Jeffrey Hatfield, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Jeff Hatfield's duties include field and statistical research on U.S. wildlife and habitats, review of study plans and manuscripts, experimental design, statistical consulting with wildlife biologists, and data analysis. Current research consists of monitoring growth and survival of Hawaiian trees, monitoring regeneration and restoration of vegetation in Texas, monitoring herbivory in National Parks of the National Capital Region, and studies of maternal-effects and Medea genes in snails and mammals.
Recent Accomplishments
Education
- Ph.D. 1986. Biostatistics (focus: theoretical ecology & genetics). The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
- M.A.S. 1982. Applied Statistics (focus: frequentist statistics). The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
- M.S. 1981. Zoology (focus: aquatic ecology & genetics). Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.
- B.A. 1979. Zoology and Mathematics & Statistics (double major). Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.
Professional Studies/Experience
Mentorship/Outreach
Professional societies/affiliations/committees/editorial boards
Honors, awards, recognition, elected offices
Scientific/Oral Presentations, Abstracts
Science and Products
Forests
Our nation’s forests serve many purposes including source of timber, habitat for wildlife, and a place for people to recreate. Our scientists seek to understand how forests can serve all these functions by answering such questions as, “How do forests managed for timber harvest and bird habitat affect the bat populations of the forest?” and “How can hiking trails be designed to minimize impacts...
Sea-level Rise
Acceleration in sea-level rise and changing environmental stressors have important implications for the integrity of coastal wetlands and for efforts to restore and protect the ecosystem services they provide. Federal and state agencies need to make more detailed assessments of how different watersheds and shoreline types might influence an array of ecosystem functions and components and...
Mathematical Modeling
A formal framework that revolves around the construction of a mathematical expression using equations, statements or formulas as representation of a system, behavior, or process to simulate the behavior of the system, a series of relationships, or process under study.
Population Estimation
Determining the size of animal populations is fundamental to wildlife management and how such populations change over time and space can provide insights into ecosystem function and associated processes. Patuxent scientists’ utilize a number of robust statistical techniques to generate these estimates and to improve our understanding of population dynamics.
Vegetation Studies in National Parks, Wildlife Refuges, and Other Protected Areas
The Challange: Forests and marshes provide critical habitat for numerous species of plants and animals. National Parks, Wildlife Refuges, and other protected areas are attempting to protect, manage, and in some cases, restore our forests and marshes, many of which provide critical habitat for declining, threatened, or endangered species, in addition to providing recreational opportunities...
Survival and Reintroduction of the Laysan Teal
The Challenge: The Laysan Teal is an endangered, endemic, Hawaiian dabbling duck that has been pushed to the brink of extinction numerous times. The previous range includes the Main and Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and its current range is less than 10 sq. km within the National Wildlife Refuges of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. This non-migratory waterfowl was eliminated from...
How many Laysan Teal Anas laysanensis are on Midway Atoll? Methods for monitoring abundance after reintroduction
Wildlife managers often request a simple approach to monitor the status of species of concern. In response to that need, we used eight years of monitoring data to estimate population size and test the validity of an index for monitoring accurately the abundance of reintroduced, endangered Laysan Teal Anas laysanensis. The population was...
Reynolds, Michelle H.; Courtot, Karen; Hatfield, Jeffrey Estimating golden-cheeked warbler immigration: Implications for the spatial scale of conservation
Understanding the factors that drive population dynamics is fundamental to species conservation and management. Since the golden-cheeked warbler Setophaga chrysoparia was first listed as endangered, much effort has taken place to monitor warbler abundance, occupancy, reproduction and survival. Yet, despite being directly related to local...
Duarte, A.; Weckerly, F.W.; Schaub, M.; Hatfield, Jeffrey S. Simulating range-wide population and breeding habitat dynamics for an endangered woodland warbler in the face of uncertainty
Population viability analyses provide a quantitative approach that seeks to predict the possible future status of a species of interest under different scenarios and, therefore, can be important components of large-scale species’ conservation programs. We created a model and simulated range-wide population and breeding habitat dynamics for...
Adam Duarte; Hatfield, Jeffrey; Todd M. Swannack; Michael R. J. Forstner; M. Clay Green; Floyd W. Weckerly Long-term monitoring of endangered Laysan ducks: Index validation and population estimates 1998–2012
Monitoring endangered wildlife is essential to assessing management or recovery objectives and learning about population status. We tested assumptions of a population index for endangered Laysan duck (or teal; Anas laysanensis) monitored using mark–resight methods on Laysan Island, Hawai’i. We marked 723 Laysan ducks between 1998 and...
Reynolds, Michelle H.; Courtot, Karen; Brinck, Kevin W.; Rehkemper, Cynthia; Hatfield, Jeffrey Medea genes, handedness and other traits
Medea factors or genes are maternal-effects mechanisms, found in many species, in which the mother's body selectively kills embryos of a certain genotype.Humans have a similar genetic mechanism, the gene RHD which produces Rh-factor involved in blood type.Recently I proposed that RHD acts as a maternal-effects gene that determines handedness (i.e...
Hatfield, Jeffrey Age-specific survival of male golden-cheeked warblers on the Fort Hood Military Reservation, Texas
Population models are essential components of large-scale conservation and management plans for the federally endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia; hereafter GCWA). However, existing models are based on vital rate estimates calculated using relatively small data sets that are now more than a decade old. We estimated more...
Duarte, Adam; Hines, James E.; Nichols, James D.; Hatfield, Jeffrey S.; Weckerly, Floyd W. Spatiotemporal variation in range-wide Golden-cheeked Warbler habitat
Habitat availability ultimately limits the distribution and abundance of wildlife species. Consequently, it is paramount to identify where wildlife habitat is and understand how it changes over time in order to implement large scale wildlife conservation plans. Yet, no work has quantified the degree of change in range-wide breeding habitat for the...
Duarte, Adam; Jensen, Jennifer; Hatfield, Jeffrey S.; Weckerly, Floyd Demographic variation, reintroduction, and persistence of an island duck (Anas laysanensis)
Population variation in life history can be important for predicting successful establishment and persistence of reintroduced populations of endangered species. The Laysan duck (Anas laysanensis) is an endangered bird native to the Hawaiian Archipelago that was extirpated from most islands after the introduction of mammalian predators. Laysan...
Reynolds, Michelle H.; Weiser, Emily; Jamieson, Ian; Hatfield, Jeffrey S. Vascular plant and vertebrate species richness in national parks of the eastern United States
Given the estimates that species diversity is diminishing at 50-100 times the normal rate, it is critical that we be able to evaluate changes in species richness in order to make informed decisions for conserving species diversity. In this study, we examined the potential of vascular plant species richness to be used as a surrogate for vertebrate...
Hatfield, Jeffrey S.; Myrick, Kaci E.; Huston, Michael A.; Weckerly, Floyd W.; Green, M. Clay Dynamics of seabird colonies vulnerable to sea-level rise at French Frigate Shoals, Hawai`i
Globally, seabirds are vulnerable to anthropogenic threats both at sea and on land. Seabirds typically nest colonially and show strong site fidelity; therefore, conservation strategies could benefit from an understanding of the population dynamics and vulnerability of breeding colonies to climate change. More than 350 atolls exist across the...
Reynolds, Michelle H.; Courtot, Karen N.; Krause, Crystal M.; Seavy, Nathaniel E.; Hartzell, Paula; Hatfield, Jeff S. Effects of Canada goose herbivory on the tidal freshwater wetlands in Anacostia Park, 2009-2011
Herbivory has played a major role in dictating vegetation abundance and species composition at Kingman Marsh in Anacostia Park, Washington, D.C., since restoration of this tidal freshwater wetland was initiated in 2000. The diverse and robust vegetative cover that developed in the first year post-reconstruction experienced significant decimation...
Krafft, Cairn C.; Hatfield, Jeffrey S.; Hammerschlag, Richard S. Influence of space use on fitness and the reintroduction success of the Laysan teal
Translocation is an important tool for wildlife conservation and biodiversity restoration, but an inefficient one because of the unpredictability of success. Predictors of success such as habitat quality of the release site and number of individuals released have been identified, but the dynamics of successful translocations remain poorly...
Reynolds, M.H.; Hatfield, J.S.; Laniawe, L.P.; Vekasy, M.S.; Klavitter, J.L.; Berkowitz, P.; Crampton, L.H.; Walters, J.R.