Michael Runge, Ph.D.
Biography
Michael Runge is a research ecologist at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, where he has worked since 1999. He received a B.A. in biology and philosophy (1989) from the Johns Hopkins University, an M.A.T. (Master of Arts in Teaching) in biology (1994) from Spalding University, and a Ph.D. in wildlife science (1999),with minors in biometrics and agricultural economics, from Cornell University. He taught math and science at St. Francis High School in Louisville, Kentucky, from 1989 to 1994. Dr. Runge was a visiting scientist at the University of Melbourne, School of Botany, from 2009 to 2010.
See July 2015 interview in Nature.
- Presidential Scholar. The White House. June 1985.
- Phi Beta Kappa. Johns Hopkins University. Election, March 1988.
- Delta Epsilon Sigma. Spalding University. Election, April 1994.
- Gamma Sigma Delta. Cornell University. Election, May 1998.
- Superior Service Award. United States Department of Interior. October 2005. For “an exceptional job of making your science available to natural resource managers for use in their management decisions.”
- Extraordinary Contribution. Chief, National Wildlife Refuge System, USFWS. June 2003. For extraordinary contributions to Fulfilling the Promise.
- Regional Director’s Conservation Award, USFWS Region 4. May 2007. For contributions to and partnership in the science and recovery efforts of the Florida manatee.
- Unit Award for Excellence of Service. U.S. Department of Interior. September 2007. “In recognition of outstanding achievements in introducing the adaptive management initiative across the Department.”
- Unit Award for Excellence of Service. U.S. Department of Interior. November 2007. “In recognition of the outstanding contributions of the International Polar Bear Science Team in providing timely information in support of the USFWS polar bear listing decision.”
- Regional Director’s Award for Excellence in Communication. USGS Western Region. November 2007. “In recognition of outstanding science leading to enhanced understanding of the relation between climate change and polar bears.”
- PWRC, U.S. Geological Survey. January 2002. For helping organize and present the Adaptive Management Workshop at the 2001 Wildlife Society Meeting.
- PWRC, U.S. Geological Survey. January 2002. For helping organize and present the Adaptive Management Workshop at the 2001 Wildlife Society Meeting.
- USGS. August 2003. For supporting the USFWS in the manatee incidental take rule-making.
- USFWS Region 5. June 2004. For outstanding contributions to improving wildlife management science on National Wildlife Refuges throughout Region 5.
- USFWS Region 4. February 2005. For extraordinary efforts assisting the USFWS when a Marine Mammal Protection Act Special Rule for manatees was proposed.
- USGS. November 2007. For significant contributions to the USGS Science Strategy to support USFWS decision-making on polar bears.
- USFWS, NCTC. December 2007. For development of the FWS/USGS structured decision making workshops, and “outstanding performance in developing new opportunities for FWS and USGS collaboration.”
- USGS. May 2011. For leadership in developing an integrated research project across multiple science centers and bureaus to bear on urgent permitting issues related to golden eagles and renewable energy development.
- USGS, August 2012. For national leadership in applying decision science to solve complex natural resource problems, including work to support the USGS regional realignment, the Integrated Arctic Management team, and the management of non-native fish in the Grand Canyon.
Science and Products
Markov decision processes in non-autonomous socio-ecological systems
Our ability to effectively manage natural resources is founded in an understanding of how our actions and the environment influence populations, communities, and ecosystems. Current practices use monitoring data from the past to determine key ecological relationships and make predictions about the future with the assumption that those relationships will remain constant. However, many natural...
Population Ecology of Florida Manatees
USGS is working with partners to understand how the federally protected Florida manatee population changes over time and responds to threats.
Environmental Management of Vector-borne Diseases
Effective management programs for vector-borne pathogens, such as West Nile Virus and the Lyme disease spirochete, are necessary to protect public health. However, some vector control methods, such as landscape manipulations and pesticide applications, can also adversely affect nontarget species and environmentally sensitive natural systems. Efficient targeting and integration of vector...
Mammals
Our science portfolio includes the study and management of mammal populations, which can require the use of methods and analysis that incorporate the difficulty in detecting them – picture how hard it is to count and identify bats at dusk or estimate the number of mountain lions in an area.
Fish
The health of freshwater fish populations is tied closely to competing demands and uses for this resource. Patuxent scientists are applying mark-recapture science and other methods developed for the adapative management of waterfowl to help manage freshwater fish and their habitats.
Climate Change
The impacts of a changing climate on wildlife and associated ecosystems have yet to be fully determined but changes are clearly underway as are a variety of investigations to assess how we can best preserve key resources while effectively managing others. Using a variety of tools and a combination of studies including adaptive management, long-term monitoring, mathematical modeling, and...
Invasive Species
The impact of invasive plants and animals as taken on a heightened significance with an increase in the movement of people and goods around the world. Control of invasive and non-native species has become a national priority in the protection of endangered species and ecosystem services (through native species) and the understanding the mechanisms, pathways, and ecological relationships is...
Structured Decision Making
The biggest natural resource management challenges include competing views of the value and uses of those resources in society. Patuxent scientists develop methods to manage resources given those competing views under a “structured decision making” (SDM) framework. Our scientists both practice and train others in key SDM skills, such as model development and monitoring design.
Adaptive Management
Adaptive management (AM) combines management and monitoring, with the aim of updating knowledge and improving decision-making over time. We provide a guide for managers who may realize the potential of AM, but are unsure where to start. The urgent need for iterative management decisions, the existence of uncertainty, and the opportunity for learning offered by often highly-controlled captive...
Mathematical Modeling
A formal framework that revolves around the construction of a mathematical expression using equations, statements or formulas as representation of a system, behavior, or process to simulate the behavior of the system, a series of relationships, or process under study.
Population Estimation
Determining the size of animal populations is fundamental to wildlife management and how such populations change over time and space can provide insights into ecosystem function and associated processes. Patuxent scientists’ utilize a number of robust statistical techniques to generate these estimates and to improve our understanding of population dynamics.
Waterbirds
Patuxent has a long history of research activities supporting the management and conservation of waterbird populations. Current research interests include studying the movements and migration ecology of sea ducks and other waterbirds along the Atlantic Coast, a long-term demographic study of Roseate Tern populations, and the use of restored island habitats by nesting terns. Patuxent scientists...
Assessing the risks posed by SARS-CoV-2 in and via North American bats—Decision framing and rapid risk assessment
The novel β-coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, may pose a threat to North American bat populations if bats are exposed to the virus through interaction with humans, if the virus can subsequently infect bats and be transmitted among them, and if the virus causes morbidity or mortality in bats. Further, if SARS-CoV-2 became established in bat populations, it...
Runge, Michael C.; Campbell Grant, Evan H.; Coleman, Jeremy T. H.; Reichard, Jonathan D.; Gibbs, Samantha E. J.; Cryan, Paul M.; Olival, Kevin J.; Walsh, Daniel P.; Blehert, David S.; Hopkins, M. Camille; Sleeman, Jonathan M.
Decision analysis for managing public natural resources
Examples like the Grand Canyon story are becoming more common—agencies and stakeholders are increasingly using decision tools to help navigate complex decisions regarding natural resources. Several books and many papers have made the case for the use of decision analysis in natural resource management settings and have described the tools...
Runge, Michael C.; Bean, Ellen A Introduction to risk analysis
Many decisions are made in the face of uncertainty that either cannot or will not be reduced, and the challenge to the decision maker is how to manage the risk imposed by that uncertainty. This chapter will introduce the field of risk analysis, focusing on both the scientific tasks (estimating the probabilities and magnitudes of possible outcomes...
Runge, Michael C.; Converse, Sarah J. Allocating funds under the National Fish Habitat Action Plan
Each year, the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), with advice from a Fisheries Management Team, allocates funding to support the National Fish Habitat Action Plan. The Service distributes the funds to Fish Habitat Partnerships (FHPs), who, in turn, undertake projects that “protect, restore, or enhance fish and aquatic...
Runge, Michael C. Introduction to linked and dynamic decisions
Often, a decision maker is faced with a series of linked decisions, rather than an isolated one-off decision. In natural resource management, it is common to make a similar type of decision on a regular basis (e.g., annually). Such linked decisions have two important properties: they are dynamic, that is, the actions taken early on affect...
Runge, Michael C. Harnessing multiple models for outbreak management
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered efforts by multiple modeling groups to forecast disease trajectory, assess interventions, and improve understanding of the pathogen. Such models can often differ substantially in their projections and recommendations, reflecting different policy assumptions and objectives, as well as...
Shea, Katriona; Runge, Michael C.; Pannell, David; Probert, William J M; Li, Shou-Li; Tildesley, Michael J.; Ferrari, Matthew J Using value of information to prioritize research needs for migratory bird management under climate change: A case study using federal land acquisition in the United States
In response to global habitat loss, many governmental and non‐governmental organizations have implemented land acquisition programs to protect critical habitats permanently for priority species. The ability of these protected areas to meet future management objectives may be compromised if the effects of climate change are not considered in...
Rushing, Clark S; Rubenstein, Madeleine A.; Lyons, James E.; Runge, Michael C. Framework for a long-term strategic plan for the Capital Area Groundwater Conservation Commission
The Capital Area Groundwater Conservation Commission oversees the use of groundwater in six parishes in Louisiana. In carrying out its statutory responsibilities and authorities, the Commission recognizes the complexity of its decisions: the long-term objectives it is seeking are multifaceted; the actions it can choose from are numerous and...
Runge, Michael C.; Bean, Ellen A; McInnis, Adrian; Clark, Ryan; Dausman, Alyssa A draft decision framework for the National Park Service Interior Region 5 bison stewardship strategy
The Department of the Interior Bison Conservation Initiative calls for its bureaus to plan and implement collaborative American bison conservation and to ensure involvement by tribal, state, and local governments and the public in that conservation. Four independently managed and geographically separated National Park Service (NPS) units in...
Symstad, Amy; Miller, Brian W.; Shenk, Tanya M; Athearn, Nicole D; Runge, Michael C. Concurrent assessment of epidemiological and operational uncertainties for optimal outbreak control: Ebola as a case study
Determining how to best manage an epidemiological outbreak may be hindered by both epidemiological uncertainty (i.e. about epidemiological processes) and operational uncertainty (i.e. about the effectiveness of candidate interventions). These two uncertainties are rarely addressed concurrently in epidemic studies, impeding decision-making. We...
Li, Shou-Li; Ferrari, Matthew J; Bjørnstad, Ottar N; Runge, Michael C.; Fonnesbeck, Christopher J; Tildesley, Michael J.; Pannell, David; Shea, Katriona Context matters: Using reinforcement learning to develop human-readable, state-dependent outbreak response policies
The number of all possible epidemics of a given infectious disease that could occur on a given landscape is large for systems of real-world complexity. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that the control actions that are optimal, on average, over all possible epidemics are also best for each possible epidemic. Reinforcement learning (RL) has been...
Probert, William J M; Lakkur, Sandya; Fonnesbeck, Christopher J; Shea, Katriona; Runge, Michael C.; Tildesley, Michael J.; Ferrari, Matthew J Pathways to strategic communication for biodiversity conservation: Response to “Hearing ourselves (and acting in consequence): A commentary on Bekessy et al. from a bird-handling environmental education perspective”
Central to discussions about the merits of ecosystem services as a communication strategy is the degree to which it represents a strategic and effective approach to advance biodiversity conservation. There is increasing recognition that many conservation communication efforts can be more strategic (e.g. Kusmanoff et al. 2016).
Kusmanoff, Alex; Runge, Michael C.; Keith, David A.; Wintle, Brendan A.; Bekessy, Sarah A.
Florida Manatees Likely to Persist For At Least 100 Years—US Geological Survey
Florida’s iconic manatee population is highly likely to endure for the next 100 years, so long as wildlife managers continue to protect the marine mammals and their habitat, a new study by the US Geological Survey and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute has found.
Media Inquiries on USGS Manatee Research
We appreciate your interest in USGS' Sirenia Project. To help inform members of the media and public, we have provided relevant publications, reports, and websites.
New Methods Developed to Assess Climate Model Predictions
Evaluating the predictions associated with climate change just became easier with the development of new statistical methods designed to assess the performance of models producing many of these predictions.