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: 117
Introduction to multi-criteria decision analysis Introduction to multi-criteria decision analysis
No abstract available.
Authors
Sarah Converse
Introduction to structuring decisions Introduction to structuring decisions
Decision structuring, also known as decision framing, provides the foundation and roadmap for analyzing a decision. For decisions that warrant a systematic approach, structuring begins with identifying the problem for analysis, which sounds simple but can be deceptively difficult because decision problems are often ill-formed at the start. Many have worked on a problem, alone or with...
Authors
David Smith
Introduction to prediction and the value of information Introduction to prediction and the value of information
Predicting the consequences of alternative actions in terms of the objectives is central to decision making. Modeling in the broadest sense, from simple to complex and based on data or expert judgment, comprises the essential toolkit for making decision-relevant predictions. Gaps in knowledge and the resulting uncertainty can make predictive modeling challenging. Gathering information to
Authors
David Smith
Strategic conservation of an imperiled freshwater mussel, the Dwarf Wedgemussel, in North Carolina Strategic conservation of an imperiled freshwater mussel, the Dwarf Wedgemussel, in North Carolina
To be effective, managers of imperiled species must face the unavoidable tradeoff between conservation benefits and constrained budgets and must not be paralyzed by scientific uncertainty. Decision analysis can help meet these challenges when used to develop cost-effective strategies to recover or improve the status of species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with state...
Authors
David Smith, Sarah McCrae
Reserve network design for prairie-dependent taxa in South Puget Sound Reserve network design for prairie-dependent taxa in South Puget Sound
Conserving species requires managing threats, including habitat loss. One approach to managing habitat loss is to identify and protect habitat in networks of reserves. Reserve network design is a type of resource allocation problem: how can we choose the most effective reserve network design given available resources? We undertook development and implementation of a patch dynamics model...
Authors
Sarah Converse, Beth Gardner, Steve Morey
Prioritizing uncertainties to improve management of a reintroduction program Prioritizing uncertainties to improve management of a reintroduction program
The success of wildlife reintroduction efforts rests on the demographic performance of released animals. Whooping Cranes in the eastern migratory population—reintroduced beginning in 2001—demonstrate adequate survival but poor reproduction. Managers and scientists have used an iterative process of learning and management to respond to this management challenge, but by 2015, uncertainty...
Authors
Sarah Converse
A decision framework to analyze tide-gate options for restoration of the Herring River Estuary, Massachusetts A decision framework to analyze tide-gate options for restoration of the Herring River Estuary, Massachusetts
The collective set of decisions involved with the restoration of degraded wetlands is often more complex than considering only ecological responses and outcomes. Restoration is commonly driven by a complex interaction of social, economic, and ecological factors representing the mandate of resource stewards and the values of stakeholders. The authors worked with the Herring River...
Authors
David Smith, Mitchell J. Eaton, Jill Gannon, Timothy Smith, Eric Derleth, Jonathan Katz, Kirk Bosma, Elise Leduc
Long-term population dynamics of dreissenid mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis): A cross-system analysis Long-term population dynamics of dreissenid mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis): A cross-system analysis
Dreissenid mussels (including the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha and the quagga mussel D. rostriformis) are among the world's most notorious invasive species, with large and widespread ecological and economic effects. However, their long‐term population dynamics are poorly known, even though these dynamics are critical to determining impacts and effective management. We gathered and...
Authors
David L. Strayer, Boris Adamovich, Rita Adrian, David Aldridge, Csilla Balogh, Lyubov Burlakova, Hannah Fried-Petersen, Laszlo G.-Toth, Amy L. Hetherington, Thomas Jones, Alexander Y. Karatayev, Jacqueline Madill, Oleg Makarevich, J. Ellen Marsden, Andre Martel, Dan Minchin, Thomas Nalepa, Ruurd Noordhuis, Timothy Robinson, Lars G. Rudstam, Astrid N. Schwalb, David Smith, Alan D. Steinman, Jonathan Jeschke
Geographic-specific capture-recapture models reveal contrasting migration and survival rates of adult horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) Geographic-specific capture-recapture models reveal contrasting migration and survival rates of adult horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus)
American horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) have varied migration patterns and harvesting pressure throughout their range, potentially leading to regional differences in population dynamics. Here, a multi-state mark–recapture model was used to estimate annual survival and exchange rates of adult horseshoe crabs across three geographic regions in Long Island, NY (South Shore, North...
Authors
Justin Bopp, Matthew Sclafani, David Smith, Kim McKown, Rachel Sysak, Robert Cerrato
Linkages between hydrology and seasonal variations of nutrients and periphyton in a large oligotrophic subalpine lake Linkages between hydrology and seasonal variations of nutrients and periphyton in a large oligotrophic subalpine lake
Periphyton is important to lake ecosystems, contributing to primary production, nutrient cycling, and benthic metabolism. Increases in periphyton growth in lakes can be indicative of changes in water quality, shifts in ecosystem structure, and increases in nutrient fluxes. In oligotrophic lakes, conservationists are interested in characterizing the influence of hydrological drivers on...
Authors
Ramon Naranjo, Richard Niswonger, David Smith, Donald Rosenberry, Sudeep Chandra
Temporal evaluation of estrogenic endocrine disruption markers in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) reveals seasonal variability in intersex Temporal evaluation of estrogenic endocrine disruption markers in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) reveals seasonal variability in intersex
A reconnaissance project completed in 2009 identified intersex and elevated plasma vitellogenin in male smallmouth bass inhabiting the Missisquoi River, VT. In an attempt to identify the presence and seasonality of putative endocrine disrupting chemicals or other factors associated with these observations, a comprehensive reevaluation was conducted between September 2012 and June 2014...
Authors
Luke Iwanowicz, A.E. Pinkney, C.P. Guy, A.M. Major, K. Munney, Vicki S. Blazer, David Alvarez, Heather Walsh, Adam Sperry, Lakyn R. Sanders, D. R. Smith
Development of a species status assessment process for decisions under the U.S. Endangered Species Act Development of a species status assessment process for decisions under the U.S. Endangered Species Act
Decisions under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) require scientific input on the risk that the species will become extinct. A series of critiques on the role of science in ESA decisions have called for improved consistency and transparency in species risk assessments and clear distinctions between science input and policy application. To address the critiques and document the...
Authors
David Smith, Nathan Allan, Conor McGowan, Jennifer Szymankski, Susan Oetker, Heather Bell
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 117
Introduction to multi-criteria decision analysis Introduction to multi-criteria decision analysis
No abstract available.
Authors
Sarah Converse
Introduction to structuring decisions Introduction to structuring decisions
Decision structuring, also known as decision framing, provides the foundation and roadmap for analyzing a decision. For decisions that warrant a systematic approach, structuring begins with identifying the problem for analysis, which sounds simple but can be deceptively difficult because decision problems are often ill-formed at the start. Many have worked on a problem, alone or with...
Authors
David Smith
Introduction to prediction and the value of information Introduction to prediction and the value of information
Predicting the consequences of alternative actions in terms of the objectives is central to decision making. Modeling in the broadest sense, from simple to complex and based on data or expert judgment, comprises the essential toolkit for making decision-relevant predictions. Gaps in knowledge and the resulting uncertainty can make predictive modeling challenging. Gathering information to
Authors
David Smith
Strategic conservation of an imperiled freshwater mussel, the Dwarf Wedgemussel, in North Carolina Strategic conservation of an imperiled freshwater mussel, the Dwarf Wedgemussel, in North Carolina
To be effective, managers of imperiled species must face the unavoidable tradeoff between conservation benefits and constrained budgets and must not be paralyzed by scientific uncertainty. Decision analysis can help meet these challenges when used to develop cost-effective strategies to recover or improve the status of species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with state...
Authors
David Smith, Sarah McCrae
Reserve network design for prairie-dependent taxa in South Puget Sound Reserve network design for prairie-dependent taxa in South Puget Sound
Conserving species requires managing threats, including habitat loss. One approach to managing habitat loss is to identify and protect habitat in networks of reserves. Reserve network design is a type of resource allocation problem: how can we choose the most effective reserve network design given available resources? We undertook development and implementation of a patch dynamics model...
Authors
Sarah Converse, Beth Gardner, Steve Morey
Prioritizing uncertainties to improve management of a reintroduction program Prioritizing uncertainties to improve management of a reintroduction program
The success of wildlife reintroduction efforts rests on the demographic performance of released animals. Whooping Cranes in the eastern migratory population—reintroduced beginning in 2001—demonstrate adequate survival but poor reproduction. Managers and scientists have used an iterative process of learning and management to respond to this management challenge, but by 2015, uncertainty...
Authors
Sarah Converse
A decision framework to analyze tide-gate options for restoration of the Herring River Estuary, Massachusetts A decision framework to analyze tide-gate options for restoration of the Herring River Estuary, Massachusetts
The collective set of decisions involved with the restoration of degraded wetlands is often more complex than considering only ecological responses and outcomes. Restoration is commonly driven by a complex interaction of social, economic, and ecological factors representing the mandate of resource stewards and the values of stakeholders. The authors worked with the Herring River...
Authors
David Smith, Mitchell J. Eaton, Jill Gannon, Timothy Smith, Eric Derleth, Jonathan Katz, Kirk Bosma, Elise Leduc
Long-term population dynamics of dreissenid mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis): A cross-system analysis Long-term population dynamics of dreissenid mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis): A cross-system analysis
Dreissenid mussels (including the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha and the quagga mussel D. rostriformis) are among the world's most notorious invasive species, with large and widespread ecological and economic effects. However, their long‐term population dynamics are poorly known, even though these dynamics are critical to determining impacts and effective management. We gathered and...
Authors
David L. Strayer, Boris Adamovich, Rita Adrian, David Aldridge, Csilla Balogh, Lyubov Burlakova, Hannah Fried-Petersen, Laszlo G.-Toth, Amy L. Hetherington, Thomas Jones, Alexander Y. Karatayev, Jacqueline Madill, Oleg Makarevich, J. Ellen Marsden, Andre Martel, Dan Minchin, Thomas Nalepa, Ruurd Noordhuis, Timothy Robinson, Lars G. Rudstam, Astrid N. Schwalb, David Smith, Alan D. Steinman, Jonathan Jeschke
Geographic-specific capture-recapture models reveal contrasting migration and survival rates of adult horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) Geographic-specific capture-recapture models reveal contrasting migration and survival rates of adult horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus)
American horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) have varied migration patterns and harvesting pressure throughout their range, potentially leading to regional differences in population dynamics. Here, a multi-state mark–recapture model was used to estimate annual survival and exchange rates of adult horseshoe crabs across three geographic regions in Long Island, NY (South Shore, North...
Authors
Justin Bopp, Matthew Sclafani, David Smith, Kim McKown, Rachel Sysak, Robert Cerrato
Linkages between hydrology and seasonal variations of nutrients and periphyton in a large oligotrophic subalpine lake Linkages between hydrology and seasonal variations of nutrients and periphyton in a large oligotrophic subalpine lake
Periphyton is important to lake ecosystems, contributing to primary production, nutrient cycling, and benthic metabolism. Increases in periphyton growth in lakes can be indicative of changes in water quality, shifts in ecosystem structure, and increases in nutrient fluxes. In oligotrophic lakes, conservationists are interested in characterizing the influence of hydrological drivers on...
Authors
Ramon Naranjo, Richard Niswonger, David Smith, Donald Rosenberry, Sudeep Chandra
Temporal evaluation of estrogenic endocrine disruption markers in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) reveals seasonal variability in intersex Temporal evaluation of estrogenic endocrine disruption markers in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) reveals seasonal variability in intersex
A reconnaissance project completed in 2009 identified intersex and elevated plasma vitellogenin in male smallmouth bass inhabiting the Missisquoi River, VT. In an attempt to identify the presence and seasonality of putative endocrine disrupting chemicals or other factors associated with these observations, a comprehensive reevaluation was conducted between September 2012 and June 2014...
Authors
Luke Iwanowicz, A.E. Pinkney, C.P. Guy, A.M. Major, K. Munney, Vicki S. Blazer, David Alvarez, Heather Walsh, Adam Sperry, Lakyn R. Sanders, D. R. Smith
Development of a species status assessment process for decisions under the U.S. Endangered Species Act Development of a species status assessment process for decisions under the U.S. Endangered Species Act
Decisions under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) require scientific input on the risk that the species will become extinct. A series of critiques on the role of science in ESA decisions have called for improved consistency and transparency in species risk assessments and clear distinctions between science input and policy application. To address the critiques and document the...
Authors
David Smith, Nathan Allan, Conor McGowan, Jennifer Szymankski, Susan Oetker, Heather Bell