Kathi Irvine, Ph.D.
I am a Research Statistician with the U.S. Geological Survey at the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center in Bozeman, Montana.
Research Interest
Prior to finding my home in the federal system in 2011, I was an assistant professor at Montana State University (2008-2010). Since receiving my PhD in Statistics from Oregon State University in 2007, I have collaborated with ecologists and biologists charged with monitoring natural resources on federal and state lands. My team provides statistical support for monitoring programs led by the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and state agencies. Our work involves development of survey design and analysis strategies for a variety of plants, animals, and other indicators. We currently support monitoring of whitebark pine in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, upland plant communities throughout the Western US, and bats across North America.
My applied statistical research involves developing analytical approaches for ordinal data and bat acoustic surveys that better link the ecological and observation process within a Bayesian framework, applications of causal analysis, investigating spatial sampling designs, and model-assisted methods for status and trend analyses. I mentor statistics students and support graduate research assistants at Montana State University (MSU). Several of my students have participated in writing peer-reviewed papers during their time at MSU. I encourage students interested in ecological statistics to contact me for possible graduate research assistantships, paid summer work, and other opportunities.
Related Projects:
https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/
Education and Certifications
PhD. Statistics. Oregon State University
MS. Statistics. Oregon State University; MS. Ecology and Environmental Sciences. University of Maine
BS. Biology. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 14
Online supporting information for "Improving geographically extensive acoustic survey designs for modeling species occurrence with imperfect detection and misidentification" Online supporting information for "Improving geographically extensive acoustic survey designs for modeling species occurrence with imperfect detection and misidentification"
R package developed to support study design for acoustic bat surveys with imperfect detection misidentification
R code for fitting and simulation study for zero-augmented beta model with errors R code for fitting and simulation study for zero-augmented beta model with errors
Code for implementing the Zero-Augmented Beta Model with Errors (ZABE) , simulation study code, and code for assessing trade-offs in study design via simulations.
Filter Total Items: 71
Statistical assessment on determining local presence of rare bat species Statistical assessment on determining local presence of rare bat species
Surveying cryptic, sparsely distributed taxa using autonomous recording units, although cost-effective, provides imperfect knowledge about species presence. Summertime bat acoustic surveys in North America exemplify the challenges with characterizing sources of uncertainty: observation error, inability to census populations, and natural stochastic variation. Statistical uncertainty, if...
Authors
Kathryn M. Irvine, Katharine M. Banner, Christian Stratton, W. Mark Ford, Brian Reichert
Status and trends of North American bats: Summer occupancy analysis 2010-2019 Status and trends of North American bats: Summer occupancy analysis 2010-2019
• We developed an analytical pipeline supported by web-based infrastructure for integrating continental scale bat monitoring data (stationary acoustic, mobile acoustic, and capture records) to estimate summer (May 1–Aug 31) occupancy probabilities and changes in occupancy over time for 12 North American bat species. This serves as one of multiple lines of evidence that inform the status...
Authors
Bradley James Udell, Bethany Straw, Tina L. Cheng, Kyle Enns, Winifred F. Frick, Benjamin Gotthold, Kathryn Irvine, Cori Lausen, Susan Loeb, Jonathan D. Reichard, Thomas Rodhouse, Dane Smith, Christian Stratton, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Brian Reichert
Coupling validation effort with in situ bioacoustic data improves estimating relative activity and occupancy for multiple species with cross-species misclassifications Coupling validation effort with in situ bioacoustic data improves estimating relative activity and occupancy for multiple species with cross-species misclassifications
The increasing complexity and pace of ecological change requires natural resource managers to consider entire species assemblages. Acoustic recording units (ARUs) require minimal cost and effort to deploy and inform relative activity, or encounter rates, for multiple species simultaneously. ARU-based surveys require post-processing of the recordings via software algorithms that assign a...
Authors
Christian Stratton, Kathryn M. Irvine, Katharine M. Banner, Wilson J. Wright, Cori Lausen, Jason Rae
Resilience to fire and resistance to annual grass invasion in sagebrush ecosystems of US National Parks Resilience to fire and resistance to annual grass invasion in sagebrush ecosystems of US National Parks
Western North American sagebrush shrublands and steppe face accelerating risks from fire-driven feedback loops that transition these ecosystems into self-reinforcing states dominated by invasive annual grasses. In response, sagebrush conservation decision-making is increasingly done through the lens of resilience to fire and annual grass invasion resistance. Operationalizing resilience...
Authors
Thomas Rodhouse, Jeffrey Lonneker, Lisa Bowersock, Diana Popp, Jamela Thompson, Gordon Dicus, Kathryn M. Irvine
Spatial Gaussian processes improve multi-species occupancy models when range boundaries are uncertain and nonoverlapping Spatial Gaussian processes improve multi-species occupancy models when range boundaries are uncertain and nonoverlapping
Species distribution models enable practitioners to analyze large datasets of encounter records and make predictions about species occurrence at unsurveyed locations. In omnibus surveys that record data on multiple species simultaneously, species ranges are often nonoverlapping and misaligned with the administrative unit defining the spatial domain of interest (e.g., a state or province)
Authors
Wilson Wright, Kathryn M. Irvine, Tom Rodhouse, Andrea R. Litt
Advancements in analytical approaches improve whitebark pine monitoring results Advancements in analytical approaches improve whitebark pine monitoring results
Long-term monitoring programs track the status and trends of species in increasingly vulnerable environments. These monitoring results provide critical information for evaluating, understanding, and managing natural resources. To accurately interpret if and how conditions may be changing for select ecological indicators, it is essential that monitoring programs adopt methods to ensure...
Authors
Erin Shanahan, Kathryn M. Irvine
Non-USGS Publications**
Dinger, E.C., Sarr, D.A., Mohren, S., R., Irvine, K.M., Stanley, C.E., 2013. Integrated aquatic community and water quality monitoring of wadeable streams in the Klamath Network: Narrative and standard operating procedures: Natural Resource Report. NPS/KLMN/NRR—2013/669, National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. Published Report-2195825
Maxwell, B., Backus, V., Hohmann, M.G., Irvine, K.M., Lawrence, P., Lehnhoff, E., Rew, L., 2012, Comparison of transect-based standard and adaptive sampling methods for invasive plant species, Invasive plant science and management, v. 5, p. 178-193.
Rodhouse, Vierling, Irvine 2011. A practical sampling design for acoustic surveys of bats. Journal of Wildlife Management. Vol. 75, No. 5 (July 2011), pp. 1094-1102
Irvine, K. M., Gitelman, A.I., 2011, Graphical Spatial Models: A New View on Interpreting Spatial Pattern, Environmental and Ecological Statistics, v. 18 no. 3, p. 447-469. DOI: 10.1007/s10651-010-0146-8
Irvine, K. M., Dinger, E., Sarr, D., 2011, A power Analysis for multivariate tests of temporal trend in species composition, Ecology, v. 92, no. 10, p. 1879-188
Starkey, E.N., Rodhouse, T.J., Dicus, G.H., Garrett, L.K., Irvine, K.M., Archer, E.K., 2011, Upper Columbia Basin Network riparian condition monitoring protocol: Narrative version 1.0: Natural Resource Report. NPS/UCBN/NRR—2011/463. National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science, Fort Collins, Colorado, Published Report-2180551.
Starkey, E.N., Rodhouse, T.J., Dicus, G.H., Garrett, L.K., Irvine, K.M., Archer, E.K., 2011, Upper Columbia Basin Network Stream Channel Characteristics Monitoring Protocol: Narrative Version 1.0: Natural Resource Report, NPS/UCBN/NRR—2011/340, National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. Published Report-2170010
Irvine, K. M., and T. J. Rodhouse. 2010. Power Analysis for Trend in Ordinal Cover classes: Implications for Long-Term Vegetation Monitoring, Journal of Vegetation Science, v. 21, p. 1152-1161.
Rodhouse, T. J., Beever, E., Garrott, L. K. , Irvine, K.M., Munts, M., Ray, C., Shardlow, M. R, 2010, Distribution of the Lava Beds Pika (Ochotona Princeps Goldmani): Conservation Implications from the Range Periphery, Journal of Mammology, v. 91, p. 1287-1299.
Stephens J.L., Mohren, S.R., Alexander, J.D., Sarr, D.A., Irvine, K.M., 2010, Klamath Network Landbird Monitoring Protocol, Natural Resource Report, NPS/KLMN/NRR—2010/187, National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, Published Report-664359.
Tarasoff, C. S., Ball, D. A. , Mallory-Smith, C. A. , Pypker, T. G., Irvine, K.M., 2010, Site Characteristics Associated with Nuttall's and Weeping Alkaligrass in Northeastern Oregon, Northwest Science, v. 84, p. 351-360
Yeo J.J., Rodhouse, T.J., Dicus, G.H., Irvine, K.M., Garrett, L.K., 2009, Upper Columbia Basin Network Sagebrush Steppe Vegetation Monitoring Protocol: Narrative and Standard Operating Procedures (Appendix to Narrative) Version 1.0: Natural Resource Report. NPS/UCBN/NRR—2009/142, National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, Published Report-662446.
Wollenberg, E., Rischer, R., Dorr, M., Irvine, K.M., Pereira,C., Stevens, J.F., 2008, Chemodiversity of Exudate Flavonoids in Cassinia and Ozothamnus(Asteraceae Gnaphalieae), Verlag der Zeitschrift fur Natirforschung, Tubingen, v. 63c, p. 731-739.
Chung-MacCoubrey, A., Truitt, R.E., Caudill, C.C., Rodhouse, T.J., Irvine, K.M., Siderius, J.R., Chang, V.K., 2008, Mojave Desert Network Vital Signs Monitoring Plan, Natural Resource Report, NPS/MOJN/NRR—2008/057, National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. Published Report-660400.
Rodhouse, T.J., Wilson, M.V., Irvine, K.M., Steinhorst, R.K., Dicus, G.H., Garrett L.K., Lyon, J.W., 2007, Camas Lily Monitoring Protocol Narrative and Standard Operating Procedures: Upper Columbia Basin Network: Version 1.0, October 2007, Natural Resource Report, NPS/UCBN/NRR—2007/011, National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, Published Report-651079.
**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
Filter Total Items: 14
Online supporting information for "Improving geographically extensive acoustic survey designs for modeling species occurrence with imperfect detection and misidentification" Online supporting information for "Improving geographically extensive acoustic survey designs for modeling species occurrence with imperfect detection and misidentification"
R package developed to support study design for acoustic bat surveys with imperfect detection misidentification
R code for fitting and simulation study for zero-augmented beta model with errors R code for fitting and simulation study for zero-augmented beta model with errors
Code for implementing the Zero-Augmented Beta Model with Errors (ZABE) , simulation study code, and code for assessing trade-offs in study design via simulations.
Filter Total Items: 71
Statistical assessment on determining local presence of rare bat species Statistical assessment on determining local presence of rare bat species
Surveying cryptic, sparsely distributed taxa using autonomous recording units, although cost-effective, provides imperfect knowledge about species presence. Summertime bat acoustic surveys in North America exemplify the challenges with characterizing sources of uncertainty: observation error, inability to census populations, and natural stochastic variation. Statistical uncertainty, if...
Authors
Kathryn M. Irvine, Katharine M. Banner, Christian Stratton, W. Mark Ford, Brian Reichert
Status and trends of North American bats: Summer occupancy analysis 2010-2019 Status and trends of North American bats: Summer occupancy analysis 2010-2019
• We developed an analytical pipeline supported by web-based infrastructure for integrating continental scale bat monitoring data (stationary acoustic, mobile acoustic, and capture records) to estimate summer (May 1–Aug 31) occupancy probabilities and changes in occupancy over time for 12 North American bat species. This serves as one of multiple lines of evidence that inform the status...
Authors
Bradley James Udell, Bethany Straw, Tina L. Cheng, Kyle Enns, Winifred F. Frick, Benjamin Gotthold, Kathryn Irvine, Cori Lausen, Susan Loeb, Jonathan D. Reichard, Thomas Rodhouse, Dane Smith, Christian Stratton, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Brian Reichert
Coupling validation effort with in situ bioacoustic data improves estimating relative activity and occupancy for multiple species with cross-species misclassifications Coupling validation effort with in situ bioacoustic data improves estimating relative activity and occupancy for multiple species with cross-species misclassifications
The increasing complexity and pace of ecological change requires natural resource managers to consider entire species assemblages. Acoustic recording units (ARUs) require minimal cost and effort to deploy and inform relative activity, or encounter rates, for multiple species simultaneously. ARU-based surveys require post-processing of the recordings via software algorithms that assign a...
Authors
Christian Stratton, Kathryn M. Irvine, Katharine M. Banner, Wilson J. Wright, Cori Lausen, Jason Rae
Resilience to fire and resistance to annual grass invasion in sagebrush ecosystems of US National Parks Resilience to fire and resistance to annual grass invasion in sagebrush ecosystems of US National Parks
Western North American sagebrush shrublands and steppe face accelerating risks from fire-driven feedback loops that transition these ecosystems into self-reinforcing states dominated by invasive annual grasses. In response, sagebrush conservation decision-making is increasingly done through the lens of resilience to fire and annual grass invasion resistance. Operationalizing resilience...
Authors
Thomas Rodhouse, Jeffrey Lonneker, Lisa Bowersock, Diana Popp, Jamela Thompson, Gordon Dicus, Kathryn M. Irvine
Spatial Gaussian processes improve multi-species occupancy models when range boundaries are uncertain and nonoverlapping Spatial Gaussian processes improve multi-species occupancy models when range boundaries are uncertain and nonoverlapping
Species distribution models enable practitioners to analyze large datasets of encounter records and make predictions about species occurrence at unsurveyed locations. In omnibus surveys that record data on multiple species simultaneously, species ranges are often nonoverlapping and misaligned with the administrative unit defining the spatial domain of interest (e.g., a state or province)
Authors
Wilson Wright, Kathryn M. Irvine, Tom Rodhouse, Andrea R. Litt
Advancements in analytical approaches improve whitebark pine monitoring results Advancements in analytical approaches improve whitebark pine monitoring results
Long-term monitoring programs track the status and trends of species in increasingly vulnerable environments. These monitoring results provide critical information for evaluating, understanding, and managing natural resources. To accurately interpret if and how conditions may be changing for select ecological indicators, it is essential that monitoring programs adopt methods to ensure...
Authors
Erin Shanahan, Kathryn M. Irvine
Non-USGS Publications**
Dinger, E.C., Sarr, D.A., Mohren, S., R., Irvine, K.M., Stanley, C.E., 2013. Integrated aquatic community and water quality monitoring of wadeable streams in the Klamath Network: Narrative and standard operating procedures: Natural Resource Report. NPS/KLMN/NRR—2013/669, National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. Published Report-2195825
Maxwell, B., Backus, V., Hohmann, M.G., Irvine, K.M., Lawrence, P., Lehnhoff, E., Rew, L., 2012, Comparison of transect-based standard and adaptive sampling methods for invasive plant species, Invasive plant science and management, v. 5, p. 178-193.
Rodhouse, Vierling, Irvine 2011. A practical sampling design for acoustic surveys of bats. Journal of Wildlife Management. Vol. 75, No. 5 (July 2011), pp. 1094-1102
Irvine, K. M., Gitelman, A.I., 2011, Graphical Spatial Models: A New View on Interpreting Spatial Pattern, Environmental and Ecological Statistics, v. 18 no. 3, p. 447-469. DOI: 10.1007/s10651-010-0146-8
Irvine, K. M., Dinger, E., Sarr, D., 2011, A power Analysis for multivariate tests of temporal trend in species composition, Ecology, v. 92, no. 10, p. 1879-188
Starkey, E.N., Rodhouse, T.J., Dicus, G.H., Garrett, L.K., Irvine, K.M., Archer, E.K., 2011, Upper Columbia Basin Network riparian condition monitoring protocol: Narrative version 1.0: Natural Resource Report. NPS/UCBN/NRR—2011/463. National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science, Fort Collins, Colorado, Published Report-2180551.
Starkey, E.N., Rodhouse, T.J., Dicus, G.H., Garrett, L.K., Irvine, K.M., Archer, E.K., 2011, Upper Columbia Basin Network Stream Channel Characteristics Monitoring Protocol: Narrative Version 1.0: Natural Resource Report, NPS/UCBN/NRR—2011/340, National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. Published Report-2170010
Irvine, K. M., and T. J. Rodhouse. 2010. Power Analysis for Trend in Ordinal Cover classes: Implications for Long-Term Vegetation Monitoring, Journal of Vegetation Science, v. 21, p. 1152-1161.
Rodhouse, T. J., Beever, E., Garrott, L. K. , Irvine, K.M., Munts, M., Ray, C., Shardlow, M. R, 2010, Distribution of the Lava Beds Pika (Ochotona Princeps Goldmani): Conservation Implications from the Range Periphery, Journal of Mammology, v. 91, p. 1287-1299.
Stephens J.L., Mohren, S.R., Alexander, J.D., Sarr, D.A., Irvine, K.M., 2010, Klamath Network Landbird Monitoring Protocol, Natural Resource Report, NPS/KLMN/NRR—2010/187, National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, Published Report-664359.
Tarasoff, C. S., Ball, D. A. , Mallory-Smith, C. A. , Pypker, T. G., Irvine, K.M., 2010, Site Characteristics Associated with Nuttall's and Weeping Alkaligrass in Northeastern Oregon, Northwest Science, v. 84, p. 351-360
Yeo J.J., Rodhouse, T.J., Dicus, G.H., Irvine, K.M., Garrett, L.K., 2009, Upper Columbia Basin Network Sagebrush Steppe Vegetation Monitoring Protocol: Narrative and Standard Operating Procedures (Appendix to Narrative) Version 1.0: Natural Resource Report. NPS/UCBN/NRR—2009/142, National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, Published Report-662446.
Wollenberg, E., Rischer, R., Dorr, M., Irvine, K.M., Pereira,C., Stevens, J.F., 2008, Chemodiversity of Exudate Flavonoids in Cassinia and Ozothamnus(Asteraceae Gnaphalieae), Verlag der Zeitschrift fur Natirforschung, Tubingen, v. 63c, p. 731-739.
Chung-MacCoubrey, A., Truitt, R.E., Caudill, C.C., Rodhouse, T.J., Irvine, K.M., Siderius, J.R., Chang, V.K., 2008, Mojave Desert Network Vital Signs Monitoring Plan, Natural Resource Report, NPS/MOJN/NRR—2008/057, National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. Published Report-660400.
Rodhouse, T.J., Wilson, M.V., Irvine, K.M., Steinhorst, R.K., Dicus, G.H., Garrett L.K., Lyon, J.W., 2007, Camas Lily Monitoring Protocol Narrative and Standard Operating Procedures: Upper Columbia Basin Network: Version 1.0, October 2007, Natural Resource Report, NPS/UCBN/NRR—2007/011, National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, Published Report-651079.
**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.