Kate Schoenecker, PhD
Kate Schoenecker is a Supervisory Research Wildlife Biologist at the Fort Collins Science Center.
Dr. Kate Schoenecker has been studying the ecology of ungulates for 26 years as a Research Wildlife Biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Fort Collins Science Center, Colorado. She received a Master’s degree from the University of Arizona, Tucson studying desert bighorn sheep and a PhD from Colorado State University on bison and elk grazing ecology in the Great Sand Dunes National Park & Baca National Wildlife Refuge ecosystem. She currently leads the Ungulate Ecology Research team, focusing on science to support bison conservation and wild horse and burro research across the west. She’s been studying the ecology of wild horses and burros since 1999, when she was first hired as a USGS field technician recording group composition of horse harems in the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, Montana. Her current work includes investigating free-roaming horse competition with mule deer, and assessing mountain lion predation on free roaming horses in Nevada, as well as assessing fine scale foraging behavior of bison on the North rim of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, and the Great Sand Dunes National Park ecosystem of southern Colorado.
Professional Experience
Research Wildlife Biologist, USGS, Fort Collins Science Center
Education and Certifications
PhD, Colorado State University
MS, University of Arizona
Science and Products
Long-term persistence of horse fecal DNA in the environment makes equids particularly good candidates for non-invasive sampling
Perissodactyla diet
Effects of feral horse herds on plant communities across a precipitation gradient
Habitat and diet of equids
Application of a hybrid model to reduce bias and improve precision in population estimates for elk (Cervus elaphus) inhabiting a cold desert ecosystem
Practical bias correction in aerial surveys of large mammals: Validation of hybrid double-observer with sightability method against known abundance of feral horse (Equus caballus) populations
Development of a grazing monitoring program for Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
Selection of vegetation types and density of bison in an arid ecosystem
Modeling elk and bison carrying capacity for Great Sand Dunes National Park, Baca National Wildlife Refuge, and The Nature Conservancy's Medano Ranch, Colorado
Estimating bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) abundance using noninvasive sampling at a mineral lick within a National Park Wilderness Area
Influence of nonnative and native ungulate biomass and seasonal precipitation on vegetation production in a Great Basin ecosystem
Bison grazing ecology at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado
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.
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Long-term persistence of horse fecal DNA in the environment makes equids particularly good candidates for non-invasive sampling
Fecal DNA collected noninvasively can provide valuable information about genetic and ecological characteristics. This approach has rarely been used for equids, despite the need for conservation of endangered species and management of abundant feral populations. We examined factors affecting the efficacy of using equid fecal samples for conservation genetics. First, we evaluated two fecal collectioAuthorsSarah R.B. King, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Jennifer A. Fike, Sara J. Oyler-McCancePerissodactyla diet
Perissodactyla (Schoch 1989) includes tapirs, rhinoceros, wild asses, horses, and zebras. It is the order of hoofed mammals referred to as “odd-toed ungulates” because its members have one to three weight-bearing toes and walk on hoofs or “ungules.” They are herbivores that are specialized to exploit grasslands and brushy habitat (rhinos, horses, asses, zebras) or dense tropical forests (tapirs).AuthorsKathryn A. SchoeneckerEffects of feral horse herds on plant communities across a precipitation gradient
Feral horses are widespread in the western United States, with the majority of feral horse herds found in the Great Basin. There is a federal mandate to manage these herds in order to maintain “ecological balance”; however, understanding of the specific effects of feral horse grazing on rangeland plant communities in this region is incomplete. To address this research gap, we utilized long-term grAuthorsLauren E. Baur, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Melinda D. SmithHabitat and diet of equids
In this chapter, we present information from studies of equids and their habitat use across various habitat types. We provide a synthesis of the scientific literature on equid habitat selection, home range, and movements, water needs, and diet.AuthorsKathryn A. Schoenecker, Sarah R.B. King, Megan K. Nordquist, Nandintsetseg Dejid, Quing CaoApplication of a hybrid model to reduce bias and improve precision in population estimates for elk (Cervus elaphus) inhabiting a cold desert ecosystem
Accurately estimating the size of wildlife populations is critical to wildlife management and conservation of species. Raw counts or “minimum counts” are still used as a basis for wildlife management decisions. Uncorrected raw counts are not only negatively biased due to failure to account for undetected animals, but also provide no estimate of precision on which to judge the utility of counts. WeAuthorsKathryn A. Schoenecker, Bruce C. LubowPractical bias correction in aerial surveys of large mammals: Validation of hybrid double-observer with sightability method against known abundance of feral horse (Equus caballus) populations
Reliably estimating wildlife abundance is fundamental to effective management. Aerial surveys are one of the only spatially robust tools for estimating large mammal populations, but statistical sampling methods are required to address detection biases that affect accuracy and precision of the estimates. Although various methods for correcting aerial survey bias are employed on large mammal speciesAuthorsBruce C. Lubow, Jason I. RansomDevelopment of a grazing monitoring program for Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
National parks in the United States face the difficult task of managing natural resources within park boundaries that are influenced to a large degree by historical land uses or by forces outside of the park’s protection and mandate. Among the many challenges faced by parks is management of wildlife populations that occupy larger landscapes than individual park units but that concentrate within paAuthorsLinda Zeigenfuss, Kathryn A. SchoeneckerSelection of vegetation types and density of bison in an arid ecosystem
Understanding species habitat selection and factors that drive selection are key components for conservation. We report the first resource selection functions (RSFs) for bison inhabiting an arid ecosystem and use them with density estimates of bison to estimate the number of bison that could be supported if the bison range were expanded to federal lands in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. We derivAuthorsKathryn A. Schoenecker, Linda Zeigenfuss, Scott E. Nielsen, Chris PagueModeling elk and bison carrying capacity for Great Sand Dunes National Park, Baca National Wildlife Refuge, and The Nature Conservancy's Medano Ranch, Colorado
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and the neighboring Baca National Wildlife Refuge constitute an extraordinary setting that offers a variety of opportunities for outdoor recreation and natural resource preservation in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. Adjacent to these federal lands, the Nature Conservancy (TNC) manages the historic Medano Ranch. The total land area of these three conserAuthorsGary Wockner, Randall Boone, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Linda ZeigenfussEstimating bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) abundance using noninvasive sampling at a mineral lick within a National Park Wilderness Area
Conservation of species requires accurate population estimates. We used genetic markers from feces to determine bighorn sheep abundance for a herd that was hypothesized to be declining and in need of population status monitoring. We sampled from a small but accessible portion of the population's range where animals naturally congregate at a natural mineral lick to test whether we could accuratelyAuthorsKathryn A. Schoenecker, Mary Kay Watry, Laura E. Ellison, Michael A. Schwarz, Gordon LuikartInfluence of nonnative and native ungulate biomass and seasonal precipitation on vegetation production in a Great Basin ecosystem
The negative effects of equid grazers in semiarid ecosystems of the American West have been considered disproportionate to the influence of native ungulates in these systems because of equids' large body size, hoof shape, and short history on the landscape relative to native ungulates. Tools that can analyze the degree of influence of various ungulate herbivores in an ecosystem and separate effectAuthorsLinda Zeigenfuss, Kathryn A. Schoenecker, Jason I. Ransom, Drew A. Ignizio, Tracy MaskBison grazing ecology at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado
The Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA) National Wildlife Refuge reintroduced bison to a small pasture in 2007. Refuge managers needed information on the effects of bison grazing on vegetation communities in the bison pasture as well as information on how bison might affect other management priorities at RMA. In particular, RMA managers were interested in bison grazing effects on vegetation productivity,AuthorsSteve Germaine, Linda Zeigenfuss, Kathryn A. SchoeneckerNon-USGS Publications**
Schoenecker, K.A., and W.W. Shaw. 2008. Attitudes toward a proposed reintroduction of Mexican gray wolves in Arizona. Human Dimensions of Wildlife. 2(3): 42-55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10871209709359101Schoenecker, K.A., and P.R. Krausman. 2002. Human Disturbance in Bighorn Sheep Habitat, Pusch Ridge Wilderness, Arizona. Arizona-Nevada Academy of Sciences. 34(1) 63-68.Schoenecker, K.A., and P.R. Krausman. 2002. Human disturbance in bighorn sheep habitat, Pusch Ridge Wilderness, Arizona. Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science. 34(1): 63-68.**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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