James Nichols, Ph.D.
Dr. Jim Nichols conducts research on animal population dynamics and management
Recent Accomplishments
Education
- B.S. Wake Forest University, Biology, 1971
- M.S. Louisiana State University, Wildlife Management, 1973
- Ph.D. Michigan State University, Wildlife Ecology, 1976
Professional Studies/Experience
- Adaptive management and assessment of habitat changes on migratory birds
- Development of models of mallard population dynamics for adaptive harvest management
- Development of methods to estimate parameters associated with animal population dynamics
- Statistical methods for species richness estimation
- Technical Assistance -Tiger Monitoring and Population Research
- Development of methods for estimating patch occupancy and patch-dynamic parameters from detection-nondetection survey data
- Development of methods to estimate species richness and community-dynamic parameters from species list data
Mentorship/Outreach
Professional societies/affiliations/committees/editorial boardsScientific/Oral Presentations, Abstracts
Honors, awards, recognition, elected offices
- 2005 - U.S. Presidential Rank Award (Meritorious Senior Professional)
- 2004 - U.S. Geological Survey Meritorious Service Award
- 2004 - IFAS Scholar Award, University of Florida
- 1998 - Promoted to Senior Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey
- 1991 - The George W. Snedecor Award of the American Statistical Association
- 1991 - The Wildlife Society's Wildlife Publication Award for Monograph
- 1984 - Southeastern Section of the Wildlife Society, Outstanding Publication Award
Scientific/Oral Presentations, Abstracts
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 418
Modeling co-occurrence of northern spotted and barred owls: accounting for detection probability differences Modeling co-occurrence of northern spotted and barred owls: accounting for detection probability differences
Barred owls (Strix varia) have recently expanded their range and now encompass the entire range of the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina). This expansion has led to two important issues of concern for management of northern spotted owls: (1) possible competitive interactions between the two species that could contribute to population declines of northern spotted owls, and...
Authors
Larissa L. Bailey, Janice A. Reid, Eric D. Forsman, James D. Nichols
Dynamic multistate site occupancy models to evaluate hypotheses relevant to conservation of Golden Eagles in Denali National Park, Alaska Dynamic multistate site occupancy models to evaluate hypotheses relevant to conservation of Golden Eagles in Denali National Park, Alaska
The recent development of multistate site occupancy models offers great opportunities to frame and solve decision problems for conservation that can be viewed in terms of site occupancy. These models have several characteristics (e.g., they account for detectability) that make them particularly well suited for addressing management and conservation problems. We applied multistate site...
Authors
Julien Martin, Carol L. McIntyre, James E. Hines, James D. Nichols, Joel A. Schmutz, Margaret C. MacCluskie
Perturbation analysis for patch occupancy dynamics Perturbation analysis for patch occupancy dynamics
Perturbation analysis is a powerful tool to study population and community dynamics. This article describes expressions for sensitivity metrics reflecting changes in equilibrium occupancy resulting from small changes in the vital rates of patch occupancy dynamics (i.e., probabilities of local patch colonization and extinction). We illustrate our approach with a case study of occupancy...
Authors
Julien Martin, James D. Nichols, Carol L. McIntyre, Goncalo Ferraz, James E. Hines
Modeling individual animal histories with multistate capture–recapture models Modeling individual animal histories with multistate capture–recapture models
Many fields of science begin with a phase of exploration and description, followed by investigations of the processes that account for observed patterns. The science of ecology is no exception, and recent decades have seen a focus on understanding key processes underlying the dynamics of ecological systems. In population ecology, emphasis has shifted from the state variable of population...
Authors
Jean-Dominique Lebreton, James D. Nichols, Richard J. Barker, Roger Pradel, Jeffrey A. Spendelow
An inventory of terrestrial mammals at national parks in the Northeast Temperate Network and Sagamore Hill National Historic Site An inventory of terrestrial mammals at national parks in the Northeast Temperate Network and Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
An inventory of mammals was conducted during 2004 at nine national park sites in the Northeast Temperate Network (NETN): Acadia National Park (NP), Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park (NHP), Minute Man NHP, Morristown NHP, Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Site (NHS), Saint-Gaudens NHS, Saugus Iron Works NHS, Saratoga NHP, and Weir Farm NHS. Sagamore Hill NHS, part...
Authors
Andrew T. Gilbert, Allan F. O’Connell, Elizabeth M. Annand, Neil W. Talancy, John R. Sauer, James D. Nichols
North American Bird Banding and quantitative population ecology North American Bird Banding and quantitative population ecology
Early bird-banding programs in North America were developed to provide descriptions of bird migration and movement patterns. This initial interest in description quickly evolved into more quantitative interests in two ways. There was (1) interest in quantifying migration and movement patterns, and (2) rapid recognition that re-observations of marked birds provided information about other
Authors
J.D. Nichols, J. Tautin
Temporal variation in adult survival rates of Roseate Terns during periods of increasing and declining populations Temporal variation in adult survival rates of Roseate Terns during periods of increasing and declining populations
We used 19 years of mark-recapture/resighting data collected on 11, 020 birds from 1988-2006 at five colony sites in Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut, USA, to examine temporal variation in the survival rates of adult Roseate Terns (Sterna dougallii) during periods of overall population increase (1988-2000) and decline (2000-2006). Roseate Terns nested at only one colony site in...
Authors
J. A. Spendelow, J.E. Hines, J.D. Nichols, I.C.T. Nisbet, G. Cormons, H. Hays, J.J. Hatch, C.S. Mostello
Population dynamics of the Concho water snake in rivers and reservoirs Population dynamics of the Concho water snake in rivers and reservoirs
The Concho Water Snake (Nerodia harteri paucimaculata) is confined to the Concho–Colorado River valley of central Texas, thereby occupying one of the smallest geographic ranges of any North American snake. In 1986, N. h. paucimaculata was designated as a federally threatened species, in large part because of reservoir projects that were perceived to adversely affect the amount of habitat...
Authors
M.J. Whiting, J.R. Dixon, B.D. Greene, J.M. Mueller, O.W. Thornton, Jeff S. Hatfield, J.D. Nichols, J.E. Hines
Juvenile survival in a tropical population of roseate terns: Interannual variation and effect of tick parasitism Juvenile survival in a tropical population of roseate terns: Interannual variation and effect of tick parasitism
Many demographic studies on long-lived seabirds have focused on the estimation of adult survival, but much less is known about survival during the early years of life, especially in tropical species. We report analyses of a capture–recapture dataset of 685 roseate terns ringed as fledglings and adults between 1998 and 2005 on Aride Island, Seychelles, and recaptured/resighted at the same...
Authors
David Monticelli, Jaime A. Ramos, James E. Hines, James D. Nichols, Jeffrey A. Spendelow
Multi-scale occupancy estimation and modelling using multiple detection methods Multi-scale occupancy estimation and modelling using multiple detection methods
Occupancy estimation and modelling based on detection–nondetection data provide an effective way of exploring change in a species’ distribution across time and space in cases where the species is not always detected with certainty. Today, many monitoring programmes target multiple species, or life stages within a species, requiring the use of multiple detection methods. When multiple...
Authors
James D. Nichols, Larissa L. Bailey, Allan F. O’Connell, Neil W. Talancy, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Andrew T. Gilbert, Elizabeth M. Annand, Thomas P. Husband, James E. Hines
How many tigers Panthera tigris are there in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand? An estimate using photographic capture-recapture sampling How many tigers Panthera tigris are there in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand? An estimate using photographic capture-recapture sampling
We used capture-recapture analyses to estimate the density of a tiger Panthera tigris population in the tropical forests of Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand, from photographic capture histories of 15 distinct individuals. The closure test results (z = 0.39, P = 0.65) provided some evidence in support of the demographic closure assumption. Fit of eight plausible closed models...
Authors
S. Simcharoen, A. Pattanavibool, K. U. Karanth, J.D. Nichols, S. Kumar
Adaptive harvest management of North American waterfowl populations: a brief history and future prospects Adaptive harvest management of North American waterfowl populations: a brief history and future prospects
Since 1995, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has used an adaptive approach to the management of sport harvest of mid-continent Mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) in North America. This approach differs from many current approaches to conservation and management in requiring close collaboration between managers and scientists. Key elements of this process are objectives, alternative...
Authors
J.D. Nichols, M.C. Runge, Fred A. Johnson, B. Kenneth Williams
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 418
Modeling co-occurrence of northern spotted and barred owls: accounting for detection probability differences Modeling co-occurrence of northern spotted and barred owls: accounting for detection probability differences
Barred owls (Strix varia) have recently expanded their range and now encompass the entire range of the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina). This expansion has led to two important issues of concern for management of northern spotted owls: (1) possible competitive interactions between the two species that could contribute to population declines of northern spotted owls, and...
Authors
Larissa L. Bailey, Janice A. Reid, Eric D. Forsman, James D. Nichols
Dynamic multistate site occupancy models to evaluate hypotheses relevant to conservation of Golden Eagles in Denali National Park, Alaska Dynamic multistate site occupancy models to evaluate hypotheses relevant to conservation of Golden Eagles in Denali National Park, Alaska
The recent development of multistate site occupancy models offers great opportunities to frame and solve decision problems for conservation that can be viewed in terms of site occupancy. These models have several characteristics (e.g., they account for detectability) that make them particularly well suited for addressing management and conservation problems. We applied multistate site...
Authors
Julien Martin, Carol L. McIntyre, James E. Hines, James D. Nichols, Joel A. Schmutz, Margaret C. MacCluskie
Perturbation analysis for patch occupancy dynamics Perturbation analysis for patch occupancy dynamics
Perturbation analysis is a powerful tool to study population and community dynamics. This article describes expressions for sensitivity metrics reflecting changes in equilibrium occupancy resulting from small changes in the vital rates of patch occupancy dynamics (i.e., probabilities of local patch colonization and extinction). We illustrate our approach with a case study of occupancy...
Authors
Julien Martin, James D. Nichols, Carol L. McIntyre, Goncalo Ferraz, James E. Hines
Modeling individual animal histories with multistate capture–recapture models Modeling individual animal histories with multistate capture–recapture models
Many fields of science begin with a phase of exploration and description, followed by investigations of the processes that account for observed patterns. The science of ecology is no exception, and recent decades have seen a focus on understanding key processes underlying the dynamics of ecological systems. In population ecology, emphasis has shifted from the state variable of population...
Authors
Jean-Dominique Lebreton, James D. Nichols, Richard J. Barker, Roger Pradel, Jeffrey A. Spendelow
An inventory of terrestrial mammals at national parks in the Northeast Temperate Network and Sagamore Hill National Historic Site An inventory of terrestrial mammals at national parks in the Northeast Temperate Network and Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
An inventory of mammals was conducted during 2004 at nine national park sites in the Northeast Temperate Network (NETN): Acadia National Park (NP), Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park (NHP), Minute Man NHP, Morristown NHP, Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Site (NHS), Saint-Gaudens NHS, Saugus Iron Works NHS, Saratoga NHP, and Weir Farm NHS. Sagamore Hill NHS, part...
Authors
Andrew T. Gilbert, Allan F. O’Connell, Elizabeth M. Annand, Neil W. Talancy, John R. Sauer, James D. Nichols
North American Bird Banding and quantitative population ecology North American Bird Banding and quantitative population ecology
Early bird-banding programs in North America were developed to provide descriptions of bird migration and movement patterns. This initial interest in description quickly evolved into more quantitative interests in two ways. There was (1) interest in quantifying migration and movement patterns, and (2) rapid recognition that re-observations of marked birds provided information about other
Authors
J.D. Nichols, J. Tautin
Temporal variation in adult survival rates of Roseate Terns during periods of increasing and declining populations Temporal variation in adult survival rates of Roseate Terns during periods of increasing and declining populations
We used 19 years of mark-recapture/resighting data collected on 11, 020 birds from 1988-2006 at five colony sites in Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut, USA, to examine temporal variation in the survival rates of adult Roseate Terns (Sterna dougallii) during periods of overall population increase (1988-2000) and decline (2000-2006). Roseate Terns nested at only one colony site in...
Authors
J. A. Spendelow, J.E. Hines, J.D. Nichols, I.C.T. Nisbet, G. Cormons, H. Hays, J.J. Hatch, C.S. Mostello
Population dynamics of the Concho water snake in rivers and reservoirs Population dynamics of the Concho water snake in rivers and reservoirs
The Concho Water Snake (Nerodia harteri paucimaculata) is confined to the Concho–Colorado River valley of central Texas, thereby occupying one of the smallest geographic ranges of any North American snake. In 1986, N. h. paucimaculata was designated as a federally threatened species, in large part because of reservoir projects that were perceived to adversely affect the amount of habitat...
Authors
M.J. Whiting, J.R. Dixon, B.D. Greene, J.M. Mueller, O.W. Thornton, Jeff S. Hatfield, J.D. Nichols, J.E. Hines
Juvenile survival in a tropical population of roseate terns: Interannual variation and effect of tick parasitism Juvenile survival in a tropical population of roseate terns: Interannual variation and effect of tick parasitism
Many demographic studies on long-lived seabirds have focused on the estimation of adult survival, but much less is known about survival during the early years of life, especially in tropical species. We report analyses of a capture–recapture dataset of 685 roseate terns ringed as fledglings and adults between 1998 and 2005 on Aride Island, Seychelles, and recaptured/resighted at the same...
Authors
David Monticelli, Jaime A. Ramos, James E. Hines, James D. Nichols, Jeffrey A. Spendelow
Multi-scale occupancy estimation and modelling using multiple detection methods Multi-scale occupancy estimation and modelling using multiple detection methods
Occupancy estimation and modelling based on detection–nondetection data provide an effective way of exploring change in a species’ distribution across time and space in cases where the species is not always detected with certainty. Today, many monitoring programmes target multiple species, or life stages within a species, requiring the use of multiple detection methods. When multiple...
Authors
James D. Nichols, Larissa L. Bailey, Allan F. O’Connell, Neil W. Talancy, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Andrew T. Gilbert, Elizabeth M. Annand, Thomas P. Husband, James E. Hines
How many tigers Panthera tigris are there in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand? An estimate using photographic capture-recapture sampling How many tigers Panthera tigris are there in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand? An estimate using photographic capture-recapture sampling
We used capture-recapture analyses to estimate the density of a tiger Panthera tigris population in the tropical forests of Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand, from photographic capture histories of 15 distinct individuals. The closure test results (z = 0.39, P = 0.65) provided some evidence in support of the demographic closure assumption. Fit of eight plausible closed models...
Authors
S. Simcharoen, A. Pattanavibool, K. U. Karanth, J.D. Nichols, S. Kumar
Adaptive harvest management of North American waterfowl populations: a brief history and future prospects Adaptive harvest management of North American waterfowl populations: a brief history and future prospects
Since 1995, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has used an adaptive approach to the management of sport harvest of mid-continent Mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) in North America. This approach differs from many current approaches to conservation and management in requiring close collaboration between managers and scientists. Key elements of this process are objectives, alternative...
Authors
J.D. Nichols, M.C. Runge, Fred A. Johnson, B. Kenneth Williams