Rose J. Swift is a Research Ecologist with the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, North Dakota.
Dr. Swift works with the federally threatened Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) building a demographic life-cycle model to understand metapopulation dynamics of plovers breeding in the northern Great Plains. A primary focus of her work is with the Great Plains Least Tern and Piping Plover Research Team to understand population dynamics and effects of management actions on Least Terns and Piping Plovers on large-river and depressional-wetland systems.
Professional Experience
Research Ecologist, USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Natural Resources & Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 2018
M.S. Natural Resources & Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 2016
B.S. Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, 2010
Science and Products
Impacts of extreme environmental disturbances on survival of piping plovers breeding in the Great Plains, and wintering along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coasts, 2012-2019
We present one tabular data file to evaluate piping plover (Charadrius melodus) seasonal (breeding and nonbreeding) adult survival. These data were part of a study to examine adult (n = 3474) survival during 2012-2019 at breeding regions within the Northern Great Plains and nonbreeding regions in the Gulf and southern Atlantic Coasts of North America. This file includes USGS-funded data and not th
Piping plover hatch-year survival and natal dispersal probabilities in the Northern Great Plains, USA 2014-2019
We present a tabular data set representing values to estimate apparent hatch-year survival to adulthood and natal dispersal probabilities between two breeding groups of the Northern Great Plains piping plover (Charadrius melodus) used in a multievent capture-mark-resight model from 2014-2019. Focusing on the Northern Missouri River and U.S. Alkali Wetlands breeding groups. In addition, several cov
Renesting propensity, intervals, and reproductive success data for the Northern Great Plains Piping Plover, a threatened shorebird species 2014-2016
This data set is part of a data release as a companion to a published manuscript titled "Low renesting propensity and reproductive success make renesting unproductive for the Piping Plover, Charadrius melodus." The Condor: Ornithological Applications. Upon reproductive failure, many bird species may make a secondary attempt at nesting. This data set includes four tabular digital data files represe
Least tern and piping plover responses to the 2011 Missouri River flood: Nest, chick, and adult datasets
This data release includes nest, chick, and adult survival data that were analyzed to evaluate effects of the 2011 Missouri River flood on endangered least terns and threatened piping plovers.
Filter Total Items: 14
Estimating population viability of the northern Great Plains piping plover population considering updated population structure, climate change, and intensive management
One challenge in wildlife conservation is understanding how various threats and management actions may influence long-term population viability. This is particularly evident when there is considerable uncertainty regarding population structure and vital rates. Reassessment of current knowledge and population trends is necessary for listed species to improve management actions that benefit conserva
Authors
Rose J. Swift, Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Garrett John Macdonald, Megan Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Dustin L. Toy
Conspecific density and habitat quality affect breeding habitat selection: Support for the social attraction hypothesis
Breeding habitat selection is a critical component of the annual cycle because of its effect on fitness. Multiple theories of habitat selection can be differentiated by their responses to the quantity of habitat, conspecific density, and habitat quality. Here, we use network analysis to understand the characteristics of fine-scale breeding habitat selected by both immigrant and returning adult pip
Authors
Rose J. Swift, Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Megan Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Dustin L. Toy
Data integration reveals dynamic and systematic patterns of breeding habitat use by a threatened shorebird
Incorporating species distributions into conservation planning has traditionally involved long-term representations of habitat use where temporal variation is averaged to reveal habitats that are most suitable across time. Advances in remote sensing and analytical tools have allowed for the integration of dynamic processes into species distribution modeling. Our objective was to develop a spatiote
Authors
Kristen S. Ellis, Michael J. Anteau, Garrett John Macdonald, Rose J. Swift, Megan Ring, Dustin L. Toy, Mark H. Sherfy, Max Post van der Burg
Implications of habitat-driven survival and dispersal on recruitment in a spatially structured piping plover population
Natal survival and dispersal have important consequences for populations through the movement of genes and individuals. Metapopulation theory predicts either balanced natal dispersal among regions or source–sink dynamics, which can dramatically change population structure. For species reliant on dynamic, early-successional habitats, availability and location of habitat will shift from year to year
Authors
Rose J. Swift, Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Megan Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Dustin L. Toy, David N. Koons
Dynamic sensitivity to resource availability influences population responses to mismatches in a shorebird
Climate change has caused shifts in seasonally recurring biological events leading to the temporal decoupling of consumer-resource pairs – i.e., phenological mismatching. Although mismatches often affect individual fitness, they do not invariably scale up to affect populations, making it difficult to assess the risk they pose. Individual variation may contribute to this inconsistency, with changes
Authors
Luke R. Wilde, Josiah E. Simmons, Rose J. Swift, Nathan R. Senner
Behavioural adjustments in the social associations of a precocial shorebird mediate the costs and benefits of grouping decisions
Animals weigh multiple costs and benefits when making grouping decisions. The cost-avoidance grouping framework proposes that group density, information quality and risk affect an individual’s preference for con or heterospecific groups. However, this assumes the cost–benefit balance of a particular grouping is constant spatiotemporally, which may not always be true. Investigating how spatiotempor
Authors
Luke R. Wilde, Rose J. Swift, Nathan R. Senner
Experimental evaluation of predator exclosures on nest, chick, and adult survival of piping plovers
Species of conservation concern often receive intensive management to improve vital rates and facilitate recovery. Piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) are federally listed in the United States and concerns over nest depredation have prompted widespread use of plover-permeable predator exclosures placed around nests (0.5–2-m radius). While effectiveness of exclosures for improving nest survival has
Authors
Michael J. Anteau, Rose J. Swift, Mark H. Sherfy, David N. Koons, Kristen S. Ellis, Terry L. Shaffer, Dustin L. Toy, Megan Ring
Dispersal distance is driven by habitat availability and reproductive success in Northern Great Plains piping plovers
BackgroundDispersal is a critical life history strategy that has important conservation implications, particularly for at-risk species with active recovery efforts and migratory species. Both natal and breeding dispersal are driven by numerous selection pressures, including conspecific competition, individual characteristics, reproductive success, and spatiotemporal variation in habitat. Most stud
Authors
Rose J. Swift, Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Megan Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Dustin L. Toy
Impacts of extreme environmental disturbances on piping plover survival are partially moderated by migratory connectivity
Effective conservation for listed migratory species requires an understanding of how drivers of population decline vary spatially and temporally, as well as knowledge of range-wide connectivity between breeding and nonbreeding areas. Environmental conditions distant from breeding areas can have lasting effects on the demography of migratory species, yet these consequences are often the least under
Authors
Kristen S. Ellis, Michael J. Anteau, Francesca J. Cuthbert, Cheri L Gratto-Trevor, Joel G. Jorgensen, David J Newstead, Larkin A. Powell, Megan Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Rose J. Swift, Dustin L. Toy, David N. Koons
Spatial variation in population dynamics of northern Great Plains piping plovers
Metapopulation dynamics are determined not only by within-patch birth and death processes but also by between-patch movements of individuals (emigration and immigration). To conserve and manage a species that has a metapopulation structure, defined by local populations that are distributed among patches of suitable habitat, we need to understand each of these vital rates. For the federally listed
Authors
Rose J. Swift, Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Megan M. Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Dustin L. Toy, David N. Koons
Asymmetric benefits of a heterospecific breeding association vary with habitat, conspecific abundance and breeding stage
Heterospecific breeding associations may benefit individuals by mitigating predation risk but may also create costs if they increase competition for resources or are more easily detectable by predators. Our understanding of the interactions among hetero‐ and conspecifics is often lacking in mixed species colonies. Here, we test how the presence of hetero‐ and conspecifics influence nest and chick
Authors
Rose J. Swift, Michael J. Anteau, Erin A. Roche, Mark H. Sherfy, Dustin L. Toy, Megan Ring
Low renesting propensity and reproductive success make renesting unproductive for the threatened Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)
Upon reproductive failure, many bird species make a secondary attempt at nesting (hereafter, “renesting”). Renesting may be an effective strategy to maximize current and lifetime reproductive success, but individuals face uncertainty in the probability of success because reproductive attempts initiated later in the breeding season often have reduced nest, pre-fledging, and post-fledging brood surv
Authors
Rose J. Swift, Michael J. Anteau, Megan Ring, Dustin L. Toy, Mark H. Sherfy
Science and Products
- Data
Impacts of extreme environmental disturbances on survival of piping plovers breeding in the Great Plains, and wintering along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coasts, 2012-2019
We present one tabular data file to evaluate piping plover (Charadrius melodus) seasonal (breeding and nonbreeding) adult survival. These data were part of a study to examine adult (n = 3474) survival during 2012-2019 at breeding regions within the Northern Great Plains and nonbreeding regions in the Gulf and southern Atlantic Coasts of North America. This file includes USGS-funded data and not thPiping plover hatch-year survival and natal dispersal probabilities in the Northern Great Plains, USA 2014-2019
We present a tabular data set representing values to estimate apparent hatch-year survival to adulthood and natal dispersal probabilities between two breeding groups of the Northern Great Plains piping plover (Charadrius melodus) used in a multievent capture-mark-resight model from 2014-2019. Focusing on the Northern Missouri River and U.S. Alkali Wetlands breeding groups. In addition, several covRenesting propensity, intervals, and reproductive success data for the Northern Great Plains Piping Plover, a threatened shorebird species 2014-2016
This data set is part of a data release as a companion to a published manuscript titled "Low renesting propensity and reproductive success make renesting unproductive for the Piping Plover, Charadrius melodus." The Condor: Ornithological Applications. Upon reproductive failure, many bird species may make a secondary attempt at nesting. This data set includes four tabular digital data files represeLeast tern and piping plover responses to the 2011 Missouri River flood: Nest, chick, and adult datasets
This data release includes nest, chick, and adult survival data that were analyzed to evaluate effects of the 2011 Missouri River flood on endangered least terns and threatened piping plovers. - Multimedia
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- Publications
Filter Total Items: 14
Estimating population viability of the northern Great Plains piping plover population considering updated population structure, climate change, and intensive management
One challenge in wildlife conservation is understanding how various threats and management actions may influence long-term population viability. This is particularly evident when there is considerable uncertainty regarding population structure and vital rates. Reassessment of current knowledge and population trends is necessary for listed species to improve management actions that benefit conservaAuthorsRose J. Swift, Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Garrett John Macdonald, Megan Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Dustin L. ToyConspecific density and habitat quality affect breeding habitat selection: Support for the social attraction hypothesis
Breeding habitat selection is a critical component of the annual cycle because of its effect on fitness. Multiple theories of habitat selection can be differentiated by their responses to the quantity of habitat, conspecific density, and habitat quality. Here, we use network analysis to understand the characteristics of fine-scale breeding habitat selected by both immigrant and returning adult pipAuthorsRose J. Swift, Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Megan Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Dustin L. ToyData integration reveals dynamic and systematic patterns of breeding habitat use by a threatened shorebird
Incorporating species distributions into conservation planning has traditionally involved long-term representations of habitat use where temporal variation is averaged to reveal habitats that are most suitable across time. Advances in remote sensing and analytical tools have allowed for the integration of dynamic processes into species distribution modeling. Our objective was to develop a spatioteAuthorsKristen S. Ellis, Michael J. Anteau, Garrett John Macdonald, Rose J. Swift, Megan Ring, Dustin L. Toy, Mark H. Sherfy, Max Post van der BurgImplications of habitat-driven survival and dispersal on recruitment in a spatially structured piping plover population
Natal survival and dispersal have important consequences for populations through the movement of genes and individuals. Metapopulation theory predicts either balanced natal dispersal among regions or source–sink dynamics, which can dramatically change population structure. For species reliant on dynamic, early-successional habitats, availability and location of habitat will shift from year to yearAuthorsRose J. Swift, Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Megan Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Dustin L. Toy, David N. KoonsDynamic sensitivity to resource availability influences population responses to mismatches in a shorebird
Climate change has caused shifts in seasonally recurring biological events leading to the temporal decoupling of consumer-resource pairs – i.e., phenological mismatching. Although mismatches often affect individual fitness, they do not invariably scale up to affect populations, making it difficult to assess the risk they pose. Individual variation may contribute to this inconsistency, with changesAuthorsLuke R. Wilde, Josiah E. Simmons, Rose J. Swift, Nathan R. SennerBehavioural adjustments in the social associations of a precocial shorebird mediate the costs and benefits of grouping decisions
Animals weigh multiple costs and benefits when making grouping decisions. The cost-avoidance grouping framework proposes that group density, information quality and risk affect an individual’s preference for con or heterospecific groups. However, this assumes the cost–benefit balance of a particular grouping is constant spatiotemporally, which may not always be true. Investigating how spatiotemporAuthorsLuke R. Wilde, Rose J. Swift, Nathan R. SennerExperimental evaluation of predator exclosures on nest, chick, and adult survival of piping plovers
Species of conservation concern often receive intensive management to improve vital rates and facilitate recovery. Piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) are federally listed in the United States and concerns over nest depredation have prompted widespread use of plover-permeable predator exclosures placed around nests (0.5–2-m radius). While effectiveness of exclosures for improving nest survival hasAuthorsMichael J. Anteau, Rose J. Swift, Mark H. Sherfy, David N. Koons, Kristen S. Ellis, Terry L. Shaffer, Dustin L. Toy, Megan RingDispersal distance is driven by habitat availability and reproductive success in Northern Great Plains piping plovers
BackgroundDispersal is a critical life history strategy that has important conservation implications, particularly for at-risk species with active recovery efforts and migratory species. Both natal and breeding dispersal are driven by numerous selection pressures, including conspecific competition, individual characteristics, reproductive success, and spatiotemporal variation in habitat. Most studAuthorsRose J. Swift, Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Megan Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Dustin L. ToyImpacts of extreme environmental disturbances on piping plover survival are partially moderated by migratory connectivity
Effective conservation for listed migratory species requires an understanding of how drivers of population decline vary spatially and temporally, as well as knowledge of range-wide connectivity between breeding and nonbreeding areas. Environmental conditions distant from breeding areas can have lasting effects on the demography of migratory species, yet these consequences are often the least underAuthorsKristen S. Ellis, Michael J. Anteau, Francesca J. Cuthbert, Cheri L Gratto-Trevor, Joel G. Jorgensen, David J Newstead, Larkin A. Powell, Megan Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Rose J. Swift, Dustin L. Toy, David N. KoonsSpatial variation in population dynamics of northern Great Plains piping plovers
Metapopulation dynamics are determined not only by within-patch birth and death processes but also by between-patch movements of individuals (emigration and immigration). To conserve and manage a species that has a metapopulation structure, defined by local populations that are distributed among patches of suitable habitat, we need to understand each of these vital rates. For the federally listedAuthorsRose J. Swift, Michael J. Anteau, Kristen S. Ellis, Megan M. Ring, Mark H. Sherfy, Dustin L. Toy, David N. KoonsAsymmetric benefits of a heterospecific breeding association vary with habitat, conspecific abundance and breeding stage
Heterospecific breeding associations may benefit individuals by mitigating predation risk but may also create costs if they increase competition for resources or are more easily detectable by predators. Our understanding of the interactions among hetero‐ and conspecifics is often lacking in mixed species colonies. Here, we test how the presence of hetero‐ and conspecifics influence nest and chickAuthorsRose J. Swift, Michael J. Anteau, Erin A. Roche, Mark H. Sherfy, Dustin L. Toy, Megan RingLow renesting propensity and reproductive success make renesting unproductive for the threatened Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)
Upon reproductive failure, many bird species make a secondary attempt at nesting (hereafter, “renesting”). Renesting may be an effective strategy to maximize current and lifetime reproductive success, but individuals face uncertainty in the probability of success because reproductive attempts initiated later in the breeding season often have reduced nest, pre-fledging, and post-fledging brood survAuthorsRose J. Swift, Michael J. Anteau, Megan Ring, Dustin L. Toy, Mark H. Sherfy