Mitchell J Eaton, Ph.D.
Mitchell Eaton is a Research Ecologist with the USGS Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center and an adjunct faculty member in Applied Ecology at NC State University. His research focuses on wildlife ecology and management, emphasizing quantitative modeling to understand resource dynamics and use of decision-theoretic methods to guide management decisions under uncertainty.
Mitch earned a M.S. in Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota (2002; use of harvest data to assess sustainability of tropical vertebrates) and his Ph.D in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from the University of Colorado (2009; population demographics, genetics and harvest management of African crocodiles). An interest in how policy makers actually use science to make decisions led him to a postdoc at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (USGS), where he worked with some of the top researchers in the field of decision theory to develop and apply quantitative decision-analytic tools for addressing resource management issues in the U.S. and globally. Mitch currently integrates his background and interests in population ecology with decision science to help managers and decision makers frame management problems, formulate approaches to predict outcomes and evaluate trade-offs, test hypotheses and improve decision making via adaptive management, and optimally allocate resources under uncertainty. Mitch is interested in bridging the science-management gap by working with decision makers early in their formulation of management issues and considering how science can most effectively support decision-making. He also has an ongoing interest in tropical ecology, crocodilian conservation and wildlife harvest dynamics.
Additional Projects:
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Conservation and management of the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis): designing a monitoring program and occupancy models to test hypotheses of habitat and competition on patch occupancy and dynamics
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Development of an adaptive management plan to restore the Herring River estuary, Cape Cod
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado
M.S. in Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota
Science and Products
Strategic Habitat Conservation and Adaptive Strategies for the Conservation of Coqui Frogs in Puerto Rico
Understanding Species' Range Shifts in Response to Climate Change: Results from a Systematic National Review
Enhancing Coastal Adaptation Planning at Gulf Islands National Seashore
Protecting Cultural Resources in the Face of Climate Change
Climate Change Adaptation for Coastal National Wildlife Refuges
Development of an Adaptive Management Framework for the Conservation of the New England Cottontail
Multi-criteria decision approach for climate adaptation of cultural resources along the Atlantic coast of the southeastern United States: Application of AHP method Multi-criteria decision approach for climate adaptation of cultural resources along the Atlantic coast of the southeastern United States: Application of AHP method
Scenario-Based Decision Analysis: Integrated scenario planning and structured decision making for resource management under climate change Scenario-Based Decision Analysis: Integrated scenario planning and structured decision making for resource management under climate change
Quantifying uncertainty in coastal salinity regime for biological application using quantile regression Quantifying uncertainty in coastal salinity regime for biological application using quantile regression
Value-aligned planning objectives for restoring North Carolina aquatic resources Value-aligned planning objectives for restoring North Carolina aquatic resources
Climate change and the global redistribution of biodiversity: Substantial variation in empirical support for expected range shifts Climate change and the global redistribution of biodiversity: Substantial variation in empirical support for expected range shifts
Decision science as a framework for combining geomorphological and ecological modeling for the management of coastal systems Decision science as a framework for combining geomorphological and ecological modeling for the management of coastal systems
Non-USGS Publications**
**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
Strategic Habitat Conservation and Adaptive Strategies for the Conservation of Coqui Frogs in Puerto Rico
Understanding Species' Range Shifts in Response to Climate Change: Results from a Systematic National Review
Enhancing Coastal Adaptation Planning at Gulf Islands National Seashore
Protecting Cultural Resources in the Face of Climate Change
Climate Change Adaptation for Coastal National Wildlife Refuges
Development of an Adaptive Management Framework for the Conservation of the New England Cottontail
Multi-criteria decision approach for climate adaptation of cultural resources along the Atlantic coast of the southeastern United States: Application of AHP method Multi-criteria decision approach for climate adaptation of cultural resources along the Atlantic coast of the southeastern United States: Application of AHP method
Scenario-Based Decision Analysis: Integrated scenario planning and structured decision making for resource management under climate change Scenario-Based Decision Analysis: Integrated scenario planning and structured decision making for resource management under climate change
Quantifying uncertainty in coastal salinity regime for biological application using quantile regression Quantifying uncertainty in coastal salinity regime for biological application using quantile regression
Value-aligned planning objectives for restoring North Carolina aquatic resources Value-aligned planning objectives for restoring North Carolina aquatic resources
Climate change and the global redistribution of biodiversity: Substantial variation in empirical support for expected range shifts Climate change and the global redistribution of biodiversity: Substantial variation in empirical support for expected range shifts
Decision science as a framework for combining geomorphological and ecological modeling for the management of coastal systems Decision science as a framework for combining geomorphological and ecological modeling for the management of coastal systems
Non-USGS Publications**
**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.