Megan Ring is a Biologist at the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, North Dakota.
My roles vary from season to season with most of my duties encompassing the work involved with managing field crews for a variety of research projects. I hire, train, and lead field crews while also managing large datasets and creating training materials and reports. I am an instructor for motorboat operator certification (MOCC). I am also our center’s first aid and CPR trainer. I have studied and captured grassland birds, threaten and endangered shorebirds, and whooping cranes to name a few. I have enjoyed working in a variety of habitats including Texas salt marshes, the central Platte Valley, the Missouri River corridor, prairie wetlands, and Montana’s short-grass prairie.
Professional Experience
2014-Present: Biologist US Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND
2009-2014: Biological Science Technician US Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND
Education and Certifications
B.S., Biology, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 2007
Science and Products
Implications of habitat-driven survival and dispersal on recruitment in a spatially structured piping plover population
Natal survival and dispersal have important consequences for populations through the movement of genes and individuals. Metapopulation theory predicts either balanced natal dispersal among regions or source–sink dynamics, which can dramatically change population structure. For species reliant on dynamic, early-successional habitats, availability and location of habitat will shift from year to year
Experimental evaluation of predator exclosures on nest, chick, and adult survival of piping plovers
Species of conservation concern often receive intensive management to improve vital rates and facilitate recovery. Piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) are federally listed in the United States and concerns over nest depredation have prompted widespread use of plover-permeable predator exclosures placed around nests (0.5–2-m radius). While effectiveness of exclosures for improving nest survival has
Foraging movements and colony attendance of Least Terns (Sternula antillarum) on the central Platte River, Nebraska, USA
Least Terns (Sternula antillarum) are known to forage away from nesting colonies, yet little information is available about movement rates and distances. We used VHF transmitters and a network of datalogging receivers to monitor movements of 23 Least Terns on the central Platte River, Nebraska, USA. We typically detected incubating and brood-rearing birds within 8 km of colonies during daylight ho
Dispersal distance is driven by habitat availability and reproductive success in Northern Great Plains piping plovers
BackgroundDispersal is a critical life history strategy that has important conservation implications, particularly for at-risk species with active recovery efforts and migratory species. Both natal and breeding dispersal are driven by numerous selection pressures, including conspecific competition, individual characteristics, reproductive success, and spatiotemporal variation in habitat. Most stud
Impacts of extreme environmental disturbances on piping plover survival are partially moderated by migratory connectivity
Effective conservation for listed migratory species requires an understanding of how drivers of population decline vary spatially and temporally, as well as knowledge of range-wide connectivity between breeding and nonbreeding areas. Environmental conditions distant from breeding areas can have lasting effects on the demography of migratory species, yet these consequences are often the least under
Spatial variation in population dynamics of northern Great Plains piping plovers
Metapopulation dynamics are determined not only by within-patch birth and death processes but also by between-patch movements of individuals (emigration and immigration). To conserve and manage a species that has a metapopulation structure, defined by local populations that are distributed among patches of suitable habitat, we need to understand each of these vital rates. For the federally listed
Asymmetric benefits of a heterospecific breeding association vary with habitat, conspecific abundance and breeding stage
Heterospecific breeding associations may benefit individuals by mitigating predation risk but may also create costs if they increase competition for resources or are more easily detectable by predators. Our understanding of the interactions among hetero‐ and conspecifics is often lacking in mixed species colonies. Here, we test how the presence of hetero‐ and conspecifics influence nest and chick
Low renesting propensity and reproductive success make renesting unproductive for the threatened Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)
Upon reproductive failure, many bird species make a secondary attempt at nesting (hereafter, “renesting”). Renesting may be an effective strategy to maximize current and lifetime reproductive success, but individuals face uncertainty in the probability of success because reproductive attempts initiated later in the breeding season often have reduced nest, pre-fledging, and post-fledging brood surv
Demographics and movements of least terns and piping plovers in the Central Platte River Valley, Nebraska
The Central Platte River Valley provides breeding habitat for a variety of migratory birds, including federally endangered interior least terns (Sternula antillarum; least tern) and threatened piping plovers (Charadrius melodus). Since 2009, researchers have collected demographic data on both species that span their lifecycle (that is, from egg laying through survival of adults). Demographic data
Impacts of extreme environmental disturbances on survival of piping plovers breeding in the Great Plains, and wintering along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coasts, 2012-2019
We present one tabular data file to evaluate piping plover (Charadrius melodus) seasonal (breeding and nonbreeding) adult survival. These data were part of a study to examine adult (n = 3474) survival during 2012-2019 at breeding regions within the Northern Great Plains and nonbreeding regions in the Gulf and southern Atlantic Coasts of North America. This file includes USGS-funded data and not th
Piping plover hatch-year survival and natal dispersal probabilities in the Northern Great Plains, USA 2014-2019
We present a tabular data set representing values to estimate apparent hatch-year survival to adulthood and natal dispersal probabilities between two breeding groups of the Northern Great Plains piping plover (Charadrius melodus) used in a multievent capture-mark-resight model from 2014-2019. Focusing on the Northern Missouri River and U.S. Alkali Wetlands breeding groups. In addition, several cov
Experimental evaluation of predator exclosures on nest, chick, and adult survival data for the Northern Great Plains piping plover, 2014 - 2016
This dataset presents four tabular data files that evaluate the effect of predator exclosures around piping plover (Charadrius melodus) nests on plover nest, chick, within-season, and annual adult survival. During 2014-2016, we designed an experiment to examine nest (n = 418), chick (n = 453), and adult (n = 367) survival at alkaline wetlands of the Northern Great Plains. Alkaline wetlands were di
Hetero- and conspecifics effects on nest and chick survival for two listed species; piping plover and least tern breeding on the Missouri River, USA 2007-2016
We present two tabular digital data files representing values related how the presence of hetero- and conspecifics influence nest and chick survival for two listed migratory species breeding on the Missouri River; piping plover (Charadrius melodus) and least tern (Sternula antillarum). We followed 2,507 piping plover nests, 3,251 uniquely banded piping plover chicks, 1,060 least tern nests, and 1,
Science and Products
- Publications
Implications of habitat-driven survival and dispersal on recruitment in a spatially structured piping plover population
Natal survival and dispersal have important consequences for populations through the movement of genes and individuals. Metapopulation theory predicts either balanced natal dispersal among regions or source–sink dynamics, which can dramatically change population structure. For species reliant on dynamic, early-successional habitats, availability and location of habitat will shift from year to yearExperimental evaluation of predator exclosures on nest, chick, and adult survival of piping plovers
Species of conservation concern often receive intensive management to improve vital rates and facilitate recovery. Piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) are federally listed in the United States and concerns over nest depredation have prompted widespread use of plover-permeable predator exclosures placed around nests (0.5–2-m radius). While effectiveness of exclosures for improving nest survival hasForaging movements and colony attendance of Least Terns (Sternula antillarum) on the central Platte River, Nebraska, USA
Least Terns (Sternula antillarum) are known to forage away from nesting colonies, yet little information is available about movement rates and distances. We used VHF transmitters and a network of datalogging receivers to monitor movements of 23 Least Terns on the central Platte River, Nebraska, USA. We typically detected incubating and brood-rearing birds within 8 km of colonies during daylight hoDispersal distance is driven by habitat availability and reproductive success in Northern Great Plains piping plovers
BackgroundDispersal is a critical life history strategy that has important conservation implications, particularly for at-risk species with active recovery efforts and migratory species. Both natal and breeding dispersal are driven by numerous selection pressures, including conspecific competition, individual characteristics, reproductive success, and spatiotemporal variation in habitat. Most studImpacts of extreme environmental disturbances on piping plover survival are partially moderated by migratory connectivity
Effective conservation for listed migratory species requires an understanding of how drivers of population decline vary spatially and temporally, as well as knowledge of range-wide connectivity between breeding and nonbreeding areas. Environmental conditions distant from breeding areas can have lasting effects on the demography of migratory species, yet these consequences are often the least underSpatial variation in population dynamics of northern Great Plains piping plovers
Metapopulation dynamics are determined not only by within-patch birth and death processes but also by between-patch movements of individuals (emigration and immigration). To conserve and manage a species that has a metapopulation structure, defined by local populations that are distributed among patches of suitable habitat, we need to understand each of these vital rates. For the federally listedAsymmetric benefits of a heterospecific breeding association vary with habitat, conspecific abundance and breeding stage
Heterospecific breeding associations may benefit individuals by mitigating predation risk but may also create costs if they increase competition for resources or are more easily detectable by predators. Our understanding of the interactions among hetero‐ and conspecifics is often lacking in mixed species colonies. Here, we test how the presence of hetero‐ and conspecifics influence nest and chickLow renesting propensity and reproductive success make renesting unproductive for the threatened Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)
Upon reproductive failure, many bird species make a secondary attempt at nesting (hereafter, “renesting”). Renesting may be an effective strategy to maximize current and lifetime reproductive success, but individuals face uncertainty in the probability of success because reproductive attempts initiated later in the breeding season often have reduced nest, pre-fledging, and post-fledging brood survDemographics and movements of least terns and piping plovers in the Central Platte River Valley, Nebraska
The Central Platte River Valley provides breeding habitat for a variety of migratory birds, including federally endangered interior least terns (Sternula antillarum; least tern) and threatened piping plovers (Charadrius melodus). Since 2009, researchers have collected demographic data on both species that span their lifecycle (that is, from egg laying through survival of adults). Demographic data - Data
Impacts of extreme environmental disturbances on survival of piping plovers breeding in the Great Plains, and wintering along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coasts, 2012-2019
We present one tabular data file to evaluate piping plover (Charadrius melodus) seasonal (breeding and nonbreeding) adult survival. These data were part of a study to examine adult (n = 3474) survival during 2012-2019 at breeding regions within the Northern Great Plains and nonbreeding regions in the Gulf and southern Atlantic Coasts of North America. This file includes USGS-funded data and not thPiping plover hatch-year survival and natal dispersal probabilities in the Northern Great Plains, USA 2014-2019
We present a tabular data set representing values to estimate apparent hatch-year survival to adulthood and natal dispersal probabilities between two breeding groups of the Northern Great Plains piping plover (Charadrius melodus) used in a multievent capture-mark-resight model from 2014-2019. Focusing on the Northern Missouri River and U.S. Alkali Wetlands breeding groups. In addition, several covExperimental evaluation of predator exclosures on nest, chick, and adult survival data for the Northern Great Plains piping plover, 2014 - 2016
This dataset presents four tabular data files that evaluate the effect of predator exclosures around piping plover (Charadrius melodus) nests on plover nest, chick, within-season, and annual adult survival. During 2014-2016, we designed an experiment to examine nest (n = 418), chick (n = 453), and adult (n = 367) survival at alkaline wetlands of the Northern Great Plains. Alkaline wetlands were diHetero- and conspecifics effects on nest and chick survival for two listed species; piping plover and least tern breeding on the Missouri River, USA 2007-2016
We present two tabular digital data files representing values related how the presence of hetero- and conspecifics influence nest and chick survival for two listed migratory species breeding on the Missouri River; piping plover (Charadrius melodus) and least tern (Sternula antillarum). We followed 2,507 piping plover nests, 3,251 uniquely banded piping plover chicks, 1,060 least tern nests, and 1,