Mark A Ricca
I have spent my USGS career focused on addressing science needs of resource managers and agencies across a wide range of ecosystems by integrating concepts from population, community, and ecosystem ecology.
My experience spans ecological systems ranging from desert wetlands in California to sub-arctic islands in Alaska to rangelands of the American West. I now help facilitate science production for principal investigators at FRESC.
Professional Experience
2019-present: Supervisory Biologist-Research Manager, USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR
2002-2020: Wildlife Biologist, USGS Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon, CA
2000-2002: Biological Science Technician, USGS Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon, CA
1999: Faculty Research Assistant, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
1996-1999: Graduate Research Assistant, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
1994-1996: Field Biologist, California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento, CA
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA (2013)
M.S., Wildlife Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis OR (2000)
B.S. Wildlife, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA (1995)
Science and Products
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Encounters with Pinyon-Juniper influence riskier movements in Greater Sage-Grouse across the Great Basin
Spatially explicit modeling of annual and seasonal habitat for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in Nevada and Northeastern California—An updated decision-support tool for management
Impacts of introduced Rangifer on ecosystem processes of maritime tundra on subarctic islands
Wildfire, climate, and invasive grass interactions negatively impact an indicator species by reshaping sagebrush ecosystems
The integrated rangeland fire management strategy actionable science plan
Integrating spatially explicit indices of abundance and habitat quality: an applied example for greater sage-grouse management
Long-term effects of wildfire on greater sage-grouse - integrating population and ecosystem concepts for management in the Great Basin
Vegetation changes associated with a population irruption by Roosevelt elk
Climatic and density influences on recruitment in an irruptive population of Roosevelt elk
Dietary mercury exposure to endangered California Clapper Rails in San Francisco Bay
Irruptive dynamics of introduced caribou on Adak Island, Alaska: an evaluation of Riney-Caughley model predictions
Spatially explicit modeling of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) habitat in Nevada and northeastern California: a decision-support tool for management
To request an interview, contact fresc_outreach@usgs.gov or call (541) 750-1030.
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If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Filter Total Items: 17No Result Found - Publications
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Filter Total Items: 68Encounters with Pinyon-Juniper influence riskier movements in Greater Sage-Grouse across the Great Basin
Fine-scale spatiotemporal studies can better identify relationships between individual survival and habitat fragmentation so that mechanistic interpretations can be made at the population level. Recent advances in Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and statistical models capable of deconstructing high-frequency location data have facilitated interpretation of animal movement within a behavAuthorsBrian G. Prochazka, Peter S. Coates, Mark A. Ricca, Michael L. Casazza, K. Benjamin Gustafson, Josh M. HullSpatially explicit modeling of annual and seasonal habitat for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in Nevada and Northeastern California—An updated decision-support tool for management
Successful adaptive management hinges largely upon integrating new and improved sources of information as they become available. As a timely example of this tenet, we updated a management decision support tool that was previously developed for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus, hereinafter referred to as “sage-grouse”) populations in Nevada and California. Specifically, recently develAuthorsPeter S. Coates, Michael L. Casazza, Brianne E. Brussee, Mark A. Ricca, K. Benjamin Gustafson, Erika Sanchez-Chopitea, Kimberly Mauch, Lara Niell, Scott Gardner, Shawn Espinosa, David J. DelehantyImpacts of introduced Rangifer on ecosystem processes of maritime tundra on subarctic islands
Introductions of mammalian herbivores to remote islands without predators provide a natural experiment to ask how temporal and spatial variation in herbivory intensity alter feedbacks between plant and soil processes. We investigated ecosystem effects resulting from introductions of Rangifer tarandus (hereafter “Rangifer”) to native mammalian predator- and herbivore-free islands in the Aleutian arAuthorsMark A. Ricca, A. Keith Miles, Dirk H. Van Vuren, Valerie T. EvinerWildfire, climate, and invasive grass interactions negatively impact an indicator species by reshaping sagebrush ecosystems
Iconic sagebrush ecosystems of the American West are threatened by larger and more frequent wildfires that can kill sagebrush and facilitate invasion by annual grasses, creating a cycle that alters sagebrush ecosystem recovery post disturbance. Thwarting this accelerated grass–fire cycle is at the forefront of current national conservation efforts, yet its impacts on wildlife populations inhabitinAuthorsPeter S. Coates, Mark A. Ricca, Brian G. Prochazka, Matthew L. Brooks, Kevin E. Doherty, Travis Kroger, Erik J. Blomberg, Christian A. Hagen, Michael L. CasazzaThe integrated rangeland fire management strategy actionable science plan
The Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy (hereafter Strategy, DOI 2015) outlined the need for coordinated, science-based adaptive management to achieve long-term protection, conservation, and restoration of the sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystem. A key component of this management approach is the identification of knowledge gaps that limit implementation of effective strategies to meetAuthorsCameron L. Aldridge, Ken Berg, Chad S. Boyd, Stephen P. Boyte, John B. Bradford, Ed Brunson, John H. Cissel, Courtney J. Conway, Anna D. Chalfoun, Jeanne C. Chambers, Patrick Clark, Peter S. Coates, Michele R. Crist, Dawn M. Davis, Nicole DeCrappeo, Patricia A. Deibert, Kevin E. Doherty, Louisa B. Evers, Deborah M. Finch, Sean P. Finn, Matthew J. Germino, Nancy F. Glenn, Corey Gucker, John A. Hall, Steven E. Hanser, Douglas W. Havlina, Julie A. Heinrichs, Matt Heller, Collin G. Homer, Molly E. Hunter, Ruth W. Jacobs, Jason W. Karl, Richard Kearney, Susan K Kemp, Francis F. Kilkenny, Steven T. Knick, Karen Launchbaugh, Daniel J. Manier, Kenneth E. Mayer, Susan E. Meyer, Adrian P. Monroe, Eugénie MontBlanc, Beth A. Newingham, Michael L. Pellant, Susan L. Phillips, David S. Pilliod, Mark A. Ricca, Bryce A. Richardson, Jeffrey A. Rose, Nancy Shaw, Roger L. Sheley, Douglas J. Shinneman, Lief A. Wiechman, Bruce K. WylieIntegrating spatially explicit indices of abundance and habitat quality: an applied example for greater sage-grouse management
Predictive species distributional models are a cornerstone of wildlife conservation planning. Constructing such models requires robust underpinning science that integrates formerly disparate data types to achieve effective species management. Greater sage-grouse Centrocercus urophasianus, hereafter “sage-grouse” populations are declining throughout sagebrush-steppe ecosystems in North America,AuthorsPeter S. Coates, Michael L. Casazza, Mark A. Ricca, Brianne E. Brussee, Erik J. Blomberg, K. Benjamin Gustafson, Cory T. Overton, Dawn M. Davis, Lara E. Niell, Shawn P. Espinosa, Scott C. Gardner, David J. DelehantyLong-term effects of wildfire on greater sage-grouse - integrating population and ecosystem concepts for management in the Great Basin
Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereinafter, sage-grouse) are a sagebrush obligate species that has declined concomitantly with the loss and fragmentation of sagebrush ecosystems across most of its geographical range. The species currently is listed as a candidate for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Increasing wildfire frequency and changing climate frequAuthorsPeter S. Coates, Mark A. Ricca, Brian G. Prochazka, Kevin E. Doherty, Matthew L. Brooks, Michael L. CasazzaVegetation changes associated with a population irruption by Roosevelt elk
Interactions between large herbivores and their food supply are central to the study of population dynamics. We assessed temporal and spatial patterns in meadow plant biomass over a 23-year period for meadow complexes that were spatially linked to three distinct populations of Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) in northwestern California. Our objectives were to determine whether the plant cAuthorsH D Starns, Floyd W. Weckerly, Mark A. Ricca, Adam DuarteClimatic and density influences on recruitment in an irruptive population of Roosevelt elk
Current paradigms of ungulate population ecology recognize that density-dependent and independent mechanisms are not always mutually exclusive. Long-term data sets are necessary to assess the relative strength of each mechanism, especially when populations display irruptive dynamics. Using an 18-year time series of population abundances of Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) inhabiting RedwoAuthorsHeath D. Starns, Mark A. Ricca, Adam Duarte, Floyd W. WeckerlyDietary mercury exposure to endangered California Clapper Rails in San Francisco Bay
California Clapper Rails (Rallus longirostris obsoletus) are an endangered waterbird that forage in tidal-marsh habitats that pose risks from mercury exposure. We analyzed total mercury (Hg) in six macro-invertebrate and one fish species representing Clapper Rail diets from four tidal-marshes in San Francisco Bay, California. Mercury concentrations among individual taxa ranged from lowest at ColmaAuthorsMichael L. Casazza, Mark A. Ricca, Cory T. Overton, John Y. Takekawa, Angela Merritt, Joshua T. AckermanIrruptive dynamics of introduced caribou on Adak Island, Alaska: an evaluation of Riney-Caughley model predictions
Large mammalian herbivores introduced to islands without predators are predicted to undergo irruptive population and spatial dynamics, but only a few well-documented case studies support this paradigm. We used the Riney-Caughley model as a framework to test predictions of irruptive population growth and spatial expansion of caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) introduced to Adak Island in the AleutiAuthorsMark A. Ricca, Dirk H. Van Vuren, Floyd W. Weckerly, Jeffrey C. Williams, A. Keith MilesSpatially explicit modeling of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) habitat in Nevada and northeastern California: a decision-support tool for management
Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus, hereafter referred to as “sage-grouse”) populations are declining throughout the sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystem, including millions of acres of potential habitat across the West. Habitat maps derived from empirical data are needed given impending listing decisions that will affect both sage-grouse population dynamics and human land-use restrictAuthorsPeter S. Coates, Michael L. Casazza, Brianne E. Brussee, Mark A. Ricca, K. Benjamin Gustafson, Cory T. Overton, Erika Sanchez-Chopitea, Travis Kroger, Kimberly Mauch, Lara Niell, Kristy Howe, Scott Gardner, Shawn Espinosa, David J. Delehanty - News
To request an interview, contact fresc_outreach@usgs.gov or call (541) 750-1030.