Unit Leader - Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Matt has worked on topics that include the management and recovery of peregrine falcons, habitat quality and fidelity of North Pacific whale species, the effects of range management on carnivores in southern Africa, the dynamics of elk populations, and interactions among wolves, elk and aspen.
Only Matt's five most recent publications are shown here. For more information about Matt, including a full publications list, visit his profile page on the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit web site.
Education
- University of Montana 2004
- University of California, Santa Cruz 2003
- Ph D University of California, Santa Cruz 2003
- BA University of Oregon 1992
Research Interests
Matt and his graduate students are conducting studies on elk, wolves, moose, deer, and bighorn sheep in Wyoming, addressing the influence of habitat condition, predation, human disturbance, and energy development on these species. Matt’s research combines work on animal physiology, behavior and demography to better understand population- and landscape-level processes. A primary focus of this work is to provide timely information to agency biologists charged with managing Wyoming’s wildlife.
Teaching Interests
Matt teaches graduate courses in quantitative analysis of spatial wildlife data, community ecology of wildlife, and migration ecology.
Science and Products
Wyoming Migration Initiative: Ungulate Migration in the West
Contributions to the development of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Sagebrush Conservation Strategy
Using Genetic Analyses To Inform On-The-Ground Conservation for Multiple Sagebrush-Associated Wildlife Species
Webinar: Ungulates and Climate Change: an Examination of the Potential Impacts
Linking Mule Deer Migration to Spring Green-Up in Wyoming
Pronghorn Migration and Resource Selection Near Wind Energy Facilities in Wyoming, 2010-2012 and 2018-2020
Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 3
Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 2
Seasonal Resource Selection by Pronghorn near Wind Energy Facilities in Wyoming, 2010-2012 and 2018-2020
Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 1
Wind-energy development alters pronghorn migration at multiple scales
Ungulate migrations of the western United States, volume 3
Ungulate migrations of the western United States, volume 2
Variable effects of wind-energy development on seasonal habitat selection of pronghorn
Causes, consequences, and conservation of ungulate migration
U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2018 annual report
Body size and digestive system shape resource selection by ungulates: A cross-taxa test of the forage maturation hypothesis
Life-history theory provides a framework for detecting resource limitation: A test of the Nutritional Buffer Hypothesis
Short-term responses to a human-altered landscape do not affect fat dynamics of a migratory ungulate
Functional connectivity in a continuously distributed, migratory species as revealed by landscape genomics
Mapping out a future for ungulate migrations
Emerging perspectives on resource tracking and animal movement ecology
Science and Products
- Science
Wyoming Migration Initiative: Ungulate Migration in the West
Advancing the conservation and understanding of Wyoming's migratory hooved animals (mule deer, elk, pronghorn, etc.). The Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit is led by USGS federal researchers. The Wyoming Migration Initiative is a University of Wyoming’s Zoology and Physiology Department-based collaborative of biologists, photographers, mapmakers, and writers working to research...Contributions to the development of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Sagebrush Conservation Strategy
USGS scientists are contributing to the development of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Sagebrush Conservation Strategy, a strategy intended to provide guidance so that efforts to conserve the iconic greater sage-grouse can be expanded to the entire sagebrush biome to benefit the people and wildlife that depend on it.Using Genetic Analyses To Inform On-The-Ground Conservation for Multiple Sagebrush-Associated Wildlife Species
Recent analyses of greater sage-grouse genetics have delineated areas of key genetic connectivity for this species and provided a prioritization tool for conservation and restoration of habitats essential for genetic exchange.Webinar: Ungulates and Climate Change: an Examination of the Potential Impacts
View this webinar for more information about the effects of climate change on moose, mule deer, and elk in Wyoming.Linking Mule Deer Migration to Spring Green-Up in Wyoming
Each year, plants and animals undergo certain life cycle events, such as breeding or flowering. These phenological events are linked to weather and climate, and as temperature and precipitation patterns have changed, some spring events are occurring earlier. These changes in plant phenology can have cascading effects on wildlife such as elk, moose, and mule deer, which depend on plants for food. I - Data
Pronghorn Migration and Resource Selection Near Wind Energy Facilities in Wyoming, 2010-2012 and 2018-2020
USGS scientists evaluated movement and resource selection during seasonal migrations by pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) that were tracked with GPS collars near wind-energy facilities in the Shirley Basin, Wyoming, USA, in 2010-2012 and 2018-2020. Data include values of environmental variables and proximity to wind turbines at used and available locations for analyses of pronghorn selection of roUngulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 3
This is the data archive for the publication Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 3 (Kauffman et al. 2022) and includes the collection of GIS map files that are mapped and described in the report. These map files are meant to provide a common spatial representation of the mapped migrations. This data release provides the means for ungulate migrations to be mapped and planned foUngulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 2
This is the data archive for the publication Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 2 (Kauffman et al. 2022) and includes the collection of GIS map files that are mapped and described in the report. These map files are meant to provide a common spatial representation of the mapped migrations. This data release provides the means for ungulate migrations to be mapped and planned foSeasonal Resource Selection by Pronghorn near Wind Energy Facilities in Wyoming, 2010-2012 and 2018-2020
Wind energy represents an important alternative to oil and gas extraction to meet increasing energy demands, but it has the potential to disrupt wildlife populations. Because behavioral adjustments, such as altered habitat selection, are a primary way that long-lived species respond to novel disturbances, USGS scientists evaluated effects of wind energy development on pronghorn (Antilocapra americUngulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 1
This is the data archive for the publication Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 1 (Kauffman et al. 2020) and includes the collection of GIS map files that are mapped and described in the report. These map files are meant to provide a common spatial representation of the mapped migrations. This data release provides the means for ungulate migrations to be mapped and planned fo - Publications
Filter Total Items: 76
Wind-energy development alters pronghorn migration at multiple scales
Migration is a critical behavioral strategy necessary for population persistence and ecosystem functioning, but migration routes have been increasingly disrupted by anthropogenic activities, including energy development. Wind energy is the world's fastest growing source of electricity and represents an important alternative to hydrocarbon extraction, but its effects on migratory species beyond birUngulate migrations of the western United States, volume 3
Ungulates (hooved mammals) have a broad distribution across the western United States and play an important role in maintaining predator-prey dynamics, affecting vegetation communities, and providing economic benefits to regional communities through tourism and hunting. Throughout the diverse landscapes they occupy, many ungulate populations undertake seasonal migrations to exploit spatially and tUngulate migrations of the western United States, volume 2
Migration is widespread across taxonomic groups and increasingly recognized as fundamental to maintaining abundant wildlife populations and communities. Many ungulate herds migrate across the western United States to access food and avoid harsh environmental conditions. With the advent of global positioning system (GPS) collars, researchers can describe and map the year-round movements of ungulateVariable effects of wind-energy development on seasonal habitat selection of pronghorn
In the face of climate change, wind energy represents an important alternative to oil and gas extraction to meet increasing energy demands, but it has the potential to disrupt wildlife populations. Because behavioral adjustments, such as altered habitat selection, are a primary way that long-lived species respond to novel disturbances, we evaluated effects of wind energy development on pronghorn (Causes, consequences, and conservation of ungulate migration
Our understanding of ungulate migration is advancing rapidly due to innovations in modern animal tracking. Herein, we review and synthesize nearly seven decades of work on migration and other long-distance movements of wild ungulates. Although it has long been appreciated that ungulates migrate to enhance access to forage, recent contributions demonstrate that their movements are fine tuned to dynU.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2018 annual report
The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) was established in 2007 as a collaborative interagency partnership to develop and implement science-based conservation actions. During the past 11 years, partners from U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), State and Federal land management agencies, universities, and the public have collaborated to implement a long-term (more than 10 years) science-basBody size and digestive system shape resource selection by ungulates: A cross-taxa test of the forage maturation hypothesis
The forage maturation hypothesis (FMH) states that energy intake for ungulates is maximised when forage biomass is at intermediate levels. Nevertheless, metabolic allometry and different digestive systems suggest that resource selection should vary across ungulate species. By combining GPS relocations with remotely sensed data on forage characteristics and surface water, we quantified the effect oLife-history theory provides a framework for detecting resource limitation: A test of the Nutritional Buffer Hypothesis
For ungulates and other long-lived species, life-history theory predicts that nutritional reserves are allocated to reproduction in a state-dependent manner because survival is highly conserved. Further, as per capita food abundance and nutritional reserves decline (i.e., density dependence intensifies), reproduction and recruitment become increasingly sensitive to weather. Thus, the degree to whiShort-term responses to a human-altered landscape do not affect fat dynamics of a migratory ungulate
According to risk-sensitive foraging theory, animals should make foraging decisions that balance nutritional costs and gains to promote fitness. Human disturbance is a form of perceived risk that can prompt avoidance of risky habitat over acquisition of food. Consequently, behavioural responses to perceived risk could induce nutritional costs.Population declines often coincide with increases in huFunctional connectivity in a continuously distributed, migratory species as revealed by landscape genomics
Maintaining functional connectivity is critical for the long-term conservation of wildlife populations. Landscape genomics provides an opportunity to assess long-term functional connectivity by relating environmental variables to spatial patterns of genomic variation resulting from generations of movement, dispersal and mating behaviors. Identifying landscape features associated with gene flow atMapping out a future for ungulate migrations
Migration of ungulates (hooved mammals) is a fundamental ecological process that promotes abundant herds, whose effects cascade up and down terrestrial food webs. Migratory ungulates provide the prey base that maintains large carnivore and scavenger populations and underpins terrestrial biodiversity (fig. S1). When ungulates move in large aggregations, their hooves, feces, and urine create conditiEmerging perspectives on resource tracking and animal movement ecology
Resource tracking, where animals increase energy gain by moving to track phenological variation in resources across space, is emerging as a fundamental attribute of animal movement ecology. However, a theoretical framework to understand when and where resource tracking should occur, and how resource tracking should lead to emergent ecological patterns, is lacking. We present a framework that unite - News