David Mushet
Biography
David (Dave) Mushet is a Research Wildlife Biologist and Chief of the Climate and Land-use Branch at the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, ND. Dr. Mushet’s research is focused principally on prairie-pothole wetland ecosystems of the northern Great Plains and has included topics such as the provisioning of ecosystem services, the development of complex systems models, and the influences of changing environmental drivers (e.g., climate and land-use) on wetland ecosystem processes. In his role as Branch Chief, Dave supervises several other research scientists working together to meet the science information needs of the Department of the Interior, and other partner agencies and organizations.
Education
- Ph.D., 2010, Environmental and Conservation Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND
- B.S., 1991, Wildlife Biology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA
Professional Experience
- Chief, Climate and Land-use Change Branch USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (2015-present)
- Research Wildlife Biologist, USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (2011-present)
- Associate Editor, Wetlands (2011-present)
- Adjunct Faculty Member, North Dakota State University (2012-present)
- Adjunct Faculty Member, Oklahoma State University (2018-present)
- President North Central Chapter Society of Wetland Scientists (2015-2017)
- Wildlife Biologist, USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (1999-2011)
- Biological Science Technician, USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (1992-1999)
Affiliations
- Society of Wetland Scientists
- Great Plains Natural Science Society
- The Wildlife Society, ND Chapter
- Society for Conservation Biology
Partners
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service
- USDA – Farm Service Agency
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Multiple Universities
Science and Products
Climate-driven state shifts in the Prairie Pothole Region: assessing future impacts relevant to the management of wetland habitats critical to waterfowl
The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) covers parts of five states and three Canadian provinces. The region contains millions of wetlands that annually produce 50-80% of the continent’s duck population. Previous modeling efforts indicated that climate change would result in a shift of waterfowl habitat from the central PPR to the southeast PPR where the majority of wetlands have been drained....
Temporal and spatial patterning of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities in response to changing environmental conditions
An increased understanding of prairie-pothole-wetland macroinvertebrate dynamics is crucial to better inform conservation strategies related to waterfowl production, biodiversity enhancement, and wetland function/health maintenance. Wetlands in general are highly variable in space and time, and wetland macroinvertebrates are adapted to this great variability. Wetland ecosystems are also...
Application and Refinement of a Systems Model for Prairie Pothole Wetlands
The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America is one of the most important breeding areas for continental waterfowl populations, a Department of Interior (DOI) trust resource. Land use and climate both influence the functioning of the region’s wetland ecosystems, with effects not just on the waterfowl that depend on these wetlands, but also on the services they provide to society, such as...
Managing upland vegetation as a mitigation strategy for climate change impacts on prairie-pothole wetlands
The goal of this research is to increase knowledge of climate change effects on prairie-pothole wetlands and their ability to provide habitat to breeding waterfowl, and to identify potential upland management strategies with the potential to mitigate negative effects. Wetland simulation models suggest that climate change may result in increased drying of prairie-pothole wetlands as increased...
Quantifying ecosystem services provided by depressional wetlands in the Upper Mississippi
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center has conducted multiple research efforts related to developing methodology for quantifying the environmental and societal services provided by prairie-pothole wetland ecosystems. In this effort, we are exploring the feasibility of applying methodologies similar to those developed wetland ecosystems within the Prairie Pothole Region to other landscapes...
Quantify the multiple services performed by wetland ecosystems in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States
This research effort is focused on incorporating land-use and land-cover change into forecasting models that accounted for variations in agricultural and conservation practices and programs. The primary tool being used is the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) modeling suite. We have parameterized this modeling tool for the prairie-pothole region, and developed...
A systems approach to modeling effects of climate and land-use change on prairie wetland ecosystems
This effort is focused on developing an process-based, systems model for prairie-pothole wetlands to facilitate forecasts of how climate and land-use change will influence wetland processes and biota. The Pothole Hydrology Linked System Simulator model (PHyLiSS) simulates changes in hydrology, water chemistry, plant communities, invertebrates and other biota as a result of altered temperature...
Development and validation of wetland-connectivity indicators in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region
We are working in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to (1) quantify cumulative effects of prairie-pothole wetlands on stream communities; (2) explore relationships between aquatic-system connectivity and genetic-, species-, and ecosystem-scale biological diversity at watershed and landscape scales; (3) develop mapping unit descriptors based on biotic community traits...
USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) durability assessment with FORT
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center is assisting the Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) in conducting an assessment of the current status of agricultural lands that were previously, but not currently, enrolled in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). The goal of...
North American Analysis and Synthesis on the Connectivity of "Geographically Isolated Wetlands" to Downstream Waters
Geographically Isolated Wetlands (GIWs) occur along gradients of hydrologic and ecological connectivity and isolation, even within wetland types (e.g., forested, emergent marshes) and functional classes (e.g., ephemeral systems, permanent systems, etc.). Within a given watershed, the relative positions of wetlands and open-waters along these gradients influence the type and magnitude of their...
Invertebrate communities of Prairie-Pothole wetlands in the age of the aquatic Homogenocene
Simplification of communities is a common consequence of anthropogenic modification. However, the prevalence and mechanisms of biotic homogenization among wetland systems require further examination. Biota of wetlands in the North American Prairie Pothole Region are adapted to high spatial and temporal variability in ponded-water duration and...
Mclean, Kyle I.; Mushet, David M.; Jon N. Sweetman; Anteau, Michael J.; Wiltermuth, Mark T. Alternative stable states in inherently unstable systems
Alternative stable states are nontransitory states within which communities can exist. However, even highly dynamic communities can be viewed within the framework of stable‐state theory if an appropriate “ecologically relevant” time scale is identified. The ecologically relevant time scale for dynamic systems needs to conform to the amount of time...
Mushet, David M.; McKenna, Owen P.; Mclean, Kyle I. Synergistic interaction of climate and land-use drivers alter the function of North American, Prairie-pothole Wetlands
Prairie-pothole wetlands provide the critical habitat necessary for supporting North American migratory waterfowl populations. However, climate and land-use change threaten the sustainability of these wetland ecosystems. Very few experiments and analyses have been designed to investigate the relative impacts of climate and land-use change drivers...
McKenna, Owen P.; Kucia, Samuel Richard; Mushet, David M.; Anteau, Michael J.; Wiltermuth, Mark T.
Study design and methods for a wetland condition assessment on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fee-title lands in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana, USA
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) manages wetlands and grasslands for wildlife habitat throughout the central North American Prairie Pothole Region (PPR). PPR wetlands, or potholes, are widely recognized as critical habitats for North American migratory waterfowl, waterbirds, and other wildlife. Potholes also provide other ecosystem...
Tangen, Brian A.; Bansal, Sheel; Fern, Rachel R.; DeKeyser, Edward S.; Hargiss, Christina L. M.; Mushet, David M.; Dixon, Cami S. Conservation of temporary wetlands
Temporary wetlands are characterized by frequent drying resulting in a unique, highly specialized assemblage of often rare or specialized plant and animal species. They are found on all continents and in a variety of landscape settings. Although accurate estimates of the abundance of temporary wetlands are available in only a few countries, global...
Boix, Dani; Calhoun, Aram J.K.; Mushet, David M.; Bell, Kathleen P.; Fitzsimons, James A.; Isselin-Nondedeu, Francis Can multi-element fingerprinting of soils inform assessments of chemical connectivity between depressional wetlands?
The question of wetland connectivity is particularly relevant regarding depressional wetlands because these wetlands often seem to be “isolated” from other wetlands on a landscape. In this study, multi-element fingerprinting of soils was used to assess similarity in element composition of depressional-wetland soils as a measure of wetland...
Xiaoyan Zhu; Yuxiang Yuan; Mushet, David M.; Marinus L. Otte Landscape genetics reveal broad and fine‐scale population structure due to landscape features and climate history in the northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens) in North Dakota
Prehistoric climate and landscape features play large roles structuring wildlife populations. The amphibians of the northern Great Plains of North America present an opportunity to investigate how these factors affect colonization, migration, and current population genetic structure. This study used 11 microsatellite loci to genotype 1,230...
Waraniak, Justin M.; Fisher, Justin D. L.; Purcell, Kevin; Mushet, David M.; Stockwell, Craig A. Modeling effects of crop production, energy development and conservation-grassland loss on avian habitat
Birds are essential components of most ecosystems and provide many services valued by society. However, many populations have undergone striking declines as their habitats have been lost or degraded by human activities. Terrestrial grasslands are vital habitat for birds in the North American Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), but grassland conversion...
Shaffer, Jill A.; Roth, Cali L.; Mushet, David M. Multi-element fingerprinting of waters to evaluate connectivity among depressional wetlands
Establishing the connectivity among depressional wetlands is important for their proper management, conservation and restoration. In this study, the concentrations of 38 elements in surface water and porewater of depressional wetlands were investigated to determine chemical and hydrological connectivity of three hydrological types:...
Yuan, Yuxiang; Zhu, Xiaoyan; Mushet, David M.; Otte, Marinus L.
The Pothole Hydrology-Linked Systems Simulator (PHyLiSS)—Development and application of a systems model for prairie-pothole wetlands
The North American Prairie Pothole Region covers about 770,000 square kilometers of the United States and Canada (including parts of 5 States and 3 provinces: North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, Iowa, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta). The Laurentide Ice Sheet shaped the landscape of the region about 12,000 to 14,000 years ago. The...
McKenna, Owen P.; Mushet, David M.; Scherff, Eric J.; Mclean, Kyle I.; Mills, Christopher T. Differing modes of biotic connectivity within freshwater ecosystem mosaics
We describe a collection of aquatic and wetland habitats in an inland landscape, and their occurrence within a terrestrial matrix, as a “freshwater ecosystem mosaic” (FEM). Aquatic and wetland habitats in any FEM can vary widely, from permanently ponded lakes, to ephemerally ponded wetlands, to groundwater‐fed springs, to flowing rivers and...
Mushet, David M.; Alexander, Laurie C.; Bennet, Micah; Schofield, Kate; Christensen, Jay R.; Ali, Genevieve; Pollard, Amina I.; Fritz, Ken M.; Lang, Megan Biological connectivity of seasonally ponded wetlands across spatial and temporal scales
Many species that inhabit seasonally ponded wetlands also rely on surrounding upland habitats and nearby aquatic ecosystems for resources to support life stages and to maintain viable populations. Understanding biological connectivity among these habitats is critical to ensure that landscapes are protected at appropriate scales to conserve species...
Smith, Lora L.; Subalusky, Amanda; Atkinson, Carla L.; Earl, Julia E.; Mushet, David M.; Scott, David E.; Lance, Stacey L.; Johnson, Steve A.
Public Invitation: Jamestown Science Center Opens Doors for Interactive Experience
The public is invited to attend a free, family-friendly open house at a local U.S. Geological Survey center for ecology research on Saturday, September 16.