Clint Otto, PhD
Clint Otto is a Research Ecologist for the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, North Dakota.
The principal goal of my research program is to investigate the impacts of land-use change on pollinator 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. My lab’s current research projects include modeling the effects of agricultural land-use change and grassland management on pollinator habitat and population health. In addition, my lab works with multiple federal partners to improve population monitoring of the endangered Rusty Patched bumble bee and other pollinators of conservation concern. My team also collaborates on several remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and eDNA projects designed to enhance monitoring of pollinators and their habitats on a national scale.
Professional Experience
Research Ecologist, USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Education and Certifications
Michigan State University (Ph.D.), 2012
Towson University (M.S.), 2006
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (B.S.), 2002
Science and Products
Farmland in U.S. Conservation Reserve Program has unique floral composition that promotes bee summer foraging
Honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies benefit from grassland/ pasture while bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) colonies in the same landscapes benefit from non-corn/soybean cropland
Honey bee foraged pollen reveals temporal changes in pollen protein content and changes in forager choice for abundant versus high protein flowers
Pollinator communities vary with vegetation structure and time since management within regenerating timber harvests of the Central Appalachian Mountains
Floral resource selection by wild bees and honey bees in the Midwest United States: Implications for designing pollinator habitat
Land conversion and pesticide use degrade forage areas for honey bees in America’s beekeeping epicenter
Landscape characterization of floral resources for pollinators in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States
A century of pollen foraging by the endangered rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis): Inferences from molecular sequencing of museum specimens
Towards a U.S. national program for monitoring native bees
Flowering plants preferred by bees of the Prairie Pothole Region
An updated genetic marker for detection of Lake Sinai Virus and metagenetic applications
Forage and habitat for pollinators in the northern Great Plains—Implications for U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 43
Farmland in U.S. Conservation Reserve Program has unique floral composition that promotes bee summer foraging
Bee conservation is a topic of global concern, particularly in agroecosystems where their contribution to crop pollination is highly valued. Over a decade ago, bees and other pollinators were made a priority of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a U.S. federal program that pays land owners to establish a conservation cover, typically grassland, on environmentally sensitive farmland. Despite lAuthorsGabriela Quinlan, Megan Milbrath, Clint R.V. Otto, Rufus IsaacsHoney bee (Apis mellifera) colonies benefit from grassland/ pasture while bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) colonies in the same landscapes benefit from non-corn/soybean cropland
Agriculturally important commercially managed pollinators including honey bees (Apis mellifera L., 1758) and bumble bees (Bombus impatiens Cresson, 1863) rely on the surrounding landscape to fulfill their dietary needs. A previous study in Europe demonstrated that managed honey bee foragers and unmanaged native bumble bee foragers are associated with different land uses. However, it is unclear howAuthorsGabriela Quinlan, Megan Milbrath, Clint R.V. Otto, Rufus IsaacsHoney bee foraged pollen reveals temporal changes in pollen protein content and changes in forager choice for abundant versus high protein flowers
Protein derived from pollen is an essential component of healthy bee diets. Protein content in honey bee foraged-pollen varies temporally and spatially, but the drivers underlying this variation remain poorly characterized. We assessed the temporal and spatial variation in honey bee collected pollen in 12 Michigan apiaries over 3 summers (2015–2017). We simultaneously monitored forage in floweringAuthorsGabriela Quinlan, Megan Milbrath, Clint R.V. Otto, Autumn Smart, Deborah Iwanowicz, Rufus Isaacs, Robert S. CornmanPollinator communities vary with vegetation structure and time since management within regenerating timber harvests of the Central Appalachian Mountains
Native pollinator populations across the United States are increasingly threatened by a multitude of ecological stressors. Although the drivers behind pollinator population declines are varied, habitat loss/degradation remains one of the most important threats. Forested landscapes, where the impacts of habitat loss/degradation are minimized, are known to support robust pollinator populations in eaAuthorsCodey L. Mathis, Darin J. McNeil, Monica R. Lee, Christina M. Grozinger, David I. King, Clint R.V. Otto, Jeffery A. LarkinFloral resource selection by wild bees and honey bees in the Midwest United States: Implications for designing pollinator habitat
Many seed mix recommendations for creating pollinator habitat are in part based on anecdotal evidence or field observations of bees visiting forbs (i.e. use). However, there is limited information on what forbs are preferred by bees, particularly in working landscapes where bee forage may be limited. We examined floral resource selection by wild bees and honey bees on grasslands in the Midwest usiAuthorsStacy C. Simanonok, Clint R.V. Otto, Deborah A. BuhlLand conversion and pesticide use degrade forage areas for honey bees in America’s beekeeping epicenter
A diverse range of threats have been associated with managed bee declines globally. Recent increases of two known threats, land-use change and pesticide use, have resulted from agricultural expansion and intensification notably in the top honey producing state in the United States (U.S.): North Dakota. This study investigated the dual threat from land conversion and pesticide use surrounding ~14,0AuthorsDan J. Dixon, Haochi Zheng, Clint R.V. OttoLandscape characterization of floral resources for pollinators in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States
Across agricultural areas of the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), floral resources are primarily found on public grasslands, roadsides, and private grasslands used as pasture or enrolled in federal conservation programs. Little research has characterized the availability of flowers across the region or identified the primary stakeholders managing lands supporting pollinators. We explored spatial andAuthorsAutumn H. Smart, Clint R.V. Otto, Alisa L. Gallant, Michael P. SimanonokA 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 decline. While understood to be a highly generalist forager,AuthorsMichael P. Simanonok, Clint R.V. Otto, Robert S. Cornman, Deborah D. Iwanowicz, James P. Strange, Tamara A. SmithTowards 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 framework for monitoring U.S. native bees could prAuthorsHollis Woodward, Sarah Federman, Rosalind R. James, Bryan Danforth, Terry Griswold, David W. Inouye, Quinn McFrederick, Lora Morandin, Deborah Paul, Elizabeth Sellers, James P. Strange, Mace Vaughan, Neal M. Williams, Michael Branstetter, Casey T. Burns, James Cane, Alison B Cariveau, Daniel Cariveau, Anna Childers, Christopher Childers, Diana L. Cox-Foster, Elaine Evan, Kelsey K. Graham, Kevin Hackett, Kimberly Huntzinger, Rebecca Irwin, Shalene Jha, Sarah Lawson, Christina Liang, Margarita M. Lopez-Uribe, Andony Melathopoulos, Heather M.C. Moylett, Clint R.V. Otto, Lauren Ponisio, Leif L Richardson, Robyn Rose, Rajwinder Singh, Wayne WehlingFlowering 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 seed mixes by highlighting flowering plants that areAuthorsStacy C. Simanonok, Clint R.V. OttoAn 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. mellifera are not understood. Even less is known aboutAuthorsDeborah D. Iwanowicz, Judy Y. Wu-Smart, Tugce Olgun, Autumn H. Smart, Clint R.V. Otto, Dawn Lopez, Jay D. Evans, Robert S. CornmanForage 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 conservation efforts across all levels of governmentAuthorsClint R.V. Otto, Autumn H. Smart, Robert S. Cornman, Michael Simanonok, Deborah D. Iwanowicz - Science
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