Michael Casazza
Biography
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Mike Casazza's research program at the Dixon Field Station focuses on the ecology of threatened and endangered species in a variety of ecosystems. This includes primary ecological research on the endangered California Ridgway's Rail in SF Bay, the endangered San Francisco Gartersnake, the threatened Giant Gartersnake in the Central Valley of California, the California state-listed Greater Sandhill Crane, and the Greater Sage-Grouse. Mike Casazza's research has targeted studies which provide critical species information to land managers responsible for maintaining diverse and healthy wildlife populations while trying to help recover special status species. Understanding key life history traits of special status species can lead to management options promoting species recovery.
Mike Casazza's research team at Dixon employs a multi-disciplinary approach to all of their work including participation on several collaborative efforts. They participated in the San Francisco Bay Goals Project beginning in 1995 and culminating in 2000 with a vision of the habitat needed to sustain healthy fish and wildlife populations in and around San Francisco Bay. They are currently serving on the Great Basin Integrated Landscape Monitoring (GBILM) Team for USGS to help link ecosystem drivers to on the ground monitoring programs. In addition, Mike Casazza is a co-investigator on a Sagebrush Ecosystem project examining the impacts of livestock grazing on sagebrush habitats in coordination with principal investigators from two other Science Centers. Bridging the gap between population biology and landscape level management is a primary goal of their research team’s effort. Current animal handling permits include: California State Collecting Permit, Federal Banding Permit, Authorization to capture and mark the federally listed (threatened) giant garter snake and endangered California Ridgway's rail in addition to other non-sensitive species. Mike Casazza has wide-ranging experience in radio-tagging numerous animals including snakes, waterfowl, shorebirds, and other migratory and non-migratory birds.
EDUCATION
- 1995 M.S. California State University, Sacramento Thesis: Habitat use and movement of Northern Pintails wintering in Suisun Marsh, CA
- 1988 B.S. Wildlife Biology, U.C. Davis
Science and Products
Webinar: Linking Remote Sensing and Bird Behavior Data to Understand the Impacts of Drought on Waterfowl
View this webinar to learn how scientists are exploring the impacts of drought on waterfowl.
Suisun Marsh Waterfowl and Waterbird Studies
Suisun Marsh provides critical habitat for wintering and breeding waterbirds in California. USGS WERC collaborates with the California Department of Water Resources to examine trends in bird declines and to assess the habitat factors driving long-term survival of waterfowl, rails, and other birds in this important area.
Waterfowl Ecology in California and the Pacific Flyway
The Suisun Marsh and Central Valley in California offer some of the world’s most important wetland habitats for waterfowl in the Pacific Flyway. Mike Casazza and USGS WERC biologists are providing the science to support and evaluate waterfowl populations and habitat management in North America.
Ecology and Population Dynamics of Ridgway's Rails along the West Coast of the U.S.
The Ridgway’s rail is a federal and state listed endangered species that occurs in wetlands along the Pacific Coast and from the Lower Colorado River drainage to southern Baja California. Three subspecies of Ridgway’s rail are found within the United States: the California Ridgway’s Rail, Yuma Ridgway’s rail, and Light-footed Ridgway’s rail. All three subspecies have declined since 1900 as a...
Dixon Field Station
WERC scientists at the Dixon Field Station conduct studies from the San Francisco Bay-Delta in California to the Great Basin spanning California and Nevada.
The Impact of Drought on Waterbirds and Their Wetland Habitats in California’s Central Valley
California’s Central Valley is a nexus for water resources in the state, draining the Sacramento and San Joaquin River watersheds. Urban centers, agricultural operations, and the environment all compete for limited water, and demand is expected to only increase as the population grows and agriculture intensifies. At the same time, the water supply is projected to decrease as temperatures rise...
Effects of Sea-Level Rise and Extreme Storms on California Coastal Habitats: Part 1
In California, the near-shore area where the ocean meets the land is a highly productive yet sensitive region that supports a wealth of wildlife, including several native bird species. These saltmarshes, mudflats, and shallow bays are not only critical for wildlife, but they also provide economic and recreational benefits to local communities. Today, sea-level rise, more frequent and stronger...
Fate of Endangered Species in San Francisco Bay Tidal Marshes with Sea-Level Rise
The San Francisco Bay estuary contains the largest remaining expanse of tidal salt marshes in the western U.S. These marshes are home to a variety of federal and state protected species, such as the California clapper rail, California black rail, and the salt marsh harvest mouse. The estuary is also located on the Pacific Flyway, and is an important site for migrating and wintering birds. As...
Geospatial data for object-based high-resolution classification of conifers within greater sage-grouse habitat across Nevada and a portion of northeastern California (ver. 2.0 July 2018)
These products were developed to provide scientific and correspondingly spatially explicit information regarding the distribution and abundance of conifers (namely, singleleaf pinyon (Pinus monophylla), Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma), and western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis)) in Nevada and portions of northeastern California. Encroachment of these trees into sagebrush ecosystems of...
Geospatial data for object-based high-resolution classification of conifers within the geographic range of the Bi-State Distinct Population Segment of greater sage-grouse in California and Nevada
These products were developed to provide scientific and correspondingly spatially explicit information regarding the distribution and abundance of conifers (namely, singleleaf pinyon (Pinus monophylla), Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma), and western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis)) in Nevada and portions of northeastern California. Encroachment of these trees into sagebrush ecosystems of...
Coastal California San Francisco Gartersnake Capture-Mark-Recapture Data (2008-2013)
These data are multi-state capture histories of 273 individual San Francisco gartersnakes collected at a site before and after a portion of the site was burned. Data collection began in 2008 and continued until 2013, and the prescribed fire was applied in the fall of 2010.
Microhabitat and Vegetation Selection by Giant Gartersnakes Associated with a Restored Marsh in California
These data describe differences in percent cover of microhabitats and vegetation types at giant gartersnake locations and random points paired with giant gartersnake locations for use in case-control logistic regression. The data also include information on the individual snake, the year of observation, and whether the individual had moved from its previous location to allow for correlation of...
A Century of Landscape Disturbance and Urbanization of the San Francisco Bay Region affects the Present-day Genetic Diversity of the California Ridgway’s Rail (Rallus obsoletus obsoletus).
Fragmentation and loss of natural habitat have important consequences for wild populations and can negatively affect long-term viability and resilience to environmental change. Salt marsh obligate species, such as those that occupy the San Francisco Bay Estuary in western North America, occupy already impaired habitats as result of human development and modifications and are highly susceptible...
Demographic factors affecting population growth in giant gartersnakes
Demographic models provide insight into which vital rates and life stages contribute most to population growth. Integral projection models (IPMs) offer flexibility in matching model structure to a species’ demography. For many rare species, data are lacking for key vital rates, and uncertainty might dissuade researchers from attempting to build a...
Rose, Jonathan P.; Ersan, Julia; Wylie, Glenn D.; Casazza, Michael L.; Halstead, Brian J. Sitting ducklings: Timing of hatch, nest departure, and predation risk for dabbling duck broods
For ground‐nesting waterfowl, the timing of egg hatch and duckling departure from the nest may be influenced by the risk of predation at the nest and en route to wetlands and constrained by the time required for ducklings to imprint on the hen and be physically able to leave the nest. We determined the timing of hatch, nest departure, and...
Peterson, Sarah H.; Ackerman, Joshua T.; Herzog, Mark P.; Hartman, Christopher; Croston, Rebecca; Feldheim, Cliff L.; Casazza, Michael L. GPS tracking data reveals daily spatio-temporal movement patterns of waterfowl
BackgroundSpatio-temporal patterns of movement can characterize relationships between organisms and their surroundings, and address gaps in our understanding of species ecology, activity budgets, bioenergetics, and habitat resource management. Highly mobile waterfowl, which can exploit resources over large spatial extents, are excellent models to...
McDuie, Fiona; Casazza, Michael L.; Overton, Cory T.; Herzog, Mark P.; Hartman, C. Alex; Peterson, Sarah H.; Feldheim, Cliff L.; Ackerman, Joshua T. Effects of prescribed fire on San Francisco gartersnake survival and movement
The application of fire is prescribed for management of habitats for many plant and animal communities, but its effects on herpetofauna are diverse and remain poorly understood. To date no studies have examined the effects of prescribed fire on endangered San Francisco gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia) populations, despite a call for...
Halstead, Brian J.; Thompson, Michelle E.; Amarello, Melissa; Smith, Jeffrey J.; Wylie, Glenn D.; Routman, Eric J.; Casazza, Michael L. Rising tides: Assessing habitat vulnerability for an endangered salt marsh-dependent species with sea-level rise
Salt marsh-dependent species are vulnerable to impacts of sea-level rise (SLR). Site-specific differences in ecogeomorphic processes result in different SLR vulnerabilities. SLR impacts to Ridgway’s rail (Rallus obsoletus) of Southern California (SC) and San Francisco Bay (SF), U.S.A. could foreshadow SLR effects on other coastal endemic species....
Rosencranz, Jordan A.; Thorne, Karen M.; Buffington, Kevin J.; Overton, Cory T.; Takekawa, John; Casazza, Michael L.; McBroom, Jennifer; Wood, Julian K.; Nur, Nadav; Zembal, Richard L.; MacDonald, Glen M.; Ambrose, Richard F. A new approach to automated incubation recess detection using temperature loggers
Nest attendance during incubation is an important facet of avian nesting behavior, and understanding the number, timing, and duration of incubation recesses can improve our understanding of the factors determining avian reproductive success. Temperature loggers are a low-cost, noninvasive method for studying nest attendance, but processing and...
Croston, Rebecca; Hartman, C. Alex; Herzog, Mark P.; Casazza, Michael L.; Ackerman, Joshua T. Integrating growth and capture–mark–recapture models reveals size‐dependent survival in an elusive species
Survival is a key vital rate for projecting the viability of wild populations. Estimating survival is difficult for many rare or elusive species because recapture rates of marked individuals are low, and the ultimate fate of individuals is unknown. Low recapture rates for many species have made it difficult to accurately estimate survival, and to...
Rose, Jonathan P.; Wylie, Glenn D.; Casazza, Michael L.; Halstead, Brian J.
Findings from a preliminary investigation of the effects of aquatic habitat (water) availability on giant gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas) demography in the Sacramento Valley, California, 2014–17
The giant gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas) is a semi-aquatic species of snake precinctive to the Central Valley of California. Because the Central Valley has experienced a substantial loss of wetland habitat, giant gartersnake populations are largely found in aquatic habitats associated with rice agriculture. In dry years, less water may be...
Rose, Jonathan P.; Ersan, Julia S. M.; Reyes, Gabriel A.; Gustafson, K. Benjamin; Fulton, Alexandria M.; Fouts, Kristen J.; Wack, Raymund F.; Wylie, Glenn D.; Casazza, Michael L.; Halstead, Brian J. Duck nest depredation, predator behavior, and female response using video
Depredation plays an important role in determining duck nest success and predator and female duck behavior during nest depredation can influence nest fate. We examined depredation of mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and gadwall (A. strepera) nests in Suisun Marsh, California, USA, in 2015–2016 with continuous infrared video monitoring to identify nest...
Croston, Rebecca; Ackerman, Joshua T.; Herzog, Mark P.; Kohl, Jeffrey D.; Hartman, C. Alex; Peterson, Sarah H.; Overton, Cory T.; Feldheim, Cliff L.; Casazza, Michael L. Reproductive frequency and size-dependence of fecundity in the Giant Gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas)
How reproductive output changes with age or size is a key life-history trait that can affect which demographic rates most influence population growth. Although many studies have investigated the reproductive ecology of gartersnakes, we know little about reproduction in the threatened Giant Gartersnake, Thamnophis gigas. We used X-...
Rose, Jonathan P.; Ersan, Julia; Wylie, Glenn D.; Casazza, Michael L.; Halstead, Brian J.
Distribution and demography of San Francisco gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia) at Mindego Ranch, Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve, San Mateo County, California
San Francisco gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia) are a subspecies of common gartersnakes endemic to the San Francisco Peninsula of northern California. Because of habitat loss and collection for the pet trade, San Francisco gartersnakes were listed as endangered under the precursor to the Federal Endangered Species Act. A population of...
Kim, Richard; Halstead, Brian J.; Wylie, Glenn D.; Casazza, Michael L.
Construction and analysis of a giant gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas) population projection model
The giant gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas) is a state and federally threatened species precinctive to California. The range of the giant gartersnake has contracted in the last century because its wetland habitat has been drained for agriculture and development. As a result of this habitat alteration, giant gartersnakes now largely persist in and...
Rose, Jonathan P.; Ersan, Julia S. M.; Wylie, Glenn D.; Casazza, Michael L.; Halstead, Brian J.
Secrets of Suisun Marsh's Birds of Prey
Did you know that the USGS is studying raptors in California? Biologists with the USGS Western Ecological Research Center are hard at work in the field, learning more about the ecology of Northern Harriers and their interactions with migratory waterfowl of concern to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
USGS and NASA Team Up to Help Scientists Study the “Social Networks” of Wildlife
In the future of wildlife tracking, sea otters have their own social network.
Livestock grazing effects on sage-grouse: study identifies options to sustain ranching and help wildlife
Effects of livestock grazing on greater sage-grouse populations can be positive or negative depending on the amount of grazing and when grazing occurs, according to research published today in Ecological Applications. The research was conducted by scientists from the United States Geological Survey, Colorado State University and Utah State University.
Cumulative Effects of Wildfire Adversely Affect Greater Sage-Grouse in the Great Basin
Slowing fire-related population declines in greater sage-grouse in the Great Basin over the next 30 years may depend on the intensity of fire suppression efforts in core breeding areas and long-term patterns of precipitation, according to a just-published USGS-led study.