Garrett MacDonald
Garrett MacDonald is a Biologist for the USGS at Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, North Dakota.
My current projects include 1) predicting Piping Plover habitat in the Prairie Pothole Region through the use of remote-sensed and other geospatial datasets and 2) quantifying grassland bird use of pollinator-enhanced grasslands during the spring and fall migratory periods in the Dakotas. My background is in avian ecology.
Professional Experience
Biologist, USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, North Dakota
Education and Certifications
M.S. Biology, Ball State University, 2018
B.S. Wildlife Biology, University of Montana, 2010
B.A. Spanish, University of Montana, 2010
Science and Products
Assessing trade-offs in developing a landscape-scale nest monitoring programme for a threatened shorebird
Effective monitoring of wildlife species requires thorough planning and development of survey programmes that can address management and conservation objectives. Decisions about monitoring programmes include where to survey, survey design and how much effort to allocate at survey sites are typically predicated on limited budgets and available resources. When the scope of inference requires monitor
Authors
Kristen S. Ellis, Michael J. Anteau, Garrett J. MacDonald, Megan Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Rose J. Swift, Dustin L. Toy
Seasonal and breeding phenologies of 38 grassland bird species in the midcontinent of North America
Grasslands in the midcontinent of North America are highly imperiled, and grassland birds have suffered the largest bird declines of any terrestrial biome in North America in the last 50 years. Consequently, the conservation and management of grasslands, as well as their associated avian communities, are major priorities for the State, Provincial, and Federal agencies; non-governmental organizatio
Authors
Garrett J. MacDonald, Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Lawrence D. Igl, Neal D. Niemuth, Josh L. Vest
Climate-induced shifts in grassland bird nesting phenology have implications for grassland management
Grasslands are among the most impacted ecosystems globally. In the midcontinent of North America, a > 80% loss of grasslands has made their conservation a major priority for resource managers. Grassland ecosystems evolved under periodic disturbances; consequently, grassland management often involves regular actions such as grazing, haying, or burning to maintain ecosystem integrity. The timing of
Authors
Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Garrett J. MacDonald, Lawrence Igl, Neal D. Niemuth, Josh Vest
Estimating population viability of the northern Great Plains piping plover population considering updated population structure, climate change, and intensive management
One challenge in wildlife conservation is understanding how various threats and management actions may influence long-term population viability. This is particularly evident when there is considerable uncertainty regarding population structure and vital rates. Reassessment of current knowledge and population trends is necessary for listed species to improve management actions that benefit conserva
Authors
Rose J. Swift, Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Garrett J. MacDonald, Megan Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Dustin L. Toy
Data integration reveals dynamic and systematic patterns of breeding habitat use by a threatened shorebird
Incorporating species distributions into conservation planning has traditionally involved long-term representations of habitat use where temporal variation is averaged to reveal habitats that are most suitable across time. Advances in remote sensing and analytical tools have allowed for the integration of dynamic processes into species distribution modeling. Our objective was to develop a spatiote
Authors
Kristen S. Ellis, Michael J. Anteau, Garrett J. MacDonald, Rose J. Swift, Megan Ring, Dustin L. Toy, Mark H. Sherfy, Max Post van der Burg
Capturing spatiotemporal patterns in presence-absence data to inform monitoring and sampling designs for the threatened Dakota skipper (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) in the Great Plains of the United States
Declines among species of insect pollinators, especially butterflies, has garnered attention from scientists and managers. Often these declines have spurred governments to declare some species as threatened or endangered. We used existing presence–absence data from surveys for the threatened Dakota skipper Hesperia dacotae (Skinner) to build statistical maps of species presence that could be used
Authors
Max Post van der Burg, Jane E. Austin, Mark T. Wiltermuth, Wesley E. Newton, Garrett J. MacDonald
Review of Gulls simplified: A comparative approach to identification by Pete Dunne and Kevin T. Karlson
No abstract available.
Authors
Garrett J. MacDonald
Science and Products
Assessing trade-offs in developing a landscape-scale nest monitoring programme for a threatened shorebird
Effective monitoring of wildlife species requires thorough planning and development of survey programmes that can address management and conservation objectives. Decisions about monitoring programmes include where to survey, survey design and how much effort to allocate at survey sites are typically predicated on limited budgets and available resources. When the scope of inference requires monitor
Authors
Kristen S. Ellis, Michael J. Anteau, Garrett J. MacDonald, Megan Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Rose J. Swift, Dustin L. Toy
Seasonal and breeding phenologies of 38 grassland bird species in the midcontinent of North America
Grasslands in the midcontinent of North America are highly imperiled, and grassland birds have suffered the largest bird declines of any terrestrial biome in North America in the last 50 years. Consequently, the conservation and management of grasslands, as well as their associated avian communities, are major priorities for the State, Provincial, and Federal agencies; non-governmental organizatio
Authors
Garrett J. MacDonald, Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Lawrence D. Igl, Neal D. Niemuth, Josh L. Vest
Climate-induced shifts in grassland bird nesting phenology have implications for grassland management
Grasslands are among the most impacted ecosystems globally. In the midcontinent of North America, a > 80% loss of grasslands has made their conservation a major priority for resource managers. Grassland ecosystems evolved under periodic disturbances; consequently, grassland management often involves regular actions such as grazing, haying, or burning to maintain ecosystem integrity. The timing of
Authors
Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Garrett J. MacDonald, Lawrence Igl, Neal D. Niemuth, Josh Vest
Estimating population viability of the northern Great Plains piping plover population considering updated population structure, climate change, and intensive management
One challenge in wildlife conservation is understanding how various threats and management actions may influence long-term population viability. This is particularly evident when there is considerable uncertainty regarding population structure and vital rates. Reassessment of current knowledge and population trends is necessary for listed species to improve management actions that benefit conserva
Authors
Rose J. Swift, Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Garrett J. MacDonald, Megan Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Dustin L. Toy
Data integration reveals dynamic and systematic patterns of breeding habitat use by a threatened shorebird
Incorporating species distributions into conservation planning has traditionally involved long-term representations of habitat use where temporal variation is averaged to reveal habitats that are most suitable across time. Advances in remote sensing and analytical tools have allowed for the integration of dynamic processes into species distribution modeling. Our objective was to develop a spatiote
Authors
Kristen S. Ellis, Michael J. Anteau, Garrett J. MacDonald, Rose J. Swift, Megan Ring, Dustin L. Toy, Mark H. Sherfy, Max Post van der Burg
Capturing spatiotemporal patterns in presence-absence data to inform monitoring and sampling designs for the threatened Dakota skipper (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) in the Great Plains of the United States
Declines among species of insect pollinators, especially butterflies, has garnered attention from scientists and managers. Often these declines have spurred governments to declare some species as threatened or endangered. We used existing presence–absence data from surveys for the threatened Dakota skipper Hesperia dacotae (Skinner) to build statistical maps of species presence that could be used
Authors
Max Post van der Burg, Jane E. Austin, Mark T. Wiltermuth, Wesley E. Newton, Garrett J. MacDonald
Review of Gulls simplified: A comparative approach to identification by Pete Dunne and Kevin T. Karlson
No abstract available.
Authors
Garrett J. MacDonald