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Kristen Ellis, PhD

Kristen Ellis is a Research Ecologist with the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, North Dakota.

Dr. Ellis’ research is focused on migratory bird ecology and developing quantitative and geospatial tools for addressing conservation issues. She works on projects that seek to improve our understanding of population and habitat dynamics of migratory birds, often in response to ecosystem- or community-level changes.

Professional Experience

  • Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, North Dakota

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D., Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, 2019

Science and Products

a close-up of a bumble bee face, with proboscis in the yellow center of a purple flower

Science for effective pollinator conservation and improved food security

Pollinators, including bees, flies, butterflies, bats, birds, and other animals, are critically important to U.S. ecosystems and agriculture. Recent reports of declines of pollinator species have led to widespread actions to conserve pollinator habitat and recover imperiled species, but resource managers need accurate data and science to support management actions. USGS pollinator research helps...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center
Science for effective pollinator conservation and improved food security

Science for effective pollinator conservation and improved food security

Pollinators, including bees, flies, butterflies, bats, birds, and other animals, are critically important to U.S. ecosystems and agriculture. Recent reports of declines of pollinator species have led to widespread actions to conserve pollinator habitat and recover imperiled species, but resource managers need accurate data and science to support management actions. USGS pollinator research helps...
Learn More
Blooming flowers in a Pollinator Plot

Relieving the Sting: Spatial Prioritization for Pollinator Conservation Under a Changing Climate

Project Overview The Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, and other native bees and pollinators, are declining due to climate change, habitat loss, and other stressors like pathogens and pesticide-use. Researchers supported by this Midwest CASC project will study how certain stressors interact to affect the geographic distribution of Rusty Patched Bumble Bees, using mapping techniques and future...
By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers
Relieving the Sting: Spatial Prioritization for Pollinator Conservation Under a Changing Climate

Relieving the Sting: Spatial Prioritization for Pollinator Conservation Under a Changing Climate

Project Overview The Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, and other native bees and pollinators, are declining due to climate change, habitat loss, and other stressors like pathogens and pesticide-use. Researchers supported by this Midwest CASC project will study how certain stressors interact to affect the geographic distribution of Rusty Patched Bumble Bees, using mapping techniques and future climate data
Learn More
Creek flowing through a forest

Small Prairie Stream Health Within Fort Berthold Indian Reservation

Project Overview The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation faces challenges in maintaining stream health due to recent extreme weather events, oil and gas development, and row crop expansion. Researchers supported by this North Central CASC project will assess how these changes affect stream health while providing career development for undergraduate researchers from Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish...
By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers
Small Prairie Stream Health Within Fort Berthold Indian Reservation

Small Prairie Stream Health Within Fort Berthold Indian Reservation

Project Overview The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation faces challenges in maintaining stream health due to recent extreme weather events, oil and gas development, and row crop expansion. Researchers supported by this North Central CASC project will assess how these changes affect stream health while providing career development for undergraduate researchers from Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College (NHSC
Learn More

Piping plover adult breeding dispersal and annual survival in the northern Great Plains, USA, 2014 - 2019 Piping plover adult breeding dispersal and annual survival in the northern Great Plains, USA, 2014 - 2019

We present a tabular data set representing values used to evaluate intrinsic factors of breeding dispersal and annual survival for northern Great Plains piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) from 2014 – 2019. Data was collected on wetlands and on the Missouri River in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana. Data includes breeding state specific observations of adults. The associated...
By
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Piping plover nesting habitat distribution maps for the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region, 2000–2021 Piping plover nesting habitat distribution maps for the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region, 2000–2021

These maps were developed to support an effort to understand the spatial characteristics of piping plover (Charadrius melodus) nesting habitats. The maps show the expected nesting habitat distributions and piping plover intensity between 2000 and 2021 in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region.
By
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Spatial characteristics of Piping Plover nest sites in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region data, 2000-2019 Spatial characteristics of Piping Plover nest sites in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region data, 2000-2019

This data is a companion to the manuscript titled "Data integration reveals dynamic and systematic patterns of breeding habitat use by a threatened shorebird". Advances in both remote sensing and analytical tools for spatial data have allowed for the integration of dynamic processes into species distribution models. We developed a spatiotemporal model of breeding habitat use and density...
By
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Whooping crane migration habitat selection disturbance data and maps Whooping crane migration habitat selection disturbance data and maps

These data and maps were developed to support an effort to understand how whooping cranes (Grus americana) select stopover habitat in the presence of human infrastructure. Location and associated data came from whooping cranes from the Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population, 2010–2016. We marked a sample of 57 whooping cranes with leg-mounted transmitters that acquired locations via the global
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Impacts of extreme environmental disturbances on survival of piping plovers breeding in the Great Plains, and wintering along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coasts, 2012-2019 Impacts of extreme environmental disturbances on survival of piping plovers breeding in the Great Plains, and wintering along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coasts, 2012-2019

We present one tabular data file to evaluate piping plover (Charadrius melodus) seasonal (breeding and nonbreeding) adult survival. These data were part of a study to examine adult (n = 3474) survival during 2012-2019 at breeding regions within the Northern Great Plains and nonbreeding regions in the Gulf and southern Atlantic Coasts of North America. This file includes USGS-funded data...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Piping plover hatch-year survival and natal dispersal probabilities in the Northern Great Plains, USA 2014-2019 Piping plover hatch-year survival and natal dispersal probabilities in the Northern Great Plains, USA 2014-2019

We present a tabular data set representing values to estimate apparent hatch-year survival to adulthood and natal dispersal probabilities between two breeding groups of the Northern Great Plains piping plover (Charadrius melodus) used in a multievent capture-mark-resight model from 2014-2019. Focusing on the Northern Missouri River and U.S. Alkali Wetlands breeding groups. In addition...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Filter Total Items: 15

Not all spatially structured populations are metapopulations: Re-examining paradigms for a threatened shorebird Not all spatially structured populations are metapopulations: Re-examining paradigms for a threatened shorebird

For at-risk species, understanding population vital rates is imperative for developing informed conservation strategies and population models. Managers often assume that species that are spatially distributed among patches of suitable habitat meet the criteria of a metapopulation. Metapopulation dynamics are determined not only by within-patch birth and death processes but also by...
Authors
Rose J. Swift, Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Garrett J. MacDonald, Megan M. Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Dustin L. Toy, David N. Koons
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Integrating data to assess occupancy patterns of an endangered bumble bee Integrating data to assess occupancy patterns of an endangered bumble bee

There is growing interest in integrating community science data with structured monitoring data to estimate changes in distribution patterns of imperiled species, including pollinators. However, significant challenges remain in determining how unstructured community science data should be incorporated into formal analyses of species distributions. We developed a dynamic framework for...
Authors
Kristen S. Ellis, Clint Otto, Larissa L. Bailey, Tamara A. Smith, Steven J. Choy, Lauren Hatch
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Assessing trade-offs in developing a landscape-scale nest monitoring programme for a threatened shorebird Assessing trade-offs in developing a landscape-scale nest monitoring programme for a threatened shorebird

Effective monitoring of wildlife species requires thorough planning and development of survey programmes that can address management and conservation objectives. Decisions about monitoring programmes include where to survey, survey design and how much effort to allocate at survey sites are typically predicated on limited budgets and available resources. When the scope of inference...
Authors
Kristen S. Ellis, Michael J. Anteau, Garrett J. MacDonald, Megan M. Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Rose J. Swift, Dustin L. Toy
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Seasonal and breeding phenologies of 38 grassland bird species in the midcontinent of North America Seasonal and breeding phenologies of 38 grassland bird species in the midcontinent of North America

Grasslands in the midcontinent of North America are highly imperiled, and grassland birds have suffered the largest bird declines of any terrestrial biome in North America in the last 50 years. Consequently, the conservation and management of grasslands, as well as their associated avian communities, are major priorities for the State, Provincial, and Federal agencies; non-governmental
Authors
Garrett J. MacDonald, Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Lawrence D. Igl, Neal D. Niemuth, Josh L. Vest
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Movement dynamics influence population monitoring and adaptive harvest management strategies in migratory birds Movement dynamics influence population monitoring and adaptive harvest management strategies in migratory birds

Informed population monitoring efforts are essential for sound management of harvested species, and adaptive strategies that provide detailed information to monitoring efforts often require data inputs from complimentary sources. Movement ecology information is seldom directly incorporated into population monitoring or adaptive harvest management strategies, yet can provide valuable...
Authors
Jay Alan VonBank, Daniel P. Collins, Kristen S. Ellis, J. Patrick Donnelly, Jeffrey M. Knetter
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Climate-induced shifts in grassland bird nesting phenology have implications for grassland management Climate-induced shifts in grassland bird nesting phenology have implications for grassland management

Grasslands are among the most impacted ecosystems globally. In the midcontinent of North America, a > 80% loss of grasslands has made their conservation a major priority for resource managers. Grassland ecosystems evolved under periodic disturbances; consequently, grassland management often involves regular actions such as grazing, haying, or burning to maintain ecosystem integrity. The...
Authors
Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Garrett J. MacDonald, Lawrence Igl, Neal D. Niemuth, Josh Vest
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Piping plover adult breeding dispersal and annual survival in the northern Great Plains, USA, model code Piping plover adult breeding dispersal and annual survival in the northern Great Plains, USA, model code

The affiliated manuscript examines adult survival and breeding dispersal for piping plovers at two spatial scales and examines covariates that influence them. This product includes the R and JAGS model code to run the models in the manuscript with the data from the affiliated data release.
By
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Science and Products

a close-up of a bumble bee face, with proboscis in the yellow center of a purple flower

Science for effective pollinator conservation and improved food security

Pollinators, including bees, flies, butterflies, bats, birds, and other animals, are critically important to U.S. ecosystems and agriculture. Recent reports of declines of pollinator species have led to widespread actions to conserve pollinator habitat and recover imperiled species, but resource managers need accurate data and science to support management actions. USGS pollinator research helps...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center
Science for effective pollinator conservation and improved food security

Science for effective pollinator conservation and improved food security

Pollinators, including bees, flies, butterflies, bats, birds, and other animals, are critically important to U.S. ecosystems and agriculture. Recent reports of declines of pollinator species have led to widespread actions to conserve pollinator habitat and recover imperiled species, but resource managers need accurate data and science to support management actions. USGS pollinator research helps...
Learn More
Blooming flowers in a Pollinator Plot

Relieving the Sting: Spatial Prioritization for Pollinator Conservation Under a Changing Climate

Project Overview The Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, and other native bees and pollinators, are declining due to climate change, habitat loss, and other stressors like pathogens and pesticide-use. Researchers supported by this Midwest CASC project will study how certain stressors interact to affect the geographic distribution of Rusty Patched Bumble Bees, using mapping techniques and future...
By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers
Relieving the Sting: Spatial Prioritization for Pollinator Conservation Under a Changing Climate

Relieving the Sting: Spatial Prioritization for Pollinator Conservation Under a Changing Climate

Project Overview The Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, and other native bees and pollinators, are declining due to climate change, habitat loss, and other stressors like pathogens and pesticide-use. Researchers supported by this Midwest CASC project will study how certain stressors interact to affect the geographic distribution of Rusty Patched Bumble Bees, using mapping techniques and future climate data
Learn More
Creek flowing through a forest

Small Prairie Stream Health Within Fort Berthold Indian Reservation

Project Overview The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation faces challenges in maintaining stream health due to recent extreme weather events, oil and gas development, and row crop expansion. Researchers supported by this North Central CASC project will assess how these changes affect stream health while providing career development for undergraduate researchers from Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish...
By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers
Small Prairie Stream Health Within Fort Berthold Indian Reservation

Small Prairie Stream Health Within Fort Berthold Indian Reservation

Project Overview The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation faces challenges in maintaining stream health due to recent extreme weather events, oil and gas development, and row crop expansion. Researchers supported by this North Central CASC project will assess how these changes affect stream health while providing career development for undergraduate researchers from Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College (NHSC
Learn More

Piping plover adult breeding dispersal and annual survival in the northern Great Plains, USA, 2014 - 2019 Piping plover adult breeding dispersal and annual survival in the northern Great Plains, USA, 2014 - 2019

We present a tabular data set representing values used to evaluate intrinsic factors of breeding dispersal and annual survival for northern Great Plains piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) from 2014 – 2019. Data was collected on wetlands and on the Missouri River in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana. Data includes breeding state specific observations of adults. The associated...
By
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Piping plover nesting habitat distribution maps for the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region, 2000–2021 Piping plover nesting habitat distribution maps for the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region, 2000–2021

These maps were developed to support an effort to understand the spatial characteristics of piping plover (Charadrius melodus) nesting habitats. The maps show the expected nesting habitat distributions and piping plover intensity between 2000 and 2021 in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region.
By
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Spatial characteristics of Piping Plover nest sites in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region data, 2000-2019 Spatial characteristics of Piping Plover nest sites in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region data, 2000-2019

This data is a companion to the manuscript titled "Data integration reveals dynamic and systematic patterns of breeding habitat use by a threatened shorebird". Advances in both remote sensing and analytical tools for spatial data have allowed for the integration of dynamic processes into species distribution models. We developed a spatiotemporal model of breeding habitat use and density...
By
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Whooping crane migration habitat selection disturbance data and maps Whooping crane migration habitat selection disturbance data and maps

These data and maps were developed to support an effort to understand how whooping cranes (Grus americana) select stopover habitat in the presence of human infrastructure. Location and associated data came from whooping cranes from the Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population, 2010–2016. We marked a sample of 57 whooping cranes with leg-mounted transmitters that acquired locations via the global
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Impacts of extreme environmental disturbances on survival of piping plovers breeding in the Great Plains, and wintering along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coasts, 2012-2019 Impacts of extreme environmental disturbances on survival of piping plovers breeding in the Great Plains, and wintering along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coasts, 2012-2019

We present one tabular data file to evaluate piping plover (Charadrius melodus) seasonal (breeding and nonbreeding) adult survival. These data were part of a study to examine adult (n = 3474) survival during 2012-2019 at breeding regions within the Northern Great Plains and nonbreeding regions in the Gulf and southern Atlantic Coasts of North America. This file includes USGS-funded data...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Piping plover hatch-year survival and natal dispersal probabilities in the Northern Great Plains, USA 2014-2019 Piping plover hatch-year survival and natal dispersal probabilities in the Northern Great Plains, USA 2014-2019

We present a tabular data set representing values to estimate apparent hatch-year survival to adulthood and natal dispersal probabilities between two breeding groups of the Northern Great Plains piping plover (Charadrius melodus) used in a multievent capture-mark-resight model from 2014-2019. Focusing on the Northern Missouri River and U.S. Alkali Wetlands breeding groups. In addition...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Filter Total Items: 15

Not all spatially structured populations are metapopulations: Re-examining paradigms for a threatened shorebird Not all spatially structured populations are metapopulations: Re-examining paradigms for a threatened shorebird

For at-risk species, understanding population vital rates is imperative for developing informed conservation strategies and population models. Managers often assume that species that are spatially distributed among patches of suitable habitat meet the criteria of a metapopulation. Metapopulation dynamics are determined not only by within-patch birth and death processes but also by...
Authors
Rose J. Swift, Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Garrett J. MacDonald, Megan M. Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Dustin L. Toy, David N. Koons
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Integrating data to assess occupancy patterns of an endangered bumble bee Integrating data to assess occupancy patterns of an endangered bumble bee

There is growing interest in integrating community science data with structured monitoring data to estimate changes in distribution patterns of imperiled species, including pollinators. However, significant challenges remain in determining how unstructured community science data should be incorporated into formal analyses of species distributions. We developed a dynamic framework for...
Authors
Kristen S. Ellis, Clint Otto, Larissa L. Bailey, Tamara A. Smith, Steven J. Choy, Lauren Hatch
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Assessing trade-offs in developing a landscape-scale nest monitoring programme for a threatened shorebird Assessing trade-offs in developing a landscape-scale nest monitoring programme for a threatened shorebird

Effective monitoring of wildlife species requires thorough planning and development of survey programmes that can address management and conservation objectives. Decisions about monitoring programmes include where to survey, survey design and how much effort to allocate at survey sites are typically predicated on limited budgets and available resources. When the scope of inference...
Authors
Kristen S. Ellis, Michael J. Anteau, Garrett J. MacDonald, Megan M. Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Rose J. Swift, Dustin L. Toy
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Seasonal and breeding phenologies of 38 grassland bird species in the midcontinent of North America Seasonal and breeding phenologies of 38 grassland bird species in the midcontinent of North America

Grasslands in the midcontinent of North America are highly imperiled, and grassland birds have suffered the largest bird declines of any terrestrial biome in North America in the last 50 years. Consequently, the conservation and management of grasslands, as well as their associated avian communities, are major priorities for the State, Provincial, and Federal agencies; non-governmental
Authors
Garrett J. MacDonald, Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Lawrence D. Igl, Neal D. Niemuth, Josh L. Vest
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Movement dynamics influence population monitoring and adaptive harvest management strategies in migratory birds Movement dynamics influence population monitoring and adaptive harvest management strategies in migratory birds

Informed population monitoring efforts are essential for sound management of harvested species, and adaptive strategies that provide detailed information to monitoring efforts often require data inputs from complimentary sources. Movement ecology information is seldom directly incorporated into population monitoring or adaptive harvest management strategies, yet can provide valuable...
Authors
Jay Alan VonBank, Daniel P. Collins, Kristen S. Ellis, J. Patrick Donnelly, Jeffrey M. Knetter
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Climate-induced shifts in grassland bird nesting phenology have implications for grassland management Climate-induced shifts in grassland bird nesting phenology have implications for grassland management

Grasslands are among the most impacted ecosystems globally. In the midcontinent of North America, a > 80% loss of grasslands has made their conservation a major priority for resource managers. Grassland ecosystems evolved under periodic disturbances; consequently, grassland management often involves regular actions such as grazing, haying, or burning to maintain ecosystem integrity. The...
Authors
Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Garrett J. MacDonald, Lawrence Igl, Neal D. Niemuth, Josh Vest
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Piping plover adult breeding dispersal and annual survival in the northern Great Plains, USA, model code Piping plover adult breeding dispersal and annual survival in the northern Great Plains, USA, model code

The affiliated manuscript examines adult survival and breeding dispersal for piping plovers at two spatial scales and examines covariates that influence them. This product includes the R and JAGS model code to run the models in the manuscript with the data from the affiliated data release.
By
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
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