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
A typology of time-scale mismatches and behavioral interventions to diagnose and solve conservation problems
A collision risk model to predict avian fatalities at wind facilities: an example using golden eagles, Aquila chrysaetos
Status and threats analysis for the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris), 2012
Are conservation organizations configured for effective adaptation to global change?
Resilience and risk: a demographic model to inform conservation planning for polar bears
Decision analysis to support development of the Glen Canyon Dam long-term experimental and management plan
Making decisions in complex landscapes: Headwater stream management across multiple federal agencies
How much is new information worth? Evaluating the financial benefit of resolving management uncertainty
Adaptive management and the value of information: learning via intervention in epidemiology
Minimizing the cost of keeping options open for conservation in a changing climate
Application of threshold concepts to ecological management problems: Occupancy of Golden Eagles in Denali National Park, Alaska
Identifying objectives and alternative actions to frame a decision problem.
Science and Products
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A typology of time-scale mismatches and behavioral interventions to diagnose and solve conservation problems
Ecological systems often operate on time scales significantly longer or shorter than the time scales typical of human decision making, which causes substantial difficulty for conservation and management in socioecological systems. For example, invasive species may move faster than humans can diagnose problems and initiate solutions, and climate systems may exhibit long-term inertia and short-termAuthorsRobyn S. Wilson, David J. Hardisty, Rebecca S. Epanchin-Niell, Michael C. Runge, Kathryn L. Cottingham, Dean L. Urban, Lynn A. Maguire, Alan Hastings, Peter J. Mumby, Debra P. C. PetersA collision risk model to predict avian fatalities at wind facilities: an example using golden eagles, Aquila chrysaetos
Wind power is a major candidate in the search for clean, renewable energy. Beyond the technical and economic challenges of wind energy development are environmental issues that may restrict its growth. Avian fatalities due to collisions with rotating turbine blades are a leading concern and there is considerable uncertainty surrounding avian collision risk at wind facilities. This uncertainty is nAuthorsLeslie New, Emily Bjerre, Brian A. Millsap, Mark C. Otto, Michael C. RungeStatus and threats analysis for the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris), 2012
The endangered West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), especially the Florida subspecies (T. m. latirostris), has been the focus of conservation efforts and extensive research since its listing under the Endangered Species Act. On the basis of the best information available as of December 2012, the threats facing the Florida manatee were determined to be less severe than previously thought, eithAuthorsMichael C. Runge, Catherine A. Langtimm, Julien Martin, Christopher J. FonnesbeckAre conservation organizations configured for effective adaptation to global change?
Conservation organizations must adapt to respond to the ecological impacts of global change. Numerous changes to conservation actions (eg facilitated ecological transitions, managed relocations, or increased corridor development) have been recommended, but some institutional restructuring within organizations may also be needed. Here we discuss the capacity of conservation organizations to adapt tAuthorsPaul R. Armsworth, Eric R. Larson, Stephen T. Jackson, Dov F. Sax, Paul W. Simonin, Bernd Blossey, Nancy Green, Liza Lester, Mary L. Klein, Taylor H. Ricketts, Michael C. Runge, M. Rebecca ShawResilience and risk: a demographic model to inform conservation planning for polar bears
Climate change is having widespread ecological effects, including loss of Arctic sea ice. This has led to listing of the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) and other ice-dependent marine mammals under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). Methods are needed to evaluate the effects of climate change on population persistence to inform recovery planning for listed species. For polar bears, this includesAuthorsEric V. Regehr, Ryan H. Wilson, Karyn D. Rode, Michael C. RungeDecision analysis to support development of the Glen Canyon Dam long-term experimental and management plan
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, and Argonne National Laboratory, completed a decision analysis to use in the evaluation of alternatives in the Environmental Impact Statement concerning the long-term management of water releases from Glen Canyon Dam and associated management activities. Two primary decision analysis methods, multicriAuthorsMichael C. Runge, Kirk E. LaGory, Kendra Russell, Janet R. Balsom, R. Alan Butler, Lewis G. Coggins,, Katrina A. Grantz, John Hayse, Ihor Hlohowskyj, Josh Korman, James E. May, Daniel J. O'Rourke, Leslie A. Poch, James R. Prairie, Jack C. VanKuiken, Robert A. Van Lonkhuyzen, David R. Varyu, Bruce T. Verhaaren, Thomas D. Veselka, Nicholas T. Williams, Kelsey K. Wuthrich, Charles B. Yackulic, Robert P. Billerbeck, Glen W. KnowlesMaking decisions in complex landscapes: Headwater stream management across multiple federal agencies
Headwater stream ecosystems are vulnerable to numerous threats associated with climate and land use change. In the northeastern US, many headwater stream species (e.g., brook trout and stream salamanders) are of special conservation concern and may be vulnerable to climate change influences, such as changes in stream temperature and streamflow. Federal land management agencies (e.g., US Fish and WAuthorsRachel Katz, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Michael C. Runge, Bruce Connery, Marquette Crockett, Libby Herland, Sheela Johnson, Dawn Kirk, Jeb Wofford, Rick Bennett, Keith Nislow, Marian Norris, Daniel Hocking, Benjamin Letcher, Allison H. RoyHow much is new information worth? Evaluating the financial benefit of resolving management uncertainty
Conservation decision-makers face a trade-off between spending limited funds on direct management action, or gaining new information in an attempt to improve management performance in the future. Value-of-information analysis can help to resolve this trade-off by evaluating how much management performance could improve if new information was gained. Value-of-information analysis has been used eAuthorsSean L. Maxwell, Jonathan R. Rhodes, Michael C. Runge, Hugh P. Possingham, Chooi Fei Ng, Eve McDonald MaddenAdaptive management and the value of information: learning via intervention in epidemiology
Optimal intervention for disease outbreaks is often impeded by severe scientific uncertainty. Adaptive management (AM), long-used in natural resource management, is a structured decision-making approach to solving dynamic problems that accounts for the value of resolving uncertainty via real-time evaluation of alternative models. We propose an AM approach to design and evaluate intervention strateAuthorsKatriona Shea, Michael J. Tildesley, Michael C. Runge, Christopher J. Fonnesbeck, Matthew J. FerrariMinimizing the cost of keeping options open for conservation in a changing climate
Policy documents advocate that managers should keep their options open while planning to protect coastal ecosystems from climate-change impacts. However, the actual costs and benefits of maintaining flexibility remain largely unexplored, and alternative approaches for decision making under uncertainty may lead to better joint outcomes for conservation and other societal goals. For example, keepingAuthorsMorena Mills, Samuel Nicol, Jessie A. Wells, José J. Lahoz-Monfort, Brendan Wintle, Michael Bode, Martin Wardrop, Terry Walshe, William J. M. Probert, Michael C. Runge, Hugh P. Possingham, Eve McDonald MaddenApplication of threshold concepts to ecological management problems: Occupancy of Golden Eagles in Denali National Park, Alaska
In this chapter, we demonstrate the application of the various classes of thresholds, detailed in earlier chapters and elsewhere, via an actual but simplified natural resource management case study. We intend our example to provide the reader with the ability to recognize and apply the theoretical concepts of utility, ecological and decision thresholds to management problems through a formalized dAuthorsMitchell J. Eaton, Julien Martin, James D. Nichols, Carol McIntyre, Maggie C. McCluskie, Joel A. Schmutz, Bruce L. Lubow, Michael C. RungeIdentifying objectives and alternative actions to frame a decision problem.
In this chapter, we discuss the role of objectives and alternative actions in framing a natural resource management decision problem, with particular attention to thresholds. We outline a number of considerations in developing objectives and measurable attributes, including when utility thresholds may be needed to express the decision-makers’ values.We also discuss the development of a set of alteAuthorsMichael C. Runge, Terry Walshe - Web Tools
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