Evan Grant the principle investigator of the US Geological Survey’s Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI), northeast region.
Evan's research focuses on questions relating to amphibian populations, specifically with respect to their landscape-scale ecology. Evan also uses decision science to aid resource managers.
Education:
- PhD, 2009, University of Maryland College Park, Program of Marine, Estuarine and Environmental Sciences and Department of Entomology
- BS, 2001, Cornell University, Natural Resources, with Distinction in Research
ResearcherID: N-5160-2014
Research Gate profile: http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Evan_Grant2
Science and Products
Disease Decision Analysis and Research
COVID-19 Pathways and Wildlife Dynamics
Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative
Decision Science Support for SARS-CoV-2 Risk to North American Bats
Decision science support for Chronic Wasting Disease
Vernal Pool Inundation Models
Modeling the response of cave hibernating Myotis species to white-nose syndrome mitigation tactics
A generic web application to visualize and understand movements of tagged animals
Pre-listing Science Support in the Northeast
Structured Decision Making
Assessing Amphibian Disease Risk in the Northeast
Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI): Understanding Amphibian Populations in the Northeastern United States
Report to NECSC: Adaptive capacity in a forest indicator species
Data from: "Evaluating the effect of expert elicitation techniques on population status assessment in the face of large uncertainty"
Field data to support speciation with gene flow in a narrow endemic West Virginia cave salamander (Gyrinophilus subterraneus)
Current use pesticides in larval amphibian tissues, amphibian pathogen and wetland sediment screening data from three northeastern National Wildlife Refuges, 2013-2014
Mercury Bioaccumulation in US National Parks Using Dragonfly Larvae as Biosentinels, 2009-2018
Inundation observations and inundation model predictions for vernal pools of the northeastern United States
Hydrological measurements of 300 US temporary wetlands from 2004-2014
Range position and climate sensitivity: the structure of among-population demographic responses to climatic variation
Count and detection-nondetection survey data of barred owls (Strix varia) in historical breeding territories of Northern Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) in the Oregon Coast Range, 1995-2016
North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (NAAMP) anuran detection data from the eastern and central United States (1994-2015)
Range-wide population projections for Northern Red-Bellied Cooters (Pseudemys rubriventris)
Testing assumptions in the use of PIT tags to study movement of Plethodon salamanders
Winter severity affects occupancy of spring- and summer-breeding anurans across the eastern United States
Early treatment of white-nose syndrome is necessary to stop population decline
Speciation with gene flow in a narrow endemic West Virginia cave salamander (Gyrinophilus subterraneus)
Amphibian mucus triggers a developmental transition in the frog-killing chytrid fungus
Evaluating the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to bats in the context of wildlife research, rehabilitation, and control
A comparison of monitoring designs to assess wildlife community parameters across spatial scales
Looking ahead, guided by the past: The role of U.S. national parks in amphibian research and conservation
Site- and individual-level contaminations affect infection prevalence of an emerging infectious disease of amphibians
Geographic variation and thermal plasticity shape salamander metabolic rates under current and future climates
Evaluating the effect of expert elicitation techniques on population status assessment in the face of large uncertainty
Decision-Support Tool to Estimate SARS-CoV-2 Human-to-bat Transmission Risk
This application is designed to evaluate the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from humans to North American bats during winter field work and specifically surveys of winter roosts and hibernacula for white-nose syndrome.
Inferring pathogen presence when sample misclassification and partial observation occur
Applying Simulated Treatments to Bat Populations Experiencing Severe White-nose Syndrome Mortality
Decision-Support Tool to Estimate SARS-CoV-2 Human-to-bat Transmission Risk
Science and Products
- Science
Filter Total Items: 18
Disease Decision Analysis and Research
The Disease Decision Analysis and Research group is a multi-disciplinary team based out of the Eastern Ecological Science Center whose strengths are in ecology, decision sciences and quantitative modeling.COVID-19 Pathways and Wildlife Dynamics
Below are the USGS 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) research projects related to COVID-19 pathways and wildlife dynamics. Select tabs above for related items.Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative
The USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) is designed to determine where populations of amphibians are present, to monitor specific apex populations, and to investigate potential causes of amphibian declines, diseases, and malformations. The Northeast Region of ARMI encompasses thirteen states (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New...Decision Science Support for SARS-CoV-2 Risk to North American Bats
The Eastern Ecological Science Center is working closely with federal, state, and tribal partners to help inform decisions that reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from humans to North American wildlife, including bats.Decision science support for Chronic Wasting Disease
Eastern Ecological Science Center adds the decision analytical skill set to the existing body of USGS expertise on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), in support of our sister DOI agencies.Vernal Pool Inundation Models
This website provides an application for exploring modeling results from a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) project titled Mapping Climate Change Resistant Vernal Pools in the Northeastern U.S. The purpose of this project was to improve understanding of the factors that control inundation patterns in vernal pools of the northeastern United States, so as to identify pools that might function as...Modeling the response of cave hibernating Myotis species to white-nose syndrome mitigation tactics
Bat Research Research collaboration: Robin Russell (NWHC), Tonie Rocke (NWHC), Wayne Thogmartin (UMESC), Evan Grant (PWRC) White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease devastating cave-hibernating bat species (Myotis spp.) in the eastern United States. Several mitigation tactics have been proposed to alleviate the effects of white-nose syndrome on bats including probiotics and vaccination. Questions...A generic web application to visualize and understand movements of tagged animals
The goal of this project was to maximize the value of expensive animal tagging data. We developed an interactive web application to help scientists understand patterns in their own tagging datasets and to help scientists, funders and agencies communicate tagging data to decision-makers and to the general public. Interactive visualizations have emerged recently as a valuable tool for identifying paPre-listing Science Support in the Northeast
The background information required to support listing decisions is not always current or available, and additional information or tools to model potential future condition can greatly improve the confidence in Species Status Assessments. We are working closely with multiple partners to provide updated information, model potential outcomes, and identify key uncertainties relevant to amphibian and...Structured Decision Making
The biggest natural resource management challenges include competing views of the value and uses of those resources in society. Patuxent scientists develop methods to manage resources given those competing views under a “structured decision making” (SDM) framework. Our scientists both practice and train others in key SDM skills, such as model development and monitoring design.Assessing Amphibian Disease Risk in the Northeast
Disease in amphibian populations can have a range of effects, from devastating declines following introduction of a novel pathogen to recurring breakout events on a landscape. Elucidating mechanisms underlying the effects of diseases on amphibian populations is crucial to help managers make appropriate decisions to achieve management goals for amphibians.Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI): Understanding Amphibian Populations in the Northeastern United States
Currently, 90 amphibian species are recognized in the Northeast, including 59 species in the Order Caudata (salamanders) and 31 species in the Order Anura (frogs and toads). Almost half of the amphibians in the Northeast are salamanders within the family Plethodontidae. Amphibians are found in all physiographic regions of the Northeast, from sea level to the heights of the Appalachian, Adirondack... - Data
Report to NECSC: Adaptive capacity in a forest indicator species
Data contain metabolic rates of red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) exposed to different thermal regimes, and the movements of salamanders marked with PIT tags and exposed to electromagnetic fields.Data from: "Evaluating the effect of expert elicitation techniques on population status assessment in the face of large uncertainty"
The dataset contains estimates (low, estimate, high) of 12 population parameters for the wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) from the literature and experts.Field data to support speciation with gene flow in a narrow endemic West Virginia cave salamander (Gyrinophilus subterraneus)
This data set is comprised of 4 files consisting of field observations, morphological measurements, and water quality measurements relevant to a publication on the classification and population status of the WV Spring salamander, Gyrinophilius subterraneus.Current use pesticides in larval amphibian tissues, amphibian pathogen and wetland sediment screening data from three northeastern National Wildlife Refuges, 2013-2014
The data include concentrations of current use pesticides in tissues of larval wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) and spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) and the presence of ranavirus in wood frogs and spotted salamanders from three northeastern National Wildlife Refuges sampled in 2013 and 2014. The data also include estrogenicity, protein phosphatase 2A inhibition and a suite of 15 major andMercury Bioaccumulation in US National Parks Using Dragonfly Larvae as Biosentinels, 2009-2018
Comma-separated values (.csv) files containing data related to a National-scale assessment of mercury bioaccumulation in the US National Parks using dragonfly larvae as biosentinels through a citizen science framework.Inundation observations and inundation model predictions for vernal pools of the northeastern United States
This data release includes data-processing scripts, data products, and associated metadata for a study to model the hydrology of several hundred vernal pools (i.e., seasonal pools or ephemeral wetlands) across the northeastern United States. More information on this study is available from the project website. This data release consists of several components: (1) an input dataset and associated meHydrological measurements of 300 US temporary wetlands from 2004-2014
This dataset includes hydrological measurements of 300 US temporary wetlands from 2004-2014.Range position and climate sensitivity: the structure of among-population demographic responses to climatic variation
This data set is comprised of four files related to the counts of wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) egg masses in the Northeast United States and climatic information derived for the count locations. One file contains data for the counts at all locations, the other files contain derived temperature and precipitation data for models used in the published manuscript.Count and detection-nondetection survey data of barred owls (Strix varia) in historical breeding territories of Northern Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) in the Oregon Coast Range, 1995-2016
This dataset contains count and detection-nondetection data of Barred Owls from 106 historical breeding territories of Northern Spotted Owl territories (i.e. sites) in the Oregon Coast Ranges from 1995 to 2016. Data collected from 1995 to 2014 are partitioned into 2-week periods from 1 March - 31 August each year, totaling 12 possible sampling periods per year. Data collected from 2015 and 2016 arNorth American Amphibian Monitoring Program (NAAMP) anuran detection data from the eastern and central United States (1994-2015)
The North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (NAAMP) was a collaborative citizen science effort between the US Geological Survey (USGS) and 26 Partners (state agencies, universities, and nonprofits) for monitoring calling amphibian populations over much of the eastern and central United States. Initiated in 1997 in response to needs set forth by the Declining Amphibian Populations Task Force i - Multimedia
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Filter Total Items: 117
Range-wide population projections for Northern Red-Bellied Cooters (Pseudemys rubriventris)
Northern Red-Bellied Cooters (Pseudemys rubriventris) have a disjunct distribution with a relictual population in southeastern Massachusetts and a larger range across the mid-Atlantic United States. The relictual population is currently listed with protections under the U.S. Endangered Species Act but the status of the population in the remainder of the species' range has not been assessed, and thTesting assumptions in the use of PIT tags to study movement of Plethodon salamanders
Studying the movements of organisms that live underground for at least a portion of their life history is challenging, given the state of current technology. Passive integrated transponders (PIT tags) provide a way to individually identify and, more recently, study the movement of smaller animals, including those that make subterranean movements. However, there are widespread assumptions of the usWinter severity affects occupancy of spring- and summer-breeding anurans across the eastern United States
AimClimate change is an increasingly important driver of biodiversity loss. The ectothermic nature of amphibians may make them particularly sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation regimes, adding to declines from other threats. While active season environmental conditions can influence growth and survival, effects of variation in winter conditions on population dynamics are less wellEarly treatment of white-nose syndrome is necessary to stop population decline
Since its introduction to North America, white-nose syndrome has been associated with declines greater than 90% in several bat species, prompting the development of treatments to reduce disease-related mortality. As treatment application is scaled up, predicting responses at the population level will help in the development of management plans.We develop a model allowing for the implementation ofSpeciation with gene flow in a narrow endemic West Virginia cave salamander (Gyrinophilus subterraneus)
Due to their limited geographic distributions and specialized ecologies, cave species are often highly endemic and can be especially vulnerable to habitat degradation within and surrounding the cave systems they inhabit. We investigated the evolutionary history of the West Virginia Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus subterraneus), estimated the population trend from historic and current survey data,Amphibian mucus triggers a developmental transition in the frog-killing chytrid fungus
The frog-killing chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is decimating amphibian populations around the world. Bd has a biphasic life cycle, alternating between motile zoospores that disperse within aquatic environments and sessile sporangia that grow within the mucus-coated skin of amphibians. Zoospores lack cell walls and swim rapidly through aquatic environments using a posterior flaEvaluating the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to bats in the context of wildlife research, rehabilitation, and control
Preventing wildlife disease outbreaks is a priority for natural resource agencies, and management decisions can be urgent, especially in epidemic circumstances. With the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, wildlife agencies were concerned whether the activities they authorize might increase the risk of viral transmission from humans to North American bats, but had a limited amount of time in which to make deA comparison of monitoring designs to assess wildlife community parameters across spatial scales
Dedicated long-term monitoring at appropriate spatial and temporal scales is necessary to understand biodiversity losses and develop effective conservation plans. Wildlife monitoring is often achieved by obtaining data at a combination of spatial scales, ranging from local to broad, to understand the status, trends, and drivers of individual species or whole communities and their dynamics. HoweverLooking ahead, guided by the past: The role of U.S. national parks in amphibian research and conservation
Protected areas like national parks are essential elements of conservation because they limit human influence on the landscape, which protects biodiversity and ecosystem function. The role of national parks in conservation, however, often goes far beyond limiting human influence. The U.S. National Park Service and its system of land units contribute substantively to conservation by providing proteSite- and individual-level contaminations affect infection prevalence of an emerging infectious disease of amphibians
Emerging infectious disease outbreaks are one of multiple stressors responsible for amphibian declines globally. In the northeastern United States, ranaviral diseases are prevalent in amphibians and other ectothermic species, but there is still uncertainty as to whether their presence is leading to population level effects. Further, there is also uncertainty surrounding the potential interactionsGeographic variation and thermal plasticity shape salamander metabolic rates under current and future climates
Predicted changes in global temperature are expected to increase extinction risk for ectotherms, primarily through increased metabolic rates. Higher metabolic rates generate increased maintenance energy costs which are a major component of energy budgets. Organisms often employ plastic or evolutionary (e.g., local adaptation) mechanisms to optimize metabolic rate with respect to their environment.Evaluating the effect of expert elicitation techniques on population status assessment in the face of large uncertainty
Population projection models are important tools for conservation and management. They are often used for population status assessments, for threat analyses, and to predict the consequences of conservation actions. Although conservation decisions should be informed by science, critical decisions are often made with very little information to support decision-making. Conversely, postponing decision - Web Tools
Decision-Support Tool to Estimate SARS-CoV-2 Human-to-bat Transmission Risk
This application is designed to evaluate the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from humans to North American bats during winter field work and specifically surveys of winter roosts and hibernacula for white-nose syndrome.
- Software
Inferring pathogen presence when sample misclassification and partial observation occur
This software contains four separate R scripts and one Matlab script that comprise an analysis to estimate the posterior probability of pathogen presence when sample misclassification and partial observations occur. We develop a Bayesian hierarchal framework that accommodates false negative, false positive, and uncertain detections and apply this framework to a case study of the fungal pathogen PsApplying Simulated Treatments to Bat Populations Experiencing Severe White-nose Syndrome Mortality
We developed a model allowing for the application of treatment strategies to bat populations at risk of severe mortality from WNS. The model allows the bat population to exist within a network of hibernacula and updates survival, reproduction, movement, treatment applications, and treatment related disturbance annually. For simplicity, the effects of WNS are experienced across all hibernacula on tDecision-Support Tool to Estimate SARS-CoV-2 Human-to-bat Transmission Risk
Source code to run Shiny app of North American bat SARS2 risk model during winter fieldwork - News