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
Gene flow influences the genomic architecture of local adaptation in six riverine fish species Gene flow influences the genomic architecture of local adaptation in six riverine fish species
Understanding how gene flow influences adaptive divergence is important for predicting adaptive responses. Theoretical studies suggest that when gene flow is high, clustering of adaptive genes in fewer genomic regions would protect adaptive alleles from recombination and thus be selected for, but few studies have tested it with empirical data. Here, we used restriction site-associated...
Authors
Yue Shi, Kristen L. Bouska, Garrett J. McKinney, William Dokai, Andrew Bartels, Megan V. McPhee, Wesley Larson
Geomorphic controls on floodplain connectivity, ecosystem services, and sensitivity to climate change: An example from the lower Missouri River Geomorphic controls on floodplain connectivity, ecosystem services, and sensitivity to climate change: An example from the lower Missouri River
Floodplains of large rivers are exploited for agricultural production, industrial and municipal development, and transportation infrastructure. Recently, increased frequency of costly floods has prompted consideration of whether offsetting benefits might accrue from management of floodplains for ecosystem services. We employed a simple inundation model for 800 km of the Lower Missouri...
Authors
R. B. Jacobson, Kristen L. Bouska, Edward Bulliner, Garth A. Lindner, Craig Paukert
Resisting-accepting-directing: Ecosystem management guided by an ecological resilience assessment Resisting-accepting-directing: Ecosystem management guided by an ecological resilience assessment
As anthropogenic influences push ecosystems past tipping points and into new regimes, complex management decisions are complicated by rapid ecosystem changes that may be difficult to reverse. For managers who grapple with how to manage ecosystems under novel conditions and heightened uncertainty, advancing our understanding of regime shifts is paramount. As part of an ecological...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Nathan R. De Jager, Jeffrey N. Houser
Identifying monitoring information needs that support the management of fish in large rivers Identifying monitoring information needs that support the management of fish in large rivers
Management actions intended to benefit fish in large rivers can directly or indirectly affect multiple ecosystem components. Without consideration of the effects of management on non-target ecosystem components, unintended consequences may limit management efficacy. Monitoring can help clarify the effects of management actions, including on non-target ecosystem components, but only if...
Authors
Timothy D. Counihan, Kristen L. Bouska, Shannon K. Brewer, R. B. Jacobson, Andrew F. Casper, Colin G. Chapman, Ian R. Waite, Kenneth R. Sheehan, Mark Pyron, Elise R. Irwin, Karen Riva-Murray, Alexa McKerrow, Jennifer M. Bayer
Climate change adaptation thinking for managed wetlands Climate change adaptation thinking for managed wetlands
Climate change presents new and ongoing challenges to natural resource management. To confront these challenges effectively, managers need to develop proactive adaptation strategies to prepare for and deal with the effects of climate change. We engaged managers and biologists from several midwestern U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service field stations to understand recent and future climate...
Authors
John Delaney, Kristen L. Bouska, Josh D. Eash
Aquatic vegetation dynamics in the Upper Mississippi River over 2 decades spanning vegetation recovery Aquatic vegetation dynamics in the Upper Mississippi River over 2 decades spanning vegetation recovery
Macrophytes have recovered in rivers across the world, but long-term data and studies are lacking regarding community assembly and diversity changes coincident with macrophyte recovery. We investigated patterns of aquatic vegetation species composition and diversity in thousands of sites in the Upper Mississippi River, USA, spanning 21 y of monitoring and a period of vegetation recovery...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Danelle M. Larson, Deanne C. Drake, Eric M. Lund, Alicia M. Carhart, Kyle R. Bales
Riverscape-scale modeling of fundamentally suitable habitat for mussel assemblages in an Ozark River system, Missouri Riverscape-scale modeling of fundamentally suitable habitat for mussel assemblages in an Ozark River system, Missouri
Identifying the physical habitat characteristics associated with riverine freshwater mussel assemblages is challenging but crucial for understanding the causes of mussel declines. The occurrence of mussels in multispecies beds suggests that common physical factors influence or limit their occurrence. Fine-scale geomorphic and hydraulic factors (e.g., scour, bed stability) are predictive...
Authors
K. Keymanesh, Amanda E. Rosenberger, G. Lindner, Kristen L. Bouska, Stephen E. McMurray
Vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning for projected changes in water quality and quantity for protected areas in the upper Midwest Vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning for projected changes in water quality and quantity for protected areas in the upper Midwest
Climate change and the extreme weather associated with it can be a major challenge to natural resource managers charged with the protection, restoration, recovery, and management of wetlands and wildlife habitats. Forecasting the potential impacts of climate changes will be important for decision-makers and land managers seeking to minimize impacts to habitats, infrastructure, and...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, John Delaney
Mapping climate change vulnerability of aquatic-riparian ecosystems using decision-relevant indicators Mapping climate change vulnerability of aquatic-riparian ecosystems using decision-relevant indicators
Climate change has and is projected to continue to alter historical regimes of temperature, precipitation, and hydrology. To assess the vulnerability of climate change from a land management perspective and spatially identify where the most extreme changes are anticipated to occur, we worked in collaboration with land managers to develop a climate change vulnerability map for the...
Authors
John Delaney, Kristen L. Bouska, Josh D. Eash, Patricia J. Heglund, Andrew A Allstadt
Regime change in a large-floodplain river ecosystem: Patterns in body-size and functional biomass indicate a shift in fish communities Regime change in a large-floodplain river ecosystem: Patterns in body-size and functional biomass indicate a shift in fish communities
Changes in species dominance may drive regime shifts because dominant biotic feedbacks reflect functional traits of a community. Changes in species dominance has been documented by a 25-year fish community dataset encompassing six reaches of the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. Specifically, common carp (Cyprinus carpio) abundance has declined across all reaches, whereas silver...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska
Conceptualizing alternate regimes in a large floodplain-river ecosystem Conceptualizing alternate regimes in a large floodplain-river ecosystem
Regime shifts –persistent changes in the structure and function of an ecosystem - are well-documented in many ecosystems but remain poorly understood in floodplain-river ecosystems. We apply a resilience perspective to large floodplain-river ecosystems by presenting three examples of plausible sets of alternate regimes that are relevant to natural resource management interests within the...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Jeffrey N. Houser, Nathan R. De Jager, Deanne C. Drake, Scott F. Collins, Caniel K. Gibson-Reniemer, Meredith A. Thomsen
Scientific Framework for resilience research on the Upper Mississippi River System Scientific Framework for resilience research on the Upper Mississippi River System
The goal of this research framework is to outline research that would continue to improve our understanding of ecological resilience of the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) and inform management of the system for health and resilience. We provide a broad overview of recently completed and ongoing work that has been funded as a part of the UMRS Ecological Resilience Assessment and...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska
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
Gene flow influences the genomic architecture of local adaptation in six riverine fish species Gene flow influences the genomic architecture of local adaptation in six riverine fish species
Understanding how gene flow influences adaptive divergence is important for predicting adaptive responses. Theoretical studies suggest that when gene flow is high, clustering of adaptive genes in fewer genomic regions would protect adaptive alleles from recombination and thus be selected for, but few studies have tested it with empirical data. Here, we used restriction site-associated...
Authors
Yue Shi, Kristen L. Bouska, Garrett J. McKinney, William Dokai, Andrew Bartels, Megan V. McPhee, Wesley Larson
Geomorphic controls on floodplain connectivity, ecosystem services, and sensitivity to climate change: An example from the lower Missouri River Geomorphic controls on floodplain connectivity, ecosystem services, and sensitivity to climate change: An example from the lower Missouri River
Floodplains of large rivers are exploited for agricultural production, industrial and municipal development, and transportation infrastructure. Recently, increased frequency of costly floods has prompted consideration of whether offsetting benefits might accrue from management of floodplains for ecosystem services. We employed a simple inundation model for 800 km of the Lower Missouri...
Authors
R. B. Jacobson, Kristen L. Bouska, Edward Bulliner, Garth A. Lindner, Craig Paukert
Resisting-accepting-directing: Ecosystem management guided by an ecological resilience assessment Resisting-accepting-directing: Ecosystem management guided by an ecological resilience assessment
As anthropogenic influences push ecosystems past tipping points and into new regimes, complex management decisions are complicated by rapid ecosystem changes that may be difficult to reverse. For managers who grapple with how to manage ecosystems under novel conditions and heightened uncertainty, advancing our understanding of regime shifts is paramount. As part of an ecological...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Nathan R. De Jager, Jeffrey N. Houser
Identifying monitoring information needs that support the management of fish in large rivers Identifying monitoring information needs that support the management of fish in large rivers
Management actions intended to benefit fish in large rivers can directly or indirectly affect multiple ecosystem components. Without consideration of the effects of management on non-target ecosystem components, unintended consequences may limit management efficacy. Monitoring can help clarify the effects of management actions, including on non-target ecosystem components, but only if...
Authors
Timothy D. Counihan, Kristen L. Bouska, Shannon K. Brewer, R. B. Jacobson, Andrew F. Casper, Colin G. Chapman, Ian R. Waite, Kenneth R. Sheehan, Mark Pyron, Elise R. Irwin, Karen Riva-Murray, Alexa McKerrow, Jennifer M. Bayer
Climate change adaptation thinking for managed wetlands Climate change adaptation thinking for managed wetlands
Climate change presents new and ongoing challenges to natural resource management. To confront these challenges effectively, managers need to develop proactive adaptation strategies to prepare for and deal with the effects of climate change. We engaged managers and biologists from several midwestern U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service field stations to understand recent and future climate...
Authors
John Delaney, Kristen L. Bouska, Josh D. Eash
Aquatic vegetation dynamics in the Upper Mississippi River over 2 decades spanning vegetation recovery Aquatic vegetation dynamics in the Upper Mississippi River over 2 decades spanning vegetation recovery
Macrophytes have recovered in rivers across the world, but long-term data and studies are lacking regarding community assembly and diversity changes coincident with macrophyte recovery. We investigated patterns of aquatic vegetation species composition and diversity in thousands of sites in the Upper Mississippi River, USA, spanning 21 y of monitoring and a period of vegetation recovery...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Danelle M. Larson, Deanne C. Drake, Eric M. Lund, Alicia M. Carhart, Kyle R. Bales
Riverscape-scale modeling of fundamentally suitable habitat for mussel assemblages in an Ozark River system, Missouri Riverscape-scale modeling of fundamentally suitable habitat for mussel assemblages in an Ozark River system, Missouri
Identifying the physical habitat characteristics associated with riverine freshwater mussel assemblages is challenging but crucial for understanding the causes of mussel declines. The occurrence of mussels in multispecies beds suggests that common physical factors influence or limit their occurrence. Fine-scale geomorphic and hydraulic factors (e.g., scour, bed stability) are predictive...
Authors
K. Keymanesh, Amanda E. Rosenberger, G. Lindner, Kristen L. Bouska, Stephen E. McMurray
Vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning for projected changes in water quality and quantity for protected areas in the upper Midwest Vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning for projected changes in water quality and quantity for protected areas in the upper Midwest
Climate change and the extreme weather associated with it can be a major challenge to natural resource managers charged with the protection, restoration, recovery, and management of wetlands and wildlife habitats. Forecasting the potential impacts of climate changes will be important for decision-makers and land managers seeking to minimize impacts to habitats, infrastructure, and...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, John Delaney
Mapping climate change vulnerability of aquatic-riparian ecosystems using decision-relevant indicators Mapping climate change vulnerability of aquatic-riparian ecosystems using decision-relevant indicators
Climate change has and is projected to continue to alter historical regimes of temperature, precipitation, and hydrology. To assess the vulnerability of climate change from a land management perspective and spatially identify where the most extreme changes are anticipated to occur, we worked in collaboration with land managers to develop a climate change vulnerability map for the...
Authors
John Delaney, Kristen L. Bouska, Josh D. Eash, Patricia J. Heglund, Andrew A Allstadt
Regime change in a large-floodplain river ecosystem: Patterns in body-size and functional biomass indicate a shift in fish communities Regime change in a large-floodplain river ecosystem: Patterns in body-size and functional biomass indicate a shift in fish communities
Changes in species dominance may drive regime shifts because dominant biotic feedbacks reflect functional traits of a community. Changes in species dominance has been documented by a 25-year fish community dataset encompassing six reaches of the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. Specifically, common carp (Cyprinus carpio) abundance has declined across all reaches, whereas silver...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska
Conceptualizing alternate regimes in a large floodplain-river ecosystem Conceptualizing alternate regimes in a large floodplain-river ecosystem
Regime shifts –persistent changes in the structure and function of an ecosystem - are well-documented in many ecosystems but remain poorly understood in floodplain-river ecosystems. We apply a resilience perspective to large floodplain-river ecosystems by presenting three examples of plausible sets of alternate regimes that are relevant to natural resource management interests within the...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Jeffrey N. Houser, Nathan R. De Jager, Deanne C. Drake, Scott F. Collins, Caniel K. Gibson-Reniemer, Meredith A. Thomsen
Scientific Framework for resilience research on the Upper Mississippi River System Scientific Framework for resilience research on the Upper Mississippi River System
The goal of this research framework is to outline research that would continue to improve our understanding of ecological resilience of the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) and inform management of the system for health and resilience. We provide a broad overview of recently completed and ongoing work that has been funded as a part of the UMRS Ecological Resilience Assessment and...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska
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.