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.
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.
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
Education and Certifications
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
Science and Products
Developing habitat models for rare plants to inform decision making on multiple-use public lands
Developing Science Plans for the Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System
Developing searchable annotated bibliographies for resource managers
Using public litigation records to identify priority science and data needs for the Bureau of Land Management
Identifying priority science needs for strengthening the science foundation for decision making in the Bureau of Land Management
Using remotely sensed data to evaluate aspects of land health at watershed scales for the Bureau of Land Management in Colorado
Developing short science syntheses for use in NEPA analyses and decisions in the Bureau of Land Management
Understanding and fostering use of habitat models for rare plants in Bureau of Land Management planning and management decisions
Providing a Climate Science Foundation for Updating the Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy Actionable Science Plan
Developing a step-by-step process for assessing cumulative effects in the Bureau of Land Management
Developing a toolkit for coproducing actionable science to support public land management
Annotated Bibliography of Scientific Research on Greater Sage-Grouse
Characteristics, presence of erosional features, and cover of vegetation and bare ground on fields formerly enrolled in grassland, wetland, and wildlife practices of the Conservation Reserve Program in the central and western United States from 2017 to 20
Presence of erosional features and cover of grasses, forbs, and bare ground on fields enrolled in grassland, wetland, and wildlife practices of the Conservation Reserve Program in the central and western United States from 2016 to 2018
Probable and potential suitable habitat for 43 rare plant species in the California desert
Annotated bibliography of scientific research on Gunnison sage-grouse published from January 2005 to September 2022
Prioritizing science efforts to inform decision making on public lands
A problem-solving checklist for coproduction
Suggested communication deliverables for coproduced projects
What does coproduction look like in the public lands context?
What level of coproduction makes sense for my project?
How can I coproduce science?
Persistence and quality of vegetation cover in expired Conservation Reserve Program fields
Quantifying aspects of rangeland health at watershed scales in Colorado using remotely sensed data products
Annotated bibliography of scientific research on pygmy rabbits published from 1990 to 2020
Identifying policy-relevant indicators for assessing landscape vegetation patterns to inform planning and management on multiple use public lands
Annotated bibliography of scientific research on Ventenata dubia published from 2010 to 2020
Non-USGS Publications**
**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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Developing habitat models for rare plants to inform decision making on multiple-use public lands
Public lands provide important habitat for many rare plants. However, public lands often need to accommodate many other uses, including traditional and renewable energy development, in addition to conservation. We are working with the Bureau of Land Management to coproduce ensemble habitat suitability models that can inform agency planning and permitting decisions that may impact rare plants.Developing Science Plans for the Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System
The Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System seeks to conserve, protect, and restore nationally significant landscapes. Science is a critical piece of this effort. The US Geological Survey is working with the Bureau of Land Management to develop Science Plans to help prioritize and support science efforts to better understand and manage resources in these landscapes.Developing searchable annotated bibliographies for resource managers
Resource management decisions need to be informed by up-to-date, quality science and data. However there is sometimes an overwhelming number of scientific publications for managers to consider in their decisions. This project provides concise summaries of recent, peer-reviewed science and data products about different resources and topics of management concern, integrated into a searchable tool.Using public litigation records to identify priority science and data needs for the Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages a large area of public lands in the western U.S. for multiple uses and values. Because some of these uses and values may conflict, the agency’s decisions can be controversial and are often challenged. We analyzed public legal records to help identify priority information needs that could strengthen science-based decision-making in the BLMIdentifying priority science needs for strengthening the science foundation for decision making in the Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is committed to using science-informed decision making for the public lands and resources that it manages. Uses on these lands are varied, and decisions are complex. USGS and BLM are working together to identify specific needs for data, science, methods, and mitigation actions that can strengthen the science foundation for BLM planning and management decisions.Using remotely sensed data to evaluate aspects of land health at watershed scales for the Bureau of Land Management in Colorado
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages for conditions that sustain land health on over 1 million acres of public rangelands. The BLM has traditionally assessed rangelands using small-scale data, but agency guidance suggests assessment of land health standards at watershed scales. We are exploring methods to integrate remotely sensed data into BLM land health processes.Developing short science syntheses for use in NEPA analyses and decisions in the Bureau of Land Management
Scientific information is fundamental to understanding how proposed actions on public lands may impact the environment. However, agencies often have limited time to compile and synthesize existing science. We are working with the Bureau of Land Management to develop a new type of science product—short science syntheses—for facilitating use of the best available science in public lands decisions.Understanding and fostering use of habitat models for rare plants in Bureau of Land Management planning and management decisions
The use of rare plant habitat models in land management decisions can be constrained by issues surrounding data access, model quality, and institutional capacity, among other factors. This project seeks to understand challenges associated with using habitat models and explore avenues for addressing these challenges to facilitate greater use of habitat models in public lands decision making.Providing a Climate Science Foundation for Updating the Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy Actionable Science Plan
The long-term success of management efforts in sagebrush habitats are increasingly complicated by the impacts of a changing climate throughout the western United States. These complications are most evident in the ongoing challenges of drought and altered rangeland fire regimes resulting from the establishment of nonnative annual grasses. The Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy recognizeDeveloping a step-by-step process for assessing cumulative effects in the Bureau of Land Management
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to assess potential impacts of proposed actions as part of their decision-making processes. Assessing potential cumulative effects is a challenging component of NEPA analyses. We are working with the Bureau of Land Management to develop a process that staff can use to strengthen cumulative effects analyses.Developing a toolkit for coproducing actionable science to support public land management
Coproduction is a highly collaborative approach to conducting science that focuses on producing actionable products that are used to inform natural resource management decisions. This project will develop an informational toolkit to facilitate coproduction between resource managers and science providers in the context of federal public land management.Annotated Bibliography of Scientific Research on Greater Sage-Grouse
The greater sage-grouse has been a focus of scientific investigation and management action for the past two decades. The sheer number of scientific publications can be a challenge for managers tasked with evaluating and determining the need for potential updates to existing planning documents. - Data
Characteristics, presence of erosional features, and cover of vegetation and bare ground on fields formerly enrolled in grassland, wetland, and wildlife practices of the Conservation Reserve Program in the central and western United States from 2017 to 20
Data included in this data set are from edge-of-field surveys that recorded the presence of erosional features, cover of vegetation and bare ground, and management activities (e.g., haying) on 1092 fields that had expired from three types of conservation practices (grassland, wetland, and wildlife) in the Conservation Reserve Program. Field sampling data were recorded across six US Department of APresence of erosional features and cover of grasses, forbs, and bare ground on fields enrolled in grassland, wetland, and wildlife practices of the Conservation Reserve Program in the central and western United States from 2016 to 2018
Data included in this data set are from in-field and edge-of-field surveys that recorded the presence of erosional features and cover of vegetation and bare ground on 1786 Conservation Reserve Program fields across three types of conservation practices (grassland, wetland, and wildlife). Field sampling data were recorded across six US Department of Agriculture Farm Production Regions (Corn belt, LProbable 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 Land Manage - Publications
Filter Total Items: 26
Annotated bibliography of scientific research on Gunnison sage-grouse published from January 2005 to September 2022
Integrating recent scientific knowledge into management decisions supports effective natural resource management and can lead to better resource outcomes. However, finding and accessing scientific knowledge can be time consuming and costly. To assist in this process, the U.S. Geological Survey is creating a series of annotated bibliographies on topics of management concern for western lands. PreviAuthorsLogan M. Maxwell, Elisabeth C. Teige, Samuel E. Jordan, Tait K. Rutherford, Ella M. Samuel, Lea B. Selby, Alison C. Foster, Nathan J. Kleist, Sarah K. CarterPrioritizing science efforts to inform decision making on public lands
Public land management agencies in the US are committed to using science-informed decision making, but there has been little research on the types and topics of science that managers need most to inform their decisions. We used the National Environmental Policy Act to identify four types of science information needed for making decisions relevant to public lands: (1) data on resources of concern,AuthorsSarah K. Carter, Travis Haby, Jennifer K. Meineke, Alison C. Foster, Laine E. McCall, Leigh Espy, Megan Gilbert, Jeffrey E. Herrick, Karen PrenticeA problem-solving checklist for coproduction
An informational tool provided as part of a toolkit for researchers and practitioners with an interest in coproducing actionable science to support public land managementAuthorsLea B. Selby, Sarah K. Carter, Travis Haby, D. J. A. Wood, Aparna Bamzai-Dodson, Patrick J. Anderson, Jeffrey E. Herrick, Ella M. Samuel, John C. TullSuggested communication deliverables for coproduced projects
An informational tool provided as part of a toolkit for researchers and practitioners with an interest in coproducing actionable science to support public land managementAuthorsLea B. Selby, Sarah K. Carter, Travis Haby, D. J. A. Wood, Aparna Bamzai-Dodson, Patrick J. Anderson, Jeffrey E. Herrick, Ella M. Samuel, John C. TullWhat does coproduction look like in the public lands context?
An informational tool provided as part of a toolkit for researchers and practitioners with an interest in coproducing actionable science to support public land managementAuthorsLea B. Selby, Sarah K. Carter, Travis Haby, D. J. A. Wood, Aparna Bamzai-Dodson, Patrick J. Anderson, Jeffrey E. Herrick, Ella M. Samuel, John C. TullWhat level of coproduction makes sense for my project?
An informational tool provided as part of a toolkit for researchers and practitioners with an interest in coproducing actionable science to support public land managementAuthorsLea B. Selby, Sarah K. Carter, Travis Haby, D. J. A. Wood, Aparna Bamzai-Dodson, Patrick J. Anderson, Jeffrey E. Herrick, Ella M. Samuel, John C. TullHow can I coproduce science?
An information sheet provided as part of a toolkit for researchers and practitioners with an interest in coproducing actionable science to support public land managementAuthorsLea B. Selby, Sarah K. Carter, Travis Haby, D. J. A. Wood, Aparna Bamzai-Dodson, Patrick J. Anderson, Jeffrey E. Herrick, Ella Samuel, John C. TullPersistence and quality of vegetation cover in expired Conservation Reserve Program fields
For nearly 40 years, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has implemented practices to reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and provide habitat for wildlife and pollinators on highly erodible cropland in the United States. However, an approximately 40,470 ha (10 million acres) decline in enrolled CRP land over the last decade has greatly reduced the program's environmental benefits. We soAuthorsMark W. Vandever, Kenneth Elgersma, Sarah K. Carter, Ai Wen, Justin L. Welty, Robert Arkle, Timothy J. Assal, David Pilliod, David M. Mushet, Rich IovannaQuantifying aspects of rangeland health at watershed scales in Colorado using remotely sensed data products
During grazing permit renewals, the Bureau of Land Management assesses land health using indicators typically measured using field-based data collected from individual sites within grazing allotments. However, agency guidance suggests assessments be completed at larger spatial scales.We explored how the current generation of remotely sensed data products could be used to quantify aspects of land hAuthorsNathan J. Kleist, Christopher T Domschke, S E Litschert, J Hunter Seim, Sarah K. CarterAnnotated bibliography of scientific research on pygmy rabbits published from 1990 to 2020
Integrating recent scientific knowledge into management decisions supports effective natural resource management and can lead to better resource outcomes. However, finding and accessing scientific knowledge can be time consuming and costly. To assist in this process, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is creating a series of annotated bibliographies on topics of management concern for western landsAuthorsNathan J. Kleist, Joshua S. Willems, Heidi L. Bencin, Alison C. Foster, Laine E. McCall, Jennifer K. Meineke, Erin E. Poor, Sarah K. CarterIdentifying policy-relevant indicators for assessing landscape vegetation patterns to inform planning and management on multiple use public lands
Understanding the structure and composition of landscapes can empower agencies to effectively manage public lands for multiple uses while sustaining land health. Many landscape metrics exist, but they are not often used in public land decision-making. Our objectives were to (1) develop and (2) apply a process for identifying a core set of indicators that public land managers can use to understandAuthorsSarah K. Carter, Lucy Burris, Chris Domschke, Steven L Garman, Travis Haby, Benjamin R Harms, Emily Kachergis, S. E. Litschert, Kevin MillerAnnotated bibliography of scientific research on Ventenata dubia published from 2010 to 2020
Integrating recent science into management decisions supports effective natural resource management and can lead to better resource outcomes. However, finding and accessing science information can be time consuming and costly. To assist in this process, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is creating a series of annotated bibliographies on topics of management concern for western lands. Previously pAuthorsErin E. Poor, Nathan J. Kleist, Heidi L. Bencin, Alison C. Foster, Sarah K. CarterNon-USGS Publications**
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.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.**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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