Assistant Unit Leader - Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Research Interests
Population ecology, particularly the estimation and modeling of vital rates in relation to environmental variation (habitat characteristics, climate) as key elements in the conservation and management of species and their ecosystems.
Professional Experience
Assistant Unit Leader, Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2011-
Education and Certifications
Ph D University of Missouri, Columbia 1997
MS University of Missouri, Columbia 1991
BS University of California, Davis 1986
Science and Products
Effects of Experimental Removal of Barred Owls on Population Demography of Northern Spotted Owls in the Pacific Northwest
Barred owls (Strix varia) have expanded their geographic range from eastern to western North America, and their newly expanded range now completely overlaps that of the federally threatened northern spotted owl (S. occidentalis caurina; Gutiérrez et al. 2007, Livezey 2009, USFWS 2013). Evidence from long-term demographic studies indicates that the presence of barred owls has contributed...
Threat of Invasive Barred Owls to Northern Spotted Owls and their Habitats
As an apex predator and fiercely territorial invader, barred owls at high densities have the potential to affect a variety of native wildlife through competition, niche displacement, and predation. Such impacts may be especially problematic for conservation of the federally threatened northern spotted owl, whose populations have continued to decline despite widespread protection of old forest...
Fat content and morphometric data in barred owls (Strix varia) in the Pacific Northwest
Body condition indices and related metrics can help assess habitat quality and other ecological processes, and ideally these metrics are based on measures of lipids directly extracted from the species of interest. In recent decades, barred owls (Strix varia) have become a species of conservation concern as they invaded older forests of the U.S. Pacific Northwest, and caused population declines of
Filter Total Items: 53
Estimating northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) pair detection probabilities based on call-back surveys associated with long-term mark-recapture studies, 1993–2018
The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina; hereinafter NSO) was listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act in 1990 and population declines have continued since that listing. Given the species’ protected status, any proposed activities on Federal lands that might impact NSO require consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and part of that consultation often includes
Authors
Katie M. Dugger, Alan B. Franklin, Damon B. Lesmeister, Raymond J. Davis, J. David Wiens, Gary C. White, James D. Nichols, James E. Hines, Charles B. Yackulic, Carl J. Schwarz, Steven H. Ackers, L. Steven Andrews, Larissa L. Bailey, Robin Bown, Jesse Burgher, Kenneth P. Burnham, Peter C. Carlson, Tara Chestnut, Mary M Conner, Krista E. Dilione, Eric D. Forsman, Scott A. Gremel, Keith A. Hamm, Dale R. Herter, J. Mark Higley, Rob B. Horn, Julianna M Jenkins, William L. Kendall, David W Lamphear, Christopher McCafferty, Trent L. McDonald, Janice A Reid, Jeremy T. Rockweit, David C. Simon, Stan G Sovern, James K. Swingle, Heather Wise
Temporal mismatch in space use by a sagebrush obligate species after large-scale wildfire
The increase in size and frequency of wildfires in sagebrush steppe ecosystems has significant impacts on sagebrush obligate species. We modeled seasonal habitat use by female greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in the Trout Creek Mountains of Oregon and Nevada, USA, to identify landscape characteristics that influenced sage-grouse habitat selection and to create predictive surfaces of
Authors
Elizabeth M. Schuyler, Christian A. Hagen, Christopher R. Anthony, Lee J. Foster, Catherine M. Dugger
Range-wide sources of variation in reproductive rates of northern spotted owls
We conducted a range-wide investigation of the dynamics of site level reproductive rate of northern spotted owls using survey data from 11 study areas across the sub-species geographic range collected during 1993–2018. Our analytical approach accounted for imperfect detection of owl pairs and misclassification of successful reproduction (i.e., at least one young fledged) and contributed further in
Authors
Jeremy T. Rockweit, Julianna M Jenkins, James E. Hines, James D. Nichols, Catherine M. Dugger, Alan B. Franklin, Peter C. Carlson, William L. Kendall, Damon B. Lesmeister, Christopher McCafferty, Steven H. Ackers, L. Steven Andrews, Larissa Bailey, Jesse Burgher, Kenneth P. Burnham, Tara E. Chestnut, Mary M Conner, Raymond J. Davis, Krista E. Dilione, Eric D. Forsman, Elizabeth M. Glenn, Scott A. Gremel, Keith A. Hamm, Dale R. Herter, J. Mark Higley, Rob B. Horn, David W Lamphear, Trent L. McDonald, Janice A Reid, Carl J. Schwarz, David C. Simon, Stan G Sovern, James K. Swingle, David Wiens, Heather Wise, Charles B. Yackulic
Acute and lagged fitness consequences for a sagebrush obligate in a post mega-wildfire landscape
Species responses to disturbance influence their extinction risks. Greater sage- grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) are bioindicators of sagebrush ecosystem health and the loss of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) due to wildfire, can cause long-term declines in sage- grouse populations and other sagebrush obligate species. We examined the de-mographic response of a greater sage- grouse population follow
Authors
Christopher R. Anthony, Lee J. Foster, Christian A. Hagen, Catherine M. Dugger
Feather corticosterone reveals developmental challenges in a long-term study of juvenile northern spotted owls
Corticosterone is a steroid hormone integral to a variety of physiological pathways and is strongly associated with the vertebrate stress response. In avian species, circulating corticosterone is sequestered into developing feathers and is used as an indicator of energy allocation during feather growth and widely applied in conservation physiology.The northern spotted owl Strix occidentalis caurin
Authors
Ashlee J. Mikkelsen, Damon B. Lesmeister, Kathleen M. O'Reilly, Catherine M. Dugger
Invader removal triggers competitive release in a threatened avian predator
Invasive species can cause extinctions of native species and widespread biodiversity loss. Invader removal is a common management response, but the use of long-term field experiments to characterize effectiveness of removals in benefitting impacted native species is rare. We used a large-scale removal experiment to investigate the demographic response of a threatened native species, the northern s
Authors
David Wiens, Catherine M. Dugger, J. Mark Higley, Damon B. Lesmeister, Alan B. Franklin, Keith A. Hamm, Gary C. White, Krista E. Dilione, David C. Simon, Robin R. Bown, Peter C. Carlson, Charles Yackulic, James D. Nichols, James E. Hines, Raymond J. Davis, David W. Lamphear, Christopher McCafferty, Trent L. McDonald, Stan G. Sovern
The influence of subcolony-scale nesting habitat on the reproductive success of Adélie penguins
Group-size variation is common in colonially breeding species, including seabirds, whose breeding colonies can vary in size by several orders of magnitude. Seabirds are some of the most threatened marine taxa and understanding the drivers of colony size variation is more important than ever. Reproductive success is an important demographic parameter that can impact colony size, and it varies in as
Authors
Annie E. Schmidt, Grant Ballard, Amélie Lescroël, Catherine M. Dugger, Dennis Jongsomjit, Megan L. Elrod, David G. Ainley
Maintenance of nest quality in Adélie penguins Pygoscelis adeliae: An additional benefit to life in the center
In colonial seabirds, differences in the nesting or fledging success have been associated with differences in nest position within the breeding aggregation (subcolony): less successful nests are located on the periphery, with more successful nests closer to the center. For Pygoscelid penguins, central nests tend to be larger, with nest size being an indicator of individual quality because stones m
Authors
Virginia Morandini, Catherine M. Dugger, Amélie Lescroël, Annie Schmidt, Grant Ballard
Range-wide declines of northern spotted owl populations in the Pacific Northwest: A meta-analysis
The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) inhabits older coniferous forests in the Pacific Northwest and has been at the center of forest management issues in this region. The immediate threats to this federally listed species include habitat loss and competition with barred owls (Strix varia), which invaded from eastern North America. We conducted a prospective meta-analysis to assess
Authors
Alan B. Franklin, Katie M. Dugger, Damon B. Lesmeister, Raymond J. Davis, J. David Wiens, Gary C. White, James D. Nichols, James E. Hines, Charles B. Yackulic, Carl J. Schwarz, Steven H. Ackers, Andrew L. Stevens, Larissa L. Bailey, Robin G. Brown, Jesse Burgher, Kenneth P. Burnham, Peter C. Carlson, Tara Chestnut, Mary M Conner, Krista E. Dilione, Eric D. Forsman, Elizabeth M. Glenn, Scott A. Gremel, Keith A. Hamm, Dale R. Herter, J. Mark Higley, Rob B. Horn, Julianna M. Jenkins, William L. Kendall, David W Lamphear, Christopher McCafferty, Trent L. McDonald, Janice A Reid, Jeremy T. Rockweit, David C. Simon, Stan G. Sovern, James Swingle, Heather Wise
Age-related reproductive performance of the Adélie penguin, a long-lived seabird exhibiting similar outcomes regardless of individual life-history strategy
Age-related variation in reproductive performance in long-lived iteroparous vertebrate species is common, with performance being influenced by within-individual processes, such as improvement and senescence, in combination with among-individual processes, such as selective appearance and disappearance. Few studies of age-related reproductive performance have compared the role of these drivers with
Authors
Peter J. Kappes, Catherine M. Dugger, Amélie Lescroël, Grant Ballard, Kerry J Barton, Phil O’B. Lyver, Peter R. Wilson
Nest microclimates of Greater Sage-Grouse in a post-megafire landscape: does selection equate to success?
Temperature at fine spatial scales is an important driver of nest site selection for many avian species during the breeding season and can influence nest success. Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) communities have areas with high levels of vegetation heterogeneity and high thermal variation; however, fire removes vegetation that provides protection from predators and extreme environmental conditions. To
Authors
Christopher R. Anthony, Christian A. Hagen, Catherine M. Dugger, R. Dwayne Elmore
Taricha granulosa (Rough-skinned newt) predation
We found skeletal remains of fully digested Taricha granulosa in the stomach contents of 4 free-ranging, presumably healthy Strix varia (Barred Owl) collected from Roseburg, Oregon. This study recorded stomach contents from S. varia collected as part of a lethal removal experiment in localities near Cle Elum, Washington, Alsea, Oregon, and Roseburg, Oregon. In the stomach of one S. varia, we ident
Authors
Claire Clarke, Ryan Baumbusch, Tiffany S. Garcia, Catherine M. Dugger, David Wiens
Science and Products
- Science
Effects of Experimental Removal of Barred Owls on Population Demography of Northern Spotted Owls in the Pacific Northwest
Barred owls (Strix varia) have expanded their geographic range from eastern to western North America, and their newly expanded range now completely overlaps that of the federally threatened northern spotted owl (S. occidentalis caurina; Gutiérrez et al. 2007, Livezey 2009, USFWS 2013). Evidence from long-term demographic studies indicates that the presence of barred owls has contributed...Threat of Invasive Barred Owls to Northern Spotted Owls and their Habitats
As an apex predator and fiercely territorial invader, barred owls at high densities have the potential to affect a variety of native wildlife through competition, niche displacement, and predation. Such impacts may be especially problematic for conservation of the federally threatened northern spotted owl, whose populations have continued to decline despite widespread protection of old forest... - Data
Fat content and morphometric data in barred owls (Strix varia) in the Pacific Northwest
Body condition indices and related metrics can help assess habitat quality and other ecological processes, and ideally these metrics are based on measures of lipids directly extracted from the species of interest. In recent decades, barred owls (Strix varia) have become a species of conservation concern as they invaded older forests of the U.S. Pacific Northwest, and caused population declines of - Publications
Filter Total Items: 53
Estimating northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) pair detection probabilities based on call-back surveys associated with long-term mark-recapture studies, 1993–2018
The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina; hereinafter NSO) was listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act in 1990 and population declines have continued since that listing. Given the species’ protected status, any proposed activities on Federal lands that might impact NSO require consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and part of that consultation often includesAuthorsKatie M. Dugger, Alan B. Franklin, Damon B. Lesmeister, Raymond J. Davis, J. David Wiens, Gary C. White, James D. Nichols, James E. Hines, Charles B. Yackulic, Carl J. Schwarz, Steven H. Ackers, L. Steven Andrews, Larissa L. Bailey, Robin Bown, Jesse Burgher, Kenneth P. Burnham, Peter C. Carlson, Tara Chestnut, Mary M Conner, Krista E. Dilione, Eric D. Forsman, Scott A. Gremel, Keith A. Hamm, Dale R. Herter, J. Mark Higley, Rob B. Horn, Julianna M Jenkins, William L. Kendall, David W Lamphear, Christopher McCafferty, Trent L. McDonald, Janice A Reid, Jeremy T. Rockweit, David C. Simon, Stan G Sovern, James K. Swingle, Heather WiseTemporal mismatch in space use by a sagebrush obligate species after large-scale wildfire
The increase in size and frequency of wildfires in sagebrush steppe ecosystems has significant impacts on sagebrush obligate species. We modeled seasonal habitat use by female greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in the Trout Creek Mountains of Oregon and Nevada, USA, to identify landscape characteristics that influenced sage-grouse habitat selection and to create predictive surfaces ofAuthorsElizabeth M. Schuyler, Christian A. Hagen, Christopher R. Anthony, Lee J. Foster, Catherine M. DuggerRange-wide sources of variation in reproductive rates of northern spotted owls
We conducted a range-wide investigation of the dynamics of site level reproductive rate of northern spotted owls using survey data from 11 study areas across the sub-species geographic range collected during 1993–2018. Our analytical approach accounted for imperfect detection of owl pairs and misclassification of successful reproduction (i.e., at least one young fledged) and contributed further inAuthorsJeremy T. Rockweit, Julianna M Jenkins, James E. Hines, James D. Nichols, Catherine M. Dugger, Alan B. Franklin, Peter C. Carlson, William L. Kendall, Damon B. Lesmeister, Christopher McCafferty, Steven H. Ackers, L. Steven Andrews, Larissa Bailey, Jesse Burgher, Kenneth P. Burnham, Tara E. Chestnut, Mary M Conner, Raymond J. Davis, Krista E. Dilione, Eric D. Forsman, Elizabeth M. Glenn, Scott A. Gremel, Keith A. Hamm, Dale R. Herter, J. Mark Higley, Rob B. Horn, David W Lamphear, Trent L. McDonald, Janice A Reid, Carl J. Schwarz, David C. Simon, Stan G Sovern, James K. Swingle, David Wiens, Heather Wise, Charles B. YackulicAcute and lagged fitness consequences for a sagebrush obligate in a post mega-wildfire landscape
Species responses to disturbance influence their extinction risks. Greater sage- grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) are bioindicators of sagebrush ecosystem health and the loss of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) due to wildfire, can cause long-term declines in sage- grouse populations and other sagebrush obligate species. We examined the de-mographic response of a greater sage- grouse population followAuthorsChristopher R. Anthony, Lee J. Foster, Christian A. Hagen, Catherine M. DuggerFeather corticosterone reveals developmental challenges in a long-term study of juvenile northern spotted owls
Corticosterone is a steroid hormone integral to a variety of physiological pathways and is strongly associated with the vertebrate stress response. In avian species, circulating corticosterone is sequestered into developing feathers and is used as an indicator of energy allocation during feather growth and widely applied in conservation physiology.The northern spotted owl Strix occidentalis caurinAuthorsAshlee J. Mikkelsen, Damon B. Lesmeister, Kathleen M. O'Reilly, Catherine M. DuggerInvader removal triggers competitive release in a threatened avian predator
Invasive species can cause extinctions of native species and widespread biodiversity loss. Invader removal is a common management response, but the use of long-term field experiments to characterize effectiveness of removals in benefitting impacted native species is rare. We used a large-scale removal experiment to investigate the demographic response of a threatened native species, the northern sAuthorsDavid Wiens, Catherine M. Dugger, J. Mark Higley, Damon B. Lesmeister, Alan B. Franklin, Keith A. Hamm, Gary C. White, Krista E. Dilione, David C. Simon, Robin R. Bown, Peter C. Carlson, Charles Yackulic, James D. Nichols, James E. Hines, Raymond J. Davis, David W. Lamphear, Christopher McCafferty, Trent L. McDonald, Stan G. SovernThe influence of subcolony-scale nesting habitat on the reproductive success of Adélie penguins
Group-size variation is common in colonially breeding species, including seabirds, whose breeding colonies can vary in size by several orders of magnitude. Seabirds are some of the most threatened marine taxa and understanding the drivers of colony size variation is more important than ever. Reproductive success is an important demographic parameter that can impact colony size, and it varies in asAuthorsAnnie E. Schmidt, Grant Ballard, Amélie Lescroël, Catherine M. Dugger, Dennis Jongsomjit, Megan L. Elrod, David G. AinleyMaintenance of nest quality in Adélie penguins Pygoscelis adeliae: An additional benefit to life in the center
In colonial seabirds, differences in the nesting or fledging success have been associated with differences in nest position within the breeding aggregation (subcolony): less successful nests are located on the periphery, with more successful nests closer to the center. For Pygoscelid penguins, central nests tend to be larger, with nest size being an indicator of individual quality because stones mAuthorsVirginia Morandini, Catherine M. Dugger, Amélie Lescroël, Annie Schmidt, Grant BallardRange-wide declines of northern spotted owl populations in the Pacific Northwest: A meta-analysis
The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) inhabits older coniferous forests in the Pacific Northwest and has been at the center of forest management issues in this region. The immediate threats to this federally listed species include habitat loss and competition with barred owls (Strix varia), which invaded from eastern North America. We conducted a prospective meta-analysis to assessAuthorsAlan B. Franklin, Katie M. Dugger, Damon B. Lesmeister, Raymond J. Davis, J. David Wiens, Gary C. White, James D. Nichols, James E. Hines, Charles B. Yackulic, Carl J. Schwarz, Steven H. Ackers, Andrew L. Stevens, Larissa L. Bailey, Robin G. Brown, Jesse Burgher, Kenneth P. Burnham, Peter C. Carlson, Tara Chestnut, Mary M Conner, Krista E. Dilione, Eric D. Forsman, Elizabeth M. Glenn, Scott A. Gremel, Keith A. Hamm, Dale R. Herter, J. Mark Higley, Rob B. Horn, Julianna M. Jenkins, William L. Kendall, David W Lamphear, Christopher McCafferty, Trent L. McDonald, Janice A Reid, Jeremy T. Rockweit, David C. Simon, Stan G. Sovern, James Swingle, Heather WiseAge-related reproductive performance of the Adélie penguin, a long-lived seabird exhibiting similar outcomes regardless of individual life-history strategy
Age-related variation in reproductive performance in long-lived iteroparous vertebrate species is common, with performance being influenced by within-individual processes, such as improvement and senescence, in combination with among-individual processes, such as selective appearance and disappearance. Few studies of age-related reproductive performance have compared the role of these drivers withAuthorsPeter J. Kappes, Catherine M. Dugger, Amélie Lescroël, Grant Ballard, Kerry J Barton, Phil O’B. Lyver, Peter R. WilsonNest microclimates of Greater Sage-Grouse in a post-megafire landscape: does selection equate to success?
Temperature at fine spatial scales is an important driver of nest site selection for many avian species during the breeding season and can influence nest success. Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) communities have areas with high levels of vegetation heterogeneity and high thermal variation; however, fire removes vegetation that provides protection from predators and extreme environmental conditions. ToAuthorsChristopher R. Anthony, Christian A. Hagen, Catherine M. Dugger, R. Dwayne ElmoreTaricha granulosa (Rough-skinned newt) predation
We found skeletal remains of fully digested Taricha granulosa in the stomach contents of 4 free-ranging, presumably healthy Strix varia (Barred Owl) collected from Roseburg, Oregon. This study recorded stomach contents from S. varia collected as part of a lethal removal experiment in localities near Cle Elum, Washington, Alsea, Oregon, and Roseburg, Oregon. In the stomach of one S. varia, we identAuthorsClaire Clarke, Ryan Baumbusch, Tiffany S. Garcia, Catherine M. Dugger, David Wiens - News
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