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
Applying concepts of general resilience to large river ecosystems: A case study from the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers Applying concepts of general resilience to large river ecosystems: A case study from the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers
Large floodplain-river ecosystems are often highly modified to provide services that society desires, yet these modifications can limit an ecosystem’s ability to adapt to changing conditions. The adaptive capacity of an ecosystem, its general resilience, is a conceptual framework for considering how a system will respond to such changes. We sought to apply aspects of three general...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Jeffrey N. Houser, Nathan R. De Jager, Molly Van Appledorn, James T. Rogala
Indicators of ecosystem structure and function for the Upper Mississippi River System Indicators of ecosystem structure and function for the Upper Mississippi River System
This report documents the development of quantitative measures (indicators) of ecosystem structure and function for use in a Habitat Needs Assessment (HNA) for the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS). HNAs are led periodically by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Program, which is the primary habitat restoration program on the UMRS. The UMRR...
Authors
Nathan R. De Jager, James T. Rogala, Jason J. Rohweder, Molly Van Appledorn, Kristen L. Bouska, Jeffrey N. Houser, Kathi Jo Jankowski
State-level freshwater mussel programs: Current status and a research framework to aid in mussel management and conservation State-level freshwater mussel programs: Current status and a research framework to aid in mussel management and conservation
Despite increased focus on their ecology and conservation, freshwater mussels remain one of the most imperiled groups of aquatic organisms. We documented current management actions, resources, and challenges in managing freshwater mussels in the United States through a survey of state natural resource agencies. Approximately 85% of surveyed states (N = 40) actively managed mussel...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Amanda E. Rosenberger, Stephen E. McMurray, Garth A. Lindner, Kayla N. Key
Discontinuities and functional resilience of large river fish assemblages Discontinuities and functional resilience of large river fish assemblages
Functional composition of communities across scales is increasingly used to infer resilience of biotic communities to environmental change. To assess the relevance of these concepts to management of large rivers, analyses were applied to fish community data of the Upper Mississippi River. First, to evaluate whether there was evidence for structural patterns in fish size distributions, a
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska
Drivers and uncertainties of forecasted range shifts for warm-water fishes under climate and land cover change Drivers and uncertainties of forecasted range shifts for warm-water fishes under climate and land cover change
Land cover is an important determinant of aquatic habitat and is projected to shift with climate changes, yet climate-driven land cover changes are rarely factored into climate assessments. To quantify impacts and uncertainty of coupled climate and land cover change on warm-water fish species’ distributions, we used an ensemble model approach to project distributions of 14 species. For...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Gregory W. Whitledge, Christopher Lant, Justin Schoof
Developing a shared understanding of the Upper Mississippi River: the foundation of an ecological resilience assessment Developing a shared understanding of the Upper Mississippi River: the foundation of an ecological resilience assessment
The Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) is a large and complex floodplain river ecosystem that spans the jurisdictions of multiple state and federal agencies. In support of ongoing ecosystem restoration and management by this broad partnership, we are undertaking a resilience assessment of the UMRS. We describe the UMRS in the context of an ecological resilience assessment. Our...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Jeffrey N. Houser, Nathan R. De Jager, Jon S. Hendrickson
A refined electrofishing technique for collecting Silver Carp: Implications for management A refined electrofishing technique for collecting Silver Carp: Implications for management
Detecting nuisance species at low abundance or in newly established areas is critical to developing pest management strategies. Due to their sensitivity to disturbance and erratic jumping behavior, Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix can be difficult to collect with traditional sampling methods. We compared catch per unit effort (CPUE) of all species from a Long Term Resource...
Authors
Wesley W. Bouska, David C. Glover, Kristen L. Bouska, James E. Garvey
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
Applying concepts of general resilience to large river ecosystems: A case study from the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers Applying concepts of general resilience to large river ecosystems: A case study from the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers
Large floodplain-river ecosystems are often highly modified to provide services that society desires, yet these modifications can limit an ecosystem’s ability to adapt to changing conditions. The adaptive capacity of an ecosystem, its general resilience, is a conceptual framework for considering how a system will respond to such changes. We sought to apply aspects of three general...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Jeffrey N. Houser, Nathan R. De Jager, Molly Van Appledorn, James T. Rogala
Indicators of ecosystem structure and function for the Upper Mississippi River System Indicators of ecosystem structure and function for the Upper Mississippi River System
This report documents the development of quantitative measures (indicators) of ecosystem structure and function for use in a Habitat Needs Assessment (HNA) for the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS). HNAs are led periodically by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Program, which is the primary habitat restoration program on the UMRS. The UMRR...
Authors
Nathan R. De Jager, James T. Rogala, Jason J. Rohweder, Molly Van Appledorn, Kristen L. Bouska, Jeffrey N. Houser, Kathi Jo Jankowski
State-level freshwater mussel programs: Current status and a research framework to aid in mussel management and conservation State-level freshwater mussel programs: Current status and a research framework to aid in mussel management and conservation
Despite increased focus on their ecology and conservation, freshwater mussels remain one of the most imperiled groups of aquatic organisms. We documented current management actions, resources, and challenges in managing freshwater mussels in the United States through a survey of state natural resource agencies. Approximately 85% of surveyed states (N = 40) actively managed mussel...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Amanda E. Rosenberger, Stephen E. McMurray, Garth A. Lindner, Kayla N. Key
Discontinuities and functional resilience of large river fish assemblages Discontinuities and functional resilience of large river fish assemblages
Functional composition of communities across scales is increasingly used to infer resilience of biotic communities to environmental change. To assess the relevance of these concepts to management of large rivers, analyses were applied to fish community data of the Upper Mississippi River. First, to evaluate whether there was evidence for structural patterns in fish size distributions, a
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska
Drivers and uncertainties of forecasted range shifts for warm-water fishes under climate and land cover change Drivers and uncertainties of forecasted range shifts for warm-water fishes under climate and land cover change
Land cover is an important determinant of aquatic habitat and is projected to shift with climate changes, yet climate-driven land cover changes are rarely factored into climate assessments. To quantify impacts and uncertainty of coupled climate and land cover change on warm-water fish species’ distributions, we used an ensemble model approach to project distributions of 14 species. For...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Gregory W. Whitledge, Christopher Lant, Justin Schoof
Developing a shared understanding of the Upper Mississippi River: the foundation of an ecological resilience assessment Developing a shared understanding of the Upper Mississippi River: the foundation of an ecological resilience assessment
The Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) is a large and complex floodplain river ecosystem that spans the jurisdictions of multiple state and federal agencies. In support of ongoing ecosystem restoration and management by this broad partnership, we are undertaking a resilience assessment of the UMRS. We describe the UMRS in the context of an ecological resilience assessment. Our...
Authors
Kristen L. Bouska, Jeffrey N. Houser, Nathan R. De Jager, Jon S. Hendrickson
A refined electrofishing technique for collecting Silver Carp: Implications for management A refined electrofishing technique for collecting Silver Carp: Implications for management
Detecting nuisance species at low abundance or in newly established areas is critical to developing pest management strategies. Due to their sensitivity to disturbance and erratic jumping behavior, Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix can be difficult to collect with traditional sampling methods. We compared catch per unit effort (CPUE) of all species from a Long Term Resource...
Authors
Wesley W. Bouska, David C. Glover, Kristen L. Bouska, James E. Garvey
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.