Patrick Kleeman is a Supervisory Ecologist at the Western Ecological Research Center.
Patrick Kleeman's research focuses on the ecology and conservation biology of amphibians. Topics of study within these categories include population demography through capture-mark-recapture methods, habitat use by using radiotelemetry, and phenology of breeding as evidenced by vocalizations. His research also examines what role stressors such as environmental contaminants, disease, and climate may have on amphibian populations. In addition to amphibians, he also works with island night lizards (Xantusia riversiana) on San Nicolas Island and Townsend's big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii) at Point Reyes National Seashore.
EDUCATION
- B.A. in Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1988
- M.S. in Wildlife Management, Humboldt State University, 1999
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 18
Multi-State Occurrence Data and Predictors for Amphibians in Yosemite National Park (2007-2021)
These data include field-collected observations of the occurrence of adult and larval amphibians at 174 sites in 14 watersheds at Yosemite National Park from 2007 through 2021. Also included in the data are potential variables affecting site occurrence, probability of reproduction, and probability of detection of amphibians, including static site-specific variables like site size and elevation, an
USGS Occupancy Surveys for Dixie Valley Toads, Anaxyrus williamsi, in Churchill County, Nevada from April 2018 to May 2021
Desert spring wetlands host many endemic species that require aquatic habitat and are isolated by the surrounding xeric terrestrial habitat. The Dixie Valley Toad (Anaxyrus williamsi) is a recently described anuran species endemic to desert spring wetlands in the Dixie Valley, Churchill County, Nevada, USA. Given this species was only recently recognized as distinct from Anaxyrus boreas, little is
Temperature and Relative Conductivity at Sampling Locations in the Dixie Valley, Churchill County, Nevada, 2019-2021
These data provide temperatures and relative conductivity to determine the presence or absence of water at specific locations in Dixie Meadows, Dixie Valley, Churchill County, Nevada, 2019-2021.
Concentrations of pesticides in silicone bands as passive samplers and sediment in Pinnacles National Park and Bureau of Land Management lands in San Benito County, California, 2019-2021
To better understand the potential pesticide exposure, samples were collected from locations along two creeks in Pinnacles National Park and four creeks in nearby Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. Silicone bands were used as passive sampling devices (PSD) staked in the creek and above in the air (above the water line). Sampling was conducted in the summer from 2019 to 2021. PSDs were deployed
Western Spadefoot Survey Data in Northern and Central California (2019)
Species distributions are governed by processes occurring at multiple spatial scales. For species with complex life cycles, the needs of all life stages must be met within the dispersal limitations of the species. Multi-scale processes can be particularly important for these species, where small-scale patterns in specific habitat components can affect the distribution of one life stage, whereas la
Northwestern Pond Turtle Survey Data in Northern California Forest Streams (2021)
These data are from joint visual encounter and environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys conducted for northwestern pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata) in streams on privately-owned timberlands in northern California.
Amphibian Chytrid Swab Data from Churchill County, Nevada (2019-2021)
This dataset includes results from external skin swabbing of Anaxyrus williamsi and Lithobates catesbeianus to test for the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis from the Dixie Valley in Churchill County, Nevada, in 2019-2021.
Western Spadefoot Habitat Selection Based on Radio Telemetry in Orange County, California 2019
We conducted a radio telemetry study of adult western spadefoots (Spea hammondii) at 2 sites in southern California to characterize their survival, behavior, and movements from breeding through aestivation to inform conservation and management for the species.
These data support the following publication:
Halstead, B.J., Baumberger, K.L., Backlin, A.R., Kleeman, P.M., Wong, M.N., Gallegos, E.
Shasta Salamanders Surveys for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest (ver. 2.0, July 2020)
The Shasta salamander (Hydromantes shastae) has been petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act. The greatest threat to the species is likely habitat loss that will be caused by the increase in elevation of Shasta Lake that will occur with proposed increases in the height of Shasta Dam to increase water storage capacity and maintain cold water for Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawyts
Characteristics of Sites Sampled for eDNA of Amphibians in Mendocino County, California, 2016
Stream-obligate amphibians are important indicators of ecosystem health in the Pacific Northwest, but distributional information to improve forest management is lacking in many regions. We analyzed archived DNA extracted from water samples in 60 pools within streams in private timberlands in Mendocino County, California, for 3 California Species of Special Concern - Coastal Tailed Frogs (Ascaphus
Site and Survey Data for Dixie Valley Toads in Churchill County, Nevada, 2019
These data include site- and survey-specific information for occupancy surveys of Dixie Valley Toads (Anaxyrus williamsi) collected in the Dixie Valley, Churchill County, Nevada, in May 2019. The data include both multiple surveys of the same sites and time-to-detection information to quantify detection probabilities and account for imperfect detection in assessments of Dixie Valley Toad occupancy
Site and Survey Data for Amphibian Surveys in Yosemite National Park, 2018
These data represent occupancy surveys conducted in long-term monitoring sites in Yosemite National Park in 2018 for three anurans, the Yosemite Toad (Anaxyrus canorus), the Sierran Treefrog (Pseudacris sierra), and the Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog (Rana sierrae). The data include independent double-observer surveys and time-to-detection data to calculate detection probabilities and account fo
Filter Total Items: 32
Hot, wet and rare: Modelling the occupancy dynamics of the narrowly distributed Dixie Valley toad
Context: Small population sizes and no possibility of metapopulation rescue put narrowly distributed endemic species under elevated risk of extinction from anthropogenic change. Desert spring wetlands host many endemic species that require aquatic habitat and are isolated by the surrounding xeric terrestrial habitat.Aims: We sought to model the occupancy dynamics of the Dixie Valley toad (Anaxyrus
Multi-scale patterns in occurrence of an ephemeral pool-breeding amphibian
Species distributions are governed by processes occurring at multiple spatial scales. For species with complex life cycles, the needs of all life stages must be met within the dispersal limitations of the species. Multi-scale processes can be particularly important for these species, where small-scale patterns in specific habitat components can affect the distribution of one life stage, whereas la
Conservation implications of spatiotemporal variation in the terrestrial ecology of Western spadefoots
Conservation of species reliant on ephemeral resources can be especially challenging in the face of a changing climate. Western spadefoots (Spea hammondii) are small burrowing anurans that breed in ephemeral pools, but adults spend the majority of their lives underground in adjacent terrestrial habitat. Western spadefoots are of conservation concern throughout their range because of habitat loss,
Metal accumulation varies with life history, size, and development of larval amphibians
Amphibian larvae are commonly used as indicators of aquatic ecosystem health because they are susceptible to contaminants. However, there is limited information on how species characteristics and trophic position influence contaminant loads in larval amphibians. Importantly, there remains a need to understand whether grazers (frogs and toads [anurans]) and predators (salamanders) provide comparabl
Water temperature and availability shape the spatial ecology of a hot springs endemic toad
Desert amphibians are limited to exploiting ephemeral resources and aestivating or to inhabiting scarce refuges of permanent water, such as springs. Understanding how amphibians use these resources is essential for their conservation. Dixie Valley Toads (Anaxyrus williamsi) are precinctive to a small system of cold and hot springs in the Dixie Valley, Nevada, USA. The toads have been petitioned fo
Estimating the survival of unobservable life stages for a declining frog with a complex life-history
Demographic models enhance understanding of drivers of population growth and inform conservation efforts to prevent population declines and extinction. For species with complex life histories, however, parameterizing demographic models is challenging because some life stages can be difficult to study directly. Integrated population models (IPMs) empower researchers to estimate vital rates for orga
Occurrence of a suite of stream-obligate amphibians in timberlands of Mendocino County, California, examined using environmental DNA
Stream-obligate amphibians are important indicators of ecosystem health in the Pacific Northwest, but distributional information to improve forest management is lacking in many regions. We analyzed archived DNA extracted from water samples in 60 pools in streams on private timberlands in Mendocino County, California, for 3 California Species of Special Concern—Coastal Tailed Frogs (Ascaphus truei)
Time-to-detection occupancy methods: Performance and utility for improving efficiency of surveys
Occupancy methods propelled the quantitative study of species distributions forward by separating the observation process, or the imperfect detectability of species, from the ecological processes of interest governing species distributions. Occupancy studies come at a cost, however: the collection of additional data to account for nondetections at sites where the species is present. The most commo
Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) not detected in an intensive survey of wild North American amphibians
The salamander chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans [Bsal]) is causing massive mortality of salamanders in Europe. The potential for spread via international trade into North America and the high diversity of salamanders has catalyzed concern about Bsal in the U.S. Surveillance programs for invading pathogens must initially meet challenges that include low rates of occurrence on the l
Monitoring protocol development and assessment for narrowly endemic toads in Nevada, 2018
Several species and subspecies of toads are endemic to small spring systems in the Great Basin, and their restricted ranges and habitat extent make them vulnerable to environmental perturbations. Very little is known about several of these toad populations, so a group of stakeholders including the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Nevada Department
Effect of amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) on apparent survival of frogs and toads in the western USA
Despite increasing interest in determining the population-level effects of emerging infectious diseases on wildlife, estimating effects of disease on survival rates remains difficult. Even for a well-studied disease such as amphibian chytridiomycosis (caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis [Bd]), there are few estimates of how survival of wild hosts is affected. We applied hierarchica
By
Time-to-detection occupancy modeling: An efficient method for analyzing the occurrence of amphibians and reptiles
Occupancy models provide a reliable method of estimating species distributions while accounting for imperfect detectability. The cost of accounting for false absences is that detection and nondetection surveys typically require repeated visits to a site or multiple-observer techniques. More efficient methods of collecting data to estimate detection probabilities would allow additional sites to be
Code to Analyze Occupancy Data for Dixie Valley Toads, Anaxyrus williamsi in Churchill County, Nevada from 2018 to 2021
-R code to create and fit dynamic occupancy models to Dixie Valley Toad survey data in JAGS and produce useful summaries of model results. This script will perform the Gibbs Variable Selection (GVS) using the initial set of environmental covariates, and then fit the "final" model using only important environmental covariates. The dynamic occupancy model is adapted from the model publishe
Science and Products
- Data
Filter Total Items: 18
Multi-State Occurrence Data and Predictors for Amphibians in Yosemite National Park (2007-2021)
These data include field-collected observations of the occurrence of adult and larval amphibians at 174 sites in 14 watersheds at Yosemite National Park from 2007 through 2021. Also included in the data are potential variables affecting site occurrence, probability of reproduction, and probability of detection of amphibians, including static site-specific variables like site size and elevation, anUSGS Occupancy Surveys for Dixie Valley Toads, Anaxyrus williamsi, in Churchill County, Nevada from April 2018 to May 2021
Desert spring wetlands host many endemic species that require aquatic habitat and are isolated by the surrounding xeric terrestrial habitat. The Dixie Valley Toad (Anaxyrus williamsi) is a recently described anuran species endemic to desert spring wetlands in the Dixie Valley, Churchill County, Nevada, USA. Given this species was only recently recognized as distinct from Anaxyrus boreas, little isTemperature and Relative Conductivity at Sampling Locations in the Dixie Valley, Churchill County, Nevada, 2019-2021
These data provide temperatures and relative conductivity to determine the presence or absence of water at specific locations in Dixie Meadows, Dixie Valley, Churchill County, Nevada, 2019-2021.Concentrations of pesticides in silicone bands as passive samplers and sediment in Pinnacles National Park and Bureau of Land Management lands in San Benito County, California, 2019-2021
To better understand the potential pesticide exposure, samples were collected from locations along two creeks in Pinnacles National Park and four creeks in nearby Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. Silicone bands were used as passive sampling devices (PSD) staked in the creek and above in the air (above the water line). Sampling was conducted in the summer from 2019 to 2021. PSDs were deployedWestern Spadefoot Survey Data in Northern and Central California (2019)
Species distributions are governed by processes occurring at multiple spatial scales. For species with complex life cycles, the needs of all life stages must be met within the dispersal limitations of the species. Multi-scale processes can be particularly important for these species, where small-scale patterns in specific habitat components can affect the distribution of one life stage, whereas laNorthwestern Pond Turtle Survey Data in Northern California Forest Streams (2021)
These data are from joint visual encounter and environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys conducted for northwestern pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata) in streams on privately-owned timberlands in northern California.Amphibian Chytrid Swab Data from Churchill County, Nevada (2019-2021)
This dataset includes results from external skin swabbing of Anaxyrus williamsi and Lithobates catesbeianus to test for the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis from the Dixie Valley in Churchill County, Nevada, in 2019-2021.Western Spadefoot Habitat Selection Based on Radio Telemetry in Orange County, California 2019
We conducted a radio telemetry study of adult western spadefoots (Spea hammondii) at 2 sites in southern California to characterize their survival, behavior, and movements from breeding through aestivation to inform conservation and management for the species. These data support the following publication: Halstead, B.J., Baumberger, K.L., Backlin, A.R., Kleeman, P.M., Wong, M.N., Gallegos, E.Shasta Salamanders Surveys for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest (ver. 2.0, July 2020)
The Shasta salamander (Hydromantes shastae) has been petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act. The greatest threat to the species is likely habitat loss that will be caused by the increase in elevation of Shasta Lake that will occur with proposed increases in the height of Shasta Dam to increase water storage capacity and maintain cold water for Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytsCharacteristics of Sites Sampled for eDNA of Amphibians in Mendocino County, California, 2016
Stream-obligate amphibians are important indicators of ecosystem health in the Pacific Northwest, but distributional information to improve forest management is lacking in many regions. We analyzed archived DNA extracted from water samples in 60 pools within streams in private timberlands in Mendocino County, California, for 3 California Species of Special Concern - Coastal Tailed Frogs (AscaphusSite and Survey Data for Dixie Valley Toads in Churchill County, Nevada, 2019
These data include site- and survey-specific information for occupancy surveys of Dixie Valley Toads (Anaxyrus williamsi) collected in the Dixie Valley, Churchill County, Nevada, in May 2019. The data include both multiple surveys of the same sites and time-to-detection information to quantify detection probabilities and account for imperfect detection in assessments of Dixie Valley Toad occupancySite and Survey Data for Amphibian Surveys in Yosemite National Park, 2018
These data represent occupancy surveys conducted in long-term monitoring sites in Yosemite National Park in 2018 for three anurans, the Yosemite Toad (Anaxyrus canorus), the Sierran Treefrog (Pseudacris sierra), and the Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog (Rana sierrae). The data include independent double-observer surveys and time-to-detection data to calculate detection probabilities and account fo - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 32
Hot, wet and rare: Modelling the occupancy dynamics of the narrowly distributed Dixie Valley toad
Context: Small population sizes and no possibility of metapopulation rescue put narrowly distributed endemic species under elevated risk of extinction from anthropogenic change. Desert spring wetlands host many endemic species that require aquatic habitat and are isolated by the surrounding xeric terrestrial habitat.Aims: We sought to model the occupancy dynamics of the Dixie Valley toad (AnaxyrusMulti-scale patterns in occurrence of an ephemeral pool-breeding amphibian
Species distributions are governed by processes occurring at multiple spatial scales. For species with complex life cycles, the needs of all life stages must be met within the dispersal limitations of the species. Multi-scale processes can be particularly important for these species, where small-scale patterns in specific habitat components can affect the distribution of one life stage, whereas laConservation implications of spatiotemporal variation in the terrestrial ecology of Western spadefoots
Conservation of species reliant on ephemeral resources can be especially challenging in the face of a changing climate. Western spadefoots (Spea hammondii) are small burrowing anurans that breed in ephemeral pools, but adults spend the majority of their lives underground in adjacent terrestrial habitat. Western spadefoots are of conservation concern throughout their range because of habitat loss,Metal accumulation varies with life history, size, and development of larval amphibians
Amphibian larvae are commonly used as indicators of aquatic ecosystem health because they are susceptible to contaminants. However, there is limited information on how species characteristics and trophic position influence contaminant loads in larval amphibians. Importantly, there remains a need to understand whether grazers (frogs and toads [anurans]) and predators (salamanders) provide comparablWater temperature and availability shape the spatial ecology of a hot springs endemic toad
Desert amphibians are limited to exploiting ephemeral resources and aestivating or to inhabiting scarce refuges of permanent water, such as springs. Understanding how amphibians use these resources is essential for their conservation. Dixie Valley Toads (Anaxyrus williamsi) are precinctive to a small system of cold and hot springs in the Dixie Valley, Nevada, USA. The toads have been petitioned foEstimating the survival of unobservable life stages for a declining frog with a complex life-history
Demographic models enhance understanding of drivers of population growth and inform conservation efforts to prevent population declines and extinction. For species with complex life histories, however, parameterizing demographic models is challenging because some life stages can be difficult to study directly. Integrated population models (IPMs) empower researchers to estimate vital rates for orgaOccurrence of a suite of stream-obligate amphibians in timberlands of Mendocino County, California, examined using environmental DNA
Stream-obligate amphibians are important indicators of ecosystem health in the Pacific Northwest, but distributional information to improve forest management is lacking in many regions. We analyzed archived DNA extracted from water samples in 60 pools in streams on private timberlands in Mendocino County, California, for 3 California Species of Special Concern—Coastal Tailed Frogs (Ascaphus truei)Time-to-detection occupancy methods: Performance and utility for improving efficiency of surveys
Occupancy methods propelled the quantitative study of species distributions forward by separating the observation process, or the imperfect detectability of species, from the ecological processes of interest governing species distributions. Occupancy studies come at a cost, however: the collection of additional data to account for nondetections at sites where the species is present. The most commoBatrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) not detected in an intensive survey of wild North American amphibians
The salamander chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans [Bsal]) is causing massive mortality of salamanders in Europe. The potential for spread via international trade into North America and the high diversity of salamanders has catalyzed concern about Bsal in the U.S. Surveillance programs for invading pathogens must initially meet challenges that include low rates of occurrence on the lMonitoring protocol development and assessment for narrowly endemic toads in Nevada, 2018
Several species and subspecies of toads are endemic to small spring systems in the Great Basin, and their restricted ranges and habitat extent make them vulnerable to environmental perturbations. Very little is known about several of these toad populations, so a group of stakeholders including the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Nevada DepartmentEffect of amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) on apparent survival of frogs and toads in the western USA
Despite increasing interest in determining the population-level effects of emerging infectious diseases on wildlife, estimating effects of disease on survival rates remains difficult. Even for a well-studied disease such as amphibian chytridiomycosis (caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis [Bd]), there are few estimates of how survival of wild hosts is affected. We applied hierarchicaByTime-to-detection occupancy modeling: An efficient method for analyzing the occurrence of amphibians and reptiles
Occupancy models provide a reliable method of estimating species distributions while accounting for imperfect detectability. The cost of accounting for false absences is that detection and nondetection surveys typically require repeated visits to a site or multiple-observer techniques. More efficient methods of collecting data to estimate detection probabilities would allow additional sites to be - Software
Code to Analyze Occupancy Data for Dixie Valley Toads, Anaxyrus williamsi in Churchill County, Nevada from 2018 to 2021
-R code to create and fit dynamic occupancy models to Dixie Valley Toad survey data in JAGS and produce useful summaries of model results. This script will perform the Gibbs Variable Selection (GVS) using the initial set of environmental covariates, and then fit the "final" model using only important environmental covariates. The dynamic occupancy model is adapted from the model publishe - News