Clint Muhlfeld, Ph.D.
I am a Research Aquatic Ecologist at the USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK) in West Glacier, Montana. I currently serve as the Acting Center Director of NOROCK in Bozeman, Montana.
Research interests
As a Research Aquatic Ecologist, I study the ecology, evolution, and conservation of freshwater species and ecosystems. My research examines how climate variability, hydrologic change, biological invasions, and habitat alteration influence freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem processes, with particular expertise in cold-water biota. I have led ecological and evolutionary studies across freshwater systems ranging from glacier-fed mountain streams and large river networks to lakes, as well as regional and global assessments of trout and char. My research combines long-term ecological studies, field research, genetics, and quantitative modeling and draws on multiple disciplines, including ecology, fisheries science, genetics, and hydrology.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 2008. Fish and Wildlife Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman
M.S. 1999. Fishery Resources, University of Idaho, Moscow
B.S. 1994. Aquatic Biology, University of Montana, Missoula; University of Maine, Orono
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 24
Filter Total Items: 96
Applications of genetic data to improve management and conservation of river fishes and their habitats Applications of genetic data to improve management and conservation of river fishes and their habitats
Environmental variation and landscape features affect ecological processes in fluvial systems; however, assessing effects at management-relevant temporal and spatial scales is challenging. Genetic data can be used with landscape models and traditional ecological assessment data to identify biodiversity hotspots, predict ecosystem responses to anthropogenic effects, and detect impairments...
Authors
Kim T. Scribner, Winsor H. Lowe, Erin L. Landguth, Gordon Luikart, Dana M. Infante, Gary Whelan, Clint C. Muhlfeld
Dispersal and selection mediate hybridization between a native and invasive species Dispersal and selection mediate hybridization between a native and invasive species
Hybridization between native and non-native species has serious biological consequences, but our understanding of how dispersal and selection interact to influence invasive hybridization is limited. Here, we document the spread of genetic introgression between a native (Oncorhynchus clarkii) and invasive (Oncorhynchus mykiss) trout, and identify the mechanisms influencing genetic...
Authors
Ryan P. Kovach, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Matthew C. Boyer, Winsor H. Lowe, Fred W. Allendorf, Gordon Luikart
Climate-induced range contraction of a rare alpine aquatic invertebrate Climate-induced range contraction of a rare alpine aquatic invertebrate
Climate warming poses a serious threat to alpine-restricted species worldwide, yet few studies have empirically documented climate-induced changes in distributions. The rare stonefly, Zapada glacier (Baumann and Gaufin), endemic to alpine streams of Glacier National Park (GNP), Montana, was recently petitioned for listing under the US Endangered Species Act because of climate-change...
Authors
J. Joseph Giersch, Steve Jordan, Gordon Luikart, Leslie A. Jones, F. Richard Hauer, Clint C. Muhlfeld
Combining demographic and genetic factors to assess population vulnerability in stream species Combining demographic and genetic factors to assess population vulnerability in stream species
Accelerating climate change and other cumulative stressors create an urgent need to understand the influence of environmental variation and landscape features on the connectivity and vulnerability of freshwater species. Here, we introduce a novel modeling framework for aquatic systems that integrates spatially explicit, individual‐based, demographic and genetic (demogenetic) assessments...
Authors
Erin L. Landguth, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Leslie W. Jones, Robin S. Waples, Diane Whited, Winsor H. Lowe, John Lucotch, Helen Neville, Gordon Luikart
Climate change and the Rocky Mountains Climate change and the Rocky Mountains
Rural landscapes in the Andes are characterized by an impressive diversity of natural environments and by multiple resource assets. This is particularly the case in the tropical realm where the ecological altitudinal zones of the tierra caliente, the tierra templada, the tierra fria and the tierra helada offer a remarkable range of agricultural potential. This is complemented by a...
Authors
James M. Byrne, Daniel B. Fagre, Ryan MacDonald
Quantifying the effectiveness of conservation measures to control the spread of anthropogenic hybridization in stream salmonids: A climate adaptation case study Quantifying the effectiveness of conservation measures to control the spread of anthropogenic hybridization in stream salmonids: A climate adaptation case study
Quantifying the effectiveness of management actions to mitigate the effects of changing climatic conditions (i.e., climate adaptation) can be difficult, yet critical for conservation. We used population genetic data from 1984 to 2011 to assess the degree to which ambient climatic conditions and targeted suppression of sources of nonnative Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss have influenced...
Authors
Robert K. Al-Chokhachy, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Matthew C. Boyer, Leslie A. Jones, Amber Steed, Jeffrey L. Kershner
Invasive hybridization in a threatened species is accelerated by climate change Invasive hybridization in a threatened species is accelerated by climate change
Climate change will decrease worldwide biodiversity through a number of potential pathways1, including invasive hybridization2 (cross-breeding between invasive and native species). How climate warming influences the spread of hybridization and loss of native genomes poses difficult ecological and evolutionary questions with little empirical information to guide conservation management...
Authors
Clint C. Muhlfeld, Ryan P. Kovach, Leslie A. Jones, Robert K. Al-Chokhachy, Matthew C. Boyer, Robb F. Leary, Winsor H. Lowe, Gordon Luikart, Fred W. Allendorf
Aquatic invasive species: Lessons from cancer research Aquatic invasive species: Lessons from cancer research
Aquatic invasive species are disrupting ecosystems with increasing frequency. Successful control of these invasions has been rare: Biologists and managers have few tools for fighting aquatic invaders. In contrast, the medical community has long worked to develop tools for preventing and fighting cancer. Its successes are marked by a coordinated research approach with multiple steps...
Authors
Adam J. Sepulveda, Andrew Ray, Robert K. Al-Chokhachy, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Robert E. Gresswell, Jackson A. Gross, Jeffrey L. Kershner
Thermal tolerance of meltwater stonefly Lednia tumana nymphs from an alpine stream in Waterton–Glacier International Peace Park, Montana, USA Thermal tolerance of meltwater stonefly Lednia tumana nymphs from an alpine stream in Waterton–Glacier International Peace Park, Montana, USA
Global climate change threatens to affect negatively the structure, function, and diversity of aquatic ecosystems worldwide. In alpine systems, the thermal tolerances of stream invertebrates can be assessed to understand better the potential effects of rising ambient temperatures and continued loss of glaciers and snowpack on alpine stream ecosystems. We measured the critical thermal...
Authors
Hilary G. Billman, J. Joseph Giersch, K.M. Kappenman, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Molly A. H. Webb
Estimating thermal regimes of bull trout and assessing the potential effects of climate warming on critical habitats Estimating thermal regimes of bull trout and assessing the potential effects of climate warming on critical habitats
Understanding the vulnerability of aquatic species and habitats under climate change is critical for conservation and management of freshwater systems. Climate warming is predicted to increase water temperatures in freshwater ecosystems worldwide, yet few studies have developed spatially explicit modelling tools for understanding the potential impacts. We parameterized a nonspatial model...
Authors
Leslie A. Jones, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Lucy A. Marshall, Brian L. McGlynn, Jeffrey L. Kershner
Factors influencing the distribution of native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout in western Glacier National Park, Montana Factors influencing the distribution of native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout in western Glacier National Park, Montana
The widespread declines of native bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) and westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) populations prompted researchers to investigate factors influencing their distribution and status in western Glacier National Park, Montana. We evaluated the association of a suite of abiotic factors (stream width, elevation, gradient, large woody debris...
Authors
Vincent S. D'Angelo, Clint C. Muhlfeld
Genomic patterns of introgression in rainbow and westslope cutthroat trout illuminated by overlapping paired-end RAD sequencing Genomic patterns of introgression in rainbow and westslope cutthroat trout illuminated by overlapping paired-end RAD sequencing
Rapid and inexpensive methods for genomewide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery and genotyping are urgently needed for population management and conservation. In hybridized populations, genomic techniques that can identify and genotype thousands of species-diagnostic markers would allow precise estimates of population- and individual-level admixture as well as identification...
Authors
Paul A. Hohenlohe, Mitch D. Day, Stephen J. Amish, Michael R. Miller, Nick Kamps-Hughes, Matthew C. Boyer, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Fred W. Allendorf, Eric A. Johnson, Gordon Luikart
Non-USGS Publications**
Muhlfeld, Clint C., Thomas E. McMahon, and Durae Belcer. 2009. Spatial and temporal dynamics of spawning between native westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi), introduced rainbow trout (O. mykiss), and their hybrids. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 66:1153-1168.
Muhlfeld, Clint C., Thomas E. McMahon, Matthew C. Boyer, and Robert E. Gresswell. 2009. Local-habitat, watershed, and biotic factors in the spread of hybridization between native westslope cutthroat trout and introduced rainbow trout. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 138:1036-1051.
Boyer, Matthew C., Clint C. Muhlfeld, and Fred Allendorf. 2008. Rainbow trout invasion and the spread of hybridization with westslope cutthroat trout. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 65:658-669.
Muhlfeld, Clint C., David H. Bennett, Kirk Steinhorst, Brian Marotz, and Matthew C. Boyer. 2008. Using bioenergetics modeling to estimate consumption of native juvenile salmonids by nonnative northern pike in the upper Flathead River system, Montana. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 28:636-648.
**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: 24
Filter Total Items: 96
Applications of genetic data to improve management and conservation of river fishes and their habitats Applications of genetic data to improve management and conservation of river fishes and their habitats
Environmental variation and landscape features affect ecological processes in fluvial systems; however, assessing effects at management-relevant temporal and spatial scales is challenging. Genetic data can be used with landscape models and traditional ecological assessment data to identify biodiversity hotspots, predict ecosystem responses to anthropogenic effects, and detect impairments...
Authors
Kim T. Scribner, Winsor H. Lowe, Erin L. Landguth, Gordon Luikart, Dana M. Infante, Gary Whelan, Clint C. Muhlfeld
Dispersal and selection mediate hybridization between a native and invasive species Dispersal and selection mediate hybridization between a native and invasive species
Hybridization between native and non-native species has serious biological consequences, but our understanding of how dispersal and selection interact to influence invasive hybridization is limited. Here, we document the spread of genetic introgression between a native (Oncorhynchus clarkii) and invasive (Oncorhynchus mykiss) trout, and identify the mechanisms influencing genetic...
Authors
Ryan P. Kovach, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Matthew C. Boyer, Winsor H. Lowe, Fred W. Allendorf, Gordon Luikart
Climate-induced range contraction of a rare alpine aquatic invertebrate Climate-induced range contraction of a rare alpine aquatic invertebrate
Climate warming poses a serious threat to alpine-restricted species worldwide, yet few studies have empirically documented climate-induced changes in distributions. The rare stonefly, Zapada glacier (Baumann and Gaufin), endemic to alpine streams of Glacier National Park (GNP), Montana, was recently petitioned for listing under the US Endangered Species Act because of climate-change...
Authors
J. Joseph Giersch, Steve Jordan, Gordon Luikart, Leslie A. Jones, F. Richard Hauer, Clint C. Muhlfeld
Combining demographic and genetic factors to assess population vulnerability in stream species Combining demographic and genetic factors to assess population vulnerability in stream species
Accelerating climate change and other cumulative stressors create an urgent need to understand the influence of environmental variation and landscape features on the connectivity and vulnerability of freshwater species. Here, we introduce a novel modeling framework for aquatic systems that integrates spatially explicit, individual‐based, demographic and genetic (demogenetic) assessments...
Authors
Erin L. Landguth, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Leslie W. Jones, Robin S. Waples, Diane Whited, Winsor H. Lowe, John Lucotch, Helen Neville, Gordon Luikart
Climate change and the Rocky Mountains Climate change and the Rocky Mountains
Rural landscapes in the Andes are characterized by an impressive diversity of natural environments and by multiple resource assets. This is particularly the case in the tropical realm where the ecological altitudinal zones of the tierra caliente, the tierra templada, the tierra fria and the tierra helada offer a remarkable range of agricultural potential. This is complemented by a...
Authors
James M. Byrne, Daniel B. Fagre, Ryan MacDonald
Quantifying the effectiveness of conservation measures to control the spread of anthropogenic hybridization in stream salmonids: A climate adaptation case study Quantifying the effectiveness of conservation measures to control the spread of anthropogenic hybridization in stream salmonids: A climate adaptation case study
Quantifying the effectiveness of management actions to mitigate the effects of changing climatic conditions (i.e., climate adaptation) can be difficult, yet critical for conservation. We used population genetic data from 1984 to 2011 to assess the degree to which ambient climatic conditions and targeted suppression of sources of nonnative Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss have influenced...
Authors
Robert K. Al-Chokhachy, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Matthew C. Boyer, Leslie A. Jones, Amber Steed, Jeffrey L. Kershner
Invasive hybridization in a threatened species is accelerated by climate change Invasive hybridization in a threatened species is accelerated by climate change
Climate change will decrease worldwide biodiversity through a number of potential pathways1, including invasive hybridization2 (cross-breeding between invasive and native species). How climate warming influences the spread of hybridization and loss of native genomes poses difficult ecological and evolutionary questions with little empirical information to guide conservation management...
Authors
Clint C. Muhlfeld, Ryan P. Kovach, Leslie A. Jones, Robert K. Al-Chokhachy, Matthew C. Boyer, Robb F. Leary, Winsor H. Lowe, Gordon Luikart, Fred W. Allendorf
Aquatic invasive species: Lessons from cancer research Aquatic invasive species: Lessons from cancer research
Aquatic invasive species are disrupting ecosystems with increasing frequency. Successful control of these invasions has been rare: Biologists and managers have few tools for fighting aquatic invaders. In contrast, the medical community has long worked to develop tools for preventing and fighting cancer. Its successes are marked by a coordinated research approach with multiple steps...
Authors
Adam J. Sepulveda, Andrew Ray, Robert K. Al-Chokhachy, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Robert E. Gresswell, Jackson A. Gross, Jeffrey L. Kershner
Thermal tolerance of meltwater stonefly Lednia tumana nymphs from an alpine stream in Waterton–Glacier International Peace Park, Montana, USA Thermal tolerance of meltwater stonefly Lednia tumana nymphs from an alpine stream in Waterton–Glacier International Peace Park, Montana, USA
Global climate change threatens to affect negatively the structure, function, and diversity of aquatic ecosystems worldwide. In alpine systems, the thermal tolerances of stream invertebrates can be assessed to understand better the potential effects of rising ambient temperatures and continued loss of glaciers and snowpack on alpine stream ecosystems. We measured the critical thermal...
Authors
Hilary G. Billman, J. Joseph Giersch, K.M. Kappenman, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Molly A. H. Webb
Estimating thermal regimes of bull trout and assessing the potential effects of climate warming on critical habitats Estimating thermal regimes of bull trout and assessing the potential effects of climate warming on critical habitats
Understanding the vulnerability of aquatic species and habitats under climate change is critical for conservation and management of freshwater systems. Climate warming is predicted to increase water temperatures in freshwater ecosystems worldwide, yet few studies have developed spatially explicit modelling tools for understanding the potential impacts. We parameterized a nonspatial model...
Authors
Leslie A. Jones, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Lucy A. Marshall, Brian L. McGlynn, Jeffrey L. Kershner
Factors influencing the distribution of native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout in western Glacier National Park, Montana Factors influencing the distribution of native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout in western Glacier National Park, Montana
The widespread declines of native bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) and westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) populations prompted researchers to investigate factors influencing their distribution and status in western Glacier National Park, Montana. We evaluated the association of a suite of abiotic factors (stream width, elevation, gradient, large woody debris...
Authors
Vincent S. D'Angelo, Clint C. Muhlfeld
Genomic patterns of introgression in rainbow and westslope cutthroat trout illuminated by overlapping paired-end RAD sequencing Genomic patterns of introgression in rainbow and westslope cutthroat trout illuminated by overlapping paired-end RAD sequencing
Rapid and inexpensive methods for genomewide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery and genotyping are urgently needed for population management and conservation. In hybridized populations, genomic techniques that can identify and genotype thousands of species-diagnostic markers would allow precise estimates of population- and individual-level admixture as well as identification...
Authors
Paul A. Hohenlohe, Mitch D. Day, Stephen J. Amish, Michael R. Miller, Nick Kamps-Hughes, Matthew C. Boyer, Clint C. Muhlfeld, Fred W. Allendorf, Eric A. Johnson, Gordon Luikart
Non-USGS Publications**
Muhlfeld, Clint C., Thomas E. McMahon, and Durae Belcer. 2009. Spatial and temporal dynamics of spawning between native westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi), introduced rainbow trout (O. mykiss), and their hybrids. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 66:1153-1168.
Muhlfeld, Clint C., Thomas E. McMahon, Matthew C. Boyer, and Robert E. Gresswell. 2009. Local-habitat, watershed, and biotic factors in the spread of hybridization between native westslope cutthroat trout and introduced rainbow trout. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 138:1036-1051.
Boyer, Matthew C., Clint C. Muhlfeld, and Fred Allendorf. 2008. Rainbow trout invasion and the spread of hybridization with westslope cutthroat trout. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 65:658-669.
Muhlfeld, Clint C., David H. Bennett, Kirk Steinhorst, Brian Marotz, and Matthew C. Boyer. 2008. Using bioenergetics modeling to estimate consumption of native juvenile salmonids by nonnative northern pike in the upper Flathead River system, Montana. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 28:636-648.
**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.