Eben H Paxton
Specialty: Avian ecology and conservation, demographic modeling, conservation genetics
Research Interests: My research focuses on understanding factors that affect population dynamics – why populations increase or decline over time – and through an understanding of the “why” populations change in size provide natural resource managers information on “how” to maintain healthy populations. My research has focused mainly on birds, mostly endangered species, using field research, modeling, and genetic research to understand population dynamics and identify possible conservation actions to help imperiled populations. My work in Hawai‘i is focused on the native Hawaiian forest birds.
Personal Interests: Hunting, fishing, and lounging at the beach
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 2008 Biology, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
M.S. 2000 Biology, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
B.S. 1991 Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA
Science and Products
Hawaii Island forest bird response to simulated nest predator 2015-2016
Trophic interactions and feedbacks maintain intact and degraded states of Hawaiian tropical forests
Minimizing extinction risk in the face of uncertainty: Developing conservation strategies for 2 rapidly declining forest bird species on Kaua‘i Island
Hawaiian forest bird conservation strategies for minimizing the risk of extinction: biological and biocultural considerations
Hypotheses and lessons from a native moth outbreak in a low-diversity, tropical rainforest
Optimizing trilateration estimates for tracking fine-scale movement of wildlife using automated radio telemetry networks
Activity patterns of Hawaiian forest birds in a fragmented and continuous landscape
Foraging behavior in a generalist snake (brown treesnake, Boiga irregularis) with implications for avian reintroduction and recovery
Distilling professional opinion to gauge vulnerability of Guam avifauna to Brown Treesnake predation
Individual and seasonal variation in the movement behavior of two tropical nectarivorous birds
Genetic structure and population history in two critically endangered Kaua‘i honeycreepers
Bridging the research-implementation gap in avian conservation with translational ecology
Linking climate niches across seasons to assess population vulnerability in a migratory bird
Global loss of biodiversity has placed new urgency on the need to understand factors regulating species response to rapid environmental change. While specialists are often less resilient to rapid environmental change than generalists, species-level analyses may obscure the extent of specialization when locally adapted populations vary in climate tolerances. Until recently, quantification of the de
Science and Products
- Science
- Data
Filter Total Items: 13
Hawaii Island forest bird response to simulated nest predator 2015-2016
Hawaii forest birds nesting in Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge were exposed to models of predators near their nests to measure behavioral responses. Responses to potential nest predators included vocalization rate, movement behavior, and nestling feeding. Predators were inert stick, introduced but abundant predator, a rat, and a novel predator, a snake, that does not occur on Hawaii. - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 90
Trophic interactions and feedbacks maintain intact and degraded states of Hawaiian tropical forests
Feedbacks within ecosystems can lead to internal reinforcement of the current state providing ecosystem resilience. Often, multiple biotic interactions across trophic levels play a role in such feedbacks, yet these are generally studied independently, obscuring the relative importance of interactions among different factors. We look at various potential feedbacks in intact and degraded mesic foresAuthorsStephanie G. Yelenik, Eli T. Rose, Eben H. PaxtonMinimizing extinction risk in the face of uncertainty: Developing conservation strategies for 2 rapidly declining forest bird species on Kaua‘i Island
Many species around the world are declining precipitously as a result of multiple threats and changing climate. Managers tasked with protecting species often face difficult decisions in regard to identifying which threats should be addressed, given limited resources and uncertainty in the success of any identified management action. On Kaua‘i Island, Hawai‘i, USA, forest bird species have experienAuthorsEben H. Paxton, Lisa H. Crampton, John Vetter, Megan Laut, Lainie Berry, Steve MoreyHawaiian forest bird conservation strategies for minimizing the risk of extinction: biological and biocultural considerations
The iconic forest birds of Hawai‘i are facing a conservation crisis. Across the Hawaiian Islands, native forest birds have been experiencing population declines that have accelerated in the last one to two decades. While habitat loss, invasive species, and non-native predators have negatively affected forest bird species for hundreds of years, and continue to do so, introduced diseases, particularAuthorsEben H. Paxton, Megan Laut, Stanton Enomoto, Michelle BogardusHypotheses and lessons from a native moth outbreak in a low-diversity, tropical rainforest
Outbreaks of defoliating insects in low-diversity tropical forests occur infrequently but provide valuable insights about outbreak ecology in temperate environments and in general. We investigated an extensive outbreak of the endemic koa moth (Scotorythra paludicola), which defoliated endemic koa trees (Acacia koa) over a third of their range on Hawai‘i Island during 2013 and 2014. At Hakalau ForeAuthorsPaul C. Banko, Robert W. Peck, Stephanie G. Yelenik, Eben H. Paxton, Frank Bonaccorso, Kristina Montoya-Aiona, R. Flint Hughes, Steven PerakisOptimizing trilateration estimates for tracking fine-scale movement of wildlife using automated radio telemetry networks
A major advancement in the use of radio telemetry has been the development of automated radio tracking systems (ARTS), which allow animal movements to be tracked continuously. A new ARTS approach is the use of a network of simple radio receivers (nodes) that collect radio signal strength (RSS) values from animal-borne radio transmitters. However, the use of RSS-based localization methods in wildliAuthorsKristina L. Paxton, Kayla M Baker, Zia Crytser, Ray Mark Provido Guinto, Kevin W. Brinck, Haldre Rogers, Eben H. PaxtonActivity patterns of Hawaiian forest birds in a fragmented and continuous landscape
Activity patterns are a key component of avian life history and behavior, and decisions about how activity periods are structured can have important fitness implications. Despite the importance of activity patterns, individual variability in activity is poorly studied in small birds. We used automated radio telemetry to track Hawaiian forest birds from three dietary guilds in a continuous forest,AuthorsJennifer R Smetzer, Kristina L. Paxton, Patrick J. Hart, Eben H. PaxtonForaging behavior in a generalist snake (brown treesnake, Boiga irregularis) with implications for avian reintroduction and recovery
Broad foraging classifications, such as generalist or specialist forager, are generally beneficial for population management in defining expectations of typical behavior. However, better understanding as to how individual variance in behavior interfaces with management actions, such as control of an invasive predator (such as brown treesnakes; Boiga irregularis) responsible for ecological collapseAuthorsMelia G. Nafus, Peter X. Xiong, Eben H. Paxton, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Scott Michael GoetzDistilling professional opinion to gauge vulnerability of Guam avifauna to Brown Treesnake predation
The avifauna of Guam was devastated by the introduction of the Brown Treesnake, and the restoration of native birds would need to address the problem with eradication or suppression of BTS. With eradication of the snake unlikely in the near term, and suppression capabilities limited to specific finite areas, key information for reintroductions is how low BTS abundance will likely need to be for eaAuthorsRobert McElderry, Eben H. Paxton, Andre Nguyen, Shane R. SiersIndividual and seasonal variation in the movement behavior of two tropical nectarivorous birds
BackgroundMovement of animals directly affects individual fitness, yet fine spatial and temporal resolution movement behavior has been studied in relatively few small species, particularly in the tropics. Nectarivorous Hawaiian honeycreepers are believed to be highly mobile throughout the year, but their fine-scale movement patterns remain unknown. The movement behavior of these crucial pollinatorAuthorsJennifer R Smetzer, Kristina L. Paxton, Eben H. PaxtonGenetic structure and population history in two critically endangered Kaua‘i honeycreepers
Population sizes of endemic songbirds on Kaua‘i have decreased by an order of magnitude over the past 10–15 years to dangerously low numbers. The primary cause appears to be the ascent of invasive mosquitoes and Plasmodium relictum, the agent of avian malaria, into elevations formerly free of introduced malarial parasites and their vectors. Given that these declines in native bird populations appeAuthorsLoren Cassin-Sackett, Michael G. Campana, Nancy McInerney, Haw Chuan Lim, Natalia Przelomska, Bryce M Masuda, R. Terry Chesser, Eben H. Paxton, Jeffery T Foster, Lisa H. Crampton, Robert C. FleischerBridging the research-implementation gap in avian conservation with translational ecology
The recognized gap between research and implementation in avian conservation can be overcome with translational ecology, an intentional approach in which science producers and users from multiple disciplines work collaboratively to co-develop and deliver ecological research that addresses management and conservation issues. Avian conservation naturally lends itself to translational ecology becauseAuthorsSarah P. Saunders, Joanna X. Wu, Elizabeth A. Gow, Evan A. Adams, Brooke L. Bateman, Trina Bayard, Stephanie Beilke, Ashley A. Dayer, Auriel M.V. Fournier, Kara Fox, Christoper Hamilton, Patricia J. Heglund, Susannah B. Lerman, Nicole L. Michel, Eben H. Paxton, Çağan H. Şekercioğlu, Melanie A. Smith, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Mark S Woodrey, Charles van RiperLinking climate niches across seasons to assess population vulnerability in a migratory bird
Global loss of biodiversity has placed new urgency on the need to understand factors regulating species response to rapid environmental change. While specialists are often less resilient to rapid environmental change than generalists, species-level analyses may obscure the extent of specialization when locally adapted populations vary in climate tolerances. Until recently, quantification of the de
AuthorsKristen Ruegg, Eric Anderson, Marius Somveille, Rachael A. Bay, Mary J. Whitfield, Eben H. Paxton, Thomas B. Smith - News