Unit Leader - Utah Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Research Interests
Dr Budy's current research interests include aquatic ecology, fisheries, food web interactions, and anthropogenic impacts. Budy has been extensively involved with native and non-native fishes in the West.
Teaching Interests
Dr. Budy teaches graduate level classes in Fish Ecology, Population Ecology, and Population Assessment. She also teaches Fish Diversity & Conservation, Large River Management, and Principles of Stream Restoration.
Professional Experience
Unit Leader, Utah Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2012-
Assistant Unit Leader, Utah Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2000-2012
Education and Certifications
Ph D Utah State University 1996
BS University of California, Davis 1991
Science and Products
Future of Aquatic Flows: Endangered streams: Understanding misalignments between aquatic flows and management strategies to inform adaptation efforts
Stream flow is directly tied to climate, and numerous studies provide substantial evidence that climate change is a threat to future aquatic water flow processes. In the southwestern United States, mountain snow is a primary water source for streams and rivers. However, climate change is threatening the region's mountain snow, leading to reduced snowpack, earlier snowmelt, and more precipitation f
Filter Total Items: 38
Shrinking body size and climate warming: Many freshwater salmonids do not follow the rule
Declining body size is believed to be a universal response to climate warming and has been documented in numerous studies of marine and anadromous fishes. The Salmonidae are a family of coldwater fishes considered to be among the most sensitive species to climate warming; however, whether the shrinking body size response holds true for freshwater salmonids has yet to be examined at a broad spatial
Authors
Mary Solakas, Zachary S. Feiner, Robert Al-Chokhachy, Phaedra E. Budy, Tyrell DeWeber, Jouko Sarvala, Greg G. Sass, Scott A. Tolentino, Timothy E. Walsworth, Olaf P. Jensen
Exploring metapopulation-scale suppression alternatives for a global invader in a river network experiencing climate change
Invasive species can dramatically alter ecosystems, but eradication is difficult, and suppression is expensive once they are established. Uncertainties in the potential for expansion and impacts by an invader can lead to delayed and inadequate suppression, allowing for establishment. Metapopulation viability models can aid in planning strategies to improve responses to invaders and lessen invasive
Authors
Brian D. Healy, Phaedra E. Budy, Charles Yackulic, Brendan P. Murphy, Robert C. Schelly, Mark C. McKinstry
Life and death in a dynamic environment: Invasive trout, floods, and intraspecific drivers of translocated populations
Understanding the relative strengths of intrinsic and extrinsic factors regulating populations is a long-standing focus of ecology and critical to advancing conservation programs for imperiled species. Conservation could benefit from an increased understanding of factors influencing vital rates (somatic growth, recruitment, survival) in small, translocated populations, which is lacking owing to di
Authors
Brian D Healy, Phaedra E. Budy, Mary M. Conner, Emily C. Omana Smith
Understanding the effects of climate change via disturbance on pristine arctic lakes — Multitrophic level response and recovery to a 12-yr, low-level fertilization experiment
Effects of climate change-driven disturbance on lake ecosystems can be subtle; indirect effects include increased nutrient loading that could impact ecosystem function. We designed a low-level fertilization experiment to mimic persistent, climate change-driven disturbances (deeper thaw, greater weathering, or thermokarst failure) delivering nutrients to arctic lakes. We measured responses of pelag
Authors
Phaedra E. Budy, Casey A. Pennock, Anne E. Giblin, Chris Luecke, D. L. White, George Kling
Trophic niches of native and nonnative fishes along a river-reservoir continuum
Instream barriers can constrain dispersal of nonnative fishes, creating opportunities to test their impact on native communities above and below these barriers. Deposition of sediments in a river inflow to Lake Powell, USA resulted in creation of a large waterfall prohibiting upstream movement of fishes from the reservoir allowing us to evaluate the trophic niche of fishes above and below this bar
Authors
Casey A. Pennock, Zachary T. Ahrens, Mark McKinstry, Phaedra E. Budy, Keith B. Gido
Exploring the contemporary relationship between predator and prey in a significant, reintroduced Lahontan Cutthroat Trout population
Lahontan Cutthroat Trout (LCT) Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi have experienced some of the most marked reductions in abundance and distribution among Cutthroat Trout subspecies. The population of LCT in Pyramid Lake, Nevada has returned from the brink of extirpation, and although it is highly managed via stocking, the population is thriving and has recently started to reproduce naturally. Our objec
Authors
Phaedra E. Budy, Nicholas A. Heredia, Gary P. Thiede, Erik Horgen
Investigating the morphological and genetic divergence of arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) populations in lakes of arctic Alaska
Polymorphism facilitates coexistence of divergent morphs (e.g., phenotypes) of the same species by minimizing intraspecific competition, especially when resources are limiting. Arctic char (Salvelinus sp.) are a Holarctic fish often forming morphologically, and sometimes genetically, divergent morphs. In this study, we assessed the morphological and genetic diversity and divergence of 263 individu
Authors
Stephen L. Klobucar, Jessica A. Rick, Elizabeth G. Mandeville, Catherine E. Wagner, Phaedra E. Budy
Effects of a diatom ecosystem engineer (Didymosphenia geminata) on stream food webs: Implications for native fishes
Stream habitat changes affecting primary consumers often indirectly impact secondary consumers such as fishes. Blooms of the benthic algae Didymosphenia geminata (Didymo) are known to affect stream macroinvertebrates, but the potential indirect trophic impacts on fish consumers are poorly understood. In streams of the Kootenai River basin, we quantified the diet, condition, and growth rate of spec
Authors
Niall G. Clancy, Janice Brahney, James Dunnigan, Phaedra E. Budy
Effects of increased temperature on arctic slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus is mediated by food availability: Implications for climate change
Lakes are vulnerable to climate change, and warming rates in the Arctic are faster than anywhere on Earth. Fishes are sensitive to changing temperatures, which directly control physiological processes. Food availability should partly dictate responses to climate change because energetic demands change with temperature, but few studies have simultaneously examined temperature and food availability.
Authors
Casey A. Pennock, Phaedra E. Budy, Carla Atkinson, Nick Barrett
Resilient and rapid recovery of native trout after removal of a non-native trout
While the importance of reducing impacts of non-native species is increasingly recognized in conservation, the feasibility of such actions is highly dependent upon several key uncertainties including stage of invasion, size of the ecosystem being restored, and magnitude of the restoration activity. Here, we present results of a multi-year, non-native brown trout (Salmo trutta) removal and native B
Authors
Phaedra E. Budy, Timothy E. Walsworth, Gary P. Thiede, Paul D. Thompson, Matthew D. McKell, Paul B. Holden, Paul D. Chase, W. Carl Saunders
Trophic structure of apex fish communities in closed versus leaky lakes of arctic Alaska
Despite low species diversity and primary production, trophic structure (e.g., top predator species, predator size) is surprisingly variable among Arctic lakes. We investigated trophic structure in lakes of arctic Alaska containing arctic char Salvelinus alpinus using stomach contents and stable isotope ratios in two geographically-close but hydrologically-distinct lake clusters to investigate how
Authors
Stephen L. Klobucar, Phaedra E. Budy
A multifaceted reconstruction of the population structure and life history expressions of a remnant metapopulation of Bonneville Cutthroat Trout: Implications for maintaining intermittent connectivity
Fishes that evolutionarily demonstrated a fluvial life history expression and migrated to spawning and rearing habitat by using lotic corridors are increasingly impacted by fragmentation. The overall goal of this study was to identify the contemporary importance of main-stem connectivity and tributaries for maintaining life history expression, population structure, and viability of a large metapop
Authors
Phaedra E. Budy, Paul D. Thompson, Matt D. McKell, Gary P. Thiede, Timothy E. Walsworth, Mary M. Conner
Science and Products
- Science
Future of Aquatic Flows: Endangered streams: Understanding misalignments between aquatic flows and management strategies to inform adaptation efforts
Stream flow is directly tied to climate, and numerous studies provide substantial evidence that climate change is a threat to future aquatic water flow processes. In the southwestern United States, mountain snow is a primary water source for streams and rivers. However, climate change is threatening the region's mountain snow, leading to reduced snowpack, earlier snowmelt, and more precipitation f - Publications
Filter Total Items: 38
Shrinking body size and climate warming: Many freshwater salmonids do not follow the rule
Declining body size is believed to be a universal response to climate warming and has been documented in numerous studies of marine and anadromous fishes. The Salmonidae are a family of coldwater fishes considered to be among the most sensitive species to climate warming; however, whether the shrinking body size response holds true for freshwater salmonids has yet to be examined at a broad spatialAuthorsMary Solakas, Zachary S. Feiner, Robert Al-Chokhachy, Phaedra E. Budy, Tyrell DeWeber, Jouko Sarvala, Greg G. Sass, Scott A. Tolentino, Timothy E. Walsworth, Olaf P. JensenExploring metapopulation-scale suppression alternatives for a global invader in a river network experiencing climate change
Invasive species can dramatically alter ecosystems, but eradication is difficult, and suppression is expensive once they are established. Uncertainties in the potential for expansion and impacts by an invader can lead to delayed and inadequate suppression, allowing for establishment. Metapopulation viability models can aid in planning strategies to improve responses to invaders and lessen invasiveAuthorsBrian D. Healy, Phaedra E. Budy, Charles Yackulic, Brendan P. Murphy, Robert C. Schelly, Mark C. McKinstryLife and death in a dynamic environment: Invasive trout, floods, and intraspecific drivers of translocated populations
Understanding the relative strengths of intrinsic and extrinsic factors regulating populations is a long-standing focus of ecology and critical to advancing conservation programs for imperiled species. Conservation could benefit from an increased understanding of factors influencing vital rates (somatic growth, recruitment, survival) in small, translocated populations, which is lacking owing to diAuthorsBrian D Healy, Phaedra E. Budy, Mary M. Conner, Emily C. Omana SmithUnderstanding the effects of climate change via disturbance on pristine arctic lakes — Multitrophic level response and recovery to a 12-yr, low-level fertilization experiment
Effects of climate change-driven disturbance on lake ecosystems can be subtle; indirect effects include increased nutrient loading that could impact ecosystem function. We designed a low-level fertilization experiment to mimic persistent, climate change-driven disturbances (deeper thaw, greater weathering, or thermokarst failure) delivering nutrients to arctic lakes. We measured responses of pelagAuthorsPhaedra E. Budy, Casey A. Pennock, Anne E. Giblin, Chris Luecke, D. L. White, George KlingTrophic niches of native and nonnative fishes along a river-reservoir continuum
Instream barriers can constrain dispersal of nonnative fishes, creating opportunities to test their impact on native communities above and below these barriers. Deposition of sediments in a river inflow to Lake Powell, USA resulted in creation of a large waterfall prohibiting upstream movement of fishes from the reservoir allowing us to evaluate the trophic niche of fishes above and below this barAuthorsCasey A. Pennock, Zachary T. Ahrens, Mark McKinstry, Phaedra E. Budy, Keith B. GidoExploring the contemporary relationship between predator and prey in a significant, reintroduced Lahontan Cutthroat Trout population
Lahontan Cutthroat Trout (LCT) Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi have experienced some of the most marked reductions in abundance and distribution among Cutthroat Trout subspecies. The population of LCT in Pyramid Lake, Nevada has returned from the brink of extirpation, and although it is highly managed via stocking, the population is thriving and has recently started to reproduce naturally. Our objecAuthorsPhaedra E. Budy, Nicholas A. Heredia, Gary P. Thiede, Erik HorgenInvestigating the morphological and genetic divergence of arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) populations in lakes of arctic Alaska
Polymorphism facilitates coexistence of divergent morphs (e.g., phenotypes) of the same species by minimizing intraspecific competition, especially when resources are limiting. Arctic char (Salvelinus sp.) are a Holarctic fish often forming morphologically, and sometimes genetically, divergent morphs. In this study, we assessed the morphological and genetic diversity and divergence of 263 individuAuthorsStephen L. Klobucar, Jessica A. Rick, Elizabeth G. Mandeville, Catherine E. Wagner, Phaedra E. BudyEffects of a diatom ecosystem engineer (Didymosphenia geminata) on stream food webs: Implications for native fishes
Stream habitat changes affecting primary consumers often indirectly impact secondary consumers such as fishes. Blooms of the benthic algae Didymosphenia geminata (Didymo) are known to affect stream macroinvertebrates, but the potential indirect trophic impacts on fish consumers are poorly understood. In streams of the Kootenai River basin, we quantified the diet, condition, and growth rate of specAuthorsNiall G. Clancy, Janice Brahney, James Dunnigan, Phaedra E. BudyEffects of increased temperature on arctic slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus is mediated by food availability: Implications for climate change
Lakes are vulnerable to climate change, and warming rates in the Arctic are faster than anywhere on Earth. Fishes are sensitive to changing temperatures, which directly control physiological processes. Food availability should partly dictate responses to climate change because energetic demands change with temperature, but few studies have simultaneously examined temperature and food availability.AuthorsCasey A. Pennock, Phaedra E. Budy, Carla Atkinson, Nick BarrettResilient and rapid recovery of native trout after removal of a non-native trout
While the importance of reducing impacts of non-native species is increasingly recognized in conservation, the feasibility of such actions is highly dependent upon several key uncertainties including stage of invasion, size of the ecosystem being restored, and magnitude of the restoration activity. Here, we present results of a multi-year, non-native brown trout (Salmo trutta) removal and native BAuthorsPhaedra E. Budy, Timothy E. Walsworth, Gary P. Thiede, Paul D. Thompson, Matthew D. McKell, Paul B. Holden, Paul D. Chase, W. Carl SaundersTrophic structure of apex fish communities in closed versus leaky lakes of arctic Alaska
Despite low species diversity and primary production, trophic structure (e.g., top predator species, predator size) is surprisingly variable among Arctic lakes. We investigated trophic structure in lakes of arctic Alaska containing arctic char Salvelinus alpinus using stomach contents and stable isotope ratios in two geographically-close but hydrologically-distinct lake clusters to investigate howAuthorsStephen L. Klobucar, Phaedra E. BudyA multifaceted reconstruction of the population structure and life history expressions of a remnant metapopulation of Bonneville Cutthroat Trout: Implications for maintaining intermittent connectivity
Fishes that evolutionarily demonstrated a fluvial life history expression and migrated to spawning and rearing habitat by using lotic corridors are increasingly impacted by fragmentation. The overall goal of this study was to identify the contemporary importance of main-stem connectivity and tributaries for maintaining life history expression, population structure, and viability of a large metapopAuthorsPhaedra E. Budy, Paul D. Thompson, Matt D. McKell, Gary P. Thiede, Timothy E. Walsworth, Mary M. Conner