Robert N Fisher
Dr. Robert Fisher is a conservation biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Western Ecological Research Center and works as part of a large integrated team.
His focus has been on how natural systems are responding to the Anthropocene, and what types of resiliency they have or lack as it relates to maintaining ecological integrity and biodiversity. Additionally, through understanding individual species and community responses to perturbations through modern monitoring techniques, he and his team can determine appropriate management experiments or options to possibly recover resiliency. Geographically they have two foci, the first is southern California where urbanization and conservation planning bring various direct and indirect drivers of ecological change, and climate variability is currently extreme and drives landscape level drought and wildfires. Their second foci are the tropical islands of the Pacific Basin, from Palau and Papua New Guinea east to Hawai’i. These islands have also been driven by human change and are on the front line as extreme recent weather variability in the cyclone belt impact terrestrial ecosystems. Understanding how biodiversity was generated in this ecoregion is critical to managing its loss, and their team focuses across time and space (biogeography) to understand these processes utilizing molecular tools tied to expeditions of discovery in this poorly studied ecoregion.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- Conservation biology
- Biogeography
- Modelling
- Natural history
- Speciation
- Invasive species
- Climate variability
- Anthropocene
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 1995
M.S., Zoology, University of California, Davis, CA 1991
B.S., Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 1988
Science and Products
Predictability of invasive Argentine ant distribution across Mediterranean ecoregions of southern California
Tarentola mauritanica (common wall gecko). Endoparasites
Reptile and amphibian diversity and abundance in an urban landscape: Impacts of fragmentation and the conservation value of small patches
Western pond turtles in the Mojave Desert? A review of their past, present, and possible future
Linking behavioral states to landscape features for improved conservation management
Research to inform Caltrans best management practices for reptile and amphibian road crossings
Gut microbial ecology of the Critically Endangered Fijian crested iguana (Brachylophus vitiensis): Effects of captivity status and host reintroduction on endogenous microbiomes
Tarentola annularis (white-spotted wall gecko)
The influence of species life history and distribution characteristics on species responses to habitat fragmentation in an urban landscape
Multi-taxa database data dictionary
The Coyote Mountains’ desert snail (Sonorelix harperi carrizoensis), a lazarus species With the first documentation of live individuals
Influence of niche breadth and position on the historical biogeography of seafaring scincid lizards
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 279
Predictability of invasive Argentine ant distribution across Mediterranean ecoregions of southern California
The invasiveness of nonnative taxa can vary across a landscape due to environmental gradients, suggesting that location-dependent management strategies may be more effective at reducing spread compared to a “one size fits all” approach across the entire introduced range. Using bait stations placed along linear transects within habitat preserves, we tested for effects of ecoregion, vegetation, soilAuthorsJonathan Q. Richmond, Tritia Matsuda, Cheryl S. Brehme, Emily E. Perkins, Robert N. FisherTarentola mauritanica (common wall gecko). Endoparasites
No abstract available.AuthorsChris T. McAllister, Charles R Bursey, Samuel R Fisher, Chelsea E Martin, Robert N. FisherReptile and amphibian diversity and abundance in an urban landscape: Impacts of fragmentation and the conservation value of small patches
Urbanization is a major contributor to habitat loss and fragmentation and is considered a global threat to biodiversity. We studied reptile and amphibian species diversity and abundance in a highly fragmented landscape adjacent to the second largest metropolitan area in the United States. Habitat patches in our study area were made up of remnant native vegetation surrounded by roads, housing, andAuthorsKathleen Semple Delaney, Gary Busteed, Robert N. Fisher, Seth P D RileyWestern pond turtles in the Mojave Desert? A review of their past, present, and possible future
=The western pond turtle (WPT) was formerly considered a single species (Actinemys or Emys marmorata) that ranged from southern British Columbia, Canada to Baja California, México. More recently it was divided into a northern and a southern species. WPTs are found primarily in streams that drain into the Pacific Ocean, although scattered populations exist in endorheic drainages of the Great BasinAuthorsJeffrey E. Lovich, George T. Jefferson, Robert E. Reynolds, Peter A. Scott, H. Bradley Shaffer, Shellie R. Puffer, Sarah Greely, Kristy L. Cummings, Robert N. Fisher, Kathie Meyer-Wilkins, Doug Gomez, Morgan Ford, Christopher D OtahalLinking behavioral states to landscape features for improved conservation management
A central theme for conservation is understanding how animals differentially use, and are affected by change in, the landscapes they inhabit. However, it has been challenging to develop conservation schemes for habitat-specific behaviors.Here we use behavioral change point analysis to identify behavioral states of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts of the southwestAuthorsMaitreyi Sur, Brian Woodbridge, Todd C. Esque, Jim R Belthoff, Peter H. Bloom, Robert N. Fisher, Kathleen Longshore, Kenneth E. Nussear, Jeff A. Tracey, Melissa A. Braham, Todd E. KatznerResearch to inform Caltrans best management practices for reptile and amphibian road crossings
In October of 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a 5-year project to conduct research to inform Best Management Practices (BMPs) for amphibian and reptile crossing and barrier systems in California. To inform future conservation and transportation planning, this project involved identification of species at highest risk of negative road impacts, creation of geodatabase and spatial mappAuthorsCheryl S. Brehme, Robert N. Fisher, Tom E. S. Langton, Anthony P. Clevenger, Esther Adelsheim, Stephanie Barnes, Tristan Edgarian, Brittany Ewing, Stacie A. Hathaway, Michael Hobbs, Jennifer Kingston, A. Launer, Tritia A. Matsuda, Jeremy B. Sebes, C. Vaughn, Elise WatsonGut microbial ecology of the Critically Endangered Fijian crested iguana (Brachylophus vitiensis): Effects of captivity status and host reintroduction on endogenous microbiomes
Animals often exhibit distinct microbial communities when maintained in captivity as compared to when in the wild. Such differentiation may be significant in headstart and reintroduction programs where individuals spend some time in captivity before release into native habitats. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we (i) assessed differences in gut microbial communities between captive and wild FijianAuthorsSamuel J. Eliades, Josehp C. Brown, Timothy J. Colston, Robert N. Fisher, Jone B. Niukula, Kim Gray, Jhabar Vadada, Sia Rasalato, Cameron D. SilerTarentola annularis (white-spotted wall gecko)
USA: CALIFORNIA: Orange Co.: San Juan Capistrano (33.51°N,117.66°W; WGS 84). 25 August 2020. Samuel Fisher, Chelsea Martin, Robert Fisher. Verified by Gregory B. Pauly. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (LACM 191974). New county record. One juvenile (33 mm SVL) was collected, and another juvenile was seen 40 m away. Another juvenile was also observed during a second visit to the site onAuthorsSamuel R Fisher, Chelsea E Martin, Robert N. FisherThe influence of species life history and distribution characteristics on species responses to habitat fragmentation in an urban landscape
Fragmentation within urbanized environments often leads to a loss of native species diversity; however, variation exists in responses among-species and among-populations within species.We aimed to identify patterns in species biogeography in an urbanized landscape to understand anthropogenic effects on vertebrate communities and identify species that are more sensitive or resilient to landscape chAuthorsStaci M. Amburgey, David A. W. Miller, Carlton J. Rochester, Katy S. Delaney, Seth P. D. Riley, Cheryl S. Brehme, Stacie A. Hathaway, Robert N. FisherMulti-taxa database data dictionary
The conservation of biological resources relies on the successful management of ecological and physiological research data. The Western Ecological Research Center of the U.S. Geological Survey is working with researchers, land managers, and decision makers from non-government organizations and city, county, state, and federal resource agencies to develop data management methods. Access to the mostAuthorsElise Watson, Carlton J. Rochester, Chris W. Brown, Donn A. Holmes, Stacie A. Hathaway, Robert N. FisherThe Coyote Mountains’ desert snail (Sonorelix harperi carrizoensis), a lazarus species With the first documentation of live individuals
The Coyote Mountain desert snail (Sonorelix harperi carrizoensis) was described in 1937 from 30 dry shells collected the previous year. We reviewed the literature and museum records and found two additional shell collections for this subspecies from the type locality one from 1958, and one from an adjacent mountain range in 1938. There is no evidence previously of any live snails being collected fAuthorsRobert N. Fisher, Samuel Rosen FisherInfluence of niche breadth and position on the historical biogeography of seafaring scincid lizards
Niche breadth and position can influence diversification among closely related species or populations, yet limited empirical data exist concerning the predictability of the outcomes. We explored the effects of these factors on the evolution of the Emoia atrocostata species group, an insular radiation of lizards in the western Pacific Ocean and Indo-Australasia composed of both endemic and widespreAuthorsJonathan Q. Richmond, Hidetoshi Ota, L Lee Grismer, Robert N. Fisher - News
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