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Evan Grant, Ph.D.

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

Science and Products

Filter Total Items: 21
Image: USGS Scientist Collects Samples for Testing

EESC Makes an Impact: Reducing Management Costs and Increasing Efficiency

Decision analysis is widely used in business applications to improve cost saving and increase efficiency under uncertainty. Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC) include world-renowned experts who use data, mathematics, statistics, and computer science to help frame and solve decision problems to support U.S. national security, public health, wildlife...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Bird Banding Laboratory
EESC Makes an Impact: Reducing Management Costs and Increasing Efficiency

EESC Makes an Impact: Reducing Management Costs and Increasing Efficiency

Decision analysis is widely used in business applications to improve cost saving and increase efficiency under uncertainty. Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC) include world-renowned experts who use data, mathematics, statistics, and computer science to help frame and solve decision problems to support U.S. national security, public health, wildlife...
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Red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus

Collaborative Project to Understand Red-backed Salamander Population Dynamics and Adaptation

In 2013, the Salamander Population and Adaptation Research Network started as a partnership between researchers at Penn State University and the USGS Northeast Amphibian and Research Monitoring Initiative with the intention of creating a research network to address adaptation and population dynamics across multiple scales. Our goals are to understand impacts of land use and weather conditions on...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Collaborative Project to Understand Red-backed Salamander Population Dynamics and Adaptation

Collaborative Project to Understand Red-backed Salamander Population Dynamics and Adaptation

In 2013, the Salamander Population and Adaptation Research Network started as a partnership between researchers at Penn State University and the USGS Northeast Amphibian and Research Monitoring Initiative with the intention of creating a research network to address adaptation and population dynamics across multiple scales. Our goals are to understand impacts of land use and weather conditions on...
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Wood Frog, Lithobates sylvatica

Monitoring Vernal Pool Amphibians in the Northeast

In 2004, the Northeast Amphibian Research Monitoring Initiative (NE ARMI) in collaboration with National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service initiated a region-wide study on the distribution of vernal pools and estimate the proportion of pools that were occupied by pool-associated amphibians (specifically, wood frogs, Lithobates sylvaticus, and spotted salamanders, Ambystoma maculatum).
By
Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Monitoring Vernal Pool Amphibians in the Northeast

Monitoring Vernal Pool Amphibians in the Northeast

In 2004, the Northeast Amphibian Research Monitoring Initiative (NE ARMI) in collaboration with National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service initiated a region-wide study on the distribution of vernal pools and estimate the proportion of pools that were occupied by pool-associated amphibians (specifically, wood frogs, Lithobates sylvaticus, and spotted salamanders, Ambystoma maculatum).
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Dusky salamander, Desmognathus fuscus

Assessing amphibian communities in the National Capital Region

The National Capital Region Network (NCRN) has identified amphibians as a priority taxonomic group for its Inventory and Monitoring program. Amphibian monitoring was initiated in 2005, and is currently concentrated in Antietam National Battlefield (ANTI), Catoctin Mountain Park (CATO), Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (CHOH), George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP), Harpers...
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center
Assessing amphibian communities in the National Capital Region

Assessing amphibian communities in the National Capital Region

The National Capital Region Network (NCRN) has identified amphibians as a priority taxonomic group for its Inventory and Monitoring program. Amphibian monitoring was initiated in 2005, and is currently concentrated in Antietam National Battlefield (ANTI), Catoctin Mountain Park (CATO), Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (CHOH), George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP), Harpers...
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Shenandoah Salamander (Plethodon shenandoah)

Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Eastern Ecological Science Center is home to the Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (NEARMI), one of 7 ARMI regions across the United States. NEARMI works on public lands in thirteen states from Maine to Virginia, including many National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative

Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Eastern Ecological Science Center is home to the Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (NEARMI), one of 7 ARMI regions across the United States. NEARMI works on public lands in thirteen states from Maine to Virginia, including many National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges.
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Image: Northern Pintail Ducks

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.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Disease Decision Analysis and Research

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.
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Image: Black-Footed Ferret

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.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Western Fisheries Research Center
COVID-19 Pathways and Wildlife Dynamics

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.
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Close up of hibernating bats in a Vermont cave

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.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Decision Science Support for SARS-CoV-2 Risk to North American Bats

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.
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Chronic wasting disease

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.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Decision science support for Chronic Wasting Disease

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.
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USGS

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...
By
Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center
Vernal Pool Inundation Models

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...
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Little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) in the Shipp Room, Hellhole cave

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 (EESC) 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...
By
Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Species Management Research Program, National Wildlife Health Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
Modeling the response of cave hibernating Myotis species to white-nose syndrome mitigation tactics

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 (EESC) 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...
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USGS science for a changing world logo

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...
By
Community for Data Integration (CDI)
A generic web application to visualize and understand movements of tagged animals

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
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Filter Total Items: 28

Salamander species in headwater streams on state and federal public lands in the eastern United States Salamander species in headwater streams on state and federal public lands in the eastern United States

This dataset includes stream and species data collected in headwater streams on public lands throughout the eastern United States. Data were collected to inform updated species range maps and provide data for large-scale modeling of species ranges using multiple data types. All salamander species encountered are included in the dataset.
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Stream salamanders in abandoned mine habitats of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Stream salamanders in abandoned mine habitats of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

Stream-like habitats in abandoned mine areas of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve were surveyed for stream salamanders in fall 2024. Methods included visual encounter surveys of transects up to 25m within stream-like mine water discharges in the Nuttallburg, Fayette Station, Hawks Nest Connector, and New River Gorge Bridge areas of the park. All stream salamander species...
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Bsal Not Detected After Pet Release in Western Massachusetts Pond Bsal Not Detected After Pet Release in Western Massachusetts Pond

These data have been collected by the United States Geological Survey’s Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (USGS NEARMI) scientists. We collected these data to examine if Bsal was introduced to a site where there was a known pet release in Western, Massachusetts.
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Capture records of Desmognathus salamanders in Shenandoah National Park, 2007-2013 Capture records of Desmognathus salamanders in Shenandoah National Park, 2007-2013

Mark-recapture records of salamanders in the genus Desmognathus within stream habitat at Shenandoah National Park, Virginia from 2007-2013
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Observed occurrence of Eastern red-spotted newts (Notophthalmus viridescens) in the Northeastern United States Observed occurrence of Eastern red-spotted newts (Notophthalmus viridescens) in the Northeastern United States

This dataset includes surveys for the Eastern red-spotted newt (Notophrhalamus viridescens viridescen). The survey data includes 264 survey sites, landscape level covariates including human interference index, and landcover type, and survey level covariates including survey date and detection method.
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Code for quantitative support for the benefits of proactive management for wildlife disease control Code for quantitative support for the benefits of proactive management for wildlife disease control

This software release contains the input data, R scripts, and Rmarkdown visualization scripts. This includes (i) aggregation code of expert elicited parameter estimates, (ii) simulation code using our develop dynamic multi-state occupancy model for no management, proactive management, and reactive management, (iii) code for probabilistic decision trees, and (iv) Rmarkdown scripts...
By
Cooperative Research Units

Data to support an updated range map for Plethodon shenandoah and evaluating support for multiple models of species occurrence (ver. 2.0, August 2025) Data to support an updated range map for Plethodon shenandoah and evaluating support for multiple models of species occurrence (ver. 2.0, August 2025)

The Shenanadoah Salamander (Plethodon shenandoah) is an endangered salamander found only in the mountains of Shenandoah National Park. Field surveys of the salamander were conducted from 2007-2022 using daytime cover object surveys. In order to capture the totality of P. shendandoah’s range we sampled from low to high elevation across a broad geographic range. We created a spatial...
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Range-wide salamander densities reveal a key component of terrestrial vertebrate biomass in eastern North American forests Range-wide salamander densities reveal a key component of terrestrial vertebrate biomass in eastern North American forests

These data have been collected by a collaborative and coordinated research network, SPARCnet (Salamander Population and Adaptation Research Collaboration network). We collected these data to examine patterns in seasonal and latitudinal variation in population density. This data can be used to estimate local salamander biomass, correcting for imperfect detection, and then compare these to...
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Code for: Small enzootic survival costs mask the potential for long-term population size suppression Code for: Small enzootic survival costs mask the potential for long-term population size suppression

This repository contains all of the scripts to reproduce the analyses, figures, and tables associated with the manuscript Glorioso et al. in review. The scripts are organized into folders, and the folders are numbered in the order in which they should be executed. Briefly, there are six folders that do the following: (1) format the data, (2) fit the model, (3) run the population...
By
Cooperative Research Units

whitetailedSIRS: A package to project SARS-CoV-2 outbreak dynamics in white-tailed deer whitetailedSIRS: A package to project SARS-CoV-2 outbreak dynamics in white-tailed deer

This software release contains several R scripts that generate epidemic projections of SARS-CoV-2 in white tailed deer populations using a Susceptible-Infected-Recovered-Susceptible (SIRS) modeling framework. We provide a workflow of vignettes used in Rosenblatt et al. In Prep and Cook et al. In Prep. Users are able to specify transmission parameters for human-deer and deer-deer...
By
Cooperative Research Units

Mercury concentrations in amphibian tissues across the United States, 2016-2021 Mercury concentrations in amphibian tissues across the United States, 2016-2021

Comma-separated values (.csv) file containing data related to amphibian sampling across the United States between 2016 and 2021. Data files contain mercury concentrations in amphibian and dragonfly tissues, mercury concentrations in sediment, as well as amphibian morphometrics, and habitat and climate characteristics where the samples were collected.
By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Long-term effects of timber harvest on vernal pool availability and occupancy of two obligate amphibians Long-term effects of timber harvest on vernal pool availability and occupancy of two obligate amphibians

This data set is comprised of 3 files of information collected on amphibians and vernal pool habitats at Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge from 2004 - 2016.
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center
Northeast Region Photo Contest Winner | October 2018 | People Salamander sampling crew
Cave Salamander sampling crew
Cave Salamander sampling crew
Northeast Region Photo Contest Winner | October 2018 | People Salamander sampling crew

Cave Salamander sampling crew

Cave Salamander sampling crew

Northeast Region Photo Contest Winner | October 2018 | People 
Salamander sampling crew

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center
Northeast Region Photo Contest Winner | October 2018 | People Salamander sampling crew

Cave Salamander sampling crew

Cave Salamander sampling crew

Northeast Region Photo Contest Winner | October 2018 | People 
Salamander sampling crew

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center
Filter Total Items: 146

Quantifying the relative importance of survival threats to a long-lived reptile using expert elicitation Quantifying the relative importance of survival threats to a long-lived reptile using expert elicitation

Long-term survival of a conservation-reliant species requires understanding the impact of threats on population growth rate and the management actions that can help mitigate these threats. We used a threat assessment with expert-elicited estimates to determine the relative effect of each stage-specific threat on the population growth rate of the wood turtle Glyptemys insculpta. In...
Authors
Jennifer F. Moore, J. Hardin Waddle, Fred Johnson, Julien Martin, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Jillian E. Fleming, Thomas S. Akre, Donald J. Brown, Yu Man Lee, Jonathon Drescher-Lehman, John Kleopfer, Jessica R. Meck, Kevin J. Oxenrider, Jeff Tamplin, Anthony Tur, Lisabeth L. Willey
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Fomites could determine severity of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in low-density white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations Fomites could determine severity of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in low-density white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations

The establishment of a reservoir species for zoonotic diseases is concerning for both animal and human health. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2, the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, has been detected in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the United States. Since its initial detection, various studies have documented circulation and...
Authors
Elias Rosenblatt, Jonathan D. Cook, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Michael C. Runge, Brittany Mosher
By
Cooperative Research Units, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Independent and interactive effects of disease and methylmercury on demographic rates across multiple amphibian populations Independent and interactive effects of disease and methylmercury on demographic rates across multiple amphibian populations

Disease, alone or combined with other stressors such as habitat loss and contaminants, affects wildlife populations worldwide. However, interactions among stressors and how they affect demography and populations remain poorly understood. The amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis; Bd) is a sometimes-lethal pathogen linked with population declines and extirpations of...
Authors
Morgan P. Kain, Blake R. Hossack, Kelly Smalling, Brian J. Halstead, Daniel A. Grear, David A. Miller, Michael J. Adams, Adam R. Backlin, William Barichivich, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Colleen Emery, Jillian Elizabeth Fleming, Robert N. Fisher, Elizabeth Gallegos, Duoa J. Lor, Patrick M. Kleeman, Erin L. Muths, Ty Pan, Christopher Pearl, Charles W. Robinson, Caitlin Teresa Rumrill, Brian J. Tornabene, J. Hardin Waddle, Susan Walls, Evan H. Campbell Grant
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Pan-amphibia distribution of the fungal parasite Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis varies with species and temperature Pan-amphibia distribution of the fungal parasite Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis varies with species and temperature

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a globally distributed fungal pathogen of amphibians that has contributed to one of the largest disease-related biodiversity losses in wildlife. Bd is regularly viewed through the lens of a global wildlife epizootic because the spread of highly virulent genetic lineages has resulted in well-documented declines and extinctions of multiple amphibian...
Authors
Daniel A. Grear, Michael J. Adams, Adam R. Backlin, William Barichivich, Adrianne Brand, Gary M. Bucciarelli, Daniel L. Calhoun, Tara Chestnut, Jon D Davenport, Andrew E Dietrich, Graziella V. DiRenzo, Robert N. Fisher, Brad Glorioso, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Brian J. Halstead, Marc P Hayes, Blake R. Hossack, Morgan Kain, Patrick M. Kleeman, Jeffrey M. Lorch, Brome McCreary, David A.W. Miller, Brittany A. Mosher, Erin L. Muths, Christopher Pearl, Charles H. Robinson, Mark Roth, Jennifer Rowe, Walter Sadinski, Brent H. Sigafus, Iga Stasiak, Samuel Sweet, Hardin Waddle, Susan Walls, Gregory J Watkins-Colwell, Lori A Williams, Megan Winzeler
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

Enhancing One Health outcomes using decision science and negotiation Enhancing One Health outcomes using decision science and negotiation

One Health initiatives have advanced zoonotic disease management by recognizing the interconnectedness of three sectors of governance (human, ecosystem, and animal) and by identifying options that can improve full-system health. Although One Health has had many successes, its full realization may be inhibited by a lack of strategies to overcome simultaneous impediments in decision making...
Authors
Jonathan D. Cook, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Howard S. Ginsberg, Diann Prosser, Michael C. Runge
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Reducing uncertainty with iterative model updating parses effects of competition and environment on salamander occupancy Reducing uncertainty with iterative model updating parses effects of competition and environment on salamander occupancy

Making timely management decisions is often hindered by uncertainty. Monitoring reduces two key types of uncertainty. First, it serves to reduce structural uncertainty of how the system works and provides support for expectations of how a system works. Second, it serves to reduce parametric uncertainty of the drivers of system dynamics. By combining monitoring data and quantitative...
Authors
Jo Avital Werba, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo, Adrianne Brand, Evan H. Campbell Grant
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Predicted occurrence of Eastern Newts (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens) across the northeastern United States Predicted occurrence of Eastern Newts (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens) across the northeastern United States

Effective conservation is becoming more difficult as threats to wildlife increase. Natural resource managers are pressured to make difficult decisions with limited resources, and in many instances, large uncertainty. Scientists and managers tasked with the conservation of a species need tools to help guide efficient decision-making. Often, information for management decisions is...
Authors
Lindsey Pekurny, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Brittany A. Mosher
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

One Health collaboration is more effective than single-sector actions at mitigating SARS-CoV-2 in deer One Health collaboration is more effective than single-sector actions at mitigating SARS-CoV-2 in deer

One Health aims to achieve optimal health outcomes for people, animals, plants, and shared environments. We describe a multisector effort to understand and mitigate SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk to humans via the spread among and between captive and wild white-tailed deer. We first framed a One Health problem with three governance sectors that manage captive deer, wild deer populations...
Authors
Jonathan D. Cook, Elias Rosenblatt, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Brittany A. Mosher, Fernando Arce, Sonja Christensen, Ria R. Ghai, Michael C. Runge
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Quantitative support for the benefits of proactive management for wildlife disease control Quantitative support for the benefits of proactive management for wildlife disease control

Finding effective pathogen mitigation strategies is one of the biggest challenges humans face today. In the context of wildlife, emerging infectious diseases have repeatedly caused widespread host morbidity and population declines of numerous taxa. In areas yet unaffected by a pathogen, a proactive management approach has the potential to minimize or prevent host mortality. However...
Authors
Molly Bletz, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Range-wide salamander densities reveal a key component of terrestrial vertebrate biomass in eastern North American forests Range-wide salamander densities reveal a key component of terrestrial vertebrate biomass in eastern North American forests

Characterizing the population density of species is a central interest in ecology. Eastern North America is the global hotspot for biodiversity of plethodontid salamanders, an inconspicuous component of terrestrial vertebrate communities, and among the most widespread is the eastern red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus. Previous work suggests population densities are high with...
Authors
Evan H. Campbell Grant, Jillian Elizabeth Fleming, Elizabeth Bastiaans, Adrianne Brand, Jacey Brooks, Catherine Devlin, Kristen Epp, Matt Evans, M. Caitlin Fisher-Reid, Brian Gratwicke, Kristine Grayson, Natalie Haydt, Raisa Hernandez-Pacheco, Daniel J. Hocking, Amanda Hyde, Michael Losito, Maisie MacKnight, Tanya Matlaga, Louise Mead, David J. Munoz, William B. Peterman, Veronica Puza, Charles Shafer, Sean Sterrett, Chris Sutherland, Lily M. Thompson, Alexa R. Warwick, Alexander D. Wright, Kerry Yurewicz, David A. W. Miller
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Epidemiological modeling of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) reveals conditions for introduction and widespread transmission Epidemiological modeling of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) reveals conditions for introduction and widespread transmission

Emerging infectious diseases with zoonotic potential often have complex socioecological dynamics and limited ecological data, requiring integration of epidemiological modeling with surveillance. Although our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 has advanced considerably since its detection in late 2019, the factors influencing its introduction and transmission in wildlife hosts, particularly...
Authors
Elias Rosenblatt, Jonathan D. Cook, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Fernando Arce, Kimberly M Pepin, F. Javiera Rudolph, Michael C. Runge, Susan A. Shriner, Daniel P. Walsh, Brittany A. Mosher
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Reframing wildlife disease management problems with decision analysis Reframing wildlife disease management problems with decision analysis

Contemporary wildlife disease management is complex because managers need to respond to a wide range of stakeholders, multiple uncertainties, and difficult trade-offs that characterize the interconnected challenges of today. Despite general acknowledgment of these complexities, managing wildlife disease tends to be framed as a scientific problem, in which the major challenge is lack of...
Authors
Margaret McEachran, Johanna A. Harvey, Riley Olivia Mummah, Molly Bletz, Claire S. Teitelbaum, Elias Rosenblatt, F. Javiera Rudolph, Fernando Arce, Shanglai Yin, Diann Prosser, Brittany A. Mosher, Jennifer M. Mullinax, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo, Jannelle Couret, Michael C. Runge, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Jonathan D. Cook
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Code for Fomites could determine severity of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in low-density white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus populations Code for Fomites could determine severity of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in low-density white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus populations

This software release contains 1 RMarkdown file (Indirect_SARS_analysis.RMD) and necessary input data and functions that support the analysis presented in referenced manuscript (IP-166277). This RMarkdown file that steps through the estimation of parameters that allow: Compile estimated and derived parameters for both indirect and direct transmission pathways for SARS-CoV-2 in white...
By
Cooperative Research Units

Code for quantitative support for the benefits of proactive management for wildlife disease control Code for quantitative support for the benefits of proactive management for wildlife disease control

This software release contains the input data, R scripts, and Rmarkdown visualization scripts. This includes (i) aggregation code of expert elicited parameter estimates, (ii) simulation code using our develop dynamic multi-state occupancy model for no management, proactive management, and reactive management, (iii) code for probabilistic decision trees, and (iv) Rmarkdown scripts...
By
Cooperative Research Units

Code for: Small enzootic survival costs mask the potential for long-term population size suppression Code for: Small enzootic survival costs mask the potential for long-term population size suppression

This repository contains all of the scripts to reproduce the analyses, figures, and tables associated with the manuscript Glorioso et al. in review. The scripts are organized into folders, and the folders are numbered in the order in which they should be executed. Briefly, there are six folders that do the following: (1) format the data, (2) fit the model, (3) run the population...
By
Cooperative Research Units

whitetailedSIRS: A package to project SARS-CoV-2 outbreak dynamics in white-tailed deer whitetailedSIRS: A package to project SARS-CoV-2 outbreak dynamics in white-tailed deer

This software release contains several R scripts that generate epidemic projections of SARS-CoV-2 in white tailed deer populations using a Susceptible-Infected-Recovered-Susceptible (SIRS) modeling framework. We provide a workflow of vignettes used in Rosenblatt et al. In Prep and Cook et al. In Prep. Users are able to specify transmission parameters for human-deer and deer-deer...
By
Cooperative Research Units

Inferring pathogen presence when sample misclassification and partial observation occur 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...
By
Cooperative Research Units

Applying Simulated Treatments to Bat Populations Experiencing Severe White-nose Syndrome Mortality Applying 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...
By
National Wildlife Health Center

Decision-Support Tool to Estimate SARS-CoV-2 Human-to-bat Transmission Risk Decision-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
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center
Filter Total Items: 15
Fiscal Year 2025 Highlights from EESC’s Disease Decision Analysis and Research Group

Fiscal Year 2025 Highlights from EESC’s Disease Decision Analysis and Research Group

The Disease Decision Analysis and Research (DDAR) group is a multi-disciplinary team based out of the Eastern Ecological Science Center whose...

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EESC in the News: Amphibian Declines

EESC in the News: Amphibian Declines

By Maryel Pryce and Oliver Butler

Associated Press, May 21, 2025

Habitat loss from development has caused more than a third of amphibian extinctions and...

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Small, common, and hidden: Collecting and integrating data on amphibian species abundances and distribution

Small, common, and hidden: Collecting and integrating data on amphibian species abundances and distribution

Title:  Small, common, and hidden: Collecting and integrating data on amphibian species abundances and distribution

Speaker:  Evan Grant, Northeast...

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Spring 2025 Highlights from EESC’s Disease Decision Analysis and Research Group

Spring 2025 Highlights from EESC’s Disease Decision Analysis and Research Group

The Disease Decision Analysis and Research (DDAR) group is a multi-disciplinary team based out of the Eastern Ecological Science Center whose...

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EESC in the News: Turtle Trafficking

EESC in the News: Turtle Trafficking

By Lauri Munroe-Hultman

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, January 2025

It takes a village to get trafficked turtles home.

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Fall 2024 Highlights from EESC’s Disease Decision Analysis and Research Group

Fall 2024 Highlights from EESC’s Disease Decision Analysis and Research Group

Disease Decision Analysis and Research (DDAR) is a multi-disciplinary team based out of the Eastern Ecological Science Center whose strengths are in...

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Study finds salamanders are surprisingly abundant in northeastern forests

Study finds salamanders are surprisingly abundant in northeastern forests

RESTON, Va. — Two recent amphibian-focused studies shed light on the ecological importance of red-backed salamanders, while confirming that proactive...

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One Health and Structured Decision Making

One Health and Structured Decision Making

November 3 is One Health Day. One Health is the idea that the health of people is connected to the health of animals and our shared environment.

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Warming Climate May Shift North American Salamanders' Habitat Range

Warming Climate May Shift North American Salamanders' Habitat Range

Northeast CASC-supported researchers have found that as temperatures rise, salamander populations in North America may have a limited ability to...

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Modeling Management Actions Helps Researchers Pinpoint the Main Culprit of Wood Frog Declines

Modeling Management Actions Helps Researchers Pinpoint the Main Culprit of Wood Frog Declines

Amphibian decline is a global conservation crisis driven by multiple interacting stressors, which often act at a local scale with global implications.

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A Unified Research Strategy for Disease Management

A Unified Research Strategy for Disease Management

As wildlife diseases increase globally, an understanding of host-pathogen relationships can elucidate avenues for management and improve conservation...

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Large-scale Review of Amphibian Species and Community Response to Climate Change

Large-scale Review of Amphibian Species and Community Response to Climate Change

Amphibian species and community richness has been declining in North America and climate change may play a role in these declines. Global climate...

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Science and Products

Filter Total Items: 21
Image: USGS Scientist Collects Samples for Testing

EESC Makes an Impact: Reducing Management Costs and Increasing Efficiency

Decision analysis is widely used in business applications to improve cost saving and increase efficiency under uncertainty. Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC) include world-renowned experts who use data, mathematics, statistics, and computer science to help frame and solve decision problems to support U.S. national security, public health, wildlife...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Bird Banding Laboratory
EESC Makes an Impact: Reducing Management Costs and Increasing Efficiency

EESC Makes an Impact: Reducing Management Costs and Increasing Efficiency

Decision analysis is widely used in business applications to improve cost saving and increase efficiency under uncertainty. Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC) include world-renowned experts who use data, mathematics, statistics, and computer science to help frame and solve decision problems to support U.S. national security, public health, wildlife...
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Red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus

Collaborative Project to Understand Red-backed Salamander Population Dynamics and Adaptation

In 2013, the Salamander Population and Adaptation Research Network started as a partnership between researchers at Penn State University and the USGS Northeast Amphibian and Research Monitoring Initiative with the intention of creating a research network to address adaptation and population dynamics across multiple scales. Our goals are to understand impacts of land use and weather conditions on...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Collaborative Project to Understand Red-backed Salamander Population Dynamics and Adaptation

Collaborative Project to Understand Red-backed Salamander Population Dynamics and Adaptation

In 2013, the Salamander Population and Adaptation Research Network started as a partnership between researchers at Penn State University and the USGS Northeast Amphibian and Research Monitoring Initiative with the intention of creating a research network to address adaptation and population dynamics across multiple scales. Our goals are to understand impacts of land use and weather conditions on...
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Wood Frog, Lithobates sylvatica

Monitoring Vernal Pool Amphibians in the Northeast

In 2004, the Northeast Amphibian Research Monitoring Initiative (NE ARMI) in collaboration with National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service initiated a region-wide study on the distribution of vernal pools and estimate the proportion of pools that were occupied by pool-associated amphibians (specifically, wood frogs, Lithobates sylvaticus, and spotted salamanders, Ambystoma maculatum).
By
Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Monitoring Vernal Pool Amphibians in the Northeast

Monitoring Vernal Pool Amphibians in the Northeast

In 2004, the Northeast Amphibian Research Monitoring Initiative (NE ARMI) in collaboration with National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service initiated a region-wide study on the distribution of vernal pools and estimate the proportion of pools that were occupied by pool-associated amphibians (specifically, wood frogs, Lithobates sylvaticus, and spotted salamanders, Ambystoma maculatum).
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Dusky salamander, Desmognathus fuscus

Assessing amphibian communities in the National Capital Region

The National Capital Region Network (NCRN) has identified amphibians as a priority taxonomic group for its Inventory and Monitoring program. Amphibian monitoring was initiated in 2005, and is currently concentrated in Antietam National Battlefield (ANTI), Catoctin Mountain Park (CATO), Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (CHOH), George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP), Harpers...
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center
Assessing amphibian communities in the National Capital Region

Assessing amphibian communities in the National Capital Region

The National Capital Region Network (NCRN) has identified amphibians as a priority taxonomic group for its Inventory and Monitoring program. Amphibian monitoring was initiated in 2005, and is currently concentrated in Antietam National Battlefield (ANTI), Catoctin Mountain Park (CATO), Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (CHOH), George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP), Harpers...
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Shenandoah Salamander (Plethodon shenandoah)

Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Eastern Ecological Science Center is home to the Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (NEARMI), one of 7 ARMI regions across the United States. NEARMI works on public lands in thirteen states from Maine to Virginia, including many National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative

Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Eastern Ecological Science Center is home to the Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (NEARMI), one of 7 ARMI regions across the United States. NEARMI works on public lands in thirteen states from Maine to Virginia, including many National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges.
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Image: Northern Pintail Ducks

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.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Disease Decision Analysis and Research

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.
Learn More
Image: Black-Footed Ferret

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.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Western Fisheries Research Center
COVID-19 Pathways and Wildlife Dynamics

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.
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Close up of hibernating bats in a Vermont cave

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.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Decision Science Support for SARS-CoV-2 Risk to North American Bats

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.
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Chronic wasting disease

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.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Decision science support for Chronic Wasting Disease

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.
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USGS

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...
By
Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center
Vernal Pool Inundation Models

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...
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Little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) in the Shipp Room, Hellhole cave

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 (EESC) 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...
By
Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Species Management Research Program, National Wildlife Health Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
Modeling the response of cave hibernating Myotis species to white-nose syndrome mitigation tactics

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 (EESC) 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...
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USGS science for a changing world logo

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...
By
Community for Data Integration (CDI)
A generic web application to visualize and understand movements of tagged animals

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
Learn More
Filter Total Items: 28

Salamander species in headwater streams on state and federal public lands in the eastern United States Salamander species in headwater streams on state and federal public lands in the eastern United States

This dataset includes stream and species data collected in headwater streams on public lands throughout the eastern United States. Data were collected to inform updated species range maps and provide data for large-scale modeling of species ranges using multiple data types. All salamander species encountered are included in the dataset.
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Stream salamanders in abandoned mine habitats of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve Stream salamanders in abandoned mine habitats of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

Stream-like habitats in abandoned mine areas of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve were surveyed for stream salamanders in fall 2024. Methods included visual encounter surveys of transects up to 25m within stream-like mine water discharges in the Nuttallburg, Fayette Station, Hawks Nest Connector, and New River Gorge Bridge areas of the park. All stream salamander species...
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Bsal Not Detected After Pet Release in Western Massachusetts Pond Bsal Not Detected After Pet Release in Western Massachusetts Pond

These data have been collected by the United States Geological Survey’s Northeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (USGS NEARMI) scientists. We collected these data to examine if Bsal was introduced to a site where there was a known pet release in Western, Massachusetts.
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Capture records of Desmognathus salamanders in Shenandoah National Park, 2007-2013 Capture records of Desmognathus salamanders in Shenandoah National Park, 2007-2013

Mark-recapture records of salamanders in the genus Desmognathus within stream habitat at Shenandoah National Park, Virginia from 2007-2013
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Observed occurrence of Eastern red-spotted newts (Notophthalmus viridescens) in the Northeastern United States Observed occurrence of Eastern red-spotted newts (Notophthalmus viridescens) in the Northeastern United States

This dataset includes surveys for the Eastern red-spotted newt (Notophrhalamus viridescens viridescen). The survey data includes 264 survey sites, landscape level covariates including human interference index, and landcover type, and survey level covariates including survey date and detection method.
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Code for quantitative support for the benefits of proactive management for wildlife disease control Code for quantitative support for the benefits of proactive management for wildlife disease control

This software release contains the input data, R scripts, and Rmarkdown visualization scripts. This includes (i) aggregation code of expert elicited parameter estimates, (ii) simulation code using our develop dynamic multi-state occupancy model for no management, proactive management, and reactive management, (iii) code for probabilistic decision trees, and (iv) Rmarkdown scripts...
By
Cooperative Research Units

Data to support an updated range map for Plethodon shenandoah and evaluating support for multiple models of species occurrence (ver. 2.0, August 2025) Data to support an updated range map for Plethodon shenandoah and evaluating support for multiple models of species occurrence (ver. 2.0, August 2025)

The Shenanadoah Salamander (Plethodon shenandoah) is an endangered salamander found only in the mountains of Shenandoah National Park. Field surveys of the salamander were conducted from 2007-2022 using daytime cover object surveys. In order to capture the totality of P. shendandoah’s range we sampled from low to high elevation across a broad geographic range. We created a spatial...
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Range-wide salamander densities reveal a key component of terrestrial vertebrate biomass in eastern North American forests Range-wide salamander densities reveal a key component of terrestrial vertebrate biomass in eastern North American forests

These data have been collected by a collaborative and coordinated research network, SPARCnet (Salamander Population and Adaptation Research Collaboration network). We collected these data to examine patterns in seasonal and latitudinal variation in population density. This data can be used to estimate local salamander biomass, correcting for imperfect detection, and then compare these to...
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Code for: Small enzootic survival costs mask the potential for long-term population size suppression Code for: Small enzootic survival costs mask the potential for long-term population size suppression

This repository contains all of the scripts to reproduce the analyses, figures, and tables associated with the manuscript Glorioso et al. in review. The scripts are organized into folders, and the folders are numbered in the order in which they should be executed. Briefly, there are six folders that do the following: (1) format the data, (2) fit the model, (3) run the population...
By
Cooperative Research Units

whitetailedSIRS: A package to project SARS-CoV-2 outbreak dynamics in white-tailed deer whitetailedSIRS: A package to project SARS-CoV-2 outbreak dynamics in white-tailed deer

This software release contains several R scripts that generate epidemic projections of SARS-CoV-2 in white tailed deer populations using a Susceptible-Infected-Recovered-Susceptible (SIRS) modeling framework. We provide a workflow of vignettes used in Rosenblatt et al. In Prep and Cook et al. In Prep. Users are able to specify transmission parameters for human-deer and deer-deer...
By
Cooperative Research Units

Mercury concentrations in amphibian tissues across the United States, 2016-2021 Mercury concentrations in amphibian tissues across the United States, 2016-2021

Comma-separated values (.csv) file containing data related to amphibian sampling across the United States between 2016 and 2021. Data files contain mercury concentrations in amphibian and dragonfly tissues, mercury concentrations in sediment, as well as amphibian morphometrics, and habitat and climate characteristics where the samples were collected.
By
Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

Long-term effects of timber harvest on vernal pool availability and occupancy of two obligate amphibians Long-term effects of timber harvest on vernal pool availability and occupancy of two obligate amphibians

This data set is comprised of 3 files of information collected on amphibians and vernal pool habitats at Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge from 2004 - 2016.
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center
Northeast Region Photo Contest Winner | October 2018 | People Salamander sampling crew
Cave Salamander sampling crew
Cave Salamander sampling crew
Northeast Region Photo Contest Winner | October 2018 | People Salamander sampling crew

Cave Salamander sampling crew

Cave Salamander sampling crew

Northeast Region Photo Contest Winner | October 2018 | People 
Salamander sampling crew

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center
Northeast Region Photo Contest Winner | October 2018 | People Salamander sampling crew

Cave Salamander sampling crew

Cave Salamander sampling crew

Northeast Region Photo Contest Winner | October 2018 | People 
Salamander sampling crew

By
Eastern Ecological Science Center
Filter Total Items: 146

Quantifying the relative importance of survival threats to a long-lived reptile using expert elicitation Quantifying the relative importance of survival threats to a long-lived reptile using expert elicitation

Long-term survival of a conservation-reliant species requires understanding the impact of threats on population growth rate and the management actions that can help mitigate these threats. We used a threat assessment with expert-elicited estimates to determine the relative effect of each stage-specific threat on the population growth rate of the wood turtle Glyptemys insculpta. In...
Authors
Jennifer F. Moore, J. Hardin Waddle, Fred Johnson, Julien Martin, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Jillian E. Fleming, Thomas S. Akre, Donald J. Brown, Yu Man Lee, Jonathon Drescher-Lehman, John Kleopfer, Jessica R. Meck, Kevin J. Oxenrider, Jeff Tamplin, Anthony Tur, Lisabeth L. Willey
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Fomites could determine severity of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in low-density white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations Fomites could determine severity of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in low-density white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations

The establishment of a reservoir species for zoonotic diseases is concerning for both animal and human health. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2, the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, has been detected in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the United States. Since its initial detection, various studies have documented circulation and...
Authors
Elias Rosenblatt, Jonathan D. Cook, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Michael C. Runge, Brittany Mosher
By
Cooperative Research Units, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Independent and interactive effects of disease and methylmercury on demographic rates across multiple amphibian populations Independent and interactive effects of disease and methylmercury on demographic rates across multiple amphibian populations

Disease, alone or combined with other stressors such as habitat loss and contaminants, affects wildlife populations worldwide. However, interactions among stressors and how they affect demography and populations remain poorly understood. The amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis; Bd) is a sometimes-lethal pathogen linked with population declines and extirpations of...
Authors
Morgan P. Kain, Blake R. Hossack, Kelly Smalling, Brian J. Halstead, Daniel A. Grear, David A. Miller, Michael J. Adams, Adam R. Backlin, William Barichivich, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Colleen Emery, Jillian Elizabeth Fleming, Robert N. Fisher, Elizabeth Gallegos, Duoa J. Lor, Patrick M. Kleeman, Erin L. Muths, Ty Pan, Christopher Pearl, Charles W. Robinson, Caitlin Teresa Rumrill, Brian J. Tornabene, J. Hardin Waddle, Susan Walls, Evan H. Campbell Grant
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Pan-amphibia distribution of the fungal parasite Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis varies with species and temperature Pan-amphibia distribution of the fungal parasite Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis varies with species and temperature

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a globally distributed fungal pathogen of amphibians that has contributed to one of the largest disease-related biodiversity losses in wildlife. Bd is regularly viewed through the lens of a global wildlife epizootic because the spread of highly virulent genetic lineages has resulted in well-documented declines and extinctions of multiple amphibian...
Authors
Daniel A. Grear, Michael J. Adams, Adam R. Backlin, William Barichivich, Adrianne Brand, Gary M. Bucciarelli, Daniel L. Calhoun, Tara Chestnut, Jon D Davenport, Andrew E Dietrich, Graziella V. DiRenzo, Robert N. Fisher, Brad Glorioso, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Brian J. Halstead, Marc P Hayes, Blake R. Hossack, Morgan Kain, Patrick M. Kleeman, Jeffrey M. Lorch, Brome McCreary, David A.W. Miller, Brittany A. Mosher, Erin L. Muths, Christopher Pearl, Charles H. Robinson, Mark Roth, Jennifer Rowe, Walter Sadinski, Brent H. Sigafus, Iga Stasiak, Samuel Sweet, Hardin Waddle, Susan Walls, Gregory J Watkins-Colwell, Lori A Williams, Megan Winzeler
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center

Enhancing One Health outcomes using decision science and negotiation Enhancing One Health outcomes using decision science and negotiation

One Health initiatives have advanced zoonotic disease management by recognizing the interconnectedness of three sectors of governance (human, ecosystem, and animal) and by identifying options that can improve full-system health. Although One Health has had many successes, its full realization may be inhibited by a lack of strategies to overcome simultaneous impediments in decision making...
Authors
Jonathan D. Cook, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Howard S. Ginsberg, Diann Prosser, Michael C. Runge
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Reducing uncertainty with iterative model updating parses effects of competition and environment on salamander occupancy Reducing uncertainty with iterative model updating parses effects of competition and environment on salamander occupancy

Making timely management decisions is often hindered by uncertainty. Monitoring reduces two key types of uncertainty. First, it serves to reduce structural uncertainty of how the system works and provides support for expectations of how a system works. Second, it serves to reduce parametric uncertainty of the drivers of system dynamics. By combining monitoring data and quantitative...
Authors
Jo Avital Werba, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo, Adrianne Brand, Evan H. Campbell Grant
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Predicted occurrence of Eastern Newts (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens) across the northeastern United States Predicted occurrence of Eastern Newts (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens) across the northeastern United States

Effective conservation is becoming more difficult as threats to wildlife increase. Natural resource managers are pressured to make difficult decisions with limited resources, and in many instances, large uncertainty. Scientists and managers tasked with the conservation of a species need tools to help guide efficient decision-making. Often, information for management decisions is...
Authors
Lindsey Pekurny, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Brittany A. Mosher
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

One Health collaboration is more effective than single-sector actions at mitigating SARS-CoV-2 in deer One Health collaboration is more effective than single-sector actions at mitigating SARS-CoV-2 in deer

One Health aims to achieve optimal health outcomes for people, animals, plants, and shared environments. We describe a multisector effort to understand and mitigate SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk to humans via the spread among and between captive and wild white-tailed deer. We first framed a One Health problem with three governance sectors that manage captive deer, wild deer populations...
Authors
Jonathan D. Cook, Elias Rosenblatt, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Brittany A. Mosher, Fernando Arce, Sonja Christensen, Ria R. Ghai, Michael C. Runge
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Quantitative support for the benefits of proactive management for wildlife disease control Quantitative support for the benefits of proactive management for wildlife disease control

Finding effective pathogen mitigation strategies is one of the biggest challenges humans face today. In the context of wildlife, emerging infectious diseases have repeatedly caused widespread host morbidity and population declines of numerous taxa. In areas yet unaffected by a pathogen, a proactive management approach has the potential to minimize or prevent host mortality. However...
Authors
Molly Bletz, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Range-wide salamander densities reveal a key component of terrestrial vertebrate biomass in eastern North American forests Range-wide salamander densities reveal a key component of terrestrial vertebrate biomass in eastern North American forests

Characterizing the population density of species is a central interest in ecology. Eastern North America is the global hotspot for biodiversity of plethodontid salamanders, an inconspicuous component of terrestrial vertebrate communities, and among the most widespread is the eastern red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus. Previous work suggests population densities are high with...
Authors
Evan H. Campbell Grant, Jillian Elizabeth Fleming, Elizabeth Bastiaans, Adrianne Brand, Jacey Brooks, Catherine Devlin, Kristen Epp, Matt Evans, M. Caitlin Fisher-Reid, Brian Gratwicke, Kristine Grayson, Natalie Haydt, Raisa Hernandez-Pacheco, Daniel J. Hocking, Amanda Hyde, Michael Losito, Maisie MacKnight, Tanya Matlaga, Louise Mead, David J. Munoz, William B. Peterman, Veronica Puza, Charles Shafer, Sean Sterrett, Chris Sutherland, Lily M. Thompson, Alexa R. Warwick, Alexander D. Wright, Kerry Yurewicz, David A. W. Miller
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center

Epidemiological modeling of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) reveals conditions for introduction and widespread transmission Epidemiological modeling of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) reveals conditions for introduction and widespread transmission

Emerging infectious diseases with zoonotic potential often have complex socioecological dynamics and limited ecological data, requiring integration of epidemiological modeling with surveillance. Although our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 has advanced considerably since its detection in late 2019, the factors influencing its introduction and transmission in wildlife hosts, particularly...
Authors
Elias Rosenblatt, Jonathan D. Cook, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Fernando Arce, Kimberly M Pepin, F. Javiera Rudolph, Michael C. Runge, Susan A. Shriner, Daniel P. Walsh, Brittany A. Mosher
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Reframing wildlife disease management problems with decision analysis Reframing wildlife disease management problems with decision analysis

Contemporary wildlife disease management is complex because managers need to respond to a wide range of stakeholders, multiple uncertainties, and difficult trade-offs that characterize the interconnected challenges of today. Despite general acknowledgment of these complexities, managing wildlife disease tends to be framed as a scientific problem, in which the major challenge is lack of...
Authors
Margaret McEachran, Johanna A. Harvey, Riley Olivia Mummah, Molly Bletz, Claire S. Teitelbaum, Elias Rosenblatt, F. Javiera Rudolph, Fernando Arce, Shanglai Yin, Diann Prosser, Brittany A. Mosher, Jennifer M. Mullinax, Graziella Vittoria DiRenzo, Jannelle Couret, Michael C. Runge, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Jonathan D. Cook
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Code for Fomites could determine severity of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in low-density white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus populations Code for Fomites could determine severity of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in low-density white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus populations

This software release contains 1 RMarkdown file (Indirect_SARS_analysis.RMD) and necessary input data and functions that support the analysis presented in referenced manuscript (IP-166277). This RMarkdown file that steps through the estimation of parameters that allow: Compile estimated and derived parameters for both indirect and direct transmission pathways for SARS-CoV-2 in white...
By
Cooperative Research Units

Code for quantitative support for the benefits of proactive management for wildlife disease control Code for quantitative support for the benefits of proactive management for wildlife disease control

This software release contains the input data, R scripts, and Rmarkdown visualization scripts. This includes (i) aggregation code of expert elicited parameter estimates, (ii) simulation code using our develop dynamic multi-state occupancy model for no management, proactive management, and reactive management, (iii) code for probabilistic decision trees, and (iv) Rmarkdown scripts...
By
Cooperative Research Units

Code for: Small enzootic survival costs mask the potential for long-term population size suppression Code for: Small enzootic survival costs mask the potential for long-term population size suppression

This repository contains all of the scripts to reproduce the analyses, figures, and tables associated with the manuscript Glorioso et al. in review. The scripts are organized into folders, and the folders are numbered in the order in which they should be executed. Briefly, there are six folders that do the following: (1) format the data, (2) fit the model, (3) run the population...
By
Cooperative Research Units

whitetailedSIRS: A package to project SARS-CoV-2 outbreak dynamics in white-tailed deer whitetailedSIRS: A package to project SARS-CoV-2 outbreak dynamics in white-tailed deer

This software release contains several R scripts that generate epidemic projections of SARS-CoV-2 in white tailed deer populations using a Susceptible-Infected-Recovered-Susceptible (SIRS) modeling framework. We provide a workflow of vignettes used in Rosenblatt et al. In Prep and Cook et al. In Prep. Users are able to specify transmission parameters for human-deer and deer-deer...
By
Cooperative Research Units

Inferring pathogen presence when sample misclassification and partial observation occur 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...
By
Cooperative Research Units

Applying Simulated Treatments to Bat Populations Experiencing Severe White-nose Syndrome Mortality Applying 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...
By
National Wildlife Health Center

Decision-Support Tool to Estimate SARS-CoV-2 Human-to-bat Transmission Risk Decision-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
By
Eastern Ecological Science Center
Filter Total Items: 15
Fiscal Year 2025 Highlights from EESC’s Disease Decision Analysis and Research Group

Fiscal Year 2025 Highlights from EESC’s Disease Decision Analysis and Research Group

The Disease Decision Analysis and Research (DDAR) group is a multi-disciplinary team based out of the Eastern Ecological Science Center whose...

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EESC in the News: Amphibian Declines

EESC in the News: Amphibian Declines

By Maryel Pryce and Oliver Butler

Associated Press, May 21, 2025

Habitat loss from development has caused more than a third of amphibian extinctions and...

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Small, common, and hidden: Collecting and integrating data on amphibian species abundances and distribution

Small, common, and hidden: Collecting and integrating data on amphibian species abundances and distribution

Title:  Small, common, and hidden: Collecting and integrating data on amphibian species abundances and distribution

Speaker:  Evan Grant, Northeast...

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Spring 2025 Highlights from EESC’s Disease Decision Analysis and Research Group

Spring 2025 Highlights from EESC’s Disease Decision Analysis and Research Group

The Disease Decision Analysis and Research (DDAR) group is a multi-disciplinary team based out of the Eastern Ecological Science Center whose...

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EESC in the News: Turtle Trafficking

EESC in the News: Turtle Trafficking

By Lauri Munroe-Hultman

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, January 2025

It takes a village to get trafficked turtles home.

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Fall 2024 Highlights from EESC’s Disease Decision Analysis and Research Group

Fall 2024 Highlights from EESC’s Disease Decision Analysis and Research Group

Disease Decision Analysis and Research (DDAR) is a multi-disciplinary team based out of the Eastern Ecological Science Center whose strengths are in...

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Study finds salamanders are surprisingly abundant in northeastern forests

Study finds salamanders are surprisingly abundant in northeastern forests

RESTON, Va. — Two recent amphibian-focused studies shed light on the ecological importance of red-backed salamanders, while confirming that proactive...

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One Health and Structured Decision Making

One Health and Structured Decision Making

November 3 is One Health Day. One Health is the idea that the health of people is connected to the health of animals and our shared environment.

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Warming Climate May Shift North American Salamanders' Habitat Range

Warming Climate May Shift North American Salamanders' Habitat Range

Northeast CASC-supported researchers have found that as temperatures rise, salamander populations in North America may have a limited ability to...

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Modeling Management Actions Helps Researchers Pinpoint the Main Culprit of Wood Frog Declines

Modeling Management Actions Helps Researchers Pinpoint the Main Culprit of Wood Frog Declines

Amphibian decline is a global conservation crisis driven by multiple interacting stressors, which often act at a local scale with global implications.

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A Unified Research Strategy for Disease Management

A Unified Research Strategy for Disease Management

As wildlife diseases increase globally, an understanding of host-pathogen relationships can elucidate avenues for management and improve conservation...

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Large-scale Review of Amphibian Species and Community Response to Climate Change

Large-scale Review of Amphibian Species and Community Response to Climate Change

Amphibian species and community richness has been declining in North America and climate change may play a role in these declines. Global climate...

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