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Michael J Koontz

Michael is a Research Ecologist at the Fort Collins Science Center

Michael studies plant ecology and geospatial data science to measure and mitigate wildfire risk to socioecological systems in the context of climate change and land management.

Professional Experience

  • Lead Scientist: Ecological Modeling and Climate Change; Vibrant Planet

  • Research Scientist; University of Colorado, Boulder

  • Postdoctoral Researcher; University of Colorado, Boulder

Education and Certifications

  • PhD; Ecology; University of California, Davis

  • MSc; Ecology; Colorado State University
     

  • BSc; Biology; University of Hawaii at Hilo

Affiliations and Memberships*

  • GLORIA Great Basin

  • Association for Fire Ecology

Science and Products

Non-USGS Publications**

Koontz, M.J., North, M.P., Werner, C.M., Fick, S.E. & Latimer, A.M. (2020). Local forest structure variability increases resilience to wildfire in dry western U.S. coniferous forests. Ecology Letters, 23, 483–494.
Balch, J.K., Abatzoglou, J.T.*, Joseph, M.B.*, Koontz, M.J.*, Mahood, A.L.*, McGlinchy, J.*, et al. (2022). Warming weakens the night-time barrier to global fire. Nature, 602, 442–448. *Equally-contributing 2nd authors
Parks, S.A., Holsinger, L.M., Koontz, M.J., Collins, L., Whitman, E., Parisien, M.-A., et al. (2019). Giving ecological meaning to satellite-derived fire severity metrics across North American forests. Remote Sensing, 11, 1735.
Koontz, M.J., Latimer, A.M., Mortenson, L.A., Fettig, C.J. & North, M.P. (2021). Cross-scale interaction of host tree size and climatic water deficit governs bark beetle-induced tree mortality. Nature Communications, 12, 129–141.
Mahood, A.L., Koontz, M.J. & Balch, J.K. (2023). Fuel connectivity, burn severity, and seed bank survivorship drive ecosystem transformation in a semiarid shrubland. Ecology, 104, e3968.
Iglesias, V., Braswell, A.E., Rossi, M.W., Joseph, M.B., McShane, C., Cattau, M., et al. (2021). Risky development: Increasing exposure to natural hazards in the United States. Earth’s Future, n/a, e2020EF001795.
Koontz, M.J., Scholl, V.M., Spiers, A.I., Cattau, M.E., Adler, J., McGlinchy, J., et al. (2022). Democratizing macroecology: Integrating unoccupied aerial systems with the National Ecological Observatory Network. Ecosphere, 13, e4206.

**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.

link
field of sagebrush with blue and purple sky above

Shrubland, Alpine and Grassland Ecology (SAGE) Wildlife Research Group

The SAGE Wildlife Research Group consists of a large team of research scientists with an interest in conservation and management of wildlife and their ecosystems. Broadly, research involves understanding animal-habitat relationships, with an emphasis on conservation ecology and population demography, and a focus on shrubland, alpine, and grassland ecosystems. We are addressing the effects of...
By
Fort Collins Science Center
link

Shrubland, Alpine and Grassland Ecology (SAGE) Wildlife Research Group

The SAGE Wildlife Research Group consists of a large team of research scientists with an interest in conservation and management of wildlife and their ecosystems. Broadly, research involves understanding animal-habitat relationships, with an emphasis on conservation ecology and population demography, and a focus on shrubland, alpine, and grassland ecosystems. We are addressing the effects of...
Learn More

Science and Products

Non-USGS Publications**

Koontz, M.J., North, M.P., Werner, C.M., Fick, S.E. & Latimer, A.M. (2020). Local forest structure variability increases resilience to wildfire in dry western U.S. coniferous forests. Ecology Letters, 23, 483–494.
Balch, J.K., Abatzoglou, J.T.*, Joseph, M.B.*, Koontz, M.J.*, Mahood, A.L.*, McGlinchy, J.*, et al. (2022). Warming weakens the night-time barrier to global fire. Nature, 602, 442–448. *Equally-contributing 2nd authors
Parks, S.A., Holsinger, L.M., Koontz, M.J., Collins, L., Whitman, E., Parisien, M.-A., et al. (2019). Giving ecological meaning to satellite-derived fire severity metrics across North American forests. Remote Sensing, 11, 1735.
Koontz, M.J., Latimer, A.M., Mortenson, L.A., Fettig, C.J. & North, M.P. (2021). Cross-scale interaction of host tree size and climatic water deficit governs bark beetle-induced tree mortality. Nature Communications, 12, 129–141.
Mahood, A.L., Koontz, M.J. & Balch, J.K. (2023). Fuel connectivity, burn severity, and seed bank survivorship drive ecosystem transformation in a semiarid shrubland. Ecology, 104, e3968.
Iglesias, V., Braswell, A.E., Rossi, M.W., Joseph, M.B., McShane, C., Cattau, M., et al. (2021). Risky development: Increasing exposure to natural hazards in the United States. Earth’s Future, n/a, e2020EF001795.
Koontz, M.J., Scholl, V.M., Spiers, A.I., Cattau, M.E., Adler, J., McGlinchy, J., et al. (2022). Democratizing macroecology: Integrating unoccupied aerial systems with the National Ecological Observatory Network. Ecosphere, 13, e4206.

**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.

link
field of sagebrush with blue and purple sky above

Shrubland, Alpine and Grassland Ecology (SAGE) Wildlife Research Group

The SAGE Wildlife Research Group consists of a large team of research scientists with an interest in conservation and management of wildlife and their ecosystems. Broadly, research involves understanding animal-habitat relationships, with an emphasis on conservation ecology and population demography, and a focus on shrubland, alpine, and grassland ecosystems. We are addressing the effects of...
By
Fort Collins Science Center
link

Shrubland, Alpine and Grassland Ecology (SAGE) Wildlife Research Group

The SAGE Wildlife Research Group consists of a large team of research scientists with an interest in conservation and management of wildlife and their ecosystems. Broadly, research involves understanding animal-habitat relationships, with an emphasis on conservation ecology and population demography, and a focus on shrubland, alpine, and grassland ecosystems. We are addressing the effects of...
Learn More

*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government

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