Nicholas Cole, PhD
Nicholas Cole is a research social scientist/biologist at the Fort Collins Science Center whose research interests include quantifying dynamics between human, fish, and wildlife populations to inform policy and management decisions.
Nicholas Cole graduated from the University of Missouri with a B.S. degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences in 2009, received his M.S. degree from University of Florida in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences in 2014, and completed his Ph.D. in Natural Resource Sciences at the University of Nebraska in 2018. Nicholas is currently a social scientist in the Social and Economic Analysis Branch of U.S. Geological Survey. Nicholas’s research interests lie in quantifying the complex dynamics between human, fish, and wildlife populations to inform effective policy and management decisions.
Science and Products
Perceived constraints to participating in wildlife-related recreation
Exploring the relevance of the multidimensionality of wildlife recreationists to conservation behaviors: A case study in Virginia
Bureau of Reclamation: Visitor satisfaction survey instructions
Perceptions of conservation introduction to inform decision support among U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees
Highly specialized recreationists contribute the most to the citizen science project eBird
Racial, ethnic, and social patterns in the recreation specialization of birdwatchers: An analysis of United States eBird registrants
Testing a continuous measure of recreation specialization among birdwatchers
Fostering greater use of habitat models for managing rare and invasive plants on public lands
Social and Economic Analysis (SEA) Branch
Mapping Chronic Wasting Disease Management: Identify Opportunities for Intervention
Conservation Introductions: Enhancing Decision Support for the Pacific Northwest and Pacific Islands
Human Dimensions of Resource Management
North American Waterfowl Management Plan
Science and Products
- Publications
Perceived constraints to participating in wildlife-related recreation
Wildlife-related recreationists play an important role in conservation. Understanding constraints to wildlife-related activities is critical for maintaining or increasing participation in activities like birdwatching and hunting. A mail-out survey was administered to a generalized sample representative of U.S. residents (i.e., not specific to birdwatching or hunting) in early 2017 to determine whaAuthorsNicholas Cole, Emily J. Wilkins, Kaylin Clements, Rudy Schuster, Ashley A. Dayer, H. W. Harshaw, David C. Fulton, Jennifer N. Duberstein, Andrew H. RaedekeExploring the relevance of the multidimensionality of wildlife recreationists to conservation behaviors: A case study in Virginia
Wildlife recreationists' participation in conservation behaviors could provide key support to the conservation efforts of state fish and wildlife agencies. However, little is known about how identifying with multiple forms of wildlife recreation (i.e., hunters, anglers, birders, wildlife viewers) may influence participation in conservation behaviors, specifically for supporting state fish and wildAuthorsBennett Grooms, Ashley A. Dayer, Jessica Barnes, Ashley Peele, Jonathan D. Rutter, Nicholas ColeBureau of Reclamation: Visitor satisfaction survey instructions
The purpose of the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) Visitor Satisfaction Survey is to measure visitors’ opinions about BOR facilities, services, and recreational opportunities. This effort helps BOR meet requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) and other BOR and Department of the Interior (DOI) strategic planning efforts. This survey manual provides the detailed methodsAuthorsEmily J. Wilkins, Nicholas Cole, Rudy SchusterPerceptions of conservation introduction to inform decision support among U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees
Executive SummaryAround the globe, fish and wildlife managers are facing increasingly complex management issues because of multiscale ecological effects like climate change, species invasion, and land-use change. Managers seeking to prevent extinctions or preserve ecosystems are increasingly considering more interventionist techniques to overcome the resulting changes. Among those techniques, tranAuthorsNicholas Cole, Julia B. Goolsby, Amanda E. CravensHighly specialized recreationists contribute the most to the citizen science project eBird
Contributory citizen science projects (hereafter “contributory projects”) are a powerful tool for avian conservation science. Large-scale projects such as eBird have produced data that have advanced science and contributed to many conservation applications. These projects also provide a means to engage the public in scientific data collection. A common challenge across contributory projects like eAuthorsConnor J. Rosenblatt, Ashley A. Dayer, Jennifer N. Duberstein, Tina B. Phillips, H. W. Harshaw, David C. Fulton, Nicholas Cole, Andrew H. Raedeke, Jonathan D. Rutter, Christopher L. WoodRacial, ethnic, and social patterns in the recreation specialization of birdwatchers: An analysis of United States eBird registrants
Although birdwatchers comprise a large and growing proportion of the American public, there is a lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the birdwatching community. Previous research suggests that this homogeneity is self-perpetuating, as ethno-racial minorities are less likely to pursue activities in which no one they know participates. However, it is unclear whether this trend in birdwatching parAuthorsJonathan D. Rutter, Ashley A. Dayer, Howard W. Harshaw, Nicholas Cole, David C. Fulton, Jennifer N. Duberstein, Andrew H . Raedeke, Rudy SchusterTesting a continuous measure of recreation specialization among birdwatchers
Recreation specialization is a framework that can be used to explain the variation among outdoor recreationists’ preferences, attitudes, and behaviors. Recreation specialization has been operationalized using several approaches, including summative indices, cluster analysis, and self-classification categorical measures. Although these approaches measure the multiple dimensions of the framework, thAuthorsH.W. Harshaw, Nicholas Cole, Ashley A. Dayer, Jonathan D. Rutter, David C. Fulton, Andrew H. Raedeke, Rudy Schuster, Jennifer N. Duberstein - Science
Fostering greater use of habitat models for managing rare and invasive plants on public lands
Habitat models can provide critical information on the current and potential distribution of plant species, as well as help target and support conservation efforts. Despite their potential utility in public land management, model use may be constrained by a variety of factors including staff access to and trust in models. In this project, we seek to bring together model users and model developers...Social and Economic Analysis (SEA) Branch
The Social and Economic Analysis (SEA) branch is an interdisciplinary group of scientists whose primary functions are to conduct both theoretical and applied social science research, provide technical assistance, and offer training to support the development of skills in natural resource management activities.Mapping Chronic Wasting Disease Management: Identify Opportunities for Intervention
This research effort is an interagency partnership between U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to model the social-ecological system that encompasses chronic wasting disease management in the United States. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, neurologically degenerative disease that impacts many cervid species in North America (e.g., elk, moose, mule deer, and white...Conservation Introductions: Enhancing Decision Support for the Pacific Northwest and Pacific Islands
This research effort is an interagency partnership between U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to systematically explore the issues, viewpoints, and concerns within the Service in relation to conservation introductions. Conservation introduction is the planned, intentional moving of species, populations or genotypes to a location outside a target’s native range.Human Dimensions of Resource Management
Human dimensions in the context of natural resource management refers to understanding attitudes, preferences, and behaviors of American citizens in order to improve conservation and management of public lands and waters. Human Dimensions at the FORT also includes understanding the users and applications of data and technology in the context of natural resource management.North American Waterfowl Management Plan
The ultimate success of North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) depends on maintaining relevance to stakeholders and society. In order to be relevant, a first step is to better understand what people value in regard to waterfowl and their habitats. - News