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Rebecca Taylor, Ph.D.

As a Principle Investigator and Research Statistician, I create science to support critical management decisions for hard to study species in a changing environment.

Such situations produce data that tend to be sparse, biased and/or imprecise, and have large knowledge gaps. Thus, I specialize in modifying state-of-the-art analytical and computational approaches for complex problems and intractable data, as well as creating new statistical theory and techniques when existing methods are inadequate. I routinely use Bayesian and frequentist paradigms. 

Species Studied

My career-long species affiliations have varied across the plant and animal kingdoms, but my USGS research centers on marine mammals. I maintain a strong, decade-long collaboration with walrus researchers at USGS, USFWS and ADFG, and I have recently expanded my work to include collaborative sea otter and polar bear research.

Three-year goals

My highest priority goals include five different projects to estimate Pacific walrus abundance (while also refining estimates of their demographic rates and population trend). The Department of Interior needs population size and status  information to manage this trust species which is an important resource for native subsistence hunters, is protected and managed under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and was an endangered species candidate until the 2017 decision not to list—a decision which is being litigated by the Center for Biological Diversity.  I also have ongoing demographic work using age-at-death distributions to estimate vital rates, in addition to mechanistic modeling for other species of concern.                                                          

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D.  2009   Montana State University-Bozeman, MT    Fish and Wildlife Biology

  • M.S.   2008    Montana State University-Bozeman, MT   Statistics

  • M.S.   2001    Montana State University-Bozeman, MT    Land Resources and Environmental Sciences

  • B.S.    1991    University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI         Natural Science with majors in Wildlife Ecology and Zoology

Science and Products

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Filter Total Items: 15

Daniel Goodman’s empirical approach to Bayesian statistics

Bayesian statistics, in contrast to classical statistics, uses probability to represent uncertainty about the state of knowledge. Bayesian statistics has often been associated with the idea that knowledge is subjective and that a probability distribution represents a personal degree of belief. Dr. Daniel Goodman considered this viewpoint problematic for issues of public policy. He sought to ground
Authors
Tim Gerrodette, Eric Ward, Rebecca L. Taylor, Lisa K. Schwarz, Tomoharu Eguchi, Paul Wade, Gina Himes Boor
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Demography of the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens): 1974-2006

Global climate change may fundamentally alter population dynamics of many species for which baseline population parameter estimates are imprecise or lacking. Historically, the Pacific walrus is thought to have been limited by harvest, but it may become limited by global warming-induced reductions in sea ice. Loss of sea ice, on which walruses rest between foraging bouts, may reduce access to food,
Authors
Rebecca L. Taylor, Mark S. Udevitz
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Potential population-level effects of increased haulout-related mortality of Pacific walrus calves

Availability of summer sea ice has been decreasing in the Chukchi Sea during recent decades, and increasing numbers of Pacific walruses have begun using coastal haulouts in late summer during years when sea ice retreats beyond the continental shelf. Calves and yearlings are particularly susceptible to being crushed during disturbance events that cause the herd to panic and stampede at these large
Authors
Mark S. Udevitz, Rebecca L. Taylor, Joel L. Garlich-Miller, Lori T. Quakenbush, Jonathan A. Snyder
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Taylor, R. L., J. D. Tack, D. E. Naugle, and L. S. Mills. 2013. Combined effects of energy development and disease on Greater Sage-Grouse. PLoS One 8(8):e71256. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0071256
Taylor, R. L., B. L. Walker, D. E. Naugle, and L. S. Mills. 2012. Managing multiple vital rates to maximize Greater Sage-grouse population growth. Journal of Wildlife Management 76(2):336-347. doi:10.1002/jwmg.267
Taylor, R. L. and G. K. Himes Boor. 2012. Beyond the robust design: Accounting for changing, uncertain states and sparse, biased detection in a multistate mark-recapture model. Ecological Modeling 243:73-80. doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2012.06.013
Taylor, R. L., B. D. Maxwell, and R. J. Boik. 2006. Indirect effects of herbicides on bird food resources and beneficial arthropods. Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment 116:157-164. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2006.01.012
Maniscalco, J. M., R. L. Taylor, D. G. Calkins, and S. N. Atkinson. 2005. Reproductive Performance and Pup Mortality in Steller Sea Lions. Pages 290-301 in T. R. Loughlin, S. Atkinson and D. G. Calkins (eds). Synopsis of Research on Steller sea lions: 2001-2005. Alaska SeaLife Center, 344 p. Seward, AK, USA.
Taylor, R. L., S. A. Temple, and D. M. Bird. 1991. Nutritional and energetic implications for raptors consuming starving prey. The Auk 108(3):716-719.
Taylor, R. L. 1990. Avian indicators in the Chequamegon National Forest. The Passenger Pigeon 52(3):225-231.

**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

  • Science
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  • Publications
    Filter Total Items: 15

    Daniel Goodman’s empirical approach to Bayesian statistics

    Bayesian statistics, in contrast to classical statistics, uses probability to represent uncertainty about the state of knowledge. Bayesian statistics has often been associated with the idea that knowledge is subjective and that a probability distribution represents a personal degree of belief. Dr. Daniel Goodman considered this viewpoint problematic for issues of public policy. He sought to ground
    Authors
    Tim Gerrodette, Eric Ward, Rebecca L. Taylor, Lisa K. Schwarz, Tomoharu Eguchi, Paul Wade, Gina Himes Boor
    By
    Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

    Demography of the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens): 1974-2006

    Global climate change may fundamentally alter population dynamics of many species for which baseline population parameter estimates are imprecise or lacking. Historically, the Pacific walrus is thought to have been limited by harvest, but it may become limited by global warming-induced reductions in sea ice. Loss of sea ice, on which walruses rest between foraging bouts, may reduce access to food,
    Authors
    Rebecca L. Taylor, Mark S. Udevitz
    By
    Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

    Potential population-level effects of increased haulout-related mortality of Pacific walrus calves

    Availability of summer sea ice has been decreasing in the Chukchi Sea during recent decades, and increasing numbers of Pacific walruses have begun using coastal haulouts in late summer during years when sea ice retreats beyond the continental shelf. Calves and yearlings are particularly susceptible to being crushed during disturbance events that cause the herd to panic and stampede at these large
    Authors
    Mark S. Udevitz, Rebecca L. Taylor, Joel L. Garlich-Miller, Lori T. Quakenbush, Jonathan A. Snyder
    By
    Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

    Non-USGS Publications**

    Taylor, R. L., J. D. Tack, D. E. Naugle, and L. S. Mills. 2013. Combined effects of energy development and disease on Greater Sage-Grouse. PLoS One 8(8):e71256. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0071256
    Taylor, R. L., B. L. Walker, D. E. Naugle, and L. S. Mills. 2012. Managing multiple vital rates to maximize Greater Sage-grouse population growth. Journal of Wildlife Management 76(2):336-347. doi:10.1002/jwmg.267
    Taylor, R. L. and G. K. Himes Boor. 2012. Beyond the robust design: Accounting for changing, uncertain states and sparse, biased detection in a multistate mark-recapture model. Ecological Modeling 243:73-80. doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2012.06.013
    Taylor, R. L., B. D. Maxwell, and R. J. Boik. 2006. Indirect effects of herbicides on bird food resources and beneficial arthropods. Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment 116:157-164. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2006.01.012
    Maniscalco, J. M., R. L. Taylor, D. G. Calkins, and S. N. Atkinson. 2005. Reproductive Performance and Pup Mortality in Steller Sea Lions. Pages 290-301 in T. R. Loughlin, S. Atkinson and D. G. Calkins (eds). Synopsis of Research on Steller sea lions: 2001-2005. Alaska SeaLife Center, 344 p. Seward, AK, USA.
    Taylor, R. L., S. A. Temple, and D. M. Bird. 1991. Nutritional and energetic implications for raptors consuming starving prey. The Auk 108(3):716-719.
    Taylor, R. L. 1990. Avian indicators in the Chequamegon National Forest. The Passenger Pigeon 52(3):225-231.

    **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.

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