Karyn Rode, Ph.D.
As a Research Wildlife Biologist, I conduct studies focused on the ecology, physiology, and behavior of large mammals to understand their response to environmental change, identify what environmental or ecological factors (e.g., prey availability, winter temperature, ice availability, etc.) most influence whether a population increases, decreases, or is stable, and to maintain positive wildlife-human interactions.
I work with international and bilateral groups, such as the Polar Bear Range States and US-Russia Polar Bear Commission, DOI partners, including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. National Park Service, Alaska Native co-management groups, and local and state governments to identify and address research needs for polar bears and walruses. My research focuses primarily on identifying biological and ecological indicators for monitoring large mammal populations and ecosystem change and determining mechanisms of population regulation in response to environmental change. I also study wildlife interactions with humans in areas of industry, via tourism and recreation, and in local communities to help minimize or avoid negative effects on wildlife and ensure human safety. Much of my work is centered on nutritional and physiological ecology and its effects on wildlife body condition, reproduction, and survival. Often, I work to develop new methods needed to address information needs. Although all research questions pertain to wild populations, I also regularly conduct studies with animals in zoos and other captive settings where more detailed study of animal physiology and development of new research techniques are possible.
Professional Experience
Mar 2012 - Present Research Wildlife Biologist, USGS Alaska Science Center
Oct 2006 - Feb 2012 Wildlife Biologist, US Fish and Wildlife Service Polar Bear Program, Anchorage, Alaska
Jan 2006 - Oct 2006 Research Associate, Cornell University, Forest Elephant program
June 2002 - Dec 2005 Contract wildlife biologist - Alaska Department of Fish and Game/PhD candidate - Washington State University
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Washington State University Zoology
M.S. Washington State University Zoology
B.S. Colorado State University Wildlife Biology
Affiliations and Memberships*
2020 - present Vice President- Americas, International Association of Bear Research and Management
2017 - present International Association of Bear Research and Management Grants Review Committee
2017 - present Member of the American Zoological Association’s Polar Bear Research Council
2015 - present Member of Science/TEK working group of the US Fish and Wildlife Service Polar Bear Recovery Team
2009 - 2010 Secretary/Treasurer of the Alaska chapter of the Wildlife Society
2008 - present Member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Polar bear specialist group
2007 - present Member of the Scientific/TEK working group under the US-Russia polar bear commission
Science and Products
Evaluating and ranking threats to the long-term persistence of polar bears
Identifying polar bear resource selection patterns to inform offshore development in a dynamic and changing Arctic
Effects of capturing and collaring on polar bears: findings from long-term research on the southern Beaufort Sea population
Polar bears exhibit genome-wide signatures of bioenergetic adaptation to life in the Arctic environment
Variation in the response of an Arctic top predator experiencing habitat loss: Feeding and reproductive ecology of two polar bear populations
Carbon routing in the polar bear: insights from the lipid and protein pathways
Polar and brown bear genomes reveal ancient admixture and demographic footprints of past climate change
A tale of two polar bear populations: Ice habitat, harvest, and body condition
Reduced body size and cub recruitment in polar bears associated with sea ice decline
Dietary and spatial overlap between sympatric ursids relative to salmon use
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
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Filter Total Items: 58
Evaluating and ranking threats to the long-term persistence of polar bears
The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) was listed as a globally threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2008, mostly due to the significant threat to their future population viability from rapidly declining Arctic sea ice. A core mandate of the ESA is the development of a recovery plan that identifies steps to maintain viable populations of a listed species. A substantive evaluAuthorsTodd C. Atwood, Bruce G. Marcot, David C. Douglas, Steven C. Amstrup, Karyn D. Rode, George M. Durner, Jeffrey F. BromaghinIdentifying polar bear resource selection patterns to inform offshore development in a dynamic and changing Arctic
Although sea ice loss is the primary threat to polar bears (Ursus maritimus), little can be done to mitigate its effects without global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Other factors, however, could exacerbate the impacts of sea ice loss on polar bears, such as exposure to increased industrial activity. The Arctic Ocean has enormous oil and gas potential, and its development is expectedAuthorsRyan H. Wilson, Jon S. Horne, Karyn D. Rode, Eric V. Regehr, George M. DurnerEffects of capturing and collaring on polar bears: findings from long-term research on the southern Beaufort Sea population
Context: The potential for research methods to affect wildlife is an increasing concern among both scientists and the public. This topic has a particular urgency for polar bears because additional research is needed to monitor and understand population responses to rapid loss of sea ice habitat.Aims: This study used data collected from polar bears sampled in the Alaska portion of the southern BeauAuthorsKaryn D. Rode, Anthony M. Pagano, Jeffrey F. Bromaghin, Todd C. Atwood, George M. Durner, Kristin S. Simac, Steven C. AmstrupPolar bears exhibit genome-wide signatures of bioenergetic adaptation to life in the Arctic environment
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) face extremely cold temperatures and periods of fasting, which might result in more severe energetic challenges than those experienced by their sister species, the brown bear (U. arctos). We have examined the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes of polar and brown bears to investigate if polar bears demonstrate lineage-specific signals of molecular adaptation in genes asAuthorsAndreanna J. Welch, Oscar C. Bedoya-Reina, Lorenzo Carretero-Paulet, Webb Miller, Karyn D. Rode, Charlotte LindqvistVariation in the response of an Arctic top predator experiencing habitat loss: Feeding and reproductive ecology of two polar bear populations
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) have experienced substantial changes in the seasonal availability of sea ice habitat in parts of their range, including the Beaufort, Chukchi, and Bering Seas. In this study, we compared the body size, condition, and recruitment of polar bears captured in the Chukchi and Bering Seas (CS) between two periods (1986–1994 and 2008–2011) when declines in sea ice habitat ocAuthorsKaryn D. Rode, Eric V. Regehr, David C. Douglas, George M. Durner, Andrew E. Derocher, Gregory W. Thiemann, Suzanne M. BudgeCarbon routing in the polar bear: insights from the lipid and protein pathways
No abstract available.AuthorsC.A. Striker, Karyn D. Rode, J. Erlenbach, C.T. RobbinsPolar and brown bear genomes reveal ancient admixture and demographic footprints of past climate change
Polar bears (PBs) are superbly adapted to the extreme Arctic environment and have become emblematic of the threat to biodiversity from global climate change. Their divergence from the lower-latitude brown bear provides a textbook example of rapid evolution of distinct phenotypes. However, limited mitochondrial and nuclear DNA evidence conflicts in the timing of PB origin as well as placement of thAuthorsWebb Miller, Stephan C. Schuster, Andreanna J. Welch, Aakrosh Ratan, Oscar C. Bedoya-Reina, Fangqing Zhao, Hie Lim Kim, Richard C. Burhans, Daniela I. Drautz, Nicola E. Wittekindt, Lynn P. Tomsho, Enrique Ibarra-Laclette, Luis Herrera-Estrella, Elizabeth L. Peacock, Sean Farley, George K. Sage, Karyn D. Rode, Martyn E. Obbard, Rafael Montiel, Lutz Bachmann, Ólafur Ingólfsson, Jon Aars, Thomas Mailund, Øystein Wiig, Sandra L. Talbot, Charlotte LindqvistA tale of two polar bear populations: Ice habitat, harvest, and body condition
One of the primary mechanisms by which sea ice loss is expected to affect polar bears is via reduced body condition and growth resulting from reduced access to prey. To date, negative effects of sea ice loss have been documented for two of 19 recognized populations. Effects of sea ice loss on other polar bear populations that differ in harvest rate, population density, and/or feeding ecology haveAuthorsKaryn D. Rode, Elizabeth L. Peacock, Mitchell K. Taylor, Ian Stirling, Erik W. Born, Kristin L. Laidre, Øystein WiigReduced body size and cub recruitment in polar bears associated with sea ice decline
Rates of reproduction and survival are dependent upon adequate body size and condition of individuals. Declines in size and condition have provided early indicators of population decline in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) near the southern extreme of their range. We tested whether patterns in body size, condition, and cub recruitment of polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea of Alaska were relatedAuthorsKaryn D. Rode, Steven C. Amstrup, Eric V. RegehrDietary and spatial overlap between sympatric ursids relative to salmon use
We hypothesized that there would be minimal dietary overlap between sympatric brown bears (Ursus arctos) and American black bears (U. americanus) relative to salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) utilization when alternative foods (e.g., fruits) are abundant. To maximize the chance that we would reject this hypothesis, we examined the diets of brown and black bears known to have visited salmon streams. SpeciAuthorsJennifer K. Fortin, Sean D. Farley, Karyn D. Rode, Charles T. RobbinsNon-USGS Publications**
Voorhees, H., R. Sparks, H. P. Huntington, and K. D. Rode. 2014. Traditional knowledge of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in Northwestern Alaska. Arctic 67(4):523-436. doi:10.14430/arctic4425.Erlenbach, J. A., K. D. Rode, D. Raubenheimer, and C. M. Robbins. 2014. Macronutrient optimization and energy maximization determine diets of brown bears. Journal of Mammalogy 95(1):160-168. doi:10.1644/13-MAMM-A-161.Robbins, C. T., C. Lopez-Alfaro, K. D. Rode, Ø. Tøien, and O. L. Nelson. 2012. Hibernation and seasonal fasting in bears: the energetic costs and consequences for polar bears. Journal of Mammalogy 93(6):1493-1503. doi:10.1644/11-MAMM-A-406.1.Whiteman, J. P., K. A. Greller, H. J. Harlow, L. A. Felicetti, K. D. Rode, and M. Ben-David. 2012. Carbon isotopes in exhaled breath track metabolic substrates in brown bears (Ursus arctos). Journal of Mammalogy 93:413-421. doi:10.1644/11-MAMM-S-178.1.Gleason, J. S. and K. D. Rode. 2009. Polar bear distribution and habitat association reflect long-term changes in fall sea ice conditions in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea. Arctic 62(4):405-417.Schliebe, S. L., K. D. Rode, J. S. Gleason, J. Wilder, K. M. Proffitt, T. J. Evans, and S. Miller. 2008. Effects of sea ice extent and food availability on spatial and temporal distribution of polar bears during the fall open-water period in the Southern Beaufort Sea. Polar Biology 31(8):999-1010. doi:10.1007/s00300-008-0439-7.Stirling, I., A. E. Derocher, W. Gough, and K. D. Rode. 2008. Response to Dyck et al. (2007) on polar bears and climate change in western Hudson Bay. Ecological Complexity 5(3):193-201. doi:10.1016/j.ecocom.2008.01.004.Rode, K. D., S. C. Amstrup, and E. V. Regehr. 2007. Polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea III: Stature, mass, and cub recruitment in relationship to time and sea ice extent between 1982 and 2006. USGS Administrative Report, 31 p.Robbins, C. T., J. K. Fortin, K. D. Rode, S. D. Farley, L. A. Shipley, and L. A. Felicetti. 2007. Optimizing protein intake as a foraging strategy to maximize mass gain in an omnivore. Oikos 116(10):1675-1682. doi:10.1111/j.0030-1299.2007.16140.x.Fortin, J. K., S. D. Farley, C. T. Robbins, and K. D. Rode. 2007. The role of salmon and berries in determining fall weight gains in brown bears. Ursus 18(1):19-29. doi:10.2192/1537-6176(2007)18[19:DASOBS]2.0.CO;2.Rode, K. D., S. D. Farley, and C. T. Robbins. 2006. Behavioral responses of brown bears mediate nutritional impacts of experimentally introduced tourism. Biological Conservation 133(1):70-80. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2006.05.021.Rode, K. D., C. A. Chapman, L. D. McDowell, and C. A. Stricker. 2006. Nutritional mechanisms of population regulation across habitats and logging intensities in redtail monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius). Biotropica 38:625-634. doi:10.1111/j.1744-7429.2006.00183.x.Rode, K. D., P. I. Chiyo, C. A. Chapman, and L. D. McDowell. 2006. Nutritional ecology of elephants in Kibale National Park, Uganda, and its relationship with crop raiding behaviour. Journal of Tropical Ecology 22(4):441-449. doi:10.1017/S0266467406003233. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266467406003233
Rode, K. D., S. D. Farley, and C. T. Robbins. 2006. Sexual dimorphism, reproductive strategy, and human activities determine resource use by brown bears. Ecology 87(10):2636-2646. doi:10.1890/0012-9658(2006)87[2636:SDRSAH]2.0.CO;2.Danish, L., C. A. Chapman, C. O'Driscoll Worman, K. D. Rode, and M. B. Hall. 2006. The role of sugar content in diet selection in redtail and red colobus monkeys. In Feeding Ecology in apes and other primates. Cambridge University Press, UK.Chapman, C. A., L. J. Chapman, K. D. Rode, and L. D. McDowell. 2003. Variation in the nutritional value of primate foods: Among trees, time periods, and areas. International Journal of Primatology 24(2):317-337. doi:10.1023/A:1023049200150.Rode, K. D., C. A. Chapman, L. J. Chapman, and L. D. McDowell. 2003. Mineral resource availability and consumption by colobus monkeys in Kibale National Park, Uganda. International Journal of Primatology 24(3):541-573. doi:10.1023/A:1023788330155.Chapman, C. A., L. J. Chapman, M. Cords, M. Gauthua, A. Gautier-Hion, J. E. Lambert, K. D. Rode, C. E. G. Tutin, and L. J. T. White. 2002. Variation in the Diets of Cercopithecus Species: Differences Within Forests, Among Forests, and Across Species. In The Guenons: Diversity and Adaptation in African Monkeys. M. Glenn and M. Cords (eds.). Plenum Press New York City, NY, USA.Rode, K. D., C. T. Robbins, and L. A. Shipley. 2001. The constraints on herbivory by bears. Oecologia 128(1):62-71. doi:10.1007/s004420100637.Rode, K. D. and C. T. Robbins. 2000. Why bears consume mixed diets during fruit abundance. Canadian Journal of Zoology 78(9):1-6. doi:10.1139/z00-082.
**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