David R Smith, Ph.D.
Dave is a Research Statistician (Biology) at the Eastern Ecological Science Center in Kearneysville, WV.
Dave Smith graduated from Colorado State (MS in Fish and Wildlife Biology) and University of Georgia (MS in Statistics and PhD in Forest Resources). Currently, he is a biological statistician at the USGS Leetown Science Center where he focuses on applied quantitative ecology in support of natural resource management and environmental decision making.
His research activities mostly focus on the following topics:
- Adaptive sampling of rare and clustered populations
- Conservation and science of horseshoe crabs in North America and Asia
- Conservation of freshwater mussels
- Application of structured decision making and adaptive management to natural resource management
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 113
Non-native fish control below Glen Canyon Dam - Report from a structured decision-making project
This report describes the results of a structured decision-making project by the U.S. Geological Survey to provide substantive input to the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) for use in the preparation of an Environmental Assessment concerning control of non-native fish below Glen Canyon Dam. A forum was created to allow the diverse cooperating agencies and Tribes to discuss, expand, and articula
Authors
Michael C. Runge, Ellen Bean, David Smith, Sonja Kokos
Multi-species attributes as the condition for adaptive sampling of rare species using two-stage sequential sampling with an auxiliary variable
Assessing populations of rare species is challenging because of the large effort required to locate patches of occupied habitat and achieve precise estimates of density and abundance. The presence of a rare species has been shown to be correlated with presence or abundance of more common species. Thus, ecological community richness or abundance can be used to inform sampling of rare species. Adapt
Authors
B. Panahbehagh, D. R. Smith, M.M. Salehi, D.J. Hornbach, D.J. Brown
Demographic consequences of migratory stopover: Linking red knot survival to horseshoe crab spawning abundance
Understanding how events during one period of the annual cycle carry over to affect survival and other fitness components in other periods is essential to understanding migratory bird demography and conservation needs. Previous research has suggested that western Atlantic red knot (Calidris canutus rufa) populations are greatly affected by horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) egg availability at De
Authors
Conor P. McGowan, James E. Hines, James D. Nichols, James E. Lyons, David Smith, Kevin S. Kalasz, Lawrence J. Niles, Amanda D. Dey, Nigel A. Clark, Philip W. Atkinson, Clive D.T. Minton, William Kendall
Beach characteristics mitigate effects of onshore wind on horseshoe crab spawning: Implications for matching with shorebird migration in Delaware Bay
Disruption of food availability by unfavorable physical processes at energetically demanding times can limit recruitment of migratory species as predicted by the match–mismatch hypothesis. Identification and protection of disruption‐resistant habitat could contribute to system resilience. For example, horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus spawning and shorebird stopover must match temporally in Delawa
Authors
D. R. Smith, N.L. Jackson, K.F. Nordstrom, R.G. Weber
Evaluation of single and two-stage adaptive sampling designs for estimation of density and abundance of freshwater mussels in a large river
Reliable estimates of abundance are needed to assess consequences of proposed habitat restoration and enhancement projects on freshwater mussels in the Upper Mississippi River (UMR). Although there is general guidance on sampling techniques for population assessment of freshwater mussels, the actual performance of sampling designs can depend critically on the population density and spatial distrib
Authors
D. R. Smith, J. T. Rogala, B. R. Gray, S. J. Zigler, T.J. Newton
Age and sex specific timing, frequency, and spatial distribution of horseshoe crab spawning in Delaware Bay: Insights from a large-scale radio telemetry array
To study horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus spawning behavior and migration over a large-spatial extent (>100 km), we arrayed fixed station radio receivers throughout Delaware Bay and deployed radio transmitters and archival tags on adult horseshoe crabs prior to their spawning season. We tagged and released 160 females and 60 males in 2004 and 217 females in 2005. The array covered approximately 1
Authors
David R. Smith, L. J. Brousseau, Mary T. Mandt, Michael J. Millard
Structured decision-making and rapid prototyping to plan a management response to an invasive species
We developed components of a decision structure that could be used in an adaptive management framework for responding to invasion of hemlock woolly adelgid Adeleges tsugae on the Cumberland Plateau of northern Tennessee. Hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive forest pest, was first detected in this area in 2007. We used a structured decision-making process to identify and refine the management proble
Authors
S. M. Blomquist, Trisha D. Johnson, David R. Smith, Geoff P. Call, Brant N. Miller, W. Mark Thurman, Jamie E. McFadden, Mary J. Parkin, G. Scott Bloomer
Effects of nourishment on the form and function of an estuarine beach
Beach nourishment programs in estuaries can enhance shore protection, but they decrease habitat suitability by creating higher berms and wider backshores than would occur under natural conditions. Use of sediment sources from outside the area can result in sedimentary characteristics that differ from native sediments on the surface and at depth, altering conditions for both aeolian transport to du
Authors
N.L. Jackson, K.F. Nordstrom, S. Saini, D. R. Smith
Feather lead concentrations and 207Pb/206Pb ratios reveal lead exposure history of California Condors (Gymnogyps californianus)
Lead poisoning is a primary factor impeding the survival and recovery of the critically endangered California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus). However, the frequency and magnitude of lead exposure in condors is not well-known in part because most blood lead monitoring occurs biannually, and biannual blood samples capture only ∼10% of a bird’s annual exposure history. We investigated the use of gr
Authors
M.E. Finkelstein, D. George, S. Scherbinski, R. Gwiazda, M. Johnson, J. Burnett, J. Brandt, S. Lawrey, Allan P. Pessier, M.R. Clark, Janna Wynne, J. Grantham, D. R. Smith
Effect of imperfect detectability on adaptive and conventional sampling: Simulated sampling of freshwater mussels in the upper Mississippi River
Adaptive sampling designs are recommended where, as is typical with freshwater mussels, the outcome of interest is rare and clustered. However, the performance of adaptive designs has not been investigated when outcomes are not only rare and clustered but also imperfectly detected. We address this combination of challenges using data simulated to mimic properties of freshwater mussels from a reach
Authors
D. R. Smith, B. R. Gray, T.J. Newton, D. Nichols
Efficient estimators for adaptive stratified sequential sampling
In stratified sampling, methods for the allocation of effort among strata usually rely on some measure of within-stratum variance. If we do not have enough information about these variances, adaptive allocation can be used. In adaptive allocation designs, surveys are conducted in two phases. Information from the first phase is used to allocate the remaining units among the strata in the second pha
Authors
M. Salehi, M. Moradi, Jennifer Brown, David R. Smith
Comparative status and assessment of Limulus polyphemus with emphasis on the New England and Delaware Bay populations
Increases in harvest of the American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) during the 1990s, particularly for whelk bait, coupled with decreases in species that depend on their eggs has reduced horseshoe crab abundance, threatened their ecological relationships, and dictated precautionary management of the horseshoe crab resource. Accordingly, population assessments and monitoring programs have been
Authors
David Smith, Michael J. Millard, Ruth H. Carmichael
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Filter Total Items: 113
Non-native fish control below Glen Canyon Dam - Report from a structured decision-making project
This report describes the results of a structured decision-making project by the U.S. Geological Survey to provide substantive input to the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) for use in the preparation of an Environmental Assessment concerning control of non-native fish below Glen Canyon Dam. A forum was created to allow the diverse cooperating agencies and Tribes to discuss, expand, and articulaAuthorsMichael C. Runge, Ellen Bean, David Smith, Sonja KokosMulti-species attributes as the condition for adaptive sampling of rare species using two-stage sequential sampling with an auxiliary variable
Assessing populations of rare species is challenging because of the large effort required to locate patches of occupied habitat and achieve precise estimates of density and abundance. The presence of a rare species has been shown to be correlated with presence or abundance of more common species. Thus, ecological community richness or abundance can be used to inform sampling of rare species. AdaptAuthorsB. Panahbehagh, D. R. Smith, M.M. Salehi, D.J. Hornbach, D.J. BrownDemographic consequences of migratory stopover: Linking red knot survival to horseshoe crab spawning abundance
Understanding how events during one period of the annual cycle carry over to affect survival and other fitness components in other periods is essential to understanding migratory bird demography and conservation needs. Previous research has suggested that western Atlantic red knot (Calidris canutus rufa) populations are greatly affected by horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) egg availability at DeAuthorsConor P. McGowan, James E. Hines, James D. Nichols, James E. Lyons, David Smith, Kevin S. Kalasz, Lawrence J. Niles, Amanda D. Dey, Nigel A. Clark, Philip W. Atkinson, Clive D.T. Minton, William KendallBeach characteristics mitigate effects of onshore wind on horseshoe crab spawning: Implications for matching with shorebird migration in Delaware Bay
Disruption of food availability by unfavorable physical processes at energetically demanding times can limit recruitment of migratory species as predicted by the match–mismatch hypothesis. Identification and protection of disruption‐resistant habitat could contribute to system resilience. For example, horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus spawning and shorebird stopover must match temporally in DelawaAuthorsD. R. Smith, N.L. Jackson, K.F. Nordstrom, R.G. WeberEvaluation of single and two-stage adaptive sampling designs for estimation of density and abundance of freshwater mussels in a large river
Reliable estimates of abundance are needed to assess consequences of proposed habitat restoration and enhancement projects on freshwater mussels in the Upper Mississippi River (UMR). Although there is general guidance on sampling techniques for population assessment of freshwater mussels, the actual performance of sampling designs can depend critically on the population density and spatial distribAuthorsD. R. Smith, J. T. Rogala, B. R. Gray, S. J. Zigler, T.J. NewtonAge and sex specific timing, frequency, and spatial distribution of horseshoe crab spawning in Delaware Bay: Insights from a large-scale radio telemetry array
To study horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus spawning behavior and migration over a large-spatial extent (>100 km), we arrayed fixed station radio receivers throughout Delaware Bay and deployed radio transmitters and archival tags on adult horseshoe crabs prior to their spawning season. We tagged and released 160 females and 60 males in 2004 and 217 females in 2005. The array covered approximately 1AuthorsDavid R. Smith, L. J. Brousseau, Mary T. Mandt, Michael J. MillardStructured decision-making and rapid prototyping to plan a management response to an invasive species
We developed components of a decision structure that could be used in an adaptive management framework for responding to invasion of hemlock woolly adelgid Adeleges tsugae on the Cumberland Plateau of northern Tennessee. Hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive forest pest, was first detected in this area in 2007. We used a structured decision-making process to identify and refine the management probleAuthorsS. M. Blomquist, Trisha D. Johnson, David R. Smith, Geoff P. Call, Brant N. Miller, W. Mark Thurman, Jamie E. McFadden, Mary J. Parkin, G. Scott BloomerEffects of nourishment on the form and function of an estuarine beach
Beach nourishment programs in estuaries can enhance shore protection, but they decrease habitat suitability by creating higher berms and wider backshores than would occur under natural conditions. Use of sediment sources from outside the area can result in sedimentary characteristics that differ from native sediments on the surface and at depth, altering conditions for both aeolian transport to duAuthorsN.L. Jackson, K.F. Nordstrom, S. Saini, D. R. SmithFeather lead concentrations and 207Pb/206Pb ratios reveal lead exposure history of California Condors (Gymnogyps californianus)
Lead poisoning is a primary factor impeding the survival and recovery of the critically endangered California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus). However, the frequency and magnitude of lead exposure in condors is not well-known in part because most blood lead monitoring occurs biannually, and biannual blood samples capture only ∼10% of a bird’s annual exposure history. We investigated the use of grAuthorsM.E. Finkelstein, D. George, S. Scherbinski, R. Gwiazda, M. Johnson, J. Burnett, J. Brandt, S. Lawrey, Allan P. Pessier, M.R. Clark, Janna Wynne, J. Grantham, D. R. SmithEffect of imperfect detectability on adaptive and conventional sampling: Simulated sampling of freshwater mussels in the upper Mississippi River
Adaptive sampling designs are recommended where, as is typical with freshwater mussels, the outcome of interest is rare and clustered. However, the performance of adaptive designs has not been investigated when outcomes are not only rare and clustered but also imperfectly detected. We address this combination of challenges using data simulated to mimic properties of freshwater mussels from a reachAuthorsD. R. Smith, B. R. Gray, T.J. Newton, D. NicholsEfficient estimators for adaptive stratified sequential sampling
In stratified sampling, methods for the allocation of effort among strata usually rely on some measure of within-stratum variance. If we do not have enough information about these variances, adaptive allocation can be used. In adaptive allocation designs, surveys are conducted in two phases. Information from the first phase is used to allocate the remaining units among the strata in the second phaAuthorsM. Salehi, M. Moradi, Jennifer Brown, David R. SmithComparative status and assessment of Limulus polyphemus with emphasis on the New England and Delaware Bay populations
Increases in harvest of the American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) during the 1990s, particularly for whelk bait, coupled with decreases in species that depend on their eggs has reduced horseshoe crab abundance, threatened their ecological relationships, and dictated precautionary management of the horseshoe crab resource. Accordingly, population assessments and monitoring programs have beenAuthorsDavid Smith, Michael J. Millard, Ruth H. Carmichael - Software
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