Rudy Schuster, PhD
Dr. Schuster is Chief of the U.S. Geological Survey, Social & Economic Analysis (SEA) Branch, which leads projects that integrate social, behavioral, economic, and natural science in the context of human–natural resource interactions.
Rudy has an undergraduate degree in geology and chemistry, MS in geography, and Ph.D. in the Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management. He was an associate professor at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry on the Forest and Natural Resource Management Faculty before joining the federal government. Currently, Dr. Schuster is Chief of the U.S. Geological Survey, Social & Economic Analysis (SEA) Branch. The SEA Branch provides unique capabilities in the USGS by leading projects that integrate social, behavioral, economic, and natural science in the context of human–natural resource interactions. SEA has an interdisciplinary group of scientists whose primary functions are to conduct both theoretical and applied social science research, provide technical assistance, and offer training to support the development of skills in natural resource management activities. Rudy’s research interest focuses on conducting interdisciplinary science to inform public land management decision making.
Science and Products
Southwest Energy Exploration, Development, and Reclamation (SWEDR)
Identifying Chains of Consequences and Interventions for Post-fire Hazards and Impacts to Resources and Ecosystems
Social and Economic Analysis (SEA) Branch
Bureau of Land Management Recreational Visitor Data Program Review
Values Mapping for Planning in Regional Ecosystems (VaMPIRE)
Joint Fire Science Program Evaluation
Mapping Chronic Wasting Disease Management: Identify Opportunities for Intervention
Economics and Ecosystem Services
Social and Ecological Resilience in Southwestern Colorado
Colorado Plateau Futures: Understanding Agents of Change on the Colorado Plateau to Facilitate Collaborative Adaptation
Human Dimensions of Climate Change
Human Dimensions of Resource Management
Online survey responses from users of the Joint Fire Science Program Fire Science Exchange Network from February 2021
Potential Land-use Intensity, Aridification Trends, Overlap, and Impact Scenarios, Geospatial Data, Colorado Plateau, USA
Results of a U.S. General Public Survey to Inform the 2018 North American Waterfowl Management Plan Update (2017)
Novel data in recreation monitoring—Summary proceedings from interagency workshops in 2019 and 2023
Opportunities for improved consideration of cultural benefits in environmental decision-making
Opportunities for improved consideration of cultural benefits in environmental decision-making
Advancing knowledge pluralism and cultural benefits in ecosystem services theory and application
Advancing knowledge pluralism and cultural benefits in ecosystem services theory and application
Integrated science strategy for assessing and monitoring water availability and migratory birds for terminal lakes across the Great Basin, United States
Perceived constraints to participating in wildlife-related recreation
Bureau of Reclamation: Visitor satisfaction survey instructions
2021 assessment of the Joint Fire Science Program’s Fire Science Exchange Network
Racial, ethnic, and social patterns in the recreation specialization of birdwatchers: An analysis of United States eBird registrants
U.S. Geological Survey landscape science strategy 2020–2030
Testing a continuous measure of recreation specialization among birdwatchers
Science and Products
- Science
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Southwest Energy Exploration, Development, and Reclamation (SWEDR)
Approximately 35% of the US and approximately 82% of DOI lands are “drylands” found throughout the western US. These lands contain oil, gas, oil shale, shale oil, and tar sand deposits and the exploration for and extraction of these resources has resulted in hundreds of thousands of operating and abandoned wells across the West. These arid and semi-arid lands have unique soil and plant communities...Identifying Chains of Consequences and Interventions for Post-fire Hazards and Impacts to Resources and Ecosystems
As part of a broader USGS project on Post-fire Hazards and Impacts to Resources and Ecosystems (PHIRE): Support for Response, Recovery, and Mitigation, the PHIRE social science team convenes stakeholders involved in post-fire hazard science and decision-making to identify potential consequences resulting from post-fire hazard scenarios along with strategies to reduce the likelihood or severity of...Social and Economic Analysis (SEA) Branch
The Social and Economic Analysis (SEA) branch is an interdisciplinary group of scientists whose primary functions are to conduct both theoretical and applied social science research, provide technical assistance, and offer training to support the development of skills in natural resource management activities.Bureau of Land Management Recreational Visitor Data Program Review
The Bureau of Land Management Recreation and Visitor Services Program regularly conducts recreational visitor satisfaction surveys. The USGS Social and Economic Analysis Branch is assessing the visitor survey effort and recommending updates to the current effort.Values Mapping for Planning in Regional Ecosystems (VaMPIRE)
As part of the Values Mapping for Planning in Regional Ecosystems project, also known as VaMPIRE, USGS scientists are developing a public participatory GIS application that aids in gathering information about visitors’ values for public lands and waters.Joint Fire Science Program Evaluation
The Joint Fire Science Program is a partnership between the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service that connects relevant fire science research with stakeholders. USGS Scientists are supporting the Joint Fire Science Program by assessing the science needs of its stakeholders in order to inform future decision making.Mapping Chronic Wasting Disease Management: Identify Opportunities for Intervention
This research effort is an interagency partnership between U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to model the social-ecological system that encompasses chronic wasting disease management in the United States. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, neurologically degenerative disease that impacts many cervid species in North America (e.g., elk, moose, mule deer, and white...Economics and Ecosystem Services
Federal policymakers and land managers are accountable to the public for how they use public resources and for the outcomes of policy and management decisions. Through a variety of economic analyses and custom modeling, SEA economists evaluate how investments and management decisions affect individuals, local communities, and society as a whole.Social and Ecological Resilience in Southwestern Colorado
Understanding potential changes in ecological, social, and climate systems can help managers and decision makers take actions to ensure that natural landscapes and human communities remain healthy and are able to provide essential ecosystem services now and in the future.Colorado Plateau Futures: Understanding Agents of Change on the Colorado Plateau to Facilitate Collaborative Adaptation
The objective of this interdisciplinary research effort is to 1) characterize agents of change important to land management decision makers on the Colorado Plateau; 2) identify and analyze relationships between agents of change and key landscape attributes and processes; 3) collectively assess the influence of agents of change and attributes and processes on the services provided by the ecosystem...Human Dimensions of Climate Change
Natural resource agencies are challenged not only by climate change impacts on terrestrial and marine resources, but also by related effects on human communities that depend on these lands and waters. These effects include changes in economic activity, subsistence practices, demographic trends, human health, recreation, infrastructure, and community resilience. While there are many policy...Human Dimensions of Resource Management
Human dimensions in the context of natural resource management refers to understanding attitudes, preferences, and behaviors of American citizens in order to improve conservation and management of public lands and waters. Human Dimensions at the FORT also includes understanding the users and applications of data and technology in the context of natural resource management. - Data
Online survey responses from users of the Joint Fire Science Program Fire Science Exchange Network from February 2021
The USGS, on behalf of the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP), conducted an evaluation of the Fire Science Exchange Network (FSEN), which connects wildland fire scientists and practitioners through 15 individual exchanges across the United States to help address complex wildfire needs and challenges. This data set is from an online survey sent to more than 16,000 exchange network users during FebruPotential Land-use Intensity, Aridification Trends, Overlap, and Impact Scenarios, Geospatial Data, Colorado Plateau, USA
These geospatial data characterize the potential for geographic overlap among areas likely to experience climate drying (aridification) and high intensity land-use with population growth, recreation tourism, agriculture, energy development, and mining on the Colorado Plateau. Spatial overlap between areas of high land-use intensity and aridification were used to create scenarios and correspondingResults of a U.S. General Public Survey to Inform the 2018 North American Waterfowl Management Plan Update (2017)
This contains data from 1,030 surveys returned in 2017 from across the United States. Data were collected via a mail-out survey stratified by the population of each state. Data collected include nature-related activity participation, attitudes and barriers to hunting and birdwatching, knowledge of others who hunt and birdwatch, preferred birds, involvement in conservation activities, preferences f - Publications
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Novel data in recreation monitoring—Summary proceedings from interagency workshops in 2019 and 2023
Two interagency workshops were held in 2019 and 2023 in Fort Collins, Colorado, to discuss the use of novel data in recreation monitoring. During the workshops, the phrase “novel data in recreation monitoring” was primarily used to refer to data from social media, mobile device applications, and other online secondary sources. The goals of these workshops were to share information across agenciesAuthorsEmily J. Wilkins, Christian S.L. Crowley, Eric M. White, Spencer A. Wood, Rudy SchusterOpportunities for improved consideration of cultural benefits in environmental decision-making
Many cultural benefits of ecosystem services (ES) are difficult to capture in standard ES assessments. Scholars and practitioners often respond to this gap by seeking to develop new scientific methods to capture and integrate the plural values associated with diverse cultural benefits categories. This increasing emphasis on value pluralism represents an essential step toward recognitional justiceAuthorsKristin R. Hoelting, Joshua M Morse, Rachelle K. Gould, Doreen E. Martinez, Rina S. Hauptfeld, Amanda E. Cravens, Sara J. Breslow, Lucas Bair, Rudy Schuster, Michael C. GavinOpportunities for improved consideration of cultural benefits in environmental decision-making
Many cultural benefits of ecosystem services (ES) are difficult to capture in standard ES assessments. Scholars and practitioners often respond to this gap by seeking to develop new scientific methods to capture and integrate the plural values associated with diverse cultural benefits categories. This increasing emphasis on value pluralism represents an essential step toward recognitional justiceAuthorsKristin R. Hoelting, Joshua W. Morse, Rachelle K. Gould, Doreen E. Martinez, Rina S. Hauptfeld, Amanda E. Cravens, Sara J. Breslow, Lucas Bair, Rudy Schuster, Michael C. GavinAdvancing knowledge pluralism and cultural benefits in ecosystem services theory and application
Improved consideration of the cultural benefits of ecosystem services (ES) requires attention to knowledge pluralism in addition to value pluralism. Theorists have increasingly argued that meaningful inclusion of cultural benefits of ES requires attention to plural values, beyond the individual, instrumental values associated with ecosystems. However, there has been little engagement around the roAuthorsKristin R. Hoelting, Doreen E. Martinez, Rudy Schuster, Michael C. GavinAdvancing knowledge pluralism and cultural benefits in ecosystem services theory and application
Improved consideration of the cultural benefits of ecosystem services (ES) requires attention to knowledge pluralism in addition to value pluralism. Theorists have increasingly argued that meaningful inclusion of cultural benefits of ES requires attention to plural values, beyond the individual, instrumental values associated with ecosystems. However, there has been little engagement around the roAuthorsKristin R. Hoelting, Doreen E Martinez, Rudy Schuster, Michael C. GavinIntegrated science strategy for assessing and monitoring water availability and migratory birds for terminal lakes across the Great Basin, United States
Executive SummaryIn 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) established the Saline Lake Ecosystems Integrated Water Availability Assessment (IWAAs) to monitor and assess the hydrology of terminal lakes in the Great Basin and the migratory birds and other wildlife dependent on those habitats. Scientists from across the USGS (with specialties in water quantity, water quality, limnology, avian biologAuthorsRebecca J. Frus, Cameron L. Aldridge, Michael L. Casazza, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Garth Herring, Scott A. Hynek, Daniel K. Jones, Susan K Kemp, Thomas M. Marston, Christopher M. Morris, Ramon C. Naranjo, Cee Nell, David R. O'Leary, Cory T. Overton, Bryce A. Pulver, Brian E. Reichert, Christine A. Rumsey, Rudy Schuster, Cassandra D. SmithPerceived constraints to participating in wildlife-related recreation
Wildlife-related recreationists play an important role in conservation. Understanding constraints to wildlife-related activities is critical for maintaining or increasing participation in activities like birdwatching and hunting. A mail-out survey was administered to a generalized sample representative of U.S. residents (i.e., not specific to birdwatching or hunting) in early 2017 to determine whaAuthorsNicholas Cole, Emily J. Wilkins, Kaylin Clements, Rudy Schuster, Ashley A. Dayer, H. W. Harshaw, David C. Fulton, Jennifer N. Duberstein, Andrew H. RaedekeBureau of Reclamation: Visitor satisfaction survey instructions
The purpose of the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) Visitor Satisfaction Survey is to measure visitors’ opinions about BOR facilities, services, and recreational opportunities. This effort helps BOR meet requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) and other BOR and Department of the Interior (DOI) strategic planning efforts. This survey manual provides the detailed methodsAuthorsEmily J. Wilkins, Nicholas Cole, Rudy Schuster2021 assessment of the Joint Fire Science Program’s Fire Science Exchange Network
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), on behalf of the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP), conducted an evaluation of the Fire Science Exchange Network (FSEN), which connects wildland fire scientists and practitioners through 15 individual exchanges across the United States to help address complex wildfire needs and challenges. The study was divided into two phases: The first phase was a literature reAuthorsNatasha Collins, James Meldrum, Rudy Schuster, Nina BurkardtRacial, ethnic, and social patterns in the recreation specialization of birdwatchers: An analysis of United States eBird registrants
Although birdwatchers comprise a large and growing proportion of the American public, there is a lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the birdwatching community. Previous research suggests that this homogeneity is self-perpetuating, as ethno-racial minorities are less likely to pursue activities in which no one they know participates. However, it is unclear whether this trend in birdwatching parAuthorsJonathan D. Rutter, Ashley A. Dayer, Howard W. Harshaw, Nicholas Cole, David C. Fulton, Jennifer N. Duberstein, Andrew H . Raedeke, Rudy SchusterU.S. Geological Survey landscape science strategy 2020–2030
Across our Nation, multiple Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments are working with stakeholders and landowners to restore, conserve, and manage lands and resources to benefit fish, wildlife, and people. One of the largest Federal efforts is led by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), with multiple DOI agencies working to conserve and manage public lands, resources, and cultural heritAuthorsKaren E. Jenni, Sarah K. Carter, Nicholas G. Aumen, Zachary H. Bowen, John B. Bradford, Michael A. Chotkowski, Leslie Hsu, Peter S. Murdoch, Scott W. Phillips, Kevin L. Pope, Rudy Schuster, Melanie J. Steinkamp, Jake Weltzin, George Z. XianTesting a continuous measure of recreation specialization among birdwatchers
Recreation specialization is a framework that can be used to explain the variation among outdoor recreationists’ preferences, attitudes, and behaviors. Recreation specialization has been operationalized using several approaches, including summative indices, cluster analysis, and self-classification categorical measures. Although these approaches measure the multiple dimensions of the framework, thAuthorsH.W. Harshaw, Nicholas Cole, Ashley A. Dayer, Jonathan D. Rutter, David C. Fulton, Andrew H. Raedeke, Rudy Schuster, Jennifer N. Duberstein - News