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Mark Vandever

Mark Vandever is a Rangeland Management Specialist at the Fort Collins Science Center. 

Since 2005, his research has focused on the impacts of Farm Bill programs on wildlife habitat across the Great Plains. Other research includes plant-pollinator relationships, environmental stressors to amphibians, and vegetation responses to land management practices.

Professional Experience

  • 2005 to present: Rangeland Management Specialist, U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins, Colorado

Education and Certifications

  • M.Ag. Colorado State University, 2007

  • B.S. Range and Forest Management, Colorado State University, 1997

Science and Products

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A scientist hikes up to a glacier in Glacier National Park.

Social and Economic Analysis (SEA) Branch

The Social and Economic Analysis (SEA) branch is an interdisciplinary group of scientists whose primary functions are to conduct both theoretical and applied social science research, provide technical assistance, and offer training to support the development of skills in natural resource management activities.
By
Fort Collins Science Center
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Social and Economic Analysis (SEA) Branch

The Social and Economic Analysis (SEA) branch is an interdisciplinary group of scientists whose primary functions are to conduct both theoretical and applied social science research, provide technical assistance, and offer training to support the development of skills in natural resource management activities.
Learn More
link
USGS scientist conducting agricultural research

Agricultural Practices

Environmentally responsible land management has direct and indirect implications for wildlife, water quality, and air quality in terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems far beyond their extent. Agricultural land use accounts for over 50 percent of the surface area of the contiguous United States. Public recognition that social, aesthetic, and recreational values enhance the traditional uses of...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
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Agricultural Practices

Environmentally responsible land management has direct and indirect implications for wildlife, water quality, and air quality in terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems far beyond their extent. Agricultural land use accounts for over 50 percent of the surface area of the contiguous United States. Public recognition that social, aesthetic, and recreational values enhance the traditional uses of...
Learn More
link
Crop duster plane

Pesticide Exposure to Native Bees in Agricultural Landscapes

There is a lack of knowledge and understanding of how widespread use of pesticides may affect bees as they move across a diverse agricultural landscape. Studies have shown there are impacts to honey bees due to exposure to pesticides including neonicotinoid insecticides and fungicides, but the effects of these compounds on native pollinators are largely unknown.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
link

Pesticide Exposure to Native Bees in Agricultural Landscapes

There is a lack of knowledge and understanding of how widespread use of pesticides may affect bees as they move across a diverse agricultural landscape. Studies have shown there are impacts to honey bees due to exposure to pesticides including neonicotinoid insecticides and fungicides, but the effects of these compounds on native pollinators are largely unknown.
Learn More
link
A native Colorado bee on a yellow wildflower.

Native Pollinators in Agricultural Ecosystems

Beginning in 2012, the USGS collaborated with the USDA to assess the effectiveness of pollinator plantings and how alteration of landscapes has affected native pollinators and potentially contributed to their decline. The 2008 Farm Bill recognized contributions made by pollinators and made conservation of pollinator habitat a priority. The USGS is assessing native bee habitat, diversity, and...
By
Core Science Systems Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
link

Native Pollinators in Agricultural Ecosystems

Beginning in 2012, the USGS collaborated with the USDA to assess the effectiveness of pollinator plantings and how alteration of landscapes has affected native pollinators and potentially contributed to their decline. The 2008 Farm Bill recognized contributions made by pollinators and made conservation of pollinator habitat a priority. The USGS is assessing native bee habitat, diversity, and...
Learn More
link
Native sunflowers in a Kansas Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) field

Conservation Practices in Agriculturally Dominated Landscapes

Agricultural land use accounts for over 50 percent of the surface area of the contiguous United States. How these lands are managed has direct and indirect implications for wildlife, water quality, and air quality in terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems locally and far beyond their extent.
By
Fort Collins Science Center
link

Conservation Practices in Agriculturally Dominated Landscapes

Agricultural land use accounts for over 50 percent of the surface area of the contiguous United States. How these lands are managed has direct and indirect implications for wildlife, water quality, and air quality in terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems locally and far beyond their extent.
Learn More

Plant and insect pollinator diversity data from Conservation Reserve Program fields across an agricultural gradient in eastern Iowa

This data release includes sampling location identification and timing data as well as plant and insect pollinator taxonomic information in Conservation Reserve Program fields. Sampling took place during July and August of 2019. Fields were located on private land managed for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Reserve Program in eastern central Iowa, U.S.A.
By
Columbia Environmental Research Center

Characteristics, presence of erosional features, and cover of vegetation and bare ground on fields formerly enrolled in grassland, wetland, and wildlife practices of the Conservation Reserve Program in the central and western United States from 2017 to 20

Data included in this data set are from edge-of-field surveys that recorded the presence of erosional features, cover of vegetation and bare ground, and management activities (e.g., haying) on 1092 fields that had expired from three types of conservation practices (grassland, wetland, and wildlife) in the Conservation Reserve Program. Field sampling data were recorded across six US Department of A
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Percent vegetation cover, bare ground and presence of erosional features on managed Conservation Reserve Program fields across central and western United States, 2016-2019

Data included in this data set are from edge-of-field surveys of managed fields that recorded the presence of erosional features and cover of vegetation and bare ground on 320 Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields across central and western United States. Field sampling data was recorded across six US Department of Agriculture Farm Production Regions (Corn belt, Lake states, Mountain, Northern
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Images and Identifications of Wild Bees Collected in Eastern Iowa, 2019

Bees were collected in 24 fields across eastern Iowa in summer 2019. This data collection was part of a pesticide study funded by the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area- Environmental Health Program. Bees were collected using the sweep net method and then were immediately placed on dry ice in the field. Bees were kept frozen to prevent degradation. In the lab, each wild bee was photographed from one or
By
Oregon Water Science Center

Pesticide residues in passive samplers and bee tissue from Conservation Reserve Program fields across an agricultural gradient in eastern Iowa, USA, 2019 (ver 2.0, October 2023)

This data release includes sampling location, pesticide concentrations in passive samplers (silicone bands) and bees foraging in Conservation Reserve Program fields. Sampling took place during July and August of 2019. Fields were located on private land managed for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Reserve Program in eastern central Iowa, U.S.A.
By
Columbia Environmental Research Center

Presence of erosional features and cover of grasses, forbs, and bare ground on fields enrolled in grassland, wetland, and wildlife practices of the Conservation Reserve Program in the central and western United States from 2016 to 2018

Data included in this data set are from in-field and edge-of-field surveys that recorded the presence of erosional features and cover of vegetation and bare ground on 1786 Conservation Reserve Program fields across three types of conservation practices (grassland, wetland, and wildlife). Field sampling data were recorded across six US Department of Agriculture Farm Production Regions (Corn belt, L
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Native Bee Genera in Colorado Conservation Reserve Program Fields, Collected from 2012-2014

Data included in this data set are for blue vane trap captured native bees from Logan County, Colorado starting in 2012 and ending in 2014. Data collected were the number of bees captured per date, per field, and identified to genus. Net level data contains 16,229 records.
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Amphibian Occupancy and Effects of Habitat Use on Pesticide Exposure in Iowa Wetlands

Amphibians living in agricultural areas encounter many challenges. Two factors affecting individuals in these landscapes are habitat loss and pesticides. This thesis focuses on amphibians using agricultural wetlands in Iowa, where row crops such as corn and soybeans dominate the landscape. The goal of my first study was to determine the influences of site characteristics on amphibian presence and
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Cooperative Research Units, Land Management Research Program
An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado.
An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado
An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado
An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado.

An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado

An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado

An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado.

By
Fort Collins Science Center
An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado.

An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado

An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado

An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado.

By
Fort Collins Science Center
a bumble bee in an alfalfa field
a bumble bee in an alfalfa field
a bumble bee in an alfalfa field
a bumble bee in an alfalfa field

a bumble bee in an alfalfa field

a bumble bee in an alfalfa field

 A bumble bee in an alfalfa field.

By
Fort Collins Science Center
a bumble bee in an alfalfa field

a bumble bee in an alfalfa field

a bumble bee in an alfalfa field

 A bumble bee in an alfalfa field.

By
Fort Collins Science Center
Image: Running the Bee Traps
Running the Bee Traps
Running the Bee Traps
Image: Running the Bee Traps

Running the Bee Traps

Running the Bee Traps

USGS technicians check bee traps from a harvested wheat field in Colorado. Credit: Mark Vandever, USGS.

By
Ecosystems, Communications and Publishing
Image: Running the Bee Traps

Running the Bee Traps

Running the Bee Traps

USGS technicians check bee traps from a harvested wheat field in Colorado. Credit: Mark Vandever, USGS.

By
Ecosystems, Communications and Publishing
Image: Running the Bee Traps
Running the Bee Traps
Running the Bee Traps
Image: Running the Bee Traps

Running the Bee Traps

Running the Bee Traps

A USGS technician checks bee traps from a harvested wheat field in Colorado. Credit: Mark Vandever, USGS.

By
Ecosystems, Communications and Publishing
Image: Running the Bee Traps

Running the Bee Traps

Running the Bee Traps

A USGS technician checks bee traps from a harvested wheat field in Colorado. Credit: Mark Vandever, USGS.

By
Ecosystems, Communications and Publishing
Image: Native Bee Pollinating a Prickly Pear
Native Bee Pollinating a Prickly Pear
Native Bee Pollinating a Prickly Pear
Image: Native Bee Pollinating a Prickly Pear

Native Bee Pollinating a Prickly Pear

Native Bee Pollinating a Prickly Pear

A native bee pollinates a prickly pear cactus in Colorado. Credit: Mark Vandever, USGS.

By
Ecosystems, Communications and Publishing
Image: Native Bee Pollinating a Prickly Pear

Native Bee Pollinating a Prickly Pear

Native Bee Pollinating a Prickly Pear

A native bee pollinates a prickly pear cactus in Colorado. Credit: Mark Vandever, USGS.

By
Ecosystems, Communications and Publishing
Image: Bee Trap in Grassland
Bee Trap in Grassland
Bee Trap in Grassland
Image: Bee Trap in Grassland

Bee Trap in Grassland

Bee Trap in Grassland

A blue bee trap is located in a Colorado grassland. These are used to collect bee specimens for lab study. Credit: Mark Vandever, USGS.

By
Ecosystems, Communications and Publishing
Image: Bee Trap in Grassland

Bee Trap in Grassland

Bee Trap in Grassland

A blue bee trap is located in a Colorado grassland. These are used to collect bee specimens for lab study. Credit: Mark Vandever, USGS.

By
Ecosystems, Communications and Publishing
Image: Native Bee Pollinates Native Flower
Native Bee Pollinates Native Flower
Native Bee Pollinates Native Flower
Image: Native Bee Pollinates Native Flower

Native Bee Pollinates Native Flower

Native Bee Pollinates Native Flower

A macrophotography image showing a native bee pollinating a native flower. 

By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Communications and Publishing
Image: Native Bee Pollinates Native Flower

Native Bee Pollinates Native Flower

Native Bee Pollinates Native Flower

A macrophotography image showing a native bee pollinating a native flower. 

By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Communications and Publishing
Filter Total Items: 28

Comparing modern identification methods for wild bees: Metabarcoding and image-based morphological taxonomic assignment

With the decline of bee populations worldwide, studies determining current wild bee distributions and diversity are increasingly important. Wild bee identification is often completed by experienced taxonomists or by genetic analysis. The current study was designed to compare two methods of identification including: (1) morphological identification by experienced taxonomists using images of field-c
Authors
Cassandra Smith, Robert S. Cornman, Jennifer A. Fike, Johanna M. Kraus, Sara J. Oyler-McCance, Carrie E Givens, Michelle Hladik, Mark W. Vandever, Dana W. Kolpin, Kelly Smalling
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, California Water Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Central Midwest Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Mid-contract management alters conservation reserve program vegetation in the central and western United States

Disturbances such as grazing, fire, and burrowing are historically important in North American grasslands, and plans for restoring disturbance regimes are often required for successful restoration. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has become the dominant grassland restoration mechanism in many areas, and requires planned disturbances known as mid-contract man
Authors
Kenneth Elgersma, Mark W. Vandever, Ai Wen
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Conserved grasslands support similar pollinator diversity as pollinator-specific practice regardless of proximal cropland and pesticide exposure

Pollinator diversity and abundance are declining globally. Cropland agriculture and the corresponding use of agricultural pesticides may contribute to these declines, while increased pollinator habitat (flowering plants) can help mitigate them. Here we tested whether the relative effect of wildflower plantings on pollinator diversity and counts were modified by proportion of nearby agricultural la
Authors
Johanna M. Kraus, Kelly Smalling, Mark W. Vandever, Carrie E Givens, Cassandra Smith, Dana W. Kolpin, Michelle Hladik
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, California Water Science Center, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Fort Collins Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Central Midwest Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Rangeland Ecosystem Services: Connecting nature and people

No abstract available.
Authors
Jeff Goodwin, Lauren M. Porensky, Paul Meiman, Hailey Wilmer, Justin D. Derner, Rich Iovanna, Anna Clare Monlezun, Mark W. Vandever, Jon Griggs, Frank Price, Sheri Spiegal, Nick Padilla, Dave Voth, Anna Maher, Rory O'Connor, David Hoover, Jenny Pluhar, Catherine Estep, William Fox
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Persistence and quality of vegetation cover in expired Conservation Reserve Program fields

For nearly 40 years, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has implemented practices to reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and provide habitat for wildlife and pollinators on highly erodible cropland in the United States. However, an approximately 40,470 ha (10 million acres) decline in enrolled CRP land over the last decade has greatly reduced the program's environmental benefits. We so
Authors
Mark W. Vandever, Kenneth Elgersma, Sarah K. Carter, Ai Wen, Justin L. Welty, Robert Arkle, Timothy J. Assal, David Pilliod, David M. Mushet, Rich Iovanna
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Wild bee exposure to pesticides in conservation grasslands increases along an agricultural gradient: A tale of two sample types

Conservation efforts have been implemented in agroecosystems to enhance pollinator diversity by creating grassland habitat, but little is known about the exposure of bees to pesticides while foraging in these grassland fields. Pesticide exposure was assessed in 24 conservation grassland fields along an agricultural gradient at two time points (July and August) using silicone band passive samplers
Authors
Michelle Hladik, Johanna M. Kraus, Cassandra Smith, Mark W. Vandever, Dana W. Kolpin, Carrie E Givens, Kelly L. Smalling
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, California Water Science Center, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Fort Collins Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Central Midwest Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Evaluating establishment of conservation practices in the Conservation Reserve Program across the central and western United States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is one of the largest private lands conservation programs in the United States, establishing perennial vegetation on environmentally sensitive lands formerly in agricultural production. Over its 35 year existence, the CRP has evolved to include diverse conservation practices (CPs) while concomitantly meeting its core goals of
Authors
Mark W. Vandever, Sarah K. Carter, Timothy J. Assal, Kenneth Elgersma, Ai Wen, Justin L. Welty, Robert Arkle, Rich Iovanna
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center

Diversity and abundance of wild bees in an agriculturally dominated landscape of eastern Colorado

Agricultural intensification has resulted in loss of natural and semi-natural habitats impacting several important ecosystem services. One group of organisms that has suffered greatly are the bees and hence pollination, the supporting ecosystem service they complete. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has implemented conservation practices designe
Authors
H. S. Arathi, Mark W. Vandever, Brian S. Cade
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Factors influencing anuran wetland occupancy in an agricultural landscape

Habitat disturbance is an important cause of global amphibian declines, with especially strong effects in areas of high agricultural use. Determining the influence of site characteristics on amphibian presence and success is vital to developing effective conservation strategies. We used occupancy analysis to estimate presence of four anuran species at wetlands in northern Iowa as a function of eig
Authors
Jennifer E. Swanson, Clay Pierce, Stephen J. Dinsmore, Kelly L. Smalling, Mark W. Vandever, Timothy W. Stewart, Erin L. Muths
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Fort Collins Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center

Exploring the amphibian exposome in an agricultural landscape using telemetry and passive sampling

This is the first field study of its kind to combine radio telemetry, passive samplers, and pesticide accumulation in tissues to characterize the amphibian exposome as it relates to pesticides. Understanding how habitat drives exposure in individuals (i.e., their exposome), and how that relates to individual health is critical to managing species in an agricultural landscape where pesticide exposu
Authors
Jennifer E. Swanson, Erin L. Muths, Clay Pierce, Stephen J. Dinsmore, Mark W. Vandever, Michelle L. Hladik, Kelly L. Smalling
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Placement of intracoelomic radio transmitters and silicone passive sampling devices in northern leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens)

Historically, wetland toxin exposure studies have relied on single time point samples from stationary sampling devices. Development of passive sampling devices (PSDs) that can be attached to individual animals within wetland habitats has greatly improved in recent years, presenting an innovative sampling technology that can potentially yield individual-specific, quantifiable data about chemical ex
Authors
Taylor Yaw, Jennifer E. Swanson, Clay Pierce, Erin L. Muths, Kelly L. Smalling, Mark W. Vandever, Bianca Anne Zaffarano
By
Cooperative Research Units

Amphibians, pesticides, and the amphibian chytrid fungus in restored wetlands in agricultural landscapes

Information on interactions between pesticide exposure and disease prevalence in amphibian populations is limited, especially from field data. Exposure to certain herbicides and insecticides has the potential to decrease the immune response in frogs, which can potentially lead to increased abundance of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) zoospores on individuals and in the wetlands. In contrast, e
Authors
Rebecca A. Reeves, Clay Pierce, Mark W. Vandever, Erin L. Muths, Kelly L. Smalling
By
Water Resources Mission Area, New Jersey Water Science Center

Science and Products

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A scientist hikes up to a glacier in Glacier National Park.

Social and Economic Analysis (SEA) Branch

The Social and Economic Analysis (SEA) branch is an interdisciplinary group of scientists whose primary functions are to conduct both theoretical and applied social science research, provide technical assistance, and offer training to support the development of skills in natural resource management activities.
By
Fort Collins Science Center
link

Social and Economic Analysis (SEA) Branch

The Social and Economic Analysis (SEA) branch is an interdisciplinary group of scientists whose primary functions are to conduct both theoretical and applied social science research, provide technical assistance, and offer training to support the development of skills in natural resource management activities.
Learn More
link
USGS scientist conducting agricultural research

Agricultural Practices

Environmentally responsible land management has direct and indirect implications for wildlife, water quality, and air quality in terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems far beyond their extent. Agricultural land use accounts for over 50 percent of the surface area of the contiguous United States. Public recognition that social, aesthetic, and recreational values enhance the traditional uses of...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
link

Agricultural Practices

Environmentally responsible land management has direct and indirect implications for wildlife, water quality, and air quality in terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems far beyond their extent. Agricultural land use accounts for over 50 percent of the surface area of the contiguous United States. Public recognition that social, aesthetic, and recreational values enhance the traditional uses of...
Learn More
link
Crop duster plane

Pesticide Exposure to Native Bees in Agricultural Landscapes

There is a lack of knowledge and understanding of how widespread use of pesticides may affect bees as they move across a diverse agricultural landscape. Studies have shown there are impacts to honey bees due to exposure to pesticides including neonicotinoid insecticides and fungicides, but the effects of these compounds on native pollinators are largely unknown.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
link

Pesticide Exposure to Native Bees in Agricultural Landscapes

There is a lack of knowledge and understanding of how widespread use of pesticides may affect bees as they move across a diverse agricultural landscape. Studies have shown there are impacts to honey bees due to exposure to pesticides including neonicotinoid insecticides and fungicides, but the effects of these compounds on native pollinators are largely unknown.
Learn More
link
A native Colorado bee on a yellow wildflower.

Native Pollinators in Agricultural Ecosystems

Beginning in 2012, the USGS collaborated with the USDA to assess the effectiveness of pollinator plantings and how alteration of landscapes has affected native pollinators and potentially contributed to their decline. The 2008 Farm Bill recognized contributions made by pollinators and made conservation of pollinator habitat a priority. The USGS is assessing native bee habitat, diversity, and...
By
Core Science Systems Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Fort Collins Science Center
link

Native Pollinators in Agricultural Ecosystems

Beginning in 2012, the USGS collaborated with the USDA to assess the effectiveness of pollinator plantings and how alteration of landscapes has affected native pollinators and potentially contributed to their decline. The 2008 Farm Bill recognized contributions made by pollinators and made conservation of pollinator habitat a priority. The USGS is assessing native bee habitat, diversity, and...
Learn More
link
Native sunflowers in a Kansas Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) field

Conservation Practices in Agriculturally Dominated Landscapes

Agricultural land use accounts for over 50 percent of the surface area of the contiguous United States. How these lands are managed has direct and indirect implications for wildlife, water quality, and air quality in terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems locally and far beyond their extent.
By
Fort Collins Science Center
link

Conservation Practices in Agriculturally Dominated Landscapes

Agricultural land use accounts for over 50 percent of the surface area of the contiguous United States. How these lands are managed has direct and indirect implications for wildlife, water quality, and air quality in terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems locally and far beyond their extent.
Learn More

Plant and insect pollinator diversity data from Conservation Reserve Program fields across an agricultural gradient in eastern Iowa

This data release includes sampling location identification and timing data as well as plant and insect pollinator taxonomic information in Conservation Reserve Program fields. Sampling took place during July and August of 2019. Fields were located on private land managed for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Reserve Program in eastern central Iowa, U.S.A.
By
Columbia Environmental Research Center

Characteristics, presence of erosional features, and cover of vegetation and bare ground on fields formerly enrolled in grassland, wetland, and wildlife practices of the Conservation Reserve Program in the central and western United States from 2017 to 20

Data included in this data set are from edge-of-field surveys that recorded the presence of erosional features, cover of vegetation and bare ground, and management activities (e.g., haying) on 1092 fields that had expired from three types of conservation practices (grassland, wetland, and wildlife) in the Conservation Reserve Program. Field sampling data were recorded across six US Department of A
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Percent vegetation cover, bare ground and presence of erosional features on managed Conservation Reserve Program fields across central and western United States, 2016-2019

Data included in this data set are from edge-of-field surveys of managed fields that recorded the presence of erosional features and cover of vegetation and bare ground on 320 Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields across central and western United States. Field sampling data was recorded across six US Department of Agriculture Farm Production Regions (Corn belt, Lake states, Mountain, Northern
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Images and Identifications of Wild Bees Collected in Eastern Iowa, 2019

Bees were collected in 24 fields across eastern Iowa in summer 2019. This data collection was part of a pesticide study funded by the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area- Environmental Health Program. Bees were collected using the sweep net method and then were immediately placed on dry ice in the field. Bees were kept frozen to prevent degradation. In the lab, each wild bee was photographed from one or
By
Oregon Water Science Center

Pesticide residues in passive samplers and bee tissue from Conservation Reserve Program fields across an agricultural gradient in eastern Iowa, USA, 2019 (ver 2.0, October 2023)

This data release includes sampling location, pesticide concentrations in passive samplers (silicone bands) and bees foraging in Conservation Reserve Program fields. Sampling took place during July and August of 2019. Fields were located on private land managed for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Reserve Program in eastern central Iowa, U.S.A.
By
Columbia Environmental Research Center

Presence of erosional features and cover of grasses, forbs, and bare ground on fields enrolled in grassland, wetland, and wildlife practices of the Conservation Reserve Program in the central and western United States from 2016 to 2018

Data included in this data set are from in-field and edge-of-field surveys that recorded the presence of erosional features and cover of vegetation and bare ground on 1786 Conservation Reserve Program fields across three types of conservation practices (grassland, wetland, and wildlife). Field sampling data were recorded across six US Department of Agriculture Farm Production Regions (Corn belt, L
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Native Bee Genera in Colorado Conservation Reserve Program Fields, Collected from 2012-2014

Data included in this data set are for blue vane trap captured native bees from Logan County, Colorado starting in 2012 and ending in 2014. Data collected were the number of bees captured per date, per field, and identified to genus. Net level data contains 16,229 records.
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Amphibian Occupancy and Effects of Habitat Use on Pesticide Exposure in Iowa Wetlands

Amphibians living in agricultural areas encounter many challenges. Two factors affecting individuals in these landscapes are habitat loss and pesticides. This thesis focuses on amphibians using agricultural wetlands in Iowa, where row crops such as corn and soybeans dominate the landscape. The goal of my first study was to determine the influences of site characteristics on amphibian presence and
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Cooperative Research Units, Land Management Research Program
An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado.
An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado
An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado
An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado.

An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado

An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado

An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado.

By
Fort Collins Science Center
An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado.

An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado

An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado

An agricultural barn with farming equipment stored outside in Colorado.

By
Fort Collins Science Center
a bumble bee in an alfalfa field
a bumble bee in an alfalfa field
a bumble bee in an alfalfa field
a bumble bee in an alfalfa field

a bumble bee in an alfalfa field

a bumble bee in an alfalfa field

 A bumble bee in an alfalfa field.

By
Fort Collins Science Center
a bumble bee in an alfalfa field

a bumble bee in an alfalfa field

a bumble bee in an alfalfa field

 A bumble bee in an alfalfa field.

By
Fort Collins Science Center
Image: Running the Bee Traps
Running the Bee Traps
Running the Bee Traps
Image: Running the Bee Traps

Running the Bee Traps

Running the Bee Traps

USGS technicians check bee traps from a harvested wheat field in Colorado. Credit: Mark Vandever, USGS.

By
Ecosystems, Communications and Publishing
Image: Running the Bee Traps

Running the Bee Traps

Running the Bee Traps

USGS technicians check bee traps from a harvested wheat field in Colorado. Credit: Mark Vandever, USGS.

By
Ecosystems, Communications and Publishing
Image: Running the Bee Traps
Running the Bee Traps
Running the Bee Traps
Image: Running the Bee Traps

Running the Bee Traps

Running the Bee Traps

A USGS technician checks bee traps from a harvested wheat field in Colorado. Credit: Mark Vandever, USGS.

By
Ecosystems, Communications and Publishing
Image: Running the Bee Traps

Running the Bee Traps

Running the Bee Traps

A USGS technician checks bee traps from a harvested wheat field in Colorado. Credit: Mark Vandever, USGS.

By
Ecosystems, Communications and Publishing
Image: Native Bee Pollinating a Prickly Pear
Native Bee Pollinating a Prickly Pear
Native Bee Pollinating a Prickly Pear
Image: Native Bee Pollinating a Prickly Pear

Native Bee Pollinating a Prickly Pear

Native Bee Pollinating a Prickly Pear

A native bee pollinates a prickly pear cactus in Colorado. Credit: Mark Vandever, USGS.

By
Ecosystems, Communications and Publishing
Image: Native Bee Pollinating a Prickly Pear

Native Bee Pollinating a Prickly Pear

Native Bee Pollinating a Prickly Pear

A native bee pollinates a prickly pear cactus in Colorado. Credit: Mark Vandever, USGS.

By
Ecosystems, Communications and Publishing
Image: Bee Trap in Grassland
Bee Trap in Grassland
Bee Trap in Grassland
Image: Bee Trap in Grassland

Bee Trap in Grassland

Bee Trap in Grassland

A blue bee trap is located in a Colorado grassland. These are used to collect bee specimens for lab study. Credit: Mark Vandever, USGS.

By
Ecosystems, Communications and Publishing
Image: Bee Trap in Grassland

Bee Trap in Grassland

Bee Trap in Grassland

A blue bee trap is located in a Colorado grassland. These are used to collect bee specimens for lab study. Credit: Mark Vandever, USGS.

By
Ecosystems, Communications and Publishing
Image: Native Bee Pollinates Native Flower
Native Bee Pollinates Native Flower
Native Bee Pollinates Native Flower
Image: Native Bee Pollinates Native Flower

Native Bee Pollinates Native Flower

Native Bee Pollinates Native Flower

A macrophotography image showing a native bee pollinating a native flower. 

By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Communications and Publishing
Image: Native Bee Pollinates Native Flower

Native Bee Pollinates Native Flower

Native Bee Pollinates Native Flower

A macrophotography image showing a native bee pollinating a native flower. 

By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Communications and Publishing
Filter Total Items: 28

Comparing modern identification methods for wild bees: Metabarcoding and image-based morphological taxonomic assignment

With the decline of bee populations worldwide, studies determining current wild bee distributions and diversity are increasingly important. Wild bee identification is often completed by experienced taxonomists or by genetic analysis. The current study was designed to compare two methods of identification including: (1) morphological identification by experienced taxonomists using images of field-c
Authors
Cassandra Smith, Robert S. Cornman, Jennifer A. Fike, Johanna M. Kraus, Sara J. Oyler-McCance, Carrie E Givens, Michelle Hladik, Mark W. Vandever, Dana W. Kolpin, Kelly Smalling
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, California Water Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Central Midwest Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Mid-contract management alters conservation reserve program vegetation in the central and western United States

Disturbances such as grazing, fire, and burrowing are historically important in North American grasslands, and plans for restoring disturbance regimes are often required for successful restoration. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has become the dominant grassland restoration mechanism in many areas, and requires planned disturbances known as mid-contract man
Authors
Kenneth Elgersma, Mark W. Vandever, Ai Wen
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Conserved grasslands support similar pollinator diversity as pollinator-specific practice regardless of proximal cropland and pesticide exposure

Pollinator diversity and abundance are declining globally. Cropland agriculture and the corresponding use of agricultural pesticides may contribute to these declines, while increased pollinator habitat (flowering plants) can help mitigate them. Here we tested whether the relative effect of wildflower plantings on pollinator diversity and counts were modified by proportion of nearby agricultural la
Authors
Johanna M. Kraus, Kelly Smalling, Mark W. Vandever, Carrie E Givens, Cassandra Smith, Dana W. Kolpin, Michelle Hladik
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, California Water Science Center, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Fort Collins Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Central Midwest Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Rangeland Ecosystem Services: Connecting nature and people

No abstract available.
Authors
Jeff Goodwin, Lauren M. Porensky, Paul Meiman, Hailey Wilmer, Justin D. Derner, Rich Iovanna, Anna Clare Monlezun, Mark W. Vandever, Jon Griggs, Frank Price, Sheri Spiegal, Nick Padilla, Dave Voth, Anna Maher, Rory O'Connor, David Hoover, Jenny Pluhar, Catherine Estep, William Fox
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Persistence and quality of vegetation cover in expired Conservation Reserve Program fields

For nearly 40 years, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has implemented practices to reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and provide habitat for wildlife and pollinators on highly erodible cropland in the United States. However, an approximately 40,470 ha (10 million acres) decline in enrolled CRP land over the last decade has greatly reduced the program's environmental benefits. We so
Authors
Mark W. Vandever, Kenneth Elgersma, Sarah K. Carter, Ai Wen, Justin L. Welty, Robert Arkle, Timothy J. Assal, David Pilliod, David M. Mushet, Rich Iovanna
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Wild bee exposure to pesticides in conservation grasslands increases along an agricultural gradient: A tale of two sample types

Conservation efforts have been implemented in agroecosystems to enhance pollinator diversity by creating grassland habitat, but little is known about the exposure of bees to pesticides while foraging in these grassland fields. Pesticide exposure was assessed in 24 conservation grassland fields along an agricultural gradient at two time points (July and August) using silicone band passive samplers
Authors
Michelle Hladik, Johanna M. Kraus, Cassandra Smith, Mark W. Vandever, Dana W. Kolpin, Carrie E Givens, Kelly L. Smalling
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, California Water Science Center, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Fort Collins Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center, Central Midwest Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Evaluating establishment of conservation practices in the Conservation Reserve Program across the central and western United States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is one of the largest private lands conservation programs in the United States, establishing perennial vegetation on environmentally sensitive lands formerly in agricultural production. Over its 35 year existence, the CRP has evolved to include diverse conservation practices (CPs) while concomitantly meeting its core goals of
Authors
Mark W. Vandever, Sarah K. Carter, Timothy J. Assal, Kenneth Elgersma, Ai Wen, Justin L. Welty, Robert Arkle, Rich Iovanna
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center

Diversity and abundance of wild bees in an agriculturally dominated landscape of eastern Colorado

Agricultural intensification has resulted in loss of natural and semi-natural habitats impacting several important ecosystem services. One group of organisms that has suffered greatly are the bees and hence pollination, the supporting ecosystem service they complete. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has implemented conservation practices designe
Authors
H. S. Arathi, Mark W. Vandever, Brian S. Cade
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Factors influencing anuran wetland occupancy in an agricultural landscape

Habitat disturbance is an important cause of global amphibian declines, with especially strong effects in areas of high agricultural use. Determining the influence of site characteristics on amphibian presence and success is vital to developing effective conservation strategies. We used occupancy analysis to estimate presence of four anuran species at wetlands in northern Iowa as a function of eig
Authors
Jennifer E. Swanson, Clay Pierce, Stephen J. Dinsmore, Kelly L. Smalling, Mark W. Vandever, Timothy W. Stewart, Erin L. Muths
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Fort Collins Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center

Exploring the amphibian exposome in an agricultural landscape using telemetry and passive sampling

This is the first field study of its kind to combine radio telemetry, passive samplers, and pesticide accumulation in tissues to characterize the amphibian exposome as it relates to pesticides. Understanding how habitat drives exposure in individuals (i.e., their exposome), and how that relates to individual health is critical to managing species in an agricultural landscape where pesticide exposu
Authors
Jennifer E. Swanson, Erin L. Muths, Clay Pierce, Stephen J. Dinsmore, Mark W. Vandever, Michelle L. Hladik, Kelly L. Smalling
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center

Placement of intracoelomic radio transmitters and silicone passive sampling devices in northern leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens)

Historically, wetland toxin exposure studies have relied on single time point samples from stationary sampling devices. Development of passive sampling devices (PSDs) that can be attached to individual animals within wetland habitats has greatly improved in recent years, presenting an innovative sampling technology that can potentially yield individual-specific, quantifiable data about chemical ex
Authors
Taylor Yaw, Jennifer E. Swanson, Clay Pierce, Erin L. Muths, Kelly L. Smalling, Mark W. Vandever, Bianca Anne Zaffarano
By
Cooperative Research Units

Amphibians, pesticides, and the amphibian chytrid fungus in restored wetlands in agricultural landscapes

Information on interactions between pesticide exposure and disease prevalence in amphibian populations is limited, especially from field data. Exposure to certain herbicides and insecticides has the potential to decrease the immune response in frogs, which can potentially lead to increased abundance of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) zoospores on individuals and in the wetlands. In contrast, e
Authors
Rebecca A. Reeves, Clay Pierce, Mark W. Vandever, Erin L. Muths, Kelly L. Smalling
By
Water Resources Mission Area, New Jersey Water Science Center