Darius Semmens (Former Employee)
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 76
Density estimates of monarch butterflies overwintering in central Mexico Density estimates of monarch butterflies overwintering in central Mexico
Given the rapid population decline and recent petition for listing of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus L.) under the Endangered Species Act, an accurate estimate of the Eastern, migratory population size is needed. Because of difficulty in counting individual monarchs, the number of hectares occupied by monarchs in the overwintering area is commonly used as a proxy for population...
Authors
Wayne Thogmartin, James E. Diffendorfer, Laura Lopez-Hoffman, Karen Oberhauser, John M. Pleasants, Brice Semmens, Darius Semmens, Orley Taylor, Ruscena Wiederholt
Operationalizing the telecoupling framework for migratory species using the spatial subsidies approach to examine ecosystem services provided by Mexican free-tailed bats Operationalizing the telecoupling framework for migratory species using the spatial subsidies approach to examine ecosystem services provided by Mexican free-tailed bats
Drivers of environmental change in one location can have profound effects on ecosystem services and human well-being in distant locations, often across international borders. The telecoupling provides a conceptual framework for describing these interactions—for example, locations can be defined as sending areas (sources of flows of ecosystem services, energy, or information) or receiving...
Authors
Laura Lopez Hoffman, James E. Diffendorfer, Ruscena Widerholt, Wayne Thogmartin, Gary McCraken, Rodrigo Medellin, Kenneth Bagstad, Amy Russell, Darius Semmens
A trans-national monarch butterfly population model and implications for regional conservation priorities A trans-national monarch butterfly population model and implications for regional conservation priorities
1. The monarch has undergone considerable population declines over the past decade, and the governments of Mexico, Canada, and the United States have agreed to work together to conserve the species. 2. Given limited resources, understanding where to focus conservation action is key for widespread species like monarchs. To support planning for continental-scale monarch habitat restoration...
Authors
Karen Oberhauser, Ruscena Wiederholt, James E. Diffendorfer, Darius Semmens, Leslie Ries, Wayne Thogmartin, Laura Lopez-Hoffman, Brice Semmens
Improving spatio-temporal benefit transfers for pest control by generalist predators in cotton in the southwestern U.S. Improving spatio-temporal benefit transfers for pest control by generalist predators in cotton in the southwestern U.S.
Given rapid changes in agricultural practice, it is critical to understand how alterations in ecological, technological, and economic conditions over time and space impact ecosystem services in agroecosystems. Here, we present a benefit transfer approach to quantify cotton pest-control services provided by a generalist predator, the Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana...
Authors
Ruscena Wiederholt, Kenneth Bagstad, Gary McCracken, Jay Diffendorfer, John B. Loomis, Darius Semmens, Amy Russell, Chris Sansone, Kelsie LaSharr, Paul Cryan, Claudia Reynoso, Rodrigo A. Medellin, Laura Lopez-Hoffman
Evaluating alternative methods for biophysical and cultural ecosystem services hotspot mapping in natural resource planning Evaluating alternative methods for biophysical and cultural ecosystem services hotspot mapping in natural resource planning
Context Data for biophysically modeled and Public Participatory GIS (PPGIS)-derived cultural ecosystem services have potential to identify natural resource management synergies and conflicts, but have rarely been combined. Ecosystem service hot/coldspots generated using different methods vary in their spatial extent and connectivity, with important implications. Objectives We map...
Authors
Kenneth Bagstad, Darius Semmens, Zachary Ancona, Benson Sherrouse
A management-oriented framework for selecting metrics used to assess habitat- and path-specific quality in spatially structured populations A management-oriented framework for selecting metrics used to assess habitat- and path-specific quality in spatially structured populations
Mobile species with complex spatial dynamics can be difficult to manage because their population distributions vary across space and time, and because the consequences of managing particular habitats are uncertain when evaluated at the level of the entire population. Metrics to assess the importance of habitats and pathways connecting habitats in a network are necessary to guide a...
Authors
Sam Nicol, Ruscena Wiederholt, James E. Diffendorfer, Brady J. Mattsson, Wayne Thogmartin, Darius Semmens, Laura Lopez-Hoffman, Ryan Norris
Social-value maps for Arapaho, Roosevelt, Medicine Bow, Routt, and White River National Forests, Colorado and Wyoming Social-value maps for Arapaho, Roosevelt, Medicine Bow, Routt, and White River National Forests, Colorado and Wyoming
Executive Summary The continued pressures of population growth on the life-sustaining, economic, and cultural ecosystem services provided by our national forests, particularly those located near rapidly growing urban areas, present ongoing challenges to forest managers. Achieving an effective assessment of these ecosystem services includes a proper accounting of the ecological, economic...
Authors
Zachary Ancona, Darius Semmens, Benson Sherrouse
Quasi-extinction risk and population targets for the Eastern, migratory population of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) Quasi-extinction risk and population targets for the Eastern, migratory population of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus)
The Eastern, migratory population of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus), an iconic North American insect, has declined by ~80% over the last decade. The monarch’s multi-generational migration between overwintering grounds in central Mexico and the summer breeding grounds in the northern U.S. and southern Canada is celebrated in all three countries and creates shared management...
Authors
Brice Semmens, Darius Semmens, Wayne Thogmartin, Ruscena Wiederholt, Laura Lopez-Hoffman, James E. Diffendorfer, John M. Pleasants, Karen Oberhauser, Orley Taylor
Social Values for Ecosystem Services, version 3.0 (SolVES 3.0): documentation and user manual Social Values for Ecosystem Services, version 3.0 (SolVES 3.0): documentation and user manual
The geographic information system (GIS) tool, Social Values for Ecosystem Services (SolVES), was developed to incorporate quantified and spatially explicit measures of social values into ecosystem service assessments. SolVES 3.0 continues to extend the functionality of SolVES, which was designed to assess, map, and quantify the social values of ecosystem services. Social values—the...
Authors
Benson Sherrouse, Darius Semmens
Linking biophysical models and public preferences for ecosystem service assessments: a case study for the Southern Rocky Mountains Linking biophysical models and public preferences for ecosystem service assessments: a case study for the Southern Rocky Mountains
Through extensive research, ecosystem services have been mapped using both survey-based and biophysical approaches, but comparative mapping of public values and those quantified using models has been lacking. In this paper, we mapped hot and cold spots for perceived and modeled ecosystem services by synthesizing results from a social-values mapping study of residents living near the Pike...
Authors
Kenneth Bagstad, James Reed, Darius Semmens, Benson Sherrouse, Austin Troy
Optimizing conservation strategies for Mexican freetailed bats: a population viability and ecosystem services approach Optimizing conservation strategies for Mexican freetailed bats: a population viability and ecosystem services approach
Conservation planning can be challenging due to the need to balance biological concerns about population viability with social concerns about the benefits biodiversity provide to society, often while operating under a limited budget. Methods and tools that help prioritize conservation actions are critical for the management of at-risk species. Here, we use a multi-attribute utility...
Authors
Ruscena Wiederholt, Laura Lopez-Hoffman, Colleen Svancara, Gary McCracken, Wayne Thogmartin, James E. Diffendorfer, Brady Mattson, Kenneth Bagstad, Paul Cryan, Amy Russell, Darius Semmens, Rodrigo Medellin
Replacement cost valuation of Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) subsistence harvest in Arctic and sub-Arctic North America Replacement cost valuation of Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) subsistence harvest in Arctic and sub-Arctic North America
Migratory species provide economically beneficial ecosystem services to people throughout their range, yet often, information is lacking about the magnitude and spatial distribution of these benefits at regional scales. We conducted a case study for Northern Pintails (hereafter pintail) in which we quantified regional and sub-regional economic values of subsistence harvest to indigenous
Authors
Joshua Goldstein, Wayne Thogmartin, Kenneth Bagstad, James Dubovsky, Brady J. Mattsson, Darius Semmens, Laura López-Hoffman, James E. Diffendorfer
Non-USGS Publications**
Liu, Y., Mahmoud, M., Hartmann, H., Stewart, S., Wagener, T., Semmens, D., Stewart, R., Gupta, H., Dominguez, D., Hulse, D., Letcher, R., Rashleigh, B., Smith, C., Street, R., Ticehurst, J., Twery, M., van Delden, H., Waldick, R., White, D., and Winter, L., 2008, Formal scenario development for environmental impact assessment studies, in Jakeman, A., A. Voinov, A. E. Rizzoli, and S. Chen, (Eds.) Environmental Modelling, Software and Decision Support, 3. IDEA Book Series, Elsevier, 338 pp.
Kepner, W.G., Hernandez, M., Semmens, D.J., and Goodrich D.C.,2008, The Use of Scenario Analysis to Assess Future Landscape Change on Watershed Condition in the Pacific Northwest (USA), in Use of Landscape Sciences for Environmental Security: NATO Security through Science Series, Springer Publishers, The Netherlands. ISBN 978-1-4020-6588-0, pp. 237-261.
Kepner, W.G., Semmens, D.J., Hernandez, M., and Goodrich, D.C., 2008, Evaluating Hydrological Response to Forecasted Land-use Change, Chapter 15 in Special Issue of Association of American Geographers. North American Land Cover Summit. Washington, DC. pp. 275-292. ISBN 978-0-89291-271-1.
Semmens, D.J., Goodrich, D.C., Unkrich, C.L., Smith, R.E., Woolhiser, D.A., and Miller, S.N., 2008, KINEROS2 and the AGWA modeling framework, in Wheater, H., Sorooshian, S., and Sharma, K.D., eds., Hydrological Modelling In Arid and Semi-Arid Areas: Cambridge University Press, New York, 206pp.
Miller, S.N., Semmens, D.J., Goodrich, D.C., Hernandez, M., Miller, R.C., Kepner, W.G., and Guertin, D.P., 2007, The Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment tool: Environmental Modeling and Software, v. 22, n. 3, p. 365-377.
Nikolova, M., S. Nedkov, D. Semmens, and S. Iankov, 2007, Environmental quality and landscape-risk assessment in the Yantra River Basin, in W. Kepner, W., Müller, F., Petrosillio, I., Jones, B., Krauze, K., Victorov, S., and Zurlini, G., (eds.), Use of Landscape Sciences for the Assessment of Environmental Security: NATO Security Through Science Series, Springer Publications, p. 202-217.
Kepner, W.G., Semmens, D.J., Basset, S.D., Mouat, D.A., Goodrich, D.C., 2004, Scenario analysis for the San Pedro River, analyzing hydrological consequences for a future environment: Environmental Modeling and Assessment, v. 94, p. 115-127.
**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: 76
Density estimates of monarch butterflies overwintering in central Mexico Density estimates of monarch butterflies overwintering in central Mexico
Given the rapid population decline and recent petition for listing of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus L.) under the Endangered Species Act, an accurate estimate of the Eastern, migratory population size is needed. Because of difficulty in counting individual monarchs, the number of hectares occupied by monarchs in the overwintering area is commonly used as a proxy for population...
Authors
Wayne Thogmartin, James E. Diffendorfer, Laura Lopez-Hoffman, Karen Oberhauser, John M. Pleasants, Brice Semmens, Darius Semmens, Orley Taylor, Ruscena Wiederholt
Operationalizing the telecoupling framework for migratory species using the spatial subsidies approach to examine ecosystem services provided by Mexican free-tailed bats Operationalizing the telecoupling framework for migratory species using the spatial subsidies approach to examine ecosystem services provided by Mexican free-tailed bats
Drivers of environmental change in one location can have profound effects on ecosystem services and human well-being in distant locations, often across international borders. The telecoupling provides a conceptual framework for describing these interactions—for example, locations can be defined as sending areas (sources of flows of ecosystem services, energy, or information) or receiving...
Authors
Laura Lopez Hoffman, James E. Diffendorfer, Ruscena Widerholt, Wayne Thogmartin, Gary McCraken, Rodrigo Medellin, Kenneth Bagstad, Amy Russell, Darius Semmens
A trans-national monarch butterfly population model and implications for regional conservation priorities A trans-national monarch butterfly population model and implications for regional conservation priorities
1. The monarch has undergone considerable population declines over the past decade, and the governments of Mexico, Canada, and the United States have agreed to work together to conserve the species. 2. Given limited resources, understanding where to focus conservation action is key for widespread species like monarchs. To support planning for continental-scale monarch habitat restoration...
Authors
Karen Oberhauser, Ruscena Wiederholt, James E. Diffendorfer, Darius Semmens, Leslie Ries, Wayne Thogmartin, Laura Lopez-Hoffman, Brice Semmens
Improving spatio-temporal benefit transfers for pest control by generalist predators in cotton in the southwestern U.S. Improving spatio-temporal benefit transfers for pest control by generalist predators in cotton in the southwestern U.S.
Given rapid changes in agricultural practice, it is critical to understand how alterations in ecological, technological, and economic conditions over time and space impact ecosystem services in agroecosystems. Here, we present a benefit transfer approach to quantify cotton pest-control services provided by a generalist predator, the Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana...
Authors
Ruscena Wiederholt, Kenneth Bagstad, Gary McCracken, Jay Diffendorfer, John B. Loomis, Darius Semmens, Amy Russell, Chris Sansone, Kelsie LaSharr, Paul Cryan, Claudia Reynoso, Rodrigo A. Medellin, Laura Lopez-Hoffman
Evaluating alternative methods for biophysical and cultural ecosystem services hotspot mapping in natural resource planning Evaluating alternative methods for biophysical and cultural ecosystem services hotspot mapping in natural resource planning
Context Data for biophysically modeled and Public Participatory GIS (PPGIS)-derived cultural ecosystem services have potential to identify natural resource management synergies and conflicts, but have rarely been combined. Ecosystem service hot/coldspots generated using different methods vary in their spatial extent and connectivity, with important implications. Objectives We map...
Authors
Kenneth Bagstad, Darius Semmens, Zachary Ancona, Benson Sherrouse
A management-oriented framework for selecting metrics used to assess habitat- and path-specific quality in spatially structured populations A management-oriented framework for selecting metrics used to assess habitat- and path-specific quality in spatially structured populations
Mobile species with complex spatial dynamics can be difficult to manage because their population distributions vary across space and time, and because the consequences of managing particular habitats are uncertain when evaluated at the level of the entire population. Metrics to assess the importance of habitats and pathways connecting habitats in a network are necessary to guide a...
Authors
Sam Nicol, Ruscena Wiederholt, James E. Diffendorfer, Brady J. Mattsson, Wayne Thogmartin, Darius Semmens, Laura Lopez-Hoffman, Ryan Norris
Social-value maps for Arapaho, Roosevelt, Medicine Bow, Routt, and White River National Forests, Colorado and Wyoming Social-value maps for Arapaho, Roosevelt, Medicine Bow, Routt, and White River National Forests, Colorado and Wyoming
Executive Summary The continued pressures of population growth on the life-sustaining, economic, and cultural ecosystem services provided by our national forests, particularly those located near rapidly growing urban areas, present ongoing challenges to forest managers. Achieving an effective assessment of these ecosystem services includes a proper accounting of the ecological, economic...
Authors
Zachary Ancona, Darius Semmens, Benson Sherrouse
Quasi-extinction risk and population targets for the Eastern, migratory population of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) Quasi-extinction risk and population targets for the Eastern, migratory population of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus)
The Eastern, migratory population of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus), an iconic North American insect, has declined by ~80% over the last decade. The monarch’s multi-generational migration between overwintering grounds in central Mexico and the summer breeding grounds in the northern U.S. and southern Canada is celebrated in all three countries and creates shared management...
Authors
Brice Semmens, Darius Semmens, Wayne Thogmartin, Ruscena Wiederholt, Laura Lopez-Hoffman, James E. Diffendorfer, John M. Pleasants, Karen Oberhauser, Orley Taylor
Social Values for Ecosystem Services, version 3.0 (SolVES 3.0): documentation and user manual Social Values for Ecosystem Services, version 3.0 (SolVES 3.0): documentation and user manual
The geographic information system (GIS) tool, Social Values for Ecosystem Services (SolVES), was developed to incorporate quantified and spatially explicit measures of social values into ecosystem service assessments. SolVES 3.0 continues to extend the functionality of SolVES, which was designed to assess, map, and quantify the social values of ecosystem services. Social values—the...
Authors
Benson Sherrouse, Darius Semmens
Linking biophysical models and public preferences for ecosystem service assessments: a case study for the Southern Rocky Mountains Linking biophysical models and public preferences for ecosystem service assessments: a case study for the Southern Rocky Mountains
Through extensive research, ecosystem services have been mapped using both survey-based and biophysical approaches, but comparative mapping of public values and those quantified using models has been lacking. In this paper, we mapped hot and cold spots for perceived and modeled ecosystem services by synthesizing results from a social-values mapping study of residents living near the Pike...
Authors
Kenneth Bagstad, James Reed, Darius Semmens, Benson Sherrouse, Austin Troy
Optimizing conservation strategies for Mexican freetailed bats: a population viability and ecosystem services approach Optimizing conservation strategies for Mexican freetailed bats: a population viability and ecosystem services approach
Conservation planning can be challenging due to the need to balance biological concerns about population viability with social concerns about the benefits biodiversity provide to society, often while operating under a limited budget. Methods and tools that help prioritize conservation actions are critical for the management of at-risk species. Here, we use a multi-attribute utility...
Authors
Ruscena Wiederholt, Laura Lopez-Hoffman, Colleen Svancara, Gary McCracken, Wayne Thogmartin, James E. Diffendorfer, Brady Mattson, Kenneth Bagstad, Paul Cryan, Amy Russell, Darius Semmens, Rodrigo Medellin
Replacement cost valuation of Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) subsistence harvest in Arctic and sub-Arctic North America Replacement cost valuation of Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) subsistence harvest in Arctic and sub-Arctic North America
Migratory species provide economically beneficial ecosystem services to people throughout their range, yet often, information is lacking about the magnitude and spatial distribution of these benefits at regional scales. We conducted a case study for Northern Pintails (hereafter pintail) in which we quantified regional and sub-regional economic values of subsistence harvest to indigenous
Authors
Joshua Goldstein, Wayne Thogmartin, Kenneth Bagstad, James Dubovsky, Brady J. Mattsson, Darius Semmens, Laura López-Hoffman, James E. Diffendorfer
Non-USGS Publications**
Liu, Y., Mahmoud, M., Hartmann, H., Stewart, S., Wagener, T., Semmens, D., Stewart, R., Gupta, H., Dominguez, D., Hulse, D., Letcher, R., Rashleigh, B., Smith, C., Street, R., Ticehurst, J., Twery, M., van Delden, H., Waldick, R., White, D., and Winter, L., 2008, Formal scenario development for environmental impact assessment studies, in Jakeman, A., A. Voinov, A. E. Rizzoli, and S. Chen, (Eds.) Environmental Modelling, Software and Decision Support, 3. IDEA Book Series, Elsevier, 338 pp.
Kepner, W.G., Hernandez, M., Semmens, D.J., and Goodrich D.C.,2008, The Use of Scenario Analysis to Assess Future Landscape Change on Watershed Condition in the Pacific Northwest (USA), in Use of Landscape Sciences for Environmental Security: NATO Security through Science Series, Springer Publishers, The Netherlands. ISBN 978-1-4020-6588-0, pp. 237-261.
Kepner, W.G., Semmens, D.J., Hernandez, M., and Goodrich, D.C., 2008, Evaluating Hydrological Response to Forecasted Land-use Change, Chapter 15 in Special Issue of Association of American Geographers. North American Land Cover Summit. Washington, DC. pp. 275-292. ISBN 978-0-89291-271-1.
Semmens, D.J., Goodrich, D.C., Unkrich, C.L., Smith, R.E., Woolhiser, D.A., and Miller, S.N., 2008, KINEROS2 and the AGWA modeling framework, in Wheater, H., Sorooshian, S., and Sharma, K.D., eds., Hydrological Modelling In Arid and Semi-Arid Areas: Cambridge University Press, New York, 206pp.
Miller, S.N., Semmens, D.J., Goodrich, D.C., Hernandez, M., Miller, R.C., Kepner, W.G., and Guertin, D.P., 2007, The Automated Geospatial Watershed Assessment tool: Environmental Modeling and Software, v. 22, n. 3, p. 365-377.
Nikolova, M., S. Nedkov, D. Semmens, and S. Iankov, 2007, Environmental quality and landscape-risk assessment in the Yantra River Basin, in W. Kepner, W., Müller, F., Petrosillio, I., Jones, B., Krauze, K., Victorov, S., and Zurlini, G., (eds.), Use of Landscape Sciences for the Assessment of Environmental Security: NATO Security Through Science Series, Springer Publications, p. 202-217.
Kepner, W.G., Semmens, D.J., Basset, S.D., Mouat, D.A., Goodrich, D.C., 2004, Scenario analysis for the San Pedro River, analyzing hydrological consequences for a future environment: Environmental Modeling and Assessment, v. 94, p. 115-127.
**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.