses (IAGs)—including Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass), Taeniatherum caput-medusae (medusahead), and Ventenata dubia (ventenata) species—present significant challenges for rangeland management by altering plant communities, impacting ecosystem function, reducing forage for wildlife and livestock, and increasing fire risk. Numerous spatial data products are used to map IAGs, and undeCompendium to invasive annual grass spatial products for the western United States, January 2010-February 2021
Invasive annual grasses (IAGs) degrade native plant communities, alter fire cycles, impact ecosystem processes, and threaten the persistence of some species. Therefore, controlling the spread of IAGs has become a land management priority in the western United States. A wide array of geospatial data has been developed in the last decade to help land managers combat the invasion and expansion of non