Carter, S.K., & A.H. Fayram. 2016. Do natural resource managers participate on editorial boards of applied natural resource journals? Oryx – The International Journal of Conservation 1:1-7.
Sarah Carter, Ph.D.
Sarah Carter is an ecologist at the Fort Collins Science Center, whose interests lie in landscape, widlife, and community ecology, as well as conservation planning and evaluation.
Biography
Sarah Carter is an ecologist at the Fort Collins Science Center. Her interests lie in landscape, wildlife, and community ecology, and in conservation planning and evaluation. Sarah is interested in how we can manage landscapes to accommodate diverse resource values and uses, informed by monitoring the integrity of landscapes, the effectiveness of planning and management actions, and the potential effects of development on species, ecosystems, and landscapes. Sarah is also interested in finding ways to bridge the research-management gap by involving managers in all stages of producing applied science that is both useful for and used by managers.
Sarah joined the USGS in 2015 and is currently working on a number of projects to help inform management of multiple-use lands in the western US, including developing multiscale assessments and analyses to support implementation of a landscape approach to resource management in the Bureau of Land Management, identifying core, broad-scale indicators, methods, and datasets for quantifying the structure, composition, and function of ecosystems, and developing a framework and process for using broad- and fine-scale monitoring data together to quantify the ecological integrity of rangelands across the west.
Education
- Ph.D. in Forestry, Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2014
- M.S. in Fisheries, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, 1999
- B.S. in Mathematics, Lewis and Clark College, 1992
Professional Experience
- Ecologist (2015 – present), USGS, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado
- Post-doctoral Research Associate, Landscape Ecology (2014 –2015), University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
- Research Assistant, Conservation planning and evaluation (2010 –2014), Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin - Madison
- Conservation Biologist (2007-2010), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, Wisconsin
- Regional Ecologist (2004-2006), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Fitchburg, Wisconsin
- Assistant Director (2000-2004), Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Wisconsin
- Karner Blue Butterfly Habitat Conservation Plan Data Manager (2001-2002), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, Wisconsin
- Wildlife Damage Biologist (1999-2001), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, Wisconsin
- Research Assistant, Community Ecology (1995-1999), School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Research Assistant, Marine Mammals (1995), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Fulbright Scholar, Wildlife Biology (1993-1994), National Institute of Amazon Research (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
Science and Products
Date published: December 7, 2016
Assessing Threats to Conservation Priority Areas in State Wildlife Action Plans
States across the U.S. have developed Wildlife Action Plans, with the purpose of preventing future listings under the federal Endangered Species Act. Habitat loss and fragmentation are key threats to wildlife in the U.S., and housing development is a major driver of both. USGS is working to quantify the vulnerability of and threat to priority areas in State Wildlife Action Plans from future...
Contacts: Sarah Carter, Ph.D.
Attribution: Fort Collins Science Center
Date published: December 7, 2016
Informing Habitat Management for Desert Tortoise
There is increasing support for adopting landscape approaches to resource management, including monitoring threats that affect multiple resources across broad extents. However, there remains a need to assess potential threats to individual species of conservation concern. USGS is evaluating the extent to which a generalized indicator of terrestrial development can be used to inform and...
Attribution: Fort Collins Science Center
Date published: December 7, 2016
Quantifying Ecological Integrity in Terrestrial systems
Ecological integrity describes the condition of ecological systems, and has been quantified in aquatic systems for decades. The U.S. Forest Service is now required to monitor ecological integrity, and the Bureau of Land Management has an interest in doing so as well. As a result, USGS is working to define and quantify the concept of ecological integrity in terrestrial, multiple use landscapes...
Attribution: Fort Collins Science Center
Date published: December 7, 2016
Higher and Farther: Patterns of Development within Protected Areas
There is a well-known bias in the location of protected areas both within the US and globally. Lands protected for conservation tend to be located on less productive soils at high elevations far from cities. USGS is exploring whether this ‘high and far’ paradigm applies within protected areas as well. That is, does human modification within lands that already have some degree of protection,...
Attribution: Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin, Fort Collins Science Center
Date published: December 7, 2016
Developing Broad Scale Indicators for Monitoring Ecosystems and Landscapes
Many issues currently facing the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and other large land managers span large landscapes, including sage-grouse conservation, wildfires, and energy development. Such challenges involve changes at both local and broad scales, but monitoring has typically focused at the scale of individual sites. The USGS is working to develop broad-scale indicators for monitoring...
Attribution: Fort Collins Science Center
Date published: December 7, 2016
Science Support for Implementing a Landscape Approach to Resource Management in the Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is committed to implementing a landscape approach to resource management to help achieve sustainable social, environmental, and economic outcomes on the public lands it manages. USGS is providing science support for the effort, including identifying core principles of a landscape approach, demonstrating the benefits of multiscale data for evaluating...
Attribution: Fort Collins Science Center
Date published: October 28, 2016
Status: Active Energy Development and Changing Land Uses
Applied research and integrated regional assessments emphasize spatially explicit analyses of ecosystem components affected by energy development and land-use change in the western United States. Topics include sagebrush-steppe ecology; sagebrush habitat assessments; the effets of human activities (including energy development, transportation, and recreation) on habitats and wildlife behavior...
Date published: October 27, 2016
Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative: Mechanistic Studies of Wildlife
The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) addresses effects of land-use and climate changes on Southwest Wyoming’s natural resources. In partnership with twelve Federal, State, and local natural resource agencies, and non-governmental organizations– FORT and ten other USGS centers are conducting dozens of integrated science projects to assess the status of Southwest Wyoming’s...
Contacts: Stephen Germaine, Sarah Carter, Ph.D.
Date published: October 27, 2016
Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative: Effectiveness Monitoring
The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) addresses effects of land-use and climate changes on Southwest Wyoming’s natural resources. In partnership with twelve Federal, State, and local natural resource agencies, and non-governmental organizations– FORT and ten other USGS centers are conducting dozens of integrated science projects to assess the status of Southwest Wyoming’s...
Contacts: Pat Anderson, Timothy Assal, Ph.D.
Date published: October 12, 2016
Landscape and Habitat Assessment
A central focus of this program is to conduct multi-scale assessments in order to develop related geospatial decision-support tools and methods. The program includes synthesizing broad-scale datasets and developing innovative approaches to assess the vulnerability and resilience of wildlife habitats and ecosystems, relative to land management decisions and ecosystem stressors on Department of...
Date published: September 1, 2016
Status: Active The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI)
The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) addresses effects of land-use and climate changes on Southwest Wyoming’s natural resources. In partnership with twelve Federal, State, and local natural resource agencies, and non-governmental organizations– FORT and ten other USGS centers are conducting dozens of integrated science projects to assess the status of Southwest Wyoming’s...
Contacts: Pat Anderson, Timothy Assal, Ph.D., Zachary H Bowen, Ph.D., Stephen Germaine, Lucy Burris, Cameron Aldridge
Date published: January 1, 2019
Probable and potential suitable habitat for 43 rare plant species in the California desert
Multiple-use public lands are intended to meet the needs of current and future generations and require balancing a host of diverse resource uses and values within and across landscapes. In the California desert, there are significant interests in further developing renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermal) and important conservation concerns on multiple-use public lands. The Bureau of
Attribution: Energy & Wildlife, Fort Collins Science Center
Date published: July 11, 2017
Analysis of Land Disturbance and Pygmy Rabbit Occupancy Values Associated With Oil and Gas Extraction in Southwestern Wyoming, 2012
Germaine, S.S., Carter, S.K., Ignizio, D.A., and Freeman, A.T., 2017, Analysis of Land Disturbance and Pygmy Rabbit Occupancy Values Associated With Oil and Gas Extraction in Southwestern Wyoming, 2012: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7BR8QDD. DOI: 10.5066/F7BR8QDD
Year Published: 2021
Connectivity of Mojave Desert tortoise populations—Management implications for maintaining a viable recovery network
Executive SummaryThe historic distribution of Mojave desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) was relatively continuous across the range, and the importance of tortoise habitat outside of designated tortoise conservation areas (TCAs) to recovery has long been recognized for its contributions to supporting gene flow between TCAs and to minimizing...
Averill-Murray, Roy C.; Esque, Todd C.; Allison, Linda J.; Bassett, Scott; Carter, Sarah K.; Dutcher, Kirsten E.; Hromada, Steven J.; Shoemaker, Kevin T.; Nussear, Kenneth E.View Citation
Averill-Murray, R.C., Esque, T.C., Allison, L.J., Bassett, S., Carter, S.K., Dutcher, K.E., Hromada, S.J., Nussear, K.E., and Shoemaker, K., 2021, Connectivity of Mojave Desert tortoise populations—Management implications for maintaining a viable recovery network: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2021–1033, 23 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20211033.
Year Published: 2020
Annotated bibliography of scientific research on greater sage-grouse published from 2015 to 2019
The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter GRSG) has been a focus of scientific investigation and management action for the past two decades. The 2015 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listing determination of “not warranted” was in part due to a large-scale collaborative effort to develop strategies to conserve GRSG populations...
Carter, Sarah K.; Arkle, Robert S.; Bencin, Heidi L.; Harms, Benjamin R.; Manier, Daniel J.; Johnston, Aaron N.; Phillips, Susan L.; Hanser, Steven E.; Bowen, Zachary H.Attribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Ecosystems
View Citation
Carter, S.K., Arkle, R.S., Bencin, H.L., Harms, B.R., Manier, D.J., Johnston, A.N., Phillips, S.L., Hanser, S.E., and Bowen, Z.H., 2020, Annotated bibliography of scientific research on greater sage-grouse published from 2015 to 2019: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2020–1103, 264 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20201103.
Year Published: 2020
Distance effects of gas field infrastructure on pygmy rabbits in southwestern Wyoming
As domestic energy development activity continues in the western United States, wildlife conservation planning in affected regions is increasingly important. The geologic basins where oil and gas energy exploration is occurring are primarily sagebrush steppe rangelands. Sagebrush steppe habitats may support more than 20 vertebrate species of...
Germaine, Stephen S.; Assal, Timothy; Freeman, Aaron; Carter, Sarah K.Attribution: Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2020
Quantifying development to inform management of Mojave and Sonoran desert tortoise habitat in the American southwest
Two tortoise species native to the American southwest have experienced significant habitat loss from development and are vulnerable to ongoing threats associated with continued development. Mojave desert tortoises Gopherus agassizii are listed as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act, and Sonoran desert tortoises G. morafkai are protected...
Carter, Sarah K.; Nussear, Kenneth E.; Esque, Todd C.; Leinwand, Ian IF; Masters, Elroy; Inman, Rich; Carr, Natasha B.; Allison, Linda J.Attribution: Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2020
Bridging the research-management gap: Landscape ecology in practice on public lands in the western United States
The field of landscape ecology has grown and matured in recent decades, but incorporating landscape science into land management decisions remains challenging. Many lands in the western United States are federally owned and managed for multiple uses, including recreation, conservation, and energy development. We argue for stronger integration of...
Carter, Sarah K.; Pilliod, David; Haby, Travis S.; Prentice, Karen L.; Aldridge, Cameron L.; Anderson, Patrick J.; Bowen, Zachary H.; Bradford, John; Cushman, Samuel A.; DeVivo, Joseph C.; Duniway, Michael C.; Hathaway, Ryan S.; Nelson, Lisa; Schultz, Courtney A.; Schuster, Rudy M.; Trammell, E. Jamie; Weltzin, Jake F.
Year Published: 2019
Evaluating and using existing models to map probable suitable habitat for rare plants to inform management of multiple-use public lands in the California desert
Multiple-use public lands require balancing diverse resource uses and values across landscapes. In the California desert, there is strong interest in renewable energy development and important conservation concerns. The Bureau of Land Management recently completed a land-use plan for the area that provides protection for modeled suitable habitat...
Reese, Gordon; Carter, Sarah K.; Christina Lunch; Steve WalterscheidAttribution: Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2019
Quantifying ecological integrity of terrestrial systems to inform management of multiple-use public lands in the United States
The concept of ecological integrity has been applied widely to management of aquatic systems, but still is considered by many to be too vague and difficult to quantify to be useful for managing terrestrial systems, particularly across broad areas. Extensive public lands in the western United States are managed for diverse uses such as timber...
Carter, Sarah K.; Fleishman, Erica; Leinwand, Ian I.F.; Flather, Curtis H.; Carr, Natasha B.; Fogarty, Frank A.; Leu, Matthias; Noon, Barry R.; Wohlfeil, M.E.; Wood, David J. A.
Year Published: 2019
Assessing vulnerability and threat from housing development to Conservation Opportunity Areas in State Wildlife Action Plans across the United States
Targeting conservation actions efficiently requires information on vulnerability of and threats to conservation targets, but such information is rarely included in conservation plans. In the U.S., recently updated State Wildlife Action Plans identify Conservation Opportunity Areas (COAs) selected by each state as priority areas for future action...
Carter, Sarah K.; Maxted, Shelley S.; Bergeson, Tara L. E. ; Helmers, David P.; Scott, Lori; Radeloff, Volker C.Attribution: Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2018
Annotated bibliography of scientific research on greater sage-grouse published since January 2015
The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter GRSG) has been a focus of scientific investigation and management action for the past two decades. The 2015 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listing determination of “not warranted” was in part due to a large-scale collaborative effort to develop strategies to conserve GRSG populations...
Carter, Sarah K.; Manier, Daniel J.; Arkle, Robert S.; Johnston, Aaron; Phillips, Susan L.; Hanser, Steven E.; Bowen, Zachary H.Attribution: Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Ecosystems, Energy & Wildlife
View Citation
Carter, S.K., Manier, D.J., Arkle, R.S., Johnston, A.N., Phillips, S.L., Hanser, S.E., and Bowen, Z.H., 2018, Annotated bibliography of scientific research on greater sage-grouse published since January 2015: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018–1008, 183 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20181008.
Year Published: 2018
Evidence and opportunities for integrating landscape ecology into natural resource planning across multiple-use landscapes
Enhancing natural resource management has been a focus of landscape ecology since its inception, but numerous authors argue that landscape ecology has not yet been effective in achieving the underlying goal of planning and designing sustainable landscapes. We developed nine questions reflecting the application of fundamental research topics in...
Trammel, E. Jamie; Carter, Sarah K.; Haby, Travis S.; Taylor, Jason J.Attribution: Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2017
Relationships between gas field development and the presence and abundance of pygmy rabbits in southwestern Wyoming
More than 5957 km2 in southwestern Wyoming is currently covered by operational gas fields, and further development is projected through 2030. Gas fields fragment landscapes through conversion of native vegetation to roads, well pads, pipeline corridors, and other infrastructure elements. The sagebrush steppe landscape where most of this...
Germaine, Stephen S.; Carter, Sarah K.; Ignizio, Drew A.; Freeman, Aaron T.Attribution: Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems, Energy & Wildlife, Science Analytics and Synthesis (SAS)
View Citation
Germaine, S. S., S. K. Carter, D. A. Ignizio, and A. T. Freeman. 2017. Relationships between gas field development and the presence and abundance of pygmy rabbits in southwestern Wyoming. Ecosphere 8:1-19
Year Published: 2017
Multiscale guidance and tools for implementing a landscape approach to resource management in the Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is implementing a landscape approach to resource management (hereafter, landscape approach) to more effectively work with partners and understand the effects of management decisions. A landscape approach is a set of concepts and principles used to guide resource management when multiple stakeholders are involved...
Carter, Sarah K.; Carr, Natasha B.; Miller, Kevin H.; Wood, David J.A.Attribution: Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems
View Citation
Carter, S.K., Carr, N.B., Miller, K.H., and Wood, D.J.A., eds., 2017, Multiscale guidance and tools for implementing a landscape approach to resource management in the Bureau of Land Management: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2016–1207, 79 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161207.
Pre-USGS Publications
Hmielowski, T.L, S.K. Carter, H. Spaul, D. Helmers, V.C. Radeloff & P. Zedler. 2016. Practical tools for prioritizing land management efforts at a landscape scale: a case study using prescribed fire in Wisconsin. Ecological Applications 26(4):1018-1029.
Carter, S.K., S. R. Januchowski-Hartley, J.D. Pohlman, T.L. Bergeson, A.M. Pidgeon & V.C. Radeloff. 2015. An evaluation of environmental, institutional, and socio-economic factors explaining successful conservation plan implementation. Biological Conservation 192:135-144.
Radeloff, V. C., J. W. Williams, B. L. Bateman, K. D. Burke, S. K. Carter, E. S. Childress, K. J. Cromwell, C. Gratton, A. O. Hasley, B. M. Kraemer, A. W. Latzka, E. Marin-Spiotta, C. D. Meine, S. E. Munoz, T. M. Neeson, A. M. Pidgeon, A. R. Rissman, R. J. Rivera, L. M. Szymanski, J. Usinowicz. 2015. The rise of novelty in ecosystems. Ecological Applications 25:2051-2068.
Carter, S.K., N. S. Keuler, A.M. Pidgeon & V.C. Radeloff. 2014. Evaluating the influence of conservation plans on land protection actions in Wisconsin, USA. Biological Conservation 178:37-49.
Carter, S.K., J.D. Pohlman, T.L. Bergeson, C.M. Hamilton, A.M. Pidgeon & V.C. Radeloff. 2014. Adding value to existing conservation plans using projected housing growth. Landscape and Urban Planning 126:10-20.
Carter, S.K., G.R. VanBlaricom & B.L. Allen. 2007. Testing the generality of the trophic cascade paradigm for sea otters: a case study with kelp forests in northern Washington, USA. Hydrobiologia 579: 233-249.
Trites, A.W., W.M. Hochachka, S.K. Carter, M.M. Wong & R. Williams. 2007. Boats displace killer whales from a marine protected area. Marine Mammal Research Unit, Univ. of British Columbia.
Carter, S.K. & D. Lentz. 2002. Annual Report of Activities of the Wisconsin Karner Blue Butterfly Habitat Conservation Plan. Report to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. 44 pp.
Carter, S.K. 2002. Living with bears in Wisconsin. Publication # PUB-WM-391 2002 of the Bureau of Wildlife Management, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Carter, S.K., F.C.W. Rosas, A.B. Cooper & A.C. Cordeiro-Duarte. 1999. Consumption Rate, Food Preferences and Transit Time of Captive Giant Otters, Pteronura Brasiliensis: Implications for the Study of Wild Populations. Aquatic Mammals 25(2):79-90.
Carter, S.K., 1999, Ecosystem effects of sea otter predation and commercial sea urchin harvest on nearshore benthic communities in northern Washington, M.S. Thesis, University of Washington, 302 pp.
Rosas, F.C.W., J.A.S. Zuanon & S.K. Carter, 1999, Feeding Ecology of the Giant Otter, Pteronura brasiliensis, Biotropica 31(3):502-506.
Carter, S.K. & F.C.W. Rosas, 1997, Biology and conservation of the giant otter, Pteronura brasiliensis, Mammal Review 27(1):1-26.
Seavey, S.R. & S.K. Carter, 1994, Self-sterility in Epilobium obcordatum (Onagraceae), American Journal of Botany, 81(3):331-338.
Seavey, S.R. & S.K. Carter. 1996. Ovule fates in Epilobium obcordatum, (Onagraceae). American Journal of Botany 83(3):316-325.
Date published: February 11, 2021
Next Generation of Women in Science
As part of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Fort Collins Science Center scientists volunteered to pass along personal and professional advice to the next generation of women and girls in science.
Date published: February 5, 2021
Fort Collins Science Center Scientists Share Expertise at Society for Range Management Meeting
Scientists from the US Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center will be presenting on topics ranging from sage-grouse to invasive plant species at the upcoming Society for Range Management Annual Meeting.
Date published: December 18, 2020
Annotated Bibliography of Scientific Research on Greater Sage-Grouse Published
The U.S. Geological Survey has reviewed and summarized the substantial body of literature related to the conservation, management, monitoring, and assessement of the greater sage-grouse, creating an annotated bibliography that provides easy access to sage-grouse science developed since 2015.
Date published: January 19, 2017
Managing 246 million acres: new science-based tools support Bureau of Land Management’s landscape approach
The U.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Land Management today released a collaborative report with new information and tools to support effective management of millions of acres of BLM public lands. The report underscores the value of a landscape approach to management, and shows that the BLM manages some of the largest areas of intact public lands in the west.