Clint Otto
Biography
I am a Research Ecologist for the US Geological Survey at Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, North Dakota. The principle goal of my research program is to investigate the impacts of land-use change on wildlife habitat and ecosystem services in the Prairie Pothole Region. Much of my research focuses on the development of decision-support tools for informing natural resource policy and management. Some of my current research projects include modeling the effects of agricultural land-use change on pollinator habitat, health and national pollination services. I am also working with the US Department of Agriculture to quantify the benefits of land conservation programs on pollinator habitat and other ecosystem services.
Education
- University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (B.S.), 2002
- Towson University (M.S.), 2006
- Michigan State University (Ph.D.), 2012
Partners
- US Department of Agriculture-Farm Service Agency
- US Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Services
- US Fish and Wildlife Service
- Project Apis m
- Bee Informed Partnership
Science and Products
Determining the dietary preferences and population genetics of an endangered bumble bee, Bombus affinis, by maximizing the use of museum specimens
Bombus affinis, the rusty patched bumble bee, was federally listed as an endangered species in 2017 and has been identified as one of the top priority species for recovery nationally. Shortly after listing the species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and other partners prioritized the research needed to prevent the extinction of B. affinis. Some of the top research needs...
Quantifying the effects of land-use change and bioenergy crop production on ecosystem services in the Northern Great Plains
Rising commodity crop prices, increased federal subsidies for biofuels, such as corn-based ethanol and soy-based biodiesel, and reduction in U.S. Farm Bill conservation programs have facilitated rapid land-use changes in the Northern Great Plains (NGP). Although renewable biofuels are touted as a mechanism for increasing energy security and potentially reducing greenhouse gas emissions,...
The pollinator library: a decision-support tool for improving national pollinator conservation efforts
Pollinator declines have emphasized the need for a greater understanding of plant-pollinator networks and land management activities that improve pollinator habitat. At the request of USDA and FWS partners, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center created the Pollinator Library (https://...
Improving forage for honey bees and native pollinators on Federal conservation lands
Since its inception in 1933, the U.S. Farm Bill has been one of the most influential federal policies for agriculture and food production. Provisions within the Farm Bill have profound influence on global trade, nutrition programs, commodity crop programs, rural communities, and land conservation. Northern Prairie’s research quantifies the impact on pollinator forage and health of USDA...
Understanding how land-use change in the Northern Great Plains affects pollinator health and pollination services
Societal dependence on insects for pollination of agricultural crops has risen amidst concerns over global pollinator declines. Habitat loss and lack of forage have been implicated in the decline of managed and native pollinators in the U.S. Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center is conducting a regional research project to understand how land use affects honey bee colony health, and the...
A century of pollen foraging by the endangered rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis): Inferences from molecular sequencing of museum specimens
In 2017 the rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) became the first bee listed under the Endangered Species Act in the continental United States due to population declines and an 87% reduction in the species’ distribution. Bombus affinis decline began in the 1990s, predating modern bee surveying initiatives, and obfuscating drivers of...
Simanonok, Michael; Otto, Clint R. V.; Cornman, Robert S.; Iwanowicz, Deborah D.; Strange, James P.; Smith, Tamara A. Towards a U.S. national program for monitoring native bees
North America has more than 4000 bee species, yet we have little information on the health, distribution, and population trends of most of these species. In the United States, what information is available is distributed across multiple institutions, and efforts to track bee populations are largely uncoordinated on a national scale. An overarching...
Woodward, Hollis; Federman, Sarah; James, Rosalind R.; Danforth, Bryan; Griswold, Terry; Inouye, David W.; McFrederick, Quinn; Morandin, Lora; Paul, Deborah; Sellers, Elizabeth; Strange, James P.; Vaughan, Mace; Williams, Neal M.; Branstetter, Michael; Burns, Casey T.; Cane, James; Cariveau, Alison B; Cariveau, Daniel; Childers, Anna; Childers, Christopher; Cox-Foster, Diana L.; Evan, Elaine; Graham, Kelsey K.; Hackett, Kevin; Huntzinger, Kimberly; Irwin, Rebecca; Jha, Shalene; Lawson, Sarah; Liang, Christina; Lopez-Uribe, Margarita M.; Melathopoulos, Andony; Moylett, Heather M.C.; Otto, Clint R. V.; Ponisio, Lauren; Richardson, Leif L; Rose, Robyn; Singh, Rajwinder; Wehling, Wayne
Flowering plants preferred by bees of the Prairie Pothole Region
Land managers have stressed the need for improved pollinator habitat on private and public lands of the Prairie Pothole Region. Understanding flowering plant preferences of pollinators will improve the cost-effectiveness of conservation seeding mixes. The purpose of this fact sheet is to assist conservation planners and producers with developing...
Simanonok, Stacy; Otto, Clint R. V. An updated genetic marker for detection of Lake Sinai Virus and metagenetic applications
BackgroundLake Sinai Viruses (LSV) are common RNA viruses of honey bees (Apis mellifera) that frequently reach high abundance but are not linked to overt disease. LSVs are genetically heterogeneous and collectively widespread, but despite frequent detection in surveys, the ecological and geographic factors structuring their distribution in A...
Iwanowicz, Deborah D.; Wu-Smart, Judy Y.; Olgun, Tugce; Smart, Autumn; Otto, Clint R. V.; Lopez, Dawn; Evans, Jay D.; Cornman, Robert S.
Forage and habitat for pollinators in the northern Great Plains—Implications for U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs
Managed and wild pollinators are critical components of agricultural and natural systems. Despite the well-known value of insect pollinators to U.S. agriculture, Apis mellifera (Linnaeus, 1758; honey bees) and wild bees currently face numerous stressors that have resulted in declining health. These declines have engendered support for pollinator...
Otto, Clint R. V.; Smart, Autumn; Cornman, Robert S.; Simanonok, Michael; Iwanowicz, Deborah D. Molecular sequencing and morphological identification reveal similar patterns in native bee communities across public and private grasslands of eastern North Dakota
Bees play a key role in the functioning of human-modified and natural ecosystems by pollinating agricultural crops and wild plant communities. Global pollinator conservation efforts need large-scale and long-term monitoring to detect changes in species’ demographic patterns and shifts in bee community structure. The objective of this project was...
Darby, Brian; Bryant, Russ; Keller, Abby; Jochim, Madison; Moe, Josephine; Schreiner, Zoe; Pratt, Carrie; Euliss, Ned; Park, Mia; Simmons, Rebecca; Otto, Clint R. V. Do the quality and quantity of honey bee-collected pollen vary across an agricultural land use gradient?
Pollen is the source of protein for most bee species, yet the quality and quantity of pollen is variable across landscapes and growing seasons. Understanding the role of landscapes in providing nutritious forage to bees is important for pollinator health, particularly in areas undergoing significant land-use change such as in the Northern Great...
Simanonok, Michael; Otto, Clint R. V.; Smart, Matthew D. Nutritional status of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) workers across an agricultural land-use gradient
Land use and habitat quality have emerged as critical factors influencing the health, productivity, and survival of honey bee colonies. However, characterization of the mechanistic relationship between differential land-use conditions and ultimate outcomes for honey bee colonies has been elusive. We assessed the physiological health of individual...
Smart, Matthew; Otto, Clint R. V.; Lundgren, Jonathan G. Impacts on wildlife of annual crops for biofuel production
No abstract available.
Otto, Clint R. V. Typha (cattail) invasion in North American wetlands: Biology, regional problems, impacts, ecosystem services, and management
Typha is an iconic wetland plant found worldwide. Hybridization and anthropogenic disturbances have resulted in large increases in Typha abundance in wetland ecosystems throughout North America at a cost to native floral and faunal biodiversity. As demonstrated by three regional case studies, Typha is capable of rapidly colonizing habitats and...
Bansal, Sheel; Lishawa, Shane; Newman, Sue; Tangen, Brian; Wilcox, Douglas; Albert, Dennis; Anteau, Michael J.; Chimney, Michael J; Cressey, Ryann L.; DeKeyser, Edward S.; Elgersam, Kenneth J; Finkelstein, Sarah A; Freeland, Joanna; Grosshans, Richard; Klug, Page E.; Larkin, Daniel J; Lawrence, Beth A.; Linz, George; Marburger, Joy; Noe, Gregory B.; Otto, Clint R. V.; Reo, Nicholas; Richards, Jennifer; Richardson, Curtis J.; Rodgers, LeRoy; Shrank, Amy J; Svedarsky, Dan; Travis, Steven E.; Tuchman, Nancy; van der Valk, Arnold; Windham-Myers, Lisamarie Feeling the sting? Addressing land-use changes can mitigate bee declines
Pollinators are an essential component of functioning and sustainable agroecosystems. Despite their critical economic and ecological role, wild and managed bees are declining throughout the United States and across the globe. Commercial beekeepers lost nearly 40.5% of their colonies in 2015–2016 and estimated wild bee abundance declined 23%...
Durant, Jennie; Otto, Clint R. V.
Assessing the impact of the Conservation Reserve Program on honey bee health
Insect pollinators are critically important for maintaining U.S. food production and ecosystem health. The upper Midwest is home to more than 40 percent of all U.S. honey bee colonies and is considered by many beekeepers to be America’s last beekeeping refuge. Beekeepers come to this region because their honey bees require high-quality grassland...
Otto, Clint R. V.