Charles B Yackulic, Ph.D.
Charles Yackulic is a research statistician with the Southwest Biological Science Center.
Dr. Yackulic's research primarily focuses on developing and fitting statistical models that integrate multiple data sources, link environmental drivers and management actions to population and ecosystem processes, and can be used to make near and long-term forecasting of system dynamics under different management alternatives. Areas of particular interest include species distribution dynamics, population dynamics, interspecific interactions, animal movement, food web dynamics and river metabolism.
Professional Experience
2011-present: Research Statistician, USGS Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ
2010-2011: National Science Foundation (NSF) postdoc in Bioinformatics, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, MD
2009-2010: Postdoctoral Researcher, Columbia University, NY
Education and Certifications
2009 - Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Columbia University, NY
2003 - MSc. in Environmental Change and Management, Oxford University, UK
2001 - B.A. in Biology (major) and Math (minor), Columbia University, NY
Science and Products
Invader removal triggers competitive release in a threatened avian predator
Simulating the effort necessary to detect changes in northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) populations using passive acoustic monitoring
Ontogenetic trait shifts: Seedlings display high trait variability during early stages of development
As the prey thickens: Rainbow trout select prey based upon width not length
Quantifying the demographic vulnerabilities of dry woodlands to climate and competition using rangewide monitoring data
Range-wide declines of northern spotted owl populations in the Pacific Northwest: A meta-analysis
Assessing the population impacts and cost‐effectiveness of a conservation translocation
The transformation of dryland rivers: The future of introduced tamarisk in the U.S.
Partial migration and spawning movements of humpback chub in the Little Colorado River are better understood using data from autonomous PIT tag antennas
Movement ecology
Water storage decisions will determine the distribution and persistence of imperiled river fishes
Water temperature controls for regulated canyon-bound rivers
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Invader removal triggers competitive release in a threatened avian predator
Invasive species can cause extinctions of native species and widespread biodiversity loss. Invader removal is a common management response, but the use of long-term field experiments to characterize effectiveness of removals in benefitting impacted native species is rare. We used a large-scale removal experiment to investigate the demographic response of a threatened native species, the northern sAuthorsDavid Wiens, Katie Dugger, J. Mark Higley, Damon B. Lesmeister, Alan B. Franklin, Keith A. Hamm, Gary C. White, Krista E. Dilione, David C. Simon, Robin R. Bown, Peter C. Carlson, Charles Yackulic, James D. Nichols, James E. Hines, Raymond J. Davis, David W. Lamphear, Christopher McCafferty, Trent L. McDonald, Stan G. SovernSimulating the effort necessary to detect changes in northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) populations using passive acoustic monitoring
Passive acoustic monitoring is a promising method for monitoring rare and nocturnal species, and for tracking changes in forest wildlife biodiversity. We conducted simulations to compare and evaluate various passive acoustic sampling designs effectiveness for monitoring spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) population trends. We found that each design was effective for detecting a decline (or sAuthorsDamon B. Lesmeister, Cara L. Appel, Raymond J. Davis, Charles Yackulic, Zachary J. RuffOntogenetic trait shifts: Seedlings display high trait variability during early stages of development
Characterizing variation in plant functional traits is often key to understanding community-level processes and predicting ecosystem responses to environmental change. Trait-based ecology has focused on interspecific trait variation, but sources and consequences of within-species ontogenetic trait variation, particularly during early stages of development, remain understudied.Using a manipulativeAuthorsCaroline Ann Havrilla, Seth M. Munson, Charles Yackulic, Bradley J. ButterfieldAs the prey thickens: Rainbow trout select prey based upon width not length
Drift-feeding fish are typically considered size-selective predators. Yet, few studies have explicitly tested which aspect of prey “size” best explains size selection by drift-foraging fish. Here, we develop a Bayesian discrete choice model to evaluate how attributes of both prey and predator simultaneously influence size-selective foraging. We apply the model to a large dataset of paired invertebAuthorsMichael Dodrill, Charles Yackulic, Theodore Kennedy, Mike Yard, Josh KormanQuantifying the demographic vulnerabilities of dry woodlands to climate and competition using rangewide monitoring data
Climate change is expected to alter the distribution and abundance of tree species, impacting ecosystem structure and function. Yet, anticipating where this will occur is often hampered by a lack of understanding of how demographic rates, most notably recruitment, vary in response to climate and competition across a species range. Using large-scale monitoring data on two dry woodland tree speciesAuthorsRobert K Shriver, Charles Yackulic, David M. Bell, John B. BradfordRange-wide declines of northern spotted owl populations in the Pacific Northwest: A meta-analysis
The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) inhabits older coniferous forests in the Pacific Northwest and has been at the center of forest management issues in this region. The immediate threats to this federally listed species include habitat loss and competition with barred owls (Strix varia), which invaded from eastern North America. We conducted a prospective meta-analysis to assessAuthorsAlan B. Franklin, Katie M. Dugger, Damon B. Lesmeister, Raymond J. Davis, J. David Wiens, Gary C. White, James D. Nichols, James E. Hines, Charles B. Yackulic, Carl J. Schwarz, Steven H. Ackers, Andrew L. Stevens, Larissa L. Bailey, Robin G. Brown, Jesse Burgher, Kenneth P. Burnham, Peter C. Carlson, Tara Chestnut, Mary M Conner, Krista E. Dilione, Eric D. Forsman, Elizabeth M. Glenn, Scott A. Gremel, Keith A. Hamm, Dale R. Herter, J. Mark Higley, Rob B. Horn, Julianna M. Jenkins, William L. Kendall, David W Lamphear, Christopher McCafferty, Trent L. McDonald, Janice A Reid, Jeremy T. Rockweit, David C. Simon, Stan G. Sovern, James Swingle, Heather WiseAssessing the population impacts and cost‐effectiveness of a conservation translocation
Managers often move, or translocate, organisms into habitats that are assumed to be suitable, however the consequences of these translocations are usually not rigorously assessed. Robust assessment of these management experiments should consider impacts to both donor and recipient populations and compare the cost‐effectiveness of translocations to other actions.Here we evaluate translocations of aAuthorsCharles B. Yackulic, David R. Van Haverbeke, Maria C. Dzul, Lucas S. Bair, Kirk L. YoungThe transformation of dryland rivers: The future of introduced tamarisk in the U.S.
Tamarix spp. (tamarisk or saltcedar), a shrub-like tree, was intentionally introduced to the U.S. from Asia in the mid-1800s. Tamarisk thrives in today’s human-altered streamside (riparian) habitats and can be found along wetlands, rivers, lakes, and streams across the western U.S. In 2001, a biological control agent, Diorhabda spp. (tamarisk leaf beetle), was released in six states, and has sinceAuthorsPamela L. Nagler, Julia B. Hull, Charles van Riper, Patrick B. Shafroth, Charles B. YackulicPartial migration and spawning movements of humpback chub in the Little Colorado River are better understood using data from autonomous PIT tag antennas
Choosing whether or not to migrate is an important life history decision for many fishes. Here we combine data from physical captures and detections on autonomous passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag antennas to study migration in an endangered fish, the humpback chub (Gila cypha). We develop hidden Markov mark-recapture models with and without antenna detections and find that the model fit wiAuthorsMaria C. Dzul, William Louis Kendall, Charles Yackulic, Dana L. Winkelman, David Randall Van Haverbeke, Mike YardMovement ecology
(Yackulic) At first glance, the decision to study movement in Galapagos tortoises seems curious. Given the slow speed of tortoises and tendency to forage and rest as they move, it seems implausible that tortoises would string their slow bursts of activity together to accomplish large-scale movements. Nonetheless, as early as 1815 (Porter 1815), visitors to Galapagos have noted the propensity for tAuthorsStephen Blake, Charles B. Yackulic, Freddy Cabrera, Sharon L. Deem, Diego Ellis-Soto, James P. Gibbs, Franz Kummeth, Martin Wikelski, Guillaume Bastille-RousseauWater storage decisions will determine the distribution and persistence of imperiled river fishes
Managing the world’s freshwater supply to meet societal and environmental needs in a changing climate is one of the biggest challenges for the 21st century. Dams provide water security, however, the allocation of dwindling water supply among reservoirs could exacerbate or ameliorate the effects of climate change on aquatic communities. Here, we show that the relative sensitivity of river thermal rAuthorsKimberly L. Dibble, Charles Yackulic, Theodore Kennedy, Kevin R. Bestgen, John C. SchmidtWater temperature controls for regulated canyon-bound rivers
Many canyon‐bound rivers have been dammed and downstream flow and water temperatures modified. Climate change is expected to cause lower storage in reservoirs and warmer release temperatures, which may further alter downstream flow and thermal regimes. To anticipate potential future changes, we first need to understand the dominant heat transfer mechanisms in canyon‐bound river systems. Towards thAuthorsBryce A. Mihalevich, Bethany Neilson, Caleb A. Buahin, Charles Yackulic, John C. Schmidt - Web Tools
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