Laura is a quantitative ecologist interested in the behavioral landscape ecology of wildlife communities and how climate change and ecosystem restoration impact those wildlife communities.
Before joining USGS, Laura's research focused on modeling anthropogenic disturbance to wildlife such as recreation or road traffic to identify management strategies that mitigate adverse effects to wildlife populations. They also researched the landscape and social ecology of threatened and endangered Midwestern bats.
Education and Certifications
PhD., Wildlife Science, Purdue University, 2018
MSc., Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2012
BSc., Wildlife Conservation Biology, University of Rhode Island, 2010
Science and Products
Demographic Analysis of the Endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow
Demographic Analysis of the Endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow
Integrating Sea Level Rise Scenarios into Everglades Restoration Planning
Quantitative Tools for the Urgent Recovery and Regulatory Needs of the Florida Bonneted Bat, Eumops floridanus
Spatial Ecology of Bobcats in the Greater Everglades
Model Improvements for Louisiana’s 2023 Coastal Master Plan
Ecological Modeling in Support of the Western Everglades Restoration Project
Evaluating Ecological Vulnerabilities of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem to Provide Decision Support for Restoration
Habitat Modeling for the Endangered Everglades Snail Kite and Its Prey
Assessment of Small Mammal Demographics and Communities in the Picayune Strand Restoration Area
Everglades Vulnerability Analysis (EVA) modeling scripts and output
KiteNest modeling scripts and output
Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Two of Four, 2018
Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Three of Four, 2019
Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Four of Four, 2020
Ecological Model Support for RECOVER's Update of Interim Goals, 2019
EverSparrow model scripts and outputs
Ecological modeling output for the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir 2020
EverWaders species distribution model development and output in the Greater Everglades from 2000-2009
The Everglades vulnerability analysis: Linking ecological models to support ecosystem restoration
Nest-site selection model for endangered Everglade snail kites to inform ecosystem restoration
Landscape-scale drivers of endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis) presence using an ensemble modeling approach
The Everglades vulnerability analysis—Integrating ecological models and addressing uncertainty
Habitat suitability index model improvement recommendations
Habitat suitability index model improvements
Joint species distribution models of Everglades wading birds to inform restoration planning
Small mammal responses to wetland restoration in the Greater Everglades ecosystem
Non-USGS Publications**
**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
- Science
Demographic Analysis of the Endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow
USGS researchers will examine how hydrology and landscape vegetation changes impact Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow survival and population growth.Demographic Analysis of the Endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow
USGS researchers will examine how hydrology and landscape vegetation changes impact Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow survival and population growth.Integrating Sea Level Rise Scenarios into Everglades Restoration Planning
One of the largest and most expensive restoration efforts in the world is the restoration of the Everglades, a sub-tropical freshwater wetland system located in southern Florida. This unique ecosystem supports several endemic and endangered species, provides flood control for Florida’s large urban population, and provides water for both the agricultural and drinking supply within the state. The Co...Quantitative Tools for the Urgent Recovery and Regulatory Needs of the Florida Bonneted Bat, Eumops floridanus
WARC researchers are organizing Florida bonneted bat echolocation recordings into a database to assess population trends and bat response to management actions.Spatial Ecology of Bobcats in the Greater Everglades
WARC researchers will estimate the density and distribution of bobcats in relation to environmental variables through the development of spatially explicit capture-recapture and occupancy models.Model Improvements for Louisiana’s 2023 Coastal Master Plan
The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority’s Coastal Master Plan is a blueprint for responding to environmental changes. As part of the agency’s continued engagement, USGS supports model developments and improvements for the 2023 Coastal Master Plan.Ecological Modeling in Support of the Western Everglades Restoration Project
Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) provides ecological models tailored to address specific management issues, for example, the Western Everglades Restoration Project.Evaluating Ecological Vulnerabilities of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem to Provide Decision Support for Restoration
USGS scientists develop decision support tools to help inform management and restoration of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem.Habitat Modeling for the Endangered Everglades Snail Kite and Its Prey
Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) provides real-time habitat suitability models for species of interest in Everglades restoration planning, including the federally endangered Everglades snail kite.Assessment of Small Mammal Demographics and Communities in the Picayune Strand Restoration Area
The Picayune Strand Restoration Project (PSRP) is in the process of restoring pre-drainage hydrology to the southwest portion of the Greater Everglades ecosystem. - Data
Everglades Vulnerability Analysis (EVA) modeling scripts and output
The Everglades Vulnerability Analysis (EVA) is a series of connected Bayesian networks that models the landscape-scale response of indicators of Everglades ecosystem health to changes in hydrology and salinity on the landscape. Using the uncertainty built into each network, it also produces surfaces of vulnerability in relation to user-defined ‘ideal’ outcomes. This dataset includes the code usedKiteNest modeling scripts and output
KiteNest is a spatially explicit model of Everglades snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus) relative nest site selection that quantifies the relationships between a range of environmental factors and nest site selection specific to the southern portion of the species' range. Using hydrologic conditions such as mean 2-week water depth and water depth change rate, days since the last fire, distEcological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Two of Four, 2018
Ecological models facilitate evaluation and assessment of alternative approaches to restore the Greater Everglades ecosystem. However, the provision of useful and accessible models is a challenge because there is often a disconnect between model output and its use by decision makers. Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) meets this challenge by providing ecological model output tailored to management decEcological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Three of Four, 2019
Ecological models facilitate evaluation and assessment of alternative approaches to restore the Greater Everglades ecosystem. However, the provision of useful and accessible models is a challenge because there is often a disconnect between model output and its use by decision makers. Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) meets this challenge by providing ecological model output tailored to management decEcological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Four of Four, 2020
Ecological models facilitate evaluation and assessment of alternative approaches to restore the Greater Everglades ecosystem. However, the provision of useful and accessible models is a challenge because there is often a disconnect between model output and its use by decision makers. Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) meets this challenge by providing ecological model output tailored to management decEcological Model Support for RECOVER's Update of Interim Goals, 2019
Ecological models facilitate evaluation and assessment of alternative approaches to restore the Greater Everglades ecosystem. However, the provision of useful and accessible models is a challenge because there is often a disconnect between model output and its use by decision makers. Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) meets this challenge by providing ecological model output tailored to management decEverSparrow model scripts and outputs
EverSparrow is a spatially explicit Bayesian model of Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis; CSSS) presence that quantifies the interdependent relationships between a range of environmental factors and CSSS presence. Using hydrologic conditions such as mean 4-year hydroperiod and maximum depth, fire occurrence history, and vegetation structure throughout the range of CSSS, EverSEcological modeling output for the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir 2020
Ecological models facilitate evaluation and assessment of alternative approaches to restore the Greater Everglades ecosystem. The models of particular interest to the South Florida Water Management District for planning for the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir were: (1) Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow Marl Prairie Indicator, (2) Florida apple snail (native) population model (EverSnail), (3)EverWaders species distribution model development and output in the Greater Everglades from 2000-2009
Restoration of the Florida Everglades, a substantial wetland ecosystem within the United States, is one of the largest ongoing restoration projects in the world. Decision-makers and managers within the Everglades ecosystem rely on ecological models forecasting indicator wildlife response to changes in the management of water flows within the system. One such indicator of ecosystem health, the pres - Publications
The Everglades vulnerability analysis: Linking ecological models to support ecosystem restoration
Understanding of the Everglades’ ecological vulnerabilities and restoration needs has advanced over the past decade but has not been applied in an integrated manner. To address this need, we developed the Everglades Vulnerability Analysis (EVA), a decision support tool that uses modular Bayesian networks to predict the ecological outcomes of a subset of the ecosystem’s health indicators. This toolAuthorsLaura D'Acunto, Leonard G. Pearlstine, Saira Haider, Caitlin E. Hackett, Dilip Shinde, Stephanie RomanachNest-site selection model for endangered Everglade snail kites to inform ecosystem restoration
dictors of nesting for snail kites in south Florida. The results of our modeling indicate that hydrology, percent canopy cover, and proximity to recently burned areas were the most important factors associated with nest-site selection for snail kites. Water depths between 75 and 100 cm, water recession rates between 0 and 1.25 cm/day, percent canopy coversAuthorsAllison Benscoter, Laura D'Acunto, Saira Haider, Robert J. Fletcher Jr., Stephanie RomanachLandscape-scale drivers of endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis) presence using an ensemble modeling approach
The Florida Everglades is a vast and iconic wetland ecosystem in the southern United States that has undergone dramatic changes from habitat degradation, development encroachment, and water impoundment. Starting in the past few decades, large restoration projects have been undertaken to restore the landscape, including improving conditions for threatened and imperiled taxa. One focus of restoratioAuthorsSaira Haider, Allison Benscoter, Leonard G. Pearlstine, Laura D'Acunto, Stephanie RomanachThe Everglades vulnerability analysis—Integrating ecological models and addressing uncertainty
The Everglades vulnerability analysis (EVA) is a project led by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Park Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to accomplish one of the science goals of Restoration Coordination & Verification (RECOVER), a multiagency group responsible for providing scientific and technical evaluations and assessments for improving the ability of the ComprAuthorsLaura E. D’Acunto, Stephanie S. Romañach, Saira M. Haider, Caitlin E. Hackett, Jennifer H. Nestler, Dilip Shinde, Leonard G. PearlstineHabitat suitability index model improvement recommendations
As part of the model improvement effort for the 2023 Coastal Master Plan, the Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) models used during previous master plans were reevaluated to assess how the model relationships could be improved, and to determine what species should be included in the master plan analyses. This process considered the technical reviews, comments, and suggested improvements provided by mAuthorsShaye E. Sable, David C. Lindquist, Laura D'Acunto, Ann Hijuelos, Megan K. LaPeyre, Ann M. O'Connell, Elizabeth M. RobinsonHabitat suitability index model improvements
Habitat suitability index (HSI) models were developed for the 2023 Coastal Master Plan to evaluate the potential effects of coastal restoration and protection projects on habitat for key coastal fish, shellfish, and wildlife species. These species included: eastern oyster, brown shrimp, white shrimp, blue crab, crayfish, gulf menhaden, spotted seatrout, largemouth bass, American alligator, gadwallAuthorsDavid C. Lindquist, Shaye E. Sable, Laura D'Acunto, Ann Hijuelos, Erik I. Johnson, Summer R.M Langlois, Nicole L. Michel, Lindsay Nakashima, Ann M. O’Connell, Katie L. Percy, Elizabeth M. RobinsonJoint species distribution models of Everglades wading birds to inform restoration planning
Restoration of the Florida Everglades, a substantial wetland ecosystem within the United States, is one of the largest ongoing restoration projects in the world. Decision-makers and managers within the Everglades ecosystem rely on ecological models forecasting indicator wildlife response to changes in the management of water flows within the system. One such indicator of ecosystem health, the presAuthorsLaura D'Acunto, Leonard G. Pearlstine, Stephanie RomanachSmall mammal responses to wetland restoration in the Greater Everglades ecosystem
Wetlands have experienced dramatic losses in extent around the world, disrupting ecosystem function, habitat, and biodiversity. In Florida’s Greater Everglades, a massive restoration effort costing billions of dollars and spanning multiple decades is underway. As Everglades restoration is implemented in incremental projects, scientists and planners monitor the outcomes of projects. In this study,AuthorsStephanie Romanach, Laura D'Acunto, Julia Chapman, Matthew R HansonNon-USGS Publications**
D’Acunto, L.E. and Zollner, P.A. 2019. Factors influencing endangered bat conservation management by professional foresters. Forest Ecology and Management, 434:172-180.D’Acunto, L.E., Spaul, R.J., Heath, J.A., and Zollner, P.A. 2018. Simulating the success of trail closure strategies on reducing disturbance to nesting Golden Eagles. The Condor: Ornithological Applications, 120, 703-719.Flaherty, E.A., Urbanek, R., Wood, D., Day, C., D’Acunto, L., Quinn, V., and Zollner, P.A. 2018. A framework for mentoring students attending their first professional conference. Natural Sciences Education, 47, 1-8.D’Acunto, L.E., Pauli, B.P., Moy, M., Johnson, K., Abu-Omar, J., and Zollner, P.A. 2018. Timing and technique impact the effectiveness of road-based, mobile acoustic surveys of bats. Ecology and Evolution, 8, 3153-3160.Mutascio, H.E., Zollner, P.A., Pittman, S.E., and D’Acunto, L.E. 2017. Modeling relative habitat suitability of southern Florida for invasive Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus). Landscape Ecology, 33, 257-274.Quackenbush*, H., D’Acunto, L.E., Flaherty, E.A., and Zollner, P.A. 2016. Testing the efficacy of an acoustic lure on bat mist-netting success in North American central hardwood forests. Journal of Mammalogy, 97, 1602-1616.**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.