Mike Duniway, Ph.D.
Dr. Michael (Mike) Duniway is a soil scientist focused on soils and soil processes in dryland environments. His work provides crucial information for stakeholders, agencies and the public to assess and manage lands across the Colorado Plateau and southwest US.
In his research and outreach activities, Dr. Duniway seeks to provide information for land managers and owners to facilitate sustainable land-use activities. He works closely with federal and state agency partners and others in designing research studies, conducting technology transfer, and outreach activities. His research focuses include understanding the impacts of drought on Colorado Plateau rangelands, evaluating the recovery of oil and gas pads and seeking opportunities for improved reclamation practices, and developing new maps and tools for land management. In his work, he is interested in maintaining and balancing the important ecosystem services these landscapes provide, including clean water and air, food and fiber, tourism and cultural values, and energy.
Professional Experience
2011-Present: Research Ecologist, USGS Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT
2010-2011: Research Soil Scientist, US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Jornada, Las Cruces, NM
2006-2010: Research Soil Scientist (post doc), US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Jornada, Las Cruces, NM
2012-Present: Adjunct Faculty, Utah State University, Logan, UT
2007-Present: Adjunct Faculty, NM State University, Las Cruces, NM
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., 2006 — Agronomy (Soil Science), New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM
B.S., 1994 — Environmental Resource Science, University of California, Davis, CA
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 23
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Desert grassland responses to climate and soil moisture suggest divergent vulnerabilities across the southwestern United States Desert grassland responses to climate and soil moisture suggest divergent vulnerabilities across the southwestern United States
Climate change predictions include warming and drying trends, which are expected to be particularly pronounced in the southwestern United States. In this region, grassland dynamics are tightly linked to available moisture, yet it has proven difficult to resolve what aspects of climate drive vegetation change. In part, this is because it is unclear how heterogeneity in soils affects plant...
Authors
Jennifer Gremer, John Bradford, Seth Munson, Michael Duniway
Pulse-drought atop press-drought: unexpected plant responses and implications for dryland ecosystems Pulse-drought atop press-drought: unexpected plant responses and implications for dryland ecosystems
In drylands, climate change is predicted to cause chronic reductions in water availability (press-droughts) through reduced precipitation and increased temperatures as well as increase the frequency and intensity of short-term extreme droughts (pulse-droughts). These changes in precipitation patterns may have profound ecosystem effects, depending on the sensitivities of the dominant...
Authors
David Hoover, Michael Duniway, Jayne Belnap
Effects of ungulate disturbance and weather variation on Pediocactus winkleri: Insights from long-term monitoring Effects of ungulate disturbance and weather variation on Pediocactus winkleri: Insights from long-term monitoring
Population dynamics and effects of large ungulate disturbances on Winkler cactus (Pediocactus winkleri K.D. Heil) were documented annually over a 20-year time span at one plot within Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. This cactus species was federally listed as threatened in 1998. The study began in 1995 to gain a better understanding of life history aspects and threats to this species...
Authors
Deborah Clark, Thomas Clark, Michael Duniway, Cody Flagg
Evaluating rehabilitation efforts following the Milford Flat Fire: successes, failures, and controlling factors Evaluating rehabilitation efforts following the Milford Flat Fire: successes, failures, and controlling factors
Uncontrolled wildfire in arid and semiarid ecosystems has become an increasing concern in recent decades. Active rehabilitation of fire-affected areas is often quickly initiated to minimize long-term ecosystem damage. However, the complex soil-geomorphic-vegetation patterns and low and variable moisture conditions in these regions makes restoration challenging. To further inform these...
Authors
Michael Duniway, Emily Palmquist, Mark Miller
Desertification, land use, and the transformation of global drylands Desertification, land use, and the transformation of global drylands
Desertification is an escalating concern in global drylands, yet assessments to guide management and policy responses are limited by ambiguity concerning the definition of “desertification” and what processes are involved. To improve clarity, we propose that assessments of desertification and land transformation be placed within a state change–land-use change (SC–LUC) framework. This...
Authors
Brandon Bestelmeyer, Gregory Okin, Michael Duniway, Steven Archer, Nathan Sayre, Jebediah Williamson, Jeffrey Herrick
Legacy effects in linked ecological-soil-geomorphic systems of drylands Legacy effects in linked ecological-soil-geomorphic systems of drylands
A legacy effect refers to the impacts that previous conditions have on current processes or properties. Legacies have been recognized by many disciplines, from physiology and ecology to anthropology and geology. Within the context of climatic change, ecological legacies in drylands (eg vegetative patterns) result from feedbacks between biotic, soil, and geomorphic processes that operate...
Authors
Curtis Monger, Osvaldo Sala, Michael Duniway, Haim Goldfus, Isaac Meir, Rosa Poch, Heather Throop, Enrique Vivoni
Exposure pathways and biological receptors: baseline data for the canyon uranium mine, Coconino County, Arizona Exposure pathways and biological receptors: baseline data for the canyon uranium mine, Coconino County, Arizona
Recent restrictions on uranium mining within the Grand Canyon watershed have drawn attention to scientific data gaps in evaluating the possible effects of ore extraction to human populations as well as wildlife communities in the area. Tissue contaminant concentrations, one of the most basic data requirements to determine exposure, are not available for biota from any historical or...
Authors
Jo Hinck, Greg Linder, Abigail Darrah, Charles Drost, Michael Duniway, Matthew Johnson, Francisca Mendez-Harclerode, Erika M. Nowak, Ernest Valdez, Charles van Riper, S.W. Wolff
Scale-dependent feedbacks between patch size and plant reproduction in desert grassland Scale-dependent feedbacks between patch size and plant reproduction in desert grassland
Theoretical models suggest that scale-dependent feedbacks between plant reproductive success and plant patch size govern transitions from highly to sparsely vegetated states in drylands, yet there is scant empirical evidence for these mechanisms. Scale-dependent feedback models suggest that an optimal patch size exists for growth and reproduction of plants and that a threshold patch...
Authors
Lauren Svejcar, Brandon Bestelmeyer, Michael Duniway, Darren James
Machine learning for predicting soil classes in three semi-arid landscapes Machine learning for predicting soil classes in three semi-arid landscapes
Mapping the spatial distribution of soil taxonomic classes is important for informing soil use and management decisions. Digital soil mapping (DSM) can quantitatively predict the spatial distribution of soil taxonomic classes. Key components of DSM are the method and the set of environmental covariates used to predict soil classes. Machine learning is a general term for a broad set of...
Authors
Colby Brungard, Janis Boettinger, Michael Duniway, Skye A. Wills, Thomas Edwards
Modeling vegetation heights from high resolution stereo aerial photography: an application for broad-scale rangeland monitoring Modeling vegetation heights from high resolution stereo aerial photography: an application for broad-scale rangeland monitoring
Vertical vegetation structure in rangeland ecosystems can be a valuable indicator for assessing rangeland health and monitoring riparian areas, post-fire recovery, available forage for livestock, and wildlife habitat. Federal land management agencies are directed to monitor and manage rangelands at landscapes scales, but traditional field methods for measuring vegetation heights are...
Authors
Jeffrey Gillan, Jason W. Karl, Michael Duniway, Ahmed Elaksher
Interpretation of high-resolution imagery for detecting vegetation cover composition change after fuels reduction treatments in woodlands Interpretation of high-resolution imagery for detecting vegetation cover composition change after fuels reduction treatments in woodlands
The use of very high resolution (VHR; ground sampling distances ∼5 cm) aerial imagery to estimate site vegetation cover and to detect changes from management has been well documented. However, as the purpose of monitoring is to document change over time, the ability to detect changes from imagery at the same or better level of accuracy and precision as those measured in situ must be...
Authors
Jason W. Karl, Jeffrey Gillan, Nichole N. Barger, Jeffrey Herrick, Michael Duniway
Ecological site-based assessments of wind and water erosion: informing accelerated soil erosion management in rangelands Ecological site-based assessments of wind and water erosion: informing accelerated soil erosion management in rangelands
Accelerated soil erosion occurs when anthropogenic processes modify soil, vegetation or climatic conditions causing erosion rates at a location to exceed their natural variability. Identifying where and when accelerated erosion occurs is a critical first step toward its effective management. Here we explore how erosion assessments structured in the context of ecological sites (a land
Authors
Nicholas P. Webb, Jeffrey Herrick, Michael Duniway
Non-USGS Publications**
Browning, D.M., Duniway, M.C., Laliberte, A., and Rango, A., 2012, Hierarchical analysis of vegetation dynamics over 71 years: Soil-rainfall interactions in a Chihuahuan desert ecosystem: Ecological Applications, v. 22, p.909-926.
Duniway, M., Karl, J., Schrader, S., Baquera, N., and Herrick, J., 2012, Rangeland and pasture monitoring: an approach to interpretation of high-resolution imagery focused on observer calibration for repeatability: Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, v. 184, p. 3789-3804.
Karl, J., Duniway, M.C., Nusser, S.M., Opsomer, J.D., and Unnasch, R.S., 2012, Using Very-Large-Scale Aerial Imagery for Rangeland Monitoring and Assessment: Some Statistical Considerations: Rangeland Ecology & Management, v. 65, p. 330-339.
Karl, J.W., Duniway, M.C., and Schrader, T.S., 2012, A Technique for Estimating Rangeland Canopy-Gap Size Distributions From High-Resolution Digital Imagery: Rangeland Ecology & Management, v. 65, p. 196-207.
Browning, D.M., and Duniway, M.C., 2011, Digital soil mapping in the absence of field training data: a case study using terrain attributes and semiautomated soil signature derivation to distinguish ecological potential: Applied and Environmental Soil Science.
Duniway, M.C., and Herrick, J.E., 2011, Disentangling road network impacts: the need for a holistic approach: Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, v. 66, p. 31A-36A.
Peters, D.P.C., Lugo, A.E., Chapin, F.S., Pickett, S.T.A., Duniway, M.C., Rocha, A.V., Swanson, F.J., Laney, C., and Jones, J., 2011, Cross-system comparisons elucidate disturbance complexities and generalities: Ecosphere, v. 2, art. 81.
Schrader, T.S., and Duniway, M.C., 2011, Image Interpreter Tool: An ArcGIS tool for estimating vegetation cover from high-resolution imagery: Rangelands, v. 33, p. 35-40.
Duniway, M., Herrick, J., and Monger, H., 2010, Spatial and temporal variability of plant-available water in calcium carbonate-cemented soils and consequences for arid ecosystem resilience: Oecologia, v. 163, p. 215-226.
Duniway, M.C., Bestelmeyer, B.T., and Tugel, A., 2010, Soil processes and properties that distinguish ecological sites and states: Rangelands, v. 32, p. 9-15.
Duniway, M.C., Snyder, K.A., and Herrick, J.E., 2010, Spatial and temporal patterns of water availability in a grass–shrub ecotone and implications for grassland recovery in arid environments: Ecohydrology, v. 3, p. 55-67.
Duniway, M.C., Herrick, J.E., and Monger, H.C., 2007, The high water-holding capacity of petrocalcic horizons: Soil Science Society of America Journal, v. 71, p. 812-819.
Duniway, M.C., 2006, The functional role of petrocalcic horizons in desert ecosystems: spatial and temporal dynamics of plant water availability [Ph.D. Dissertation]: New Mexico State Univeristy, Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA.
**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.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 23
Filter Total Items: 40
No Result Found
Filter Total Items: 127
Desert grassland responses to climate and soil moisture suggest divergent vulnerabilities across the southwestern United States Desert grassland responses to climate and soil moisture suggest divergent vulnerabilities across the southwestern United States
Climate change predictions include warming and drying trends, which are expected to be particularly pronounced in the southwestern United States. In this region, grassland dynamics are tightly linked to available moisture, yet it has proven difficult to resolve what aspects of climate drive vegetation change. In part, this is because it is unclear how heterogeneity in soils affects plant...
Authors
Jennifer Gremer, John Bradford, Seth Munson, Michael Duniway
Pulse-drought atop press-drought: unexpected plant responses and implications for dryland ecosystems Pulse-drought atop press-drought: unexpected plant responses and implications for dryland ecosystems
In drylands, climate change is predicted to cause chronic reductions in water availability (press-droughts) through reduced precipitation and increased temperatures as well as increase the frequency and intensity of short-term extreme droughts (pulse-droughts). These changes in precipitation patterns may have profound ecosystem effects, depending on the sensitivities of the dominant...
Authors
David Hoover, Michael Duniway, Jayne Belnap
Effects of ungulate disturbance and weather variation on Pediocactus winkleri: Insights from long-term monitoring Effects of ungulate disturbance and weather variation on Pediocactus winkleri: Insights from long-term monitoring
Population dynamics and effects of large ungulate disturbances on Winkler cactus (Pediocactus winkleri K.D. Heil) were documented annually over a 20-year time span at one plot within Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. This cactus species was federally listed as threatened in 1998. The study began in 1995 to gain a better understanding of life history aspects and threats to this species...
Authors
Deborah Clark, Thomas Clark, Michael Duniway, Cody Flagg
Evaluating rehabilitation efforts following the Milford Flat Fire: successes, failures, and controlling factors Evaluating rehabilitation efforts following the Milford Flat Fire: successes, failures, and controlling factors
Uncontrolled wildfire in arid and semiarid ecosystems has become an increasing concern in recent decades. Active rehabilitation of fire-affected areas is often quickly initiated to minimize long-term ecosystem damage. However, the complex soil-geomorphic-vegetation patterns and low and variable moisture conditions in these regions makes restoration challenging. To further inform these...
Authors
Michael Duniway, Emily Palmquist, Mark Miller
Desertification, land use, and the transformation of global drylands Desertification, land use, and the transformation of global drylands
Desertification is an escalating concern in global drylands, yet assessments to guide management and policy responses are limited by ambiguity concerning the definition of “desertification” and what processes are involved. To improve clarity, we propose that assessments of desertification and land transformation be placed within a state change–land-use change (SC–LUC) framework. This...
Authors
Brandon Bestelmeyer, Gregory Okin, Michael Duniway, Steven Archer, Nathan Sayre, Jebediah Williamson, Jeffrey Herrick
Legacy effects in linked ecological-soil-geomorphic systems of drylands Legacy effects in linked ecological-soil-geomorphic systems of drylands
A legacy effect refers to the impacts that previous conditions have on current processes or properties. Legacies have been recognized by many disciplines, from physiology and ecology to anthropology and geology. Within the context of climatic change, ecological legacies in drylands (eg vegetative patterns) result from feedbacks between biotic, soil, and geomorphic processes that operate...
Authors
Curtis Monger, Osvaldo Sala, Michael Duniway, Haim Goldfus, Isaac Meir, Rosa Poch, Heather Throop, Enrique Vivoni
Exposure pathways and biological receptors: baseline data for the canyon uranium mine, Coconino County, Arizona Exposure pathways and biological receptors: baseline data for the canyon uranium mine, Coconino County, Arizona
Recent restrictions on uranium mining within the Grand Canyon watershed have drawn attention to scientific data gaps in evaluating the possible effects of ore extraction to human populations as well as wildlife communities in the area. Tissue contaminant concentrations, one of the most basic data requirements to determine exposure, are not available for biota from any historical or...
Authors
Jo Hinck, Greg Linder, Abigail Darrah, Charles Drost, Michael Duniway, Matthew Johnson, Francisca Mendez-Harclerode, Erika M. Nowak, Ernest Valdez, Charles van Riper, S.W. Wolff
Scale-dependent feedbacks between patch size and plant reproduction in desert grassland Scale-dependent feedbacks between patch size and plant reproduction in desert grassland
Theoretical models suggest that scale-dependent feedbacks between plant reproductive success and plant patch size govern transitions from highly to sparsely vegetated states in drylands, yet there is scant empirical evidence for these mechanisms. Scale-dependent feedback models suggest that an optimal patch size exists for growth and reproduction of plants and that a threshold patch...
Authors
Lauren Svejcar, Brandon Bestelmeyer, Michael Duniway, Darren James
Machine learning for predicting soil classes in three semi-arid landscapes Machine learning for predicting soil classes in three semi-arid landscapes
Mapping the spatial distribution of soil taxonomic classes is important for informing soil use and management decisions. Digital soil mapping (DSM) can quantitatively predict the spatial distribution of soil taxonomic classes. Key components of DSM are the method and the set of environmental covariates used to predict soil classes. Machine learning is a general term for a broad set of...
Authors
Colby Brungard, Janis Boettinger, Michael Duniway, Skye A. Wills, Thomas Edwards
Modeling vegetation heights from high resolution stereo aerial photography: an application for broad-scale rangeland monitoring Modeling vegetation heights from high resolution stereo aerial photography: an application for broad-scale rangeland monitoring
Vertical vegetation structure in rangeland ecosystems can be a valuable indicator for assessing rangeland health and monitoring riparian areas, post-fire recovery, available forage for livestock, and wildlife habitat. Federal land management agencies are directed to monitor and manage rangelands at landscapes scales, but traditional field methods for measuring vegetation heights are...
Authors
Jeffrey Gillan, Jason W. Karl, Michael Duniway, Ahmed Elaksher
Interpretation of high-resolution imagery for detecting vegetation cover composition change after fuels reduction treatments in woodlands Interpretation of high-resolution imagery for detecting vegetation cover composition change after fuels reduction treatments in woodlands
The use of very high resolution (VHR; ground sampling distances ∼5 cm) aerial imagery to estimate site vegetation cover and to detect changes from management has been well documented. However, as the purpose of monitoring is to document change over time, the ability to detect changes from imagery at the same or better level of accuracy and precision as those measured in situ must be...
Authors
Jason W. Karl, Jeffrey Gillan, Nichole N. Barger, Jeffrey Herrick, Michael Duniway
Ecological site-based assessments of wind and water erosion: informing accelerated soil erosion management in rangelands Ecological site-based assessments of wind and water erosion: informing accelerated soil erosion management in rangelands
Accelerated soil erosion occurs when anthropogenic processes modify soil, vegetation or climatic conditions causing erosion rates at a location to exceed their natural variability. Identifying where and when accelerated erosion occurs is a critical first step toward its effective management. Here we explore how erosion assessments structured in the context of ecological sites (a land
Authors
Nicholas P. Webb, Jeffrey Herrick, Michael Duniway
Non-USGS Publications**
Browning, D.M., Duniway, M.C., Laliberte, A., and Rango, A., 2012, Hierarchical analysis of vegetation dynamics over 71 years: Soil-rainfall interactions in a Chihuahuan desert ecosystem: Ecological Applications, v. 22, p.909-926.
Duniway, M., Karl, J., Schrader, S., Baquera, N., and Herrick, J., 2012, Rangeland and pasture monitoring: an approach to interpretation of high-resolution imagery focused on observer calibration for repeatability: Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, v. 184, p. 3789-3804.
Karl, J., Duniway, M.C., Nusser, S.M., Opsomer, J.D., and Unnasch, R.S., 2012, Using Very-Large-Scale Aerial Imagery for Rangeland Monitoring and Assessment: Some Statistical Considerations: Rangeland Ecology & Management, v. 65, p. 330-339.
Karl, J.W., Duniway, M.C., and Schrader, T.S., 2012, A Technique for Estimating Rangeland Canopy-Gap Size Distributions From High-Resolution Digital Imagery: Rangeland Ecology & Management, v. 65, p. 196-207.
Browning, D.M., and Duniway, M.C., 2011, Digital soil mapping in the absence of field training data: a case study using terrain attributes and semiautomated soil signature derivation to distinguish ecological potential: Applied and Environmental Soil Science.
Duniway, M.C., and Herrick, J.E., 2011, Disentangling road network impacts: the need for a holistic approach: Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, v. 66, p. 31A-36A.
Peters, D.P.C., Lugo, A.E., Chapin, F.S., Pickett, S.T.A., Duniway, M.C., Rocha, A.V., Swanson, F.J., Laney, C., and Jones, J., 2011, Cross-system comparisons elucidate disturbance complexities and generalities: Ecosphere, v. 2, art. 81.
Schrader, T.S., and Duniway, M.C., 2011, Image Interpreter Tool: An ArcGIS tool for estimating vegetation cover from high-resolution imagery: Rangelands, v. 33, p. 35-40.
Duniway, M., Herrick, J., and Monger, H., 2010, Spatial and temporal variability of plant-available water in calcium carbonate-cemented soils and consequences for arid ecosystem resilience: Oecologia, v. 163, p. 215-226.
Duniway, M.C., Bestelmeyer, B.T., and Tugel, A., 2010, Soil processes and properties that distinguish ecological sites and states: Rangelands, v. 32, p. 9-15.
Duniway, M.C., Snyder, K.A., and Herrick, J.E., 2010, Spatial and temporal patterns of water availability in a grass–shrub ecotone and implications for grassland recovery in arid environments: Ecohydrology, v. 3, p. 55-67.
Duniway, M.C., Herrick, J.E., and Monger, H.C., 2007, The high water-holding capacity of petrocalcic horizons: Soil Science Society of America Journal, v. 71, p. 812-819.
Duniway, M.C., 2006, The functional role of petrocalcic horizons in desert ecosystems: spatial and temporal dynamics of plant water availability [Ph.D. Dissertation]: New Mexico State Univeristy, Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA.
**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.