Kristen L Bouska, PhD
My research interests include ecological resilience of large rivers, large river community ecology, restoration ecology, and impacts and adaptation to climate and land-use change.
As a large river ecologist, I investigate applied research questions based on ecological theory to inform management and conservation of large floodplain-river ecosystems.
Professional Experience
2021 – present: Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
2015 - present: Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center (La Crosse, WI)
2015 – 2021: Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
2014 - 2015: Post-doctoral Research Associate, University of Missouri (Columbia, MO)
2010 - 2014: Graduate Research Assistant, Southern Illinois University (Carbondale, IL)
2009 - 2010: GIS Specialist, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (Pierre, SD)
2009 - 2010: Biology Instructor, Lowe
Education and Certifications
PhD – Environmental Resources and Policy, Southern Illinois University, 2014
MS – Biology, Kansas State University, 2008
BS – Biology, University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, 2006
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 31
Chapter 24 - Resilience-based challenges and opportunities for fisheries management in Anthropocene rivers Chapter 24 - Resilience-based challenges and opportunities for fisheries management in Anthropocene rivers
Few pristine rivers remain worldwide, as they are among the most anthropogenically modified ecosystems. We suggest the geomorphology, hydrology and ecology of Anthropocene rivers are fundamentally different from historical natural rivers. These changes challenge conventional fisheries management practices, suggesting the tools supporting fisheries management may require expansion so that
Authors
Jason A. DeBoer, Kristen L. Bouska, Christian Wolter, Martin C. Thoms
Reimagining large river management using the Resist–Accept–Direct (RAD) framework in the Upper Mississippi River Reimagining large river management using the Resist–Accept–Direct (RAD) framework in the Upper Mississippi River
Background Large-river decision-makers are charged with maintaining diverse ecosystem services through unprecedented social-ecological transformations as climate change and other global stressors intensify. The interconnected, dendritic habitats of rivers, which often demarcate jurisdictional boundaries, generate complex management challenges. Here, we explore how the Resist–Accept...
Authors
Nicole K. Ward, Abigail Lynch, Erik A. Beever, Joshua Booker, Kristen L. Bouska, Holly Susan Embke, John F. Kocik, Joshua Kocik, Mary Grace T. Lemon, David J. Lawrence, Douglas Limpinsel, Madeline Magee, Bryan M. Maitland, Owen P. McKenna, Andrew R. Meier, John M. Morton, Jeffrey Muehlbauer, Robert Newman, Devon C. Oliver, Heidi M. Rantala, Greg G. Sass, Aaron D. Shultz, Laura Thompson, Jennifer L. Wilkening
Improving the Midwest Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Tool to support regional climate adaptation Improving the Midwest Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Tool to support regional climate adaptation
An online climate vulnerability assessment dashboard was developed in 2021 through collaboration between U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to support regional climate adaptation efforts. The dashboard included 15 climate change impact metrics (five each from three categories: hydrology, precipitation, and temperature) and five metrics representing...
Authors
John Delaney, Kristen L. Bouska
Diverse portfolios: Investing in tributaries for restoration of large river fishes in the Anthropocene Diverse portfolios: Investing in tributaries for restoration of large river fishes in the Anthropocene
Rehabilitation of large Anthropocene rivers requires engagement of diverse stakeholders across a broad range of sociopolitical boundaries. Competing objectives often constrain options for ecological restoration of large rivers whereas fewer competing objectives may exist in a subset of tributaries. Further, tributaries contribute toward building a “portfolio” of river ecosystem assets...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Brian D. Healy, Michael J. Moore, Corey Garland Dunn, Jonathan J. Spurgeon, Craig P. Paukert
An assessment of the relation between metal contaminated sediment and freshwater mussel populations in the Big River, Missouri An assessment of the relation between metal contaminated sediment and freshwater mussel populations in the Big River, Missouri
The Big River in southeast Missouri drains the largest historical lead mining area in the United States. Ongoing releases of metal contaminated sediments into this river are well documented and are suspected of suppressing freshwater mussel populations. We characterized the spatial extent of metal contaminated sediments and evaluated its relationship with mussel populations in the Big...
Authors
Andrew D Roberts, John M. Besser, Josh Hundley, Dave Mosby, Amanda E. Rosenberger, Kristen L. Bouska, Bryan Simmons, Stephen E. McMurray, Scott Faiman, Leslie Lueckenhoff
Understanding ecological response to physical characteristics in side channels of a large floodplain-river ecosystem Understanding ecological response to physical characteristics in side channels of a large floodplain-river ecosystem
Side channels in large floodplain rivers serve a variety of important ecological roles, particularly in reaches where habitat conditions have been degraded or diminished. We developed hypotheses regarding side channel ecological structure whereby we expected species richness of young-of-year fishes to generally be higher in shallower, more physically heterogeneous side channels with...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Molly Sobotka, Todd Slack, Heather Theel
Non-USGS Publications**
Bouska, K. L., J. Houser, N. R. De Jager and J. Hendrickson. In Press. Developing a shared understanding of the Upper Mississippi River: the foundation of a resilience assessment. Ecology and Society.
Bouska, K.L., G. Lindner, C.P. Paukert, R.B. Jacobson. 2016. Stakeholder-led science: engaging resource managers to identify science needs for long-term management of floodplain conservation lands. Ecology and Society 21(3):12.
Bouska, K.L. and T.Stoebner. 2015. Characterizing geomorphic change from anthropogenic disturbances to inform restoration of the upper Cache River, IL. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 51(3):734-745.
Bouska, K.L., G.W. Whitledge, and C. Lant. 2015. Development and evaluation of species distribution models for native central U.S. fish species. Hydrobiologia 747:159-176.
Bouska, K.L. and G. Whitledge. 2014. Habitat associations of fish assemblages in the Cache River, Illinois. Environmental Biology of Fishes 97(1):27-42.
Paukert, C.P., K.L. Pitts, J.B. Whittier and J.D. Olden. 2011. Development and assessment of a landscape-scale ecological threat index for the Lower Colorado River Basin. Ecological Indicators 11(2):304-310
Dodds, W.K., W.W. Bouska, J.L. Eitzmann, T.J. Pilger, K.L. Pitts, A.J. Riley, J.T. Schloesser and D.J. Thornburgh. 2009. Eutrophication of U.S. freshwaters: Analysis of potential economic damages. Environmental Science and Technology 43:12-19.
Paukert, C.P., J. Schloesser, J. Eitzmann, J. Fischer, K. Pitts, and D. Thornbrugh. 2008. Effect of Instream Sand Dredging on Fish Communities in the Kansas River USA: Current and Historical Perspectives. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 23:623-634.
Franssen, N.R., K.B. Gido, C.S. Guy, J.A. Tripe, S.J. Schrank, T.R. Strakosh, K.N. Bertrand, C.M. Franssen, K.L. Pitts, and C.P. Paukert. 2006. Effects of floods and intermittence on fish assemblages in a prairie stream. Freshwater Biology 51:2072-2086.
**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: 31
Chapter 24 - Resilience-based challenges and opportunities for fisheries management in Anthropocene rivers Chapter 24 - Resilience-based challenges and opportunities for fisheries management in Anthropocene rivers
Few pristine rivers remain worldwide, as they are among the most anthropogenically modified ecosystems. We suggest the geomorphology, hydrology and ecology of Anthropocene rivers are fundamentally different from historical natural rivers. These changes challenge conventional fisheries management practices, suggesting the tools supporting fisheries management may require expansion so that
Authors
Jason A. DeBoer, Kristen L. Bouska, Christian Wolter, Martin C. Thoms
Reimagining large river management using the Resist–Accept–Direct (RAD) framework in the Upper Mississippi River Reimagining large river management using the Resist–Accept–Direct (RAD) framework in the Upper Mississippi River
Background Large-river decision-makers are charged with maintaining diverse ecosystem services through unprecedented social-ecological transformations as climate change and other global stressors intensify. The interconnected, dendritic habitats of rivers, which often demarcate jurisdictional boundaries, generate complex management challenges. Here, we explore how the Resist–Accept...
Authors
Nicole K. Ward, Abigail Lynch, Erik A. Beever, Joshua Booker, Kristen L. Bouska, Holly Susan Embke, John F. Kocik, Joshua Kocik, Mary Grace T. Lemon, David J. Lawrence, Douglas Limpinsel, Madeline Magee, Bryan M. Maitland, Owen P. McKenna, Andrew R. Meier, John M. Morton, Jeffrey Muehlbauer, Robert Newman, Devon C. Oliver, Heidi M. Rantala, Greg G. Sass, Aaron D. Shultz, Laura Thompson, Jennifer L. Wilkening
Improving the Midwest Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Tool to support regional climate adaptation Improving the Midwest Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Tool to support regional climate adaptation
An online climate vulnerability assessment dashboard was developed in 2021 through collaboration between U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to support regional climate adaptation efforts. The dashboard included 15 climate change impact metrics (five each from three categories: hydrology, precipitation, and temperature) and five metrics representing...
Authors
John Delaney, Kristen L. Bouska
Diverse portfolios: Investing in tributaries for restoration of large river fishes in the Anthropocene Diverse portfolios: Investing in tributaries for restoration of large river fishes in the Anthropocene
Rehabilitation of large Anthropocene rivers requires engagement of diverse stakeholders across a broad range of sociopolitical boundaries. Competing objectives often constrain options for ecological restoration of large rivers whereas fewer competing objectives may exist in a subset of tributaries. Further, tributaries contribute toward building a “portfolio” of river ecosystem assets...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Brian D. Healy, Michael J. Moore, Corey Garland Dunn, Jonathan J. Spurgeon, Craig P. Paukert
An assessment of the relation between metal contaminated sediment and freshwater mussel populations in the Big River, Missouri An assessment of the relation between metal contaminated sediment and freshwater mussel populations in the Big River, Missouri
The Big River in southeast Missouri drains the largest historical lead mining area in the United States. Ongoing releases of metal contaminated sediments into this river are well documented and are suspected of suppressing freshwater mussel populations. We characterized the spatial extent of metal contaminated sediments and evaluated its relationship with mussel populations in the Big...
Authors
Andrew D Roberts, John M. Besser, Josh Hundley, Dave Mosby, Amanda E. Rosenberger, Kristen L. Bouska, Bryan Simmons, Stephen E. McMurray, Scott Faiman, Leslie Lueckenhoff
Understanding ecological response to physical characteristics in side channels of a large floodplain-river ecosystem Understanding ecological response to physical characteristics in side channels of a large floodplain-river ecosystem
Side channels in large floodplain rivers serve a variety of important ecological roles, particularly in reaches where habitat conditions have been degraded or diminished. We developed hypotheses regarding side channel ecological structure whereby we expected species richness of young-of-year fishes to generally be higher in shallower, more physically heterogeneous side channels with...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Molly Sobotka, Todd Slack, Heather Theel
Non-USGS Publications**
Bouska, K. L., J. Houser, N. R. De Jager and J. Hendrickson. In Press. Developing a shared understanding of the Upper Mississippi River: the foundation of a resilience assessment. Ecology and Society.
Bouska, K.L., G. Lindner, C.P. Paukert, R.B. Jacobson. 2016. Stakeholder-led science: engaging resource managers to identify science needs for long-term management of floodplain conservation lands. Ecology and Society 21(3):12.
Bouska, K.L. and T.Stoebner. 2015. Characterizing geomorphic change from anthropogenic disturbances to inform restoration of the upper Cache River, IL. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 51(3):734-745.
Bouska, K.L., G.W. Whitledge, and C. Lant. 2015. Development and evaluation of species distribution models for native central U.S. fish species. Hydrobiologia 747:159-176.
Bouska, K.L. and G. Whitledge. 2014. Habitat associations of fish assemblages in the Cache River, Illinois. Environmental Biology of Fishes 97(1):27-42.
Paukert, C.P., K.L. Pitts, J.B. Whittier and J.D. Olden. 2011. Development and assessment of a landscape-scale ecological threat index for the Lower Colorado River Basin. Ecological Indicators 11(2):304-310
Dodds, W.K., W.W. Bouska, J.L. Eitzmann, T.J. Pilger, K.L. Pitts, A.J. Riley, J.T. Schloesser and D.J. Thornburgh. 2009. Eutrophication of U.S. freshwaters: Analysis of potential economic damages. Environmental Science and Technology 43:12-19.
Paukert, C.P., J. Schloesser, J. Eitzmann, J. Fischer, K. Pitts, and D. Thornbrugh. 2008. Effect of Instream Sand Dredging on Fish Communities in the Kansas River USA: Current and Historical Perspectives. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 23:623-634.
Franssen, N.R., K.B. Gido, C.S. Guy, J.A. Tripe, S.J. Schrank, T.R. Strakosh, K.N. Bertrand, C.M. Franssen, K.L. Pitts, and C.P. Paukert. 2006. Effects of floods and intermittence on fish assemblages in a prairie stream. Freshwater Biology 51:2072-2086.
**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.