Michael Runge, Ph.D.
Michael Runge is a research ecologist at the Eastern Ecological Science Center, where he has worked since 1999.
Professional Experience
2001-present Research Ecologist at USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (Previously Patuxent Wildlife Research Center)
2009 to 2010 visiting scientist at the University of Melbourne, School of Botany
1989 to 1994 taught math and science at St. Francis High School in Louisville, Kentucky
Education and Certifications
B.A. in biology and philosophy (1989) from the Johns Hopkins University
M.A.T. (Master of Arts in Teaching) in biology (1994) from Spalding University
Ph.D. in wildlife science (1999),with minors in biometrics and agricultural economics, from Cornell University
Honors and Awards
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 bet
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
Unit Award for Excellence of Service. U.S. Department of Interior. September 2007. In recognition of introducing the adaptive management initiative across the Department
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.
Extraordinary Contribution. Chief, National Wildlife Refuge System, USFWS. June 2003. For extraordinary contributions to Fulfilling the Promise.
Superior Service Award. United States Department of Interior. October 2005. For making your science available to natural resource managers for use in their management decisions
STAR Award - USFWS Region 5. June 2004. For outstanding contributions to improving wildlife management science on National Wildlife Refuges
STAR Award - USGS. August 2003. For supporting the USFWS in the manatee incidental take rule-making.
STAR Award - PWRC, U.S. Geological Survey. January 2002. For helping organize and present the Adaptive Management Workshop at the 2001 Wildlife Society Meeting.
STAR Award - PWRC, U.S. Geological Survey. January 2002. For helping organize and present the Adaptive Management Workshop at the 2001 Wildlife Society Meeting.
Gamma Sigma Delta. Cornell University. Election, May 1998.
Delta Epsilon Sigma. Spalding University. Election, April 1994.
Phi Beta Kappa. Johns Hopkins University. Election, March 1988.
Presidential Scholar. The White House. June 1985.
Science and Products
Optimal control of native predators
Climate change threatens polar bear populations: A stochastic demographic analysis
Allocating monitoring effort in the face of unknown unknowns
Reconciling uncertain costs and benefits in bayes nets for invasive species management
Hierarchical Bayesian analysis to incorporate age uncertainty in growth curve analysis and estimates of age from length: Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus) carcasses
Structured decision making as a conceptual framework to identify thresholds for conservation and management
Assessing allowable take of migratory birds
White-nose Syndrome management: Report on structured decision making initiative
Monitoring in the context of structured decision-making and adaptive management
The R3/R5 impoundment study: A large-scale management experiment
Adaptive harvest management of North American waterfowl populations: a brief history and future prospects
Optimal control of Atlantic population Canada geese
Science and Products
- Science
Filter Total Items: 15
- Data
- Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 153
Optimal control of native predators
We apply decision theory in a structured decision-making framework to evaluate how control of raccoons (Procyon lotor), a native predator, can promote the conservation of a declining population of American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus) on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Our management objective was to maintain Oystercatcher productivity above a level deemed necessary for population recoAuthorsJulien Martin, Allan F. O'Connell, William L. Kendall, Michael C. Runge, Theodore R. Simons, Arielle H. Waldstein, Shiloh A. Schulte, Sarah J. Converse, Graham W. Smith, Timothy Pinion, Michael Rikard, Elise F. ZipkinClimate change threatens polar bear populations: A stochastic demographic analysis
The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) depends on sea ice for feeding, breeding, and movement. Significant reductions in Arctic sea ice are forecast to continue because of climate warming. We evaluated the impacts of climate change on polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea by means of a demographic analysis, combining deterministic, stochastic, environment-dependent matrix population models with forecAuthorsC.M. Hunter, H. Caswell, M.C. Runge, E.V. Regehr, Steven C. Amstrup, I. StirlingAllocating monitoring effort in the face of unknown unknowns
There is a growing view that to make efficient use of resources, ecological monitoring should be hypothesis-driven and targeted to address specific management questions. 'Targeted' monitoring has been contrasted with other approaches in which a range of quantities are monitored in case they exhibit an alarming trend or provide ad hoc ecological insights. The second form of monitoring, described asAuthorsB.A. Wintle, M.C. Runge, S.A. BekessyReconciling uncertain costs and benefits in bayes nets for invasive species management
Bayes nets are used increasingly to characterize environmental systems and formalize probabilistic reasoning to support decision making. These networks treat probabilities as exact quantities. Sensitivity analysis can be used to evaluate the importance of assumptions and parameter estimates. Here, we outline an application of info-gap theory to Bayes nets that evaluates the sensitivity of decisionAuthorsM.A. Burgman, B.A. Wintle, C. A. Thompson, A. Moilanen, M.C. Runge, Y. Ben-HaimHierarchical Bayesian analysis to incorporate age uncertainty in growth curve analysis and estimates of age from length: Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus) carcasses
Age estimation of individuals is often an integral part of species management research, and a number of ageestimation techniques are commonly employed. Often, the error in these techniques is not quantified or accounted for in other analyses, particularly in growth curve models used to describe physiological responses to environment and human impacts. Also, noninvasive, quick, and inexpensive methAuthorsL.K. Schwarz, M.C. RungeStructured decision making as a conceptual framework to identify thresholds for conservation and management
Thresholds and their relevance to conservation have become a major topic of discussion in the ecological literature. Unfortunately, in many cases the lack of a clear conceptual framework for thinking about thresholds may have led to confusion in attempts to apply the concept of thresholds to conservation decisions. Here, we advocate a framework for thinking about thresholds in terms of a structureAuthorsJ. Martin, M.C. Runge, J. D. Nichols, B. C. Lubow, W. L. KendallAssessing allowable take of migratory birds
Legal removal of migratory birds from the wild occurs for several reasons, including subsistence, sport harvest, damage control, and the pet trade. We argue that harvest theory provides the basis for assessing the impact of authorized take, advance a simplified rendering of harvest theory known as potential biological removal as a useful starting point for assessing take, and demonstrate this appAuthorsM.C. Runge, J.R. Sauer, M.L. Avery, B.F. Blackwell, M.D. KoneffWhite-nose Syndrome management: Report on structured decision making initiative
This report describes an analysis undertaken to assist state and federal natural resources managers in addressing the following question: What management measures should be taken this year within a given area to control the spread and minimize the effects of white-nose syndrome (WNS) on hibernating bats at the individual and population levels? The answer depends upon specific characteristics of thAuthorsJennifer A. Szymanski, Michael C. Runge, Mary J. Parkin, Mike ArmstrongMonitoring in the context of structured decision-making and adaptive management
In a natural resource management setting, monitoring is a crucial component of an informed process for making decisions, and monitoring design should be driven by the decision context and associated uncertainties. Monitoring itself can play >3 roles. First, it is important for state-dependent decision-making, as when managers need to know the system state before deciding on the appropriate coursAuthorsJ. E. Lyons, M.C. Runge, H. P. Laskowski, W. L. KendallThe R3/R5 impoundment study: A large-scale management experiment
Managed wetlands provide a broad spectrum of resources to migratory waterbirds (shorebirds, wading birds, and waterfowl) throughout the annual cycle. Successful conservation and management of waterbirds depends on integrated approaches that (1) incorporate larger spatial and temporal scales than traditional approaches to wetland management, and (2) use experimental designs to reduce uncertainty aAuthorsJ. E. Lyons, H. P. Laskowski, M.C. Runge, S. Lor, W. L. Kendall, S. TalbottAdaptive harvest management of North American waterfowl populations: a brief history and future prospects
Since 1995, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has used an adaptive approach to the management of sport harvest of mid-continent Mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) in North America. This approach differs from many current approaches to conservation and management in requiring close collaboration between managers and scientists. Key elements of this process are objectives, alternative management actiAuthorsJ. D. Nichols, M.C. Runge, F.A. Johnson, B.K. WilliamsOptimal control of Atlantic population Canada geese
Management of Canada geese (Branta canadensis) can be a balance between providing sustained harvest opportunity while not allowing populations to become overabundant and cause damage. In this paper, we focus on the Atlantic population of Canada geese and use stochastic dynamic programming to determine the optimal harvest strategy over a range of plausible models for population dynamics. There is eAuthorsC.E. Hauser, M.C. Runge, E.G. Cooch, F.A. Johnson, W.F. Harvey - Web Tools
- Software
- News