Michael J Adams
I lead the USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) and the Herpetological Research Team at the Forest and Rangeland Science Center in Corvallis, Oregon
Research in my lab focuses on amphibian conservation issues. We are currently addressing issues such as invasive species, disease, land use change, and long-term monitoring design for amphibians in North America. We use a combination of comparative surveys and manipulative experiments to understand the factors affecting amphibian distribution and abundance.
Professional Experience
1997 - Present: USGS, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Supervisory Research Ecologist, Corvallis, OR
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Wildlife Science, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (1997)
B.S., Wildlife Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO (1992)
Science and Products
Herpetological Research Team (FRESC)
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If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Salamander chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans) in the United States—Developing research, monitoring, and management strategies
Evidence of counter-gradient growth in western pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata) across thermal gradients
Using occupancy models to accommodate uncertainty in the interpretation of aerial photograph data: status of beaver in Central Oregon, USA
Occupancy patterns of mammals and lentic amphibians in the Elwha River riparian zone before dam removal
North Cascades National Park Service Complex
Short-term occupancy and abundance dynamics of the Oregon spotted frog (Rana pretiosa) across its core range
Invasive crayfish as vectors of mercury in freshwater food webs of the Pacific Northwest
Amphibians in the climate vise: loss and restoration of resilience of montane wetland ecosystems in the western US
Mount Rainier National Park
Roles of patch characteristics, drought frequency, and restoration in long-term trends of a widespread amphibian
Habitat and co-occurrence of native and invasive crayfish in the Pacific Northwest, USA
Trends in amphibian occupancy in the United States
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
To request an interview, contact fresc_outreach@usgs.gov or call (541) 750-1030.
Science and Products
- Science
Herpetological Research Team (FRESC)
The Herpetological Research Team focuses on issues related to conservation and management of amphibians and other aquatic and semi-aquatic species. Among our current studies are effects of invasive species, disease, and land use change on the dynamics of amphibian communities to inform conservation and management decision making.Filter Total Items: 13 - Data
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
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If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
- Publications
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Filter Total Items: 107Salamander chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans) in the United States—Developing research, monitoring, and management strategies
The recently (2013) identified pathogenic chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), poses a severe threat to the distribution and abundance of salamanders within the United States and Europe. Development of a response strategy for the potential, and likely, invasion of Bsal into the United States is crucial to protect global salamander biodiversity. A formal working group, led by AAuthorsEvan H. Campbell Grant, Erin L. Muths, Rachel A. Katz, Stefano Canessa, M. J. Adams, Jennifer R. Ballard, Lee Berger, Cheryl J. Briggs, Jeremy T. H. Coleman, Matthew J. Gray, M. Camille Harris, Reid N. Harris, Blake R. Hossack, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Jonathan E. Kolby, Karen R. Lips, Robert E. Lovich, Hamish I. McCallum, Joseph R. Mendelson, Priya Nanjappa, Deanna H. Olson, Jenny G. Powers, Katherine L. D. Richgels, Robin E. Russell, Benedikt R. Schmidt, Annemarieke Spitzen-van der Sluijs, Mary Kay Watry, Douglas C. Woodhams, C. LeAnn WhiteEvidence of counter-gradient growth in western pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata) across thermal gradients
Counter-gradient growth, where growth per unit temperature increases as temperature decreases, can reduce the variation in ectothermic growth rates across environmental gradients. Understanding how ectothermic species respond to changing temperatures is essential to their conservation and management due to human-altered habitats and changing climates. Here, we use two contrasting populations of wAuthorsMelissa Snover, M. J. Adams, Donald T. Ashton, Jamie B. Bettaso, Hartwell H. WelshUsing occupancy models to accommodate uncertainty in the interpretation of aerial photograph data: status of beaver in Central Oregon, USA
Beavers (Castor canadensis) influence habitat for many species and pose challenges in developed landscapes. They are increasingly viewed as a cost-efficient means of riparian habitat restoration and water storage. Still, information on their status is rare, particularly in western North America. We used aerial photography to evaluate changes in beaver occupancy between 1942–1968 and 2009 in upperAuthorsChristopher A. Pearl, M. J. Adams, Patricia K. Haggerty, Leslie UrbanOccupancy patterns of mammals and lentic amphibians in the Elwha River riparian zone before dam removal
The downstream transport of sediments and organics and upstream migration of anadromous fishes are key ecological processes in unregulated riverine ecosystems of the North Pacific coast, but their influence on wildlife habitats and populations is poorly documented. Removal of two large hydroelectric dams in Washington’s Elwha Valley provides an unprecedented opportunity to study long-term responseAuthorsKurt J. Jenkins, Nathan Chelgren, K.A. Sager-Fradkin, P.J. Happe, M. J. AdamsNorth Cascades National Park Service Complex
Natural Resource Condition Assessments (NRCAs) evaluate current conditions for a subset of natural resources and resource indicators in national parks. NRCAs also report on trends in resource condition (when possible), identify critical data gaps, and characterize a general level of confidence for study findings. The resources and indicators emphasized in a given project depend on the park’s resouAuthorsRobert Hoffman, Andrea Woodward, Patricia K. Haggerty, Kurt J. Jenkins, Paul C. Griffin, M. J. Adams, Joan Hagar, Tonnie Cummings, Dan Duriscoe, Karen Kopper, Jon Riedel, Lelaina Marin, Guillaume S. Mauger, Karen Bumbaco, Jeremy S. LittellShort-term occupancy and abundance dynamics of the Oregon spotted frog (Rana pretiosa) across its core range
The Oregon spotted frog (Rana pretiosa) occupies only a fraction of its original range and is listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act. We surveyed 93 sites in a rotating frame design (2010–13) in the Klamath and Deschutes Basins, Oregon, which encompass most of the species’ core extant range. Oregon spotted frogs are declining in abundance and probability of site occupancy. We did noAuthorsM. J. Adams, Christopher A. Pearl, Brome McCreary, Stephanie GalvanInvasive crayfish as vectors of mercury in freshwater food webs of the Pacific Northwest
Invasive species are important drivers of environmental change in aquatic ecosystems and can alter habitat characteristics, community composition, and ecosystem energetics. Such changes have important implications for many ecosystem processes, including the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of contaminants through food webs. Mercury concentrations were measured in 2 nonnative and 1 native crayfAuthorsBranden L. Johnson, James J. Willacker, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Christopher A. Pearl, M. J. AdamsAmphibians in the climate vise: loss and restoration of resilience of montane wetland ecosystems in the western US
Wetlands in the remote mountains of the western US have undergone two massive ecological “experiments” spanning the 20th century. Beginning in the late 1800s and expanding after World War II, fish and wildlife managers intentionally introduced millions of predatory trout (primarily Oncorhynchus spp) into fishless mountain ponds and lakes across the western states. These new top predators, which noAuthorsMaureen E. Ryan, Wendy J. Palen, M. J. Adams, Regina M. RochefortMount Rainier National Park
Natural Resource Condition Assessments (NRCAs) evaluate current conditions for a subset of natural resources and resource indicators in national parks. NRCAs also report on trends in resource condition (when possible), identify critical data gaps, and characterize a general level of confidence for study findings. The resources and indicators emphasized in a given project depend on the park’s resouAuthorsRobert Hoffman, Andrea Woodward, Patricia K. Haggerty, Kurt J. Jenkins, Paul C. Griffin, M. J. Adams, Joan Hagar, Tonnie Cummings, Dan Duriscoe, Karen Kopper, Jon Riedel, Barbara Samora, Lelaina Marin, Guillaume S. Mauger, Karen Bumbaco, Jeremy S. LittellRoles of patch characteristics, drought frequency, and restoration in long-term trends of a widespread amphibian
Despite the high profile of amphibian declines and the increasing threat of drought and fragmentation to aquatic ecosystems, few studies have examined long-term rates of change for a single species across a large geographic area. We analyzed growth in annual egg-mass counts of the Columbia spotted frog (Rana luteiventris) across the northwestern United States, an area encompassing 3 genetic cladesAuthorsBlake R. Hossack, M. J. Adams, Christopher A. Pearl, Kristine W. Wilson, Evelyn L. Bull, Kristin Lohr, Debra Patla, David S. Pilliod, Jason Jones, Kevin Wheeler, Samuel McKay, P. Stephen CornHabitat and co-occurrence of native and invasive crayfish in the Pacific Northwest, USA
Biological invasions can have dramatic effects on freshwater ecosystems and introduced crayfish can be particularly impacting. We document crayfish distribution in three large hydrographic basins (Rogue, Umpqua, Willamette/Columbia) in the Pacific Northwest USA. We used occupancy analyses to investigate habitat relationships and evidence for displacement of native Pacifastacus leniusculus (Dana, 1AuthorsChristopher A. Pearl, M. J. Adams, Brome McCrearyTrends in amphibian occupancy in the United States
Though a third of amphibian species worldwide are thought to be imperiled, existing assessments simply categorize extinction risk, providing little information on the rate of population losses. We conducted the first analysis of the rate of change in the probability that amphibians occupy ponds and other comparable habitat features across the United States. We found that overall occupancy by amphiAuthorsM. J. Adams, David A.W. Miller, Erin Muths, Paul Stephen Corn, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Larissa L. Bailey, Gary M. Fellers, Robert N. Fisher, Walter J. Sadinski, Hardin Waddle, Susan C. WallsNon-USGS Publications**
Adams, M.J., 1993, Summer nests of the tailed frog (Ascaphus truei) from the Oregon Coast Range: Northwestern Naturalist, v. 74, no. 1, p. 15-18.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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