Heather Johnson, Ph.D.
Population ecology, resource selection, human-wildlife conflicts, predator-prey relationships, endangered species conservation, large mammal ecology and management, effects of land-use change on wildlife populations.
Professional Experience
2017 - Present Research Wildlife Biologist, USGS, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK
2010 - 2017 Wildlife Researcher, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Durango, CO
2010 Post-doctoral Researcher, University of Montana, Missoula, MT
2005 - 2010 Graduate Research Assistant, University of Montana, Missoula, MT
2004 - 2005 Contract Wildlife Biologist, California Department of Fish and Game, Bishop, CA
2001 - 2003 Graduate Research Assistant, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
1999 - 2001 Various field technician positions
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 2010 University of Montana, Missoula, MT Wildlife Biology
M.S. 2003 University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ Wildlife Science
B.S. 1999 University of California, San Diego, CA Biology
Affiliations and Memberships*
The Wildlife Society
Society for Conservation Biology
Honors and Awards
USDA/APHIS/WS/National Wildlife Research Center - Outstanding Research Publication (2015)
Graduate Research Award, Wildlife Ecology Program, University of Montana (2010)
PEO Scholar, University of Montana (2009)
Canon National Parks Science Scholar (2007)
Best Thesis Award, School of Renewable Natural Resources, University of Arizona (2003)
Science and Products
Factors influencing elk recruitment across ecotypes in the Western United States
Summary of wildlife-related research on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 2002–17
Influence of precipitation and crop germination on resource selection by mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in southwest Colorado
Relative influence of human harvest, carnivores, and weather on adult female elk survival across western North America
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 16
Factors influencing elk recruitment across ecotypes in the Western United States
Ungulates are key components in ecosystems and economically important for sport and subsistence harvest. Yet the relative importance of the effects of weather conditions, forage productivity, and carnivores on ungulates are not well understood. We examined changes in elk (Cervus canadensis) recruitment (indexed as age ratios) across 7 states and 3 ecotypes in the northwestern United States duringAuthorsPaul M. Lukacs, Michael S. Mitchell, Mark Hebblewhite, Bruce K. Johnson, Heather E. Johnson, Matthew J. Kauffman, Kelly M. Proffitt, Peter Zager, Jedediah Brodie, Kent Hersey, A. Andrew Holland, Mark Hurley, Scott McCorquodale, Arthur Middleton, Matthew Nordhagen, J. Joshua Nowak, Daniel P. Walsh, P.J. WhiteSummary of wildlife-related research on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 2002–17
We summarize recent (2002–17) publicly available information from studies within the 1002 Area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as well as terrestrial and coastal ecosystems elsewhere on the Arctic Coastal Plain that are relevant to the 1002 Area. This report provides an update on earlier research summaries on caribou (Rangifer tarandus), forage quality and quantity, polar bears (Ursus maritAuthorsJohn M. Pearce, Paul L. Flint, Todd C. Atwood, David C. Douglas, Layne G. Adams, Heather E. Johnson, Stephen M. Arthur, Christopher J. LattyInfluence of precipitation and crop germination on resource selection by mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in southwest Colorado
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) populations in the western United States provide many benefits to local economies but can also cause considerable damage to agriculture, particularly damage to lucrative crops. Limited information exists to understand resource selection of mule deer in response to annual variation in crop rotation and climatic conditions. We tested the hypothesis that mule deer seleAuthorsEmily M. Carrollo, Heather E. Johnson, Justin W. Fischer, Matthew Hammond, Patricia D. Dorsey, Charles Anderson, Kurt C. Vercauteren, W. David WalterRelative influence of human harvest, carnivores, and weather on adult female elk survival across western North America
Well-informed management of harvested species requires understanding how changing ecological conditions affect demography and population dynamics, information that is lacking for many species. We have limited understanding of the relative influence of carnivores, harvest, weather and forage availability on elk Cervus elaphus demography, despite the ecological and economic importance of this specieAuthorsJedediah Brodie, Heather E. Johnson, Michael Mitchell, Peter Zager, Kelly Proffitt, Mark Hebblewhite, Matthew Kauffman, Bruce Johnson, John Bissonette, Chad Bishop, Justin Gude, Jeff Herbert, Kent Hersey, Mark Hurley, Paul M. Lukacs, Scott McCorquodale, Eliot McIntire, Josh Nowak, Hall Sawyer, Douglas Smith, P.J. WhiteNon-USGS Publications**
Kirby, R., H.E. Johnson, M.W. Alldredge, and J.N. Pauli. 2019. The cascading effects of human food on hibernation and cellular aging in free-ranging black bears. Scientific Reports 9:2197. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-38937-5.Lischka, S. A., T. L. Teel, H. E. Johnson, K. R. Crooks. 2019. Understanding and managing human tolerance for a large carnivore in a residential system. Biological Conservation 238. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2019.07.034.Wilbur, R. C., S. A. Lischka, J. R. Young, and H. E. Johnson. 2018. Experience, attitudes, and demographic factors influence the probability of reporting human-black bear interactions. Wildlife Society Bulletin 42(1):22-31. doi:10.1002/wsb.854.Lukacs, P. M., M. S. Mitchell, M. Hebblewhite, B. K. Johnson, H. E. Johnson, M. Kauffman, K. M. Proffitt, P. Zager, J. Brodie, K. Hersey, A. Holland, M. Hurley, S. McCorquodale, A. Middleton, J. Nowak, D. P. Walsh, and P. J. White. 2018. Factors influencing elk recruitment across ecotypes in the western United States. Journal of Wildlife Management 82(4):698-710. doi:10.1002/jwmg.21438 https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.21438.
Johnson, H. E., D. L. Lewis, S. A. Lischka, and S. W. Breck. 2018. Assessing ecological and social outcomes of a bear-proofing experiment. Journal of Wildlife Management 82(6):1102-1114. doi:10.1002/jwmg.21472.Laufenburg, J. S., H. E. Johnson, P. F. Doherty, Jr, and S. W. Breck. 2018. Compounding effects of human development and a natural food shortage on a black bear population along a human development-wildland interface. Biological Conservation 224:188-198. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2018.05.004.Lischka, S. A., T. L. Teel, H. E. Johnson, S. E. Reed, S. W. Breck, A. W. Don Carlos, and K. R. Crooks. 2018. A conceptual model for the integration of social and ecological information to understand human-wildlife interactions. Biological Conservation 225:80-87. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2018.06.020.Johnson, H. E., D. L. Lewis, T. L. Verzuh, C. F. Wallace, R. M. Much, L. K. Willmarth, and S. W. Breck. 2017. Human development and climate affect hibernation in a large carnivore with implications for human-carnivore conflicts. Journal of Applied Ecology 55(2):663-672. doi:10.1111/1365-2664.13021.Johnson, H. E., J. R. Sushinsky, A. Holland, E. J. Bergman, T. Balzer, J. Garner, and S. E. Reed. 2016. Increases in residential and energy development are associated with reductions in recruitment for a large ungulate. Global Change Biology 23(2):578-591. doi:10.1111/gcb.13385.Wolfe, L. L., H. E. Johnson, M. C. Fisher, W. R. Lance, D. K. Smith, and M. W. Miller. 2016. Chemical immobilization in American black bears using a combination of nalbuphine, medetomidine, and azaperone. Ursus 27(1):1-4. doi:10.2192/URSUS-D-15-00018.1.Johnson, H. E., S. W. Breck, S. Baruch-Mordo, D. L. Lewis, C. W. Lackey, K. R. Wilson, J. Broderick, J. S. Mao, and J. P. Beckmann. 2015. Shifting perceptions of risk and reward: dynamic selection for human development by black bears in the western United States. Biological Conservation 187:164-172. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2015.04.014.Wolfe, L. L., H. E. Johnson, M. C. Fisher, M. A. Sirochman, B. Kraft, and M. W. Miller. 2014. Evaluation of an acepromazine and medetomidine combination (AcMe) for immobilization of Rocky Mountain elk and black bears. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 50(4):979-981. doi:10.7589/2014-02-052.Johnson, H. E., J. W. Fischer, M. Hammond, P. D. Dorsey, W. D. Walter, C. Anderson, and K. C. VerCauteren. 2014. Evaluation of techniques to reduce deer and elk damage to agricultural resources. Wildlife Society Bulletin 38(2):358-365. doi: 10.1002/wsb.408.Brodie, J., H. E. Johnson, M. Mitchell, P. Zager, K. M. Proffitt, M. Hebblewhite, M. Kauffman, B. A. Johnson, J. A. Bissonette, C. Bishop, J. Gude, K. Hersey, M. Hurley, P. M. Lukacs, S. McCorquodale, E. McIntire, J. Nowak, H. Sawyer, D. K. Smith, and P. J. White. 2013. Relative influence of human harvest, carnivores, and weather on adult female elk survival across western North America. Journal of Applied Ecology 50(2):295-305. doi:10.1111/1365-2664.12044.Johnson, H. E., M. Hebblewhite, T. R. Stephenson, D. W. German, B. M. Pierce, and V. C. Bleich. 2013. Evaluating apparent competition in limiting the recovery of an endangered ungulate. Oecologia 171(1):295-307. doi:10.1007/s00442-012-2397-6.Johnson, H. E., L. S. Mills, J. D. Wehausen, T. R. Stephenson, and G. Luikart. 2011. Translating effects of inbreeding depression on component vital rates to overall population growth in endangered bighorn sheep. Conservation Biology 25(6):1240-1249. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2011.01739.x.Cahn, M. L., M. M. Conner, O. J. Schmitz, T. R. Stephenson, J. D. Wehausen, and H. E. Johnson. 2011. Disease, population viability, and recovery of endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep. Journal of Wildlife Management 75(8):1753-1766. doi:10.1002/jwmg.232.Johnson, H. E., L. S. Mills, T. R. Stephenson, and J. D. Wehausen. 2010. Population-specific vital rate contributions influence management of an endangered ungulate. Ecological Applications 20(6):1753-765. doi:10.1890/09-1107.1.Johnson, H. E., L. S. Mills, J. D. Wehausen, and T. R. Stephenson. 2010. Combining ground count, telemetry, and mark–resight data to infer population dynamics in an endangered species. Journal of Applied Ecology 47(5):1083-1093. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01846.x.Bleich, V. C., H. E. Johnson, S. A. Holl, L. Konde, S. G. Torres, and P. R. Krausman. 2008. Fire history in a chaparral ecosystem: implications for conservation of a native ungulate. Rangeland Ecology and Management 61(6):571-579. doi:10.2111/07-016.1.Johnson, H. E., V. C. Bleich, P. R. Krausman, and J. L. Koprowski. 2007. Effects of antler breakage on mating behavior in male tule elk (Cervus elaphus nannodes). European Journal of Wildlife Research 53(1):9-15. doi:10.1007/s10344-006-0060-4.Johnson, H. E., V. C. Bleich, and P. R. Krausman. 2005. Antler breakage in tule elk, Owens Valley. Journal of Wildlife Management 69(4):1747-1752. doi:10.2193/0022-541X(2005)69[1747:ABITEO]2.0.CO;2.Cain, J. W., III, H. E. Johnson, and P. R. Krausman. 2005. Wildfire and desert bighorn sheep habitat. Southwestern Naturalist 50(4):506-513. doi:10.1894/0038-4909(2005)050[0506:WADBSH]2.0.CO;2.Johnson, H. E., S. A. Lischka, J. Broderick, J. Apker, S. W. Breck, J. P. Beckmann, K. R. Wilson, and P. D. Dorsey. 2016. Black bear exploitation of urban environments: finding management solutions and assessing regional population effects. Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife Federal Aid Project No. W-204-R4, 21 p.Johnson, H. E., P. D. Dorsey, M. Hammond, C. M. Bishop, K. C. VerCauteren, and C. Anderson, and D. Walter. 2013. Evaluating solutions to reduce elk and deer damage on agricultural resources. Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, Federal Aid Wildlife Research Report.Mills, L. S. and H. E. Johnson. 2013. Wildlife population dynamics. Pages 84-111 in P. R. Krausman, and J. W. Cain III, editors. Wildlife management and conservation: contemporary principles and practices. Johns Hopkins University Press.Johnson, H. E. 2010. Escaping the extinction vortex: identifying factors affecting population performance and recovery in endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep. Dissertation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 243 p.Johnson, H. E. 2006. Effects of translocations on Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep population viability. California Department of Fish and Game Technical Report, Bishop, CA.Johnson, H. E., V. C. Bleich, and T. R. Stephenson. 2005. Habitat selection by mountain sheep and mule deer: understanding ecosystem health from the desert to the alpine. California Dept. of Fish and Game, University of California Davis Wildlife Health Center Resource Assessment Program. Final Report.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government