Michael Casazza
Mike Casazza's research program at the Dixon Field Station focuses on the ecology of waterfowl and wetland management in the Pacific Flyway.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Mike and his team are experts in wildlife telemetry and apply cutting edge tools to answer complex ecological questions. In addition, Mike’s program also focuses on threatened and endangered species in a variety of ecosystems including 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.
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
Evaluating greater sage-grouse seasonal space use relative to leks: Implications for surface use designations in sagebrush ecosystems
Monitoring of livestock grazing effects on Bureau of Land Management land
Efficacy of trap modifications for increasing capture rates of aquatic snakes in floating aquatic funnel traps
Final report for sea-level rise response modeling for San Francisco Bay estuary tidal marshes
Waste rice seed in conventional and stripper-head harvested fields in California: Implications for wintering waterfowl
Relative value of managed wetlands and tidal marshlands for wintering northern pintails
Data resources for range-wide assessment of livestock grazing across the sagebrush biome
Bayesian shared frailty models for regional inference about wildlife survival
Hunting influences the diel patterns in habitat selection by northern pintails Anas acuta
Does mercury contamination reduce body condition of endangered California clapper rails?
Preliminary analysis of Greater Sage-grouse reproduction in the Virginia Mountains of northwestern Nevada
Range-wide assessment of livestock grazing across the sagebrush biome
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Evaluating greater sage-grouse seasonal space use relative to leks: Implications for surface use designations in sagebrush ecosystems
The development of anthropogenic structures, especially those related to energy resources, in sagebrush ecosystems is an important concern among developers, conservationists, and land managers in relation to greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter, sage-grouse) populations. Sage-grouse are dependent on sagebrush ecosystems to meet their seasonal life-phase requirements, and reseaAuthorsMichael L. Casazza, Peter S. CoatesMonitoring of livestock grazing effects on Bureau of Land Management land
Public land management agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), are charged with managing rangelands throughout the western United States for multiple uses, such as livestock grazing and conservation of sensitive species and their habitats. Monitoring of condition and trends of these rangelands, particularly with respect to effects of livestock grazing, provides critical informationAuthorsKari E. Veblen, David A. Pyke, Cameron L. Aldridge, Michael L. Casazza, Timothy J. Assal, Melissa A. FarinhaEfficacy of trap modifications for increasing capture rates of aquatic snakes in floating aquatic funnel traps
Increasing detection and capture probabilities of rare or elusive herpetofauna of conservation concern is important to inform the scientific basis for their management and recovery. The Giant Gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas) is an example of a secretive, wary, and generally difficult-to-sample species about which little is known regarding its patterns of occurrence and demography. We therefore evaluAuthorsBrian J. Halstead, Glenn D. Wylie, Michael L. CasazzaFinal report for sea-level rise response modeling for San Francisco Bay estuary tidal marshes
The International Panel on Climate Change has identified coastal ecosystems as areas that will be disproportionally affected by climate change. Current sea-level rise projections range widely with 0.57 to 1.9 meters increase in mea sea level by 2100. The expected accelerated rate of sea-level rise through the 21st century will put many coastal ecosystems at risk, especially those in topographicallAuthorsJohn Y. Takekawa, Karen M. Thorne, Kevin J. Buffington, Kyle A. Spragens, Kathleen M. Swanson, Judith Z. Drexler, David H. Schoellhamer, Cory T. Overton, Michael L. CasazzaWaste rice seed in conventional and stripper-head harvested fields in California: Implications for wintering waterfowl
Waste rice seed is an important food for wintering waterfowl and current estimates of its availability are needed to determine the carrying capacity of rice fields and guide habitat conservation. We used a line-intercept method to estimate mass-density of rice seed remaining after harvest during 2010 in the Sacramento Valley (SACV) of California and compared results with estimates from previous stAuthorsJoseph P. Fleskes, Brian J. Halstead, Michael L. Casazza, Peter S. Coates, Jeffrey D. Kohl, Daniel A. SkalosRelative value of managed wetlands and tidal marshlands for wintering northern pintails
Northern pintail Anas acuta (hereafter, pintail) populations have declined substantially throughout the western US since the 1970s, largely as a result of converting wetlands to cropland. Managed wetlands have been developed throughout the San Francisco Bay estuaries to provide wildlife habitat, particularly for waterfowl. Many of these areas were historically tidal baylands and plans are underwayAuthorsPeter S. Coates, Michael L. Casazza, Brian J. Halstead, Joseph P. FleskesData resources for range-wide assessment of livestock grazing across the sagebrush biome
The data contained in this series were compiled, modified, and analyzed for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report "Range-Wide Assessment of Livestock Grazing Across the Sagebrush Biome." This report can be accessed through the USGS Publications Warehouse (online linkage: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2011/1263/). The dataset contains spatial and tabular data related to Bureau of Land Management (BLM)AuthorsT.J. Assal, K.E. Veblen, M.A. Farinha, Cameron L. Aldridge, Michael L. Casazza, D.A. PykeBayesian shared frailty models for regional inference about wildlife survival
One can joke that 'exciting statistics' is an oxymoron, but it is neither a joke nor an exaggeration to say that these are exciting times to be involved in statistical ecology. As Halstead et al.'s (2012) paper nicely exemplifies, recently developed Bayesian analyses can now be used to extract insights from data using techniques that would have been unavailable to the ecological researcher just aAuthorsD.M. HeiseyHunting influences the diel patterns in habitat selection by northern pintails Anas acuta
Northern pintail Anas acuta (hereafter pintail) populations wintering within Suisun Marsh, a large estuarine managed wetland near San Francisco Bay, California,USA, have declined markedly over the last four decades. The reasons for this decline are unclear. Information on how hunting and other factors influence the selection of vegetation types and sanctuaries would be beneficial to manage pintailAuthorsMichael L. Casazza, Peter S. Coates, Michael R. Miller, Cory T. Overton, Daniel R. YparraguirreDoes mercury contamination reduce body condition of endangered California clapper rails?
We examined mercury exposure in 133 endangered California clapper rails (Rallus longirostris obsoletus) within tidal marsh habitats of San Francisco Bay, California from 2006 to 2010. Mean total mercury concentrations were 0.56 μg/g ww in blood (range: 0.15–1.43), 9.87 μg/g fw in head feathers (3.37–22.0), 9.04 μg/g fw in breast feathers (3.68–20.2), and 0.57 μg/g fww in abandoned eggs (0.15–2.70)AuthorsJoshua T. Ackerman, Cory T. Overton, Michael L. Casazza, John Y. Takekawa, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Robin A. Keister, Mark P. HerzogPreliminary analysis of Greater Sage-grouse reproduction in the Virginia Mountains of northwestern Nevada
Relationships between habitat selection and population vital rates of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter sage-grouse), recently designated as a candidate species under the Endangered Species Act, within the Great Basin are not well-understood. The growing development of renewable energy infrastructure within areas inhabited by sage-grouse is thought to influence predator andAuthorsPeter S. Coates, Zachary B. Lockyer, Melissa A. Farinha, Joelle M. Sweeney, Valerie M. Johnson, Matthew G. Meshriy, Shawn P. Espinosa, David J. Delehanty, Michael L. CasazzaRange-wide assessment of livestock grazing across the sagebrush biome
Domestic livestock grazing occurs in virtually all sagebrush habitats and is a prominent disturbance factor. By affecting habitat condition and trend, grazing influences the resources required by, and thus, the distribution and abundance of sagebrush-obligate wildlife species (for example, sage-grouse Centrocercus spp.). Yet, the risks that livestock grazing may pose to these species and their habAuthorsKari E. Veblen, David A. Pyke, Christopher A. Jones, Michael L. Casazza, Timothy J. Assal, Melissa A. Farinha - Web Tools
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