Madeleine Rubenstein is the National Science Lead for the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Climate Adaptation Science Center. Her research examines how climate change affects migratory birds, with an emphasis on understanding and responding to the information needs of wildlife and habitat managers.
Madeleine earned a B.A. from Barnard College and a Master of Environmental Science from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Prior to graduate school, she was the Research Coordinator with the Columbia Climate Center at the Earth Institute of Columbia University, and a research intern with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. In addition to studying the ecological impacts of global environmental change, Madeleine has also worked on issues of international sustainable development with the Frankfurt Zoological Society and the Women’s Environment and Development Organization.
Education and Certifications
M.S. in Environmental Science, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
B.A., Barnard College
Science and Products
CAP Future of Aquatic Flows Cohort (2022-24)
CAP Future of Fire Cohort (2020-2022)
Climate Adaptation Postdoctoral (CAP) Fellows Program
The Climate Adaptation Postdoctoral (CAP) Fellows Program is a one-of-a-kind research opportunity that brings together postdoctoral scholars from around the country to conduct independent and collaborative applied research on climate change impacts to fish, wildlife, and ecosystems.
Understanding Changing Climate Variables to Clarify Species’ Exposure and Responses to Changing Environments across North America
Understanding Species' Range Shifts in Response to Climate Change: Results from a Systematic National Review
Trophic Implications of a Phenological Paradigm Shift: Bald Eagles and Salmon in a Changing Climate
Climate change and the global redistribution of biodiversity: Substantial variation in empirical support for expected range shifts
A simplified method for value of information using constructed scales
Advancing the national fish, wildlife, and plants climate adaptation strategy into a new decade
Research priorities for migratory birds under climate change—A qualitative value of information assessment
Do empirical observations support commonly-held climate change range shift hypotheses? A systematic review protocol
Using value of information to prioritize research needs for migratory bird management under climate change: A case study using federal land acquisition in the United States
Climate change effects on biodiversity, ecosystems, ecosystem services, and natural resource management in the United States
Integrating broad‐scale data to assess demographic and climatic contributions to population change in a declining songbird
Relative contribution of climate and non-climate drivers in determining dynamic rates ofboreal birds at the edge of their range
Temporal changes in avian community composition in lowland conifer habitats at the southern edge of the boreal zone in the Adirondack Park, NY
Planning for ecological drought: Integrating ecosystem services and vulnerability assessment
Trophic implications of a phenological paradigm shift: Bald eagles and salmon in a changing climate
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
CAP Future of Aquatic Flows Cohort (2022-24)
The 2022-2024 Climate Adaptation Postdoctoral (CAP) Fellows cohort will explore how climate change is altering aquatic flows in streams and rivers across the country and how climate can be integrated into aquatic ecosystem management.CAP Future of Fire Cohort (2020-2022)
The inaugural 2021-2023 Climate Adaptation Postdoctoral (CAP) Fellows cohort explores the many ways climate change is altering wildland fire regimes across the country, combining their diverse experiences to synthesize how 21st century fires affect natural and human communities and how managers can prepare for future fires.Climate Adaptation Postdoctoral (CAP) Fellows Program
The Climate Adaptation Postdoctoral (CAP) Fellows Program is a one-of-a-kind research opportunity that brings together postdoctoral scholars from around the country to conduct independent and collaborative applied research on climate change impacts to fish, wildlife, and ecosystems.
Understanding Changing Climate Variables to Clarify Species’ Exposure and Responses to Changing Environments across North America
Species across North America are being impacted by changing climate conditions. Plants and animals can respond to these changes in a variety of ways, including by shifting their geographic distributions. Determining whether or not observed biological changes, such as range shifts, are indeed the result of climate change is a key challenge facing natural resource managers and requires clarifying whUnderstanding Species' Range Shifts in Response to Climate Change: Results from a Systematic National Review
Climate change represents one of the foremost drivers of ecological change, yet its documented impacts on biodiversity remain uncertain and complex. Although there have been many published studies on species shifting their geographic ranges in response to climate change, it is still challenging to identify the specific mechanisms and conditions that facilitate range shifts in some species and notTrophic Implications of a Phenological Paradigm Shift: Bald Eagles and Salmon in a Changing Climate
Climate change influences apex predators in complex ways, due to their important trophic position, capacity for resource plasticity, and sensitivity to numerous anthropogenic stressors. Bald eagles, an ecologically and culturally significant apex predator, congregate seasonally in high densities on salmon spawning rivers across the Pacific Northwest. One of the largest eagle concentrations is in t - Publications
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Climate change and the global redistribution of biodiversity: Substantial variation in empirical support for expected range shifts
BackgroundAmong the most widely predicted climate change-related impacts to biodiversity are geographic range shifts, whereby species shift their spatial distribution to track their climate niches. A series of commonly articulated hypotheses have emerged in the scientific literature suggesting species are expected to shift their distributions to higher latitudes, greater elevations, and deeper depAuthorsMadeleine A. Rubenstein, Sarah R. Weiskopf, Romain Bertrand, Shawn Carter, Lise Comte, Mitchell Eaton, Ciara G. Johnson, Jonathan Lenoir, Abigail Lynch, Brian W. Miller, Toni Lyn Morelli, Mari Angel Rodriguez, Adam Terando, Laura ThompsonA simplified method for value of information using constructed scales
The value of information is a central concept in decision analysis, used to quantify how much the expected outcome of a decision would be improved if epistemic uncertainty could be resolved prior to committing to a course of action. One of the challenges, however, in quantitative analysis of the value of information is that the calculations are demanding, especially in requiring predictions of outAuthorsMichael C. Runge, Clark S. Rushing, James E. Lyons, Madeleine A. RubensteinAdvancing the national fish, wildlife, and plants climate adaptation strategy into a new decade
No abstract available.AuthorsJoe Burns, Whisper Camel-Means, Nikki Cooley, Karen Cozzetto, Rob Croll, Aimee Delach, Maggie Ernest Johnson, Roger Griffis, Michael A Langston, Dara Marks-Marino, Tracy Melvin, Rachael Novak, Madeleine A. Rubenstein, Robert Newman, Ted WeberResearch priorities for migratory birds under climate change—A qualitative value of information assessment
The mission of the U.S. Geological Survey National Climate Adaptation Science Center is to provide actionable, management-relevant research on climate change effects on ecosystems and wildlife to U.S. Department of the Interior bureaus. Providing this kind of useful scientific information requires understanding how natural-resource managers make decisions and identifying research priorities that sAuthorsMadeleine A. Rubenstein, Clark S. Rushing, James E. Lyons, Michael C. RungeDo empirical observations support commonly-held climate change range shift hypotheses? A systematic review protocol
Background Among the most widely anticipated climate-related impacts to biodiversity are geographic range shifts, whereby species shift their spatial distribution in response to changing climate conditions. In particular, a series of commonly articulated hypotheses have emerged: species are expected to shift their distributions to higher latitudes, greater elevations, and deeper depths in responAuthorsMadeleine A. Rubenstein, Sarah R. Weiskopf, Shawn Carter, Mitchell Eaton, Ciara Johnson, Abigail Lynch, Brian W. Miller, Toni Lyn Morelli, Mari Angel Rodriguez, Adam Terando, Laura ThompsonUsing value of information to prioritize research needs for migratory bird management under climate change: A case study using federal land acquisition in the United States
In response to global habitat loss, many governmental and non‐governmental organizations have implemented land acquisition programs to protect critical habitats permanently for priority species. The ability of these protected areas to meet future management objectives may be compromised if the effects of climate change are not considered in acquisition decisions. Unfortunately, the effects of climAuthorsClark S Rushing, Madeleine A. Rubenstein, James E. Lyons, Michael C. RungeClimate change effects on biodiversity, ecosystems, ecosystem services, and natural resource management in the United States
Climate change is a pervasive and growing global threat to biodiversity and ecosystems. Here, we present the most up-to-date assessment of climate change impacts on biodiversity, ecosystems, and ecosystem services in the U.S. and implications for natural resource management. We draw from the 4th National Climate Assessment to summarize observed and projected changes to ecosystems and biodiversity,AuthorsSarah R. Weiskopf, Madeleine A. Rubenstein, Lisa Crozier, Sarah Gaichas, Roger Griffis, Jessica E. Halofsky, Kimberly J. W. Hyde, Toni Lyn Morelli, Jeffrey T. Morisette, Roldan C. Muñoz, Andrew J. Pershing, David L. Peterson, Rajendra Poudel, Michelle D. Staudinger, Ariana E. Sutton-Grier, Laura Thompson, James Vose, Jake Weltzin, Kyle Powys WhyteIntegrating broad‐scale data to assess demographic and climatic contributions to population change in a declining songbird
Climate variation and trends affect species distribution and abundance across large spatial extents. However, most studies that predict species response to climate are implemented at small spatial scales or are based on occurrence‐environment relationships that lack mechanistic detail. Here, we develop an integrated population model (IPM) for multi‐site count and capture‐recapture data for a decliAuthorsJim Saracco, Madeleine A. RubensteinRelative contribution of climate and non-climate drivers in determining dynamic rates ofboreal birds at the edge of their range
The Adirondack Park in New York State contains a unique and limited distribution of boreal ecosystem types, providing habitat for a number of birds at the southern edge of their range. Species are projected to shift poleward in a warming climate, and the limited boreal forest of the Adirondacks is expected to undergo significant change in response to rising temperatures and changing precipitationAuthorsMichale Glennon, Stephen Langdon, Madeleine A. Rubenstein, Molly S. CrossTemporal changes in avian community composition in lowland conifer habitats at the southern edge of the boreal zone in the Adirondack Park, NY
Climate change represents one of the most significant threats to human and wildlife communities on the planet. Populations at range margins or transitions between biomes can be particularly instructive for observing changes in biological communities that may be driven by climate change. Avian communities in lowland boreal habitats in the Adirondack Park, located at the North American boreal-temperAuthorsMichale Glennon, Stephen Langdon, Madeleine A. Rubenstein, Molly S. CrossPlanning for ecological drought: Integrating ecosystem services and vulnerability assessment
As research recognizes the importance of ecological impacts of drought to natural and human communities, drought planning processes need to better incorporate ecological impacts. Drought planning currently recognizes the vulnerability of some ecological impacts from drought (e.g., loss of instream flow affecting fish populations). However, planning often does not identify all the ecological aspectAuthorsNejem Raheem, Amanda E. Cravens, Molly S. Cross, Shelley D. Crausbay, Aaron R. Ramirez, Jamie McEvoy, Dionne Zoanni, Deborah J. Bathke, Michael Hayes, Shawn Carter, Madeleine Rubenstein, Ann Schwend, Kimberly R. Hall, Paul SuberuTrophic implications of a phenological paradigm shift: Bald eagles and salmon in a changing climate
Climate change influences apex predators in complex ways, due to their important trophic position, capacity for resource plasticity, and sensitivity to numerous anthropogenic stressors. Bald eagles, an ecologically and culturally significant apex predator, congregate seasonally in high densities on salmon spawning rivers across the Pacific Northwest. One of the largest eagle concentrations is in tAuthorsMadeleine A. Rubenstein, Roger Christophersen, Jason I. RansomNon-USGS Publications**
Villarreal, D., de Obeso, J-C., Rubenstein, M., Carr, M-E. 2014. “A New Tool to Quantify Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Energy Use and the Impact of Energy Policies.” Journal of Greenhouse Gas Management and Measurement. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20430779.2013.874260Carr, M-E., Rubenstein, M., Graff, A., Villarreal, D. 2013. “Sea Level Rise in a Changing Climate: What Do We Know?” Threatened Island Nations: Legal Implications of Rising Seas and a Changing Climate. Eds. Michael B. Gerrard and Gregory E. Wannier. Cambridge University Press. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00358533.2013.834651?journalCode=ctrt20Carr, M-E., & Rubenstein, M., 2011. “Challenges to Authority: Understanding Critiques of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.” Union Theological Seminary Quarterly Review, Vol. 63: 1&2. http://usqr.utsnyc.edu/article/challenges-to-authority-understanding-critiques-of-the-intergovernmental-panel-on-climate-change/Rubenstein, M., & Glennon, M. 2015. Phenological asynchrony in populations of migratory birds as a consequence of climate change: a literature review. Wildlife Conservation Society, Adirondack Program Technical Paper #6.**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.
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