Sharon A Poessel
I am a Wildlife Biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey. My research focuses on ecology and conservation of a diverse mix of wildlife species throughout the western United States.
Much of my research focuses on understanding the movements and habitat use of animals across the landscape and using this knowledge to advance the conservation of wildlife species. My work has encompassed the study of multiple species, including black-footed ferrets, coyotes, bobcats, swift foxes, California condors, golden eagles, turkey vultures, riparian songbirds, loons, sage-grouse, trumpeter swans, Mohave ground squirrels, and desert kit foxes. More recently, my research efforts have been directed towards the deserts of southern California, examining ecological questions pertaining to species of conservation concern. I am also interested in urban wildlife ecology and the use of non-lethal methods to resolve wildlife-human conflicts.
Professional Experience
2015 - Present: Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, ID
2010 - 2015: Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT
2009 - 2010: Research Associate, Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
2007 - 2009: Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Ecology, Utah State University, Logan, UT (2015)
M.S., Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO (2009)
B.S., Wildlife Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO (2007)
Affiliations and Memberships*
Society for Conservation Biology
The Wildlife Society
Raptor Research Foundation
Science and Products
Tri-axial acceleration data from California condors (Gymnogyps californianus), California, USA
We outfitted nine condors in a flight pen with patagial tags, each with a unique ID, and a proprietary solar powered Global Positioning System-Global System for Mobile Communications (GPS-GSM) telemetry device weighing 50 g (Cellular Tracking Technologies, LLC, Rio Grande, NJ). The units collected tri-axial acceleration data at a rate of 20 Hz. Data were transmitted once daily over cellular networ
Long-distance movements of non-migratory golden eagles in western North America, 2007-2017
We studied >500 golden eagles tracked by telemetry over a 10-year period in western North America, of which 160 engaged in non-routine, long-distance (> 300 km) movements. We identified spatial and temporal correlates of those movements at both small and large scales, and we quantified movement timing and direction. We further tested which age and sex classes of eagles were more likely to engage i
Post-fire habitat associations of greater sage-grouse in Idaho and Oregon, 2016-2018
We investigated habitat selection by 28 male greater sage-grouse during each of three years (2016-2018) after a 113,000-ha wildfire in a sagebrush steppe ecosystem in Idaho and Oregon. During the study period, seeding and herbicide treatments were applied for habitat restoration. This dataset includes pre-fire land cover, post-fire vegetation, and post-fire treatment data within 500-m buffers of s
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Filter Total Items: 26
Illegal shooting of protected nongame birds along power lines coincides with places and times of peak legal recreational shooting
Illegal killing of protected nongame birds is pervasive and can be demographically relevant.
In 2021 and 2022, we evaluated spatial and temporal patterns in illegal killing of birds along
69.7 km of power lines in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National
Conservation Area in Idaho, USA, to provide insight into potential drivers behind the activity
and key information to manage this
Authors
Eve C. Thomason, James R. Belthoff, Sharon Poessel, Todd E. Katzner
Abundance of Long-billed Curlews on military lands in the Columbia Basin
Long-billed Curlews (Numenius americanus) are declining throughout North America, and the loss of grassland breeding habitat is one of the primary threats to the species. Intermountain West, in particular, has been identified as the most important region in North America for breeding curlews. Nevertheless, the density and abundance of Long-billed Curlews in this region is not well understood. Land
Authors
Sharon Poessel, Elise Elliott-Smith, Sean M. Murphy, Susan M Haig, Adam E. Duerr, Todd E. Katzner
Ecological effects of pinyon-juniper removal in the Western United States—A synthesis of scientific research, January 2014–March 2021
Executive SummaryIncreasing density of pinyon (Pinus spp.) and juniper (Juniperus spp.) woodlands (hereinafter “pinyon-juniper”), as well as expansion of these woodlands into adjacent shrublands and grasslands, has altered ecosystem function and wildlife habitat across large areas of the interior western United States. Although there are many natural and human-caused drivers of woodland infilling
Authors
Douglas J. Shinneman, Susan K. McIlroy, Sharon A Poessel, Rosemary L. Downing, Tracey N. Johnson, Aaron C. Young, Todd E. Katzner
Captive breeding, husbandry, release, and translocation of sciurids
Captive breeding and release programs have been instrumental in preventing the extinction of some wildlife species, but these programs have been less successful for other species. Evaluating initial guidelines for procedures to start a captive breeding and release program for a particular species is an important first step in the process of initiating such a program. The Mohave ground squirrel (Xe
Authors
Sharon A Poessel
Supervised versus unsupervised approaches to classification of accelerometry data
Sophisticated animal-borne sensor systems are increasingly providing novel insight into how animals behave and move. Despite their widespread use in ecology, the diversity and expanding quality and quantity of data they produce have created a need for robust analytical methods for biological interpretation. Machine learning tools are often used to meet this need. However, their relative effectiven
Authors
Maitreyi Sur, Jonathan C. Hall, Joseph Brandt, Molly Astell, Sharon Poessel, Todd E. Katzner
Demographic and environmental correlates of home ranges and long-distance movements of Mohave ground squirrels
Space use by mammals can differ among age-classes, sexes, or seasons, and these processes are recognized as adaptive behavioral strategies. Semi-fossorial ground squirrels, in particular, have shown age- and sex-specific patterns in their aboveground movement behaviors. We studied space use of Mohave ground squirrels (Xerospermophilus mohavensis) at the Freeman Gulch study site in the central regi
Authors
Sharon Poessel, Philip Leitner, Richard D. Inman, Todd Esque, Todd E. Katzner
Open-source intelligence for conservation biology
Open-source intelligence (OSINT) evolved in spy agencies but now is rapidly changing many fields of study, from anthropology to zoology. Despite the fact that OSINT occasionally is used in conservation biology, there is little recognition that some tools and frameworks used by conservation professionals are drawn from this well-established field. The history and conceptual foundations of OSINT ste
Authors
Todd E. Katzner, Eve C. Thomason, Karrin Huhmann, Tara Conkling, Camille B. Concepcion, Vincent Slabe, Sharon Poessel
Interpreting long-distance movements of non-migratory golden eagles: Prospecting and nomadism?
Movements by animals can serve different functions and occur over a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Routine movement types, such as residency (localized movements) and migration, have been well studied. However, nonroutine movement types, such as dispersal, prospecting, and nomadism, are less well understood. Documenting these rarely detected events requires tracking large numbers of indiv
Authors
Sharon Poessel, Brian Woodbridge, Brian W. Smith, Robert K. Murphy, Bryan E Bedrosian, Douglas A. Bell, David Bittner, Peter H. Bloom, Ross H. Crandall, Robert Domenech, Robert N. Fisher, Patricia Haggerty, Steven J. Slater, Jeff A. Tracey, James W. Watson, Todd E. Katzner
Greater sage-grouse respond positively to intensive post-fire restoration treatments
Habitat loss is the most prevalent threat to biodiversity in North America. One of the most threatened landscapes in the United States is the sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystem, much of which has been fragmented or converted to non-native grasslands via the cheatgrass-fire cycle. Like many sagebrush obligates, greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) depend upon sagebrush for food and cov
Authors
Sharon Poessel, David M Barnard, Cara Applestein, Matthew Germino, Ethan A. Ellsworth, Donald J. Major, Ann Moser, Todd E. Katzner
Drivers of flight performance of California Condors (Gymnogyps californianus)
Flight behavior of soaring birds depends on a complex array of physiological, social, demographic, and environmental factors. California Condors (Gymnogyps californianus) rely on thermal and orographic updrafts to subsidize extended bouts of soaring flight, and their soaring flight performance is expected to vary in response to environmental variation and, potentially, with experience. We collecte
Authors
Sophie R. Bonner, Sharon Poessel, Joseph C. Brandt, Molly T. Astell, James R. Belthoff, Todd Katzner
Seasonal and age-related variation in daily travel distances of California Condors
Despite a dramatic recovery from the brink of extinction, California Condors (Gymnogyps californianus) still face significant anthropogenic threats. Although condor movement patterns across large temporal scales are understood, less is known about their movements on a fine temporal scale. We used a trajectory-based analysis of GPS telemetry data gathered from condors during 2013 to 2018 to investi
Authors
Jonathan C. Hall, Insu Hong, Sharon Poessel, Melissa A. Braham, Joseph Brandt, Joseph Burnett, Todd E. Katzner
Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca
Eastern imperial eagles are a short-, medium-distance, partially-migratory, or even non-migratory, raptor that breeds at the forest-steppe interface in Eurasia and winters in Northern Africa, the Middle East or South Asia. Migratory strategies of imperial eagles are diverse. Eagles breeding in Central and Southeast Europe and south of the Black Sea usually are year-round residents or partial- or s
Authors
Evgeny Bragin, Marton Horvath, Sharon Poessel, Todd E. Katzner
Non-USGS Publications**
Breck, S.W., Poessel, S., Mahoney, P. et al. The intrepid urban coyote: a comparison of bold and exploratory behavior in coyotes from urban and rural environments. Sci Rep 9, 2104 (2019)
Breck, S.W., S.A. Poessel, and M.A. Bonnell. 2017. Evaluating lethal and nonlethal management options for urban coyotes. Human-Wildlife Interactions 11:133-145
Poessel, S.A., E. Mock, and S.W. Breck. 2017. Coyote (Canis latrans) diet in an urban environment: variation relative to pet conflicts, housing density, and season. Canadian Journal of Zoology 95:287-297
Poessel, S.A., E.M. Gese, and J.K. Young. 2017. Environmental factors influencing the occurrence of coyotes and conflicts in urban areas. Landscape and Urban Planning 157:259-269
Poessel, S.A., S.W. Breck, and E.M. Gese. 2016. Spatial ecology of coyotes in the Denver metropolitan area: influence of the urban matrix. Journal of Mammalogy 97:1414-1427
Poessel, S.A., S.W. Breck, K.A. Fox, and E.M. Gese. 2015. Anticoagulant rodenticide exposure and toxicosis in coyotes (Canis latrans) in the Denver Metropolitan Area. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 51:265-268
Poessel, S.A., E.M. Gese, and J.K. Young. 2014. Influence of habitat structure and food on patch choice of captive coyotes. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 157:127-136
Magle, S.B., S.A. Poessel, K.R. Crooks, and S.W. Breck. 2014. More dogs less bite: the relationship between human-coyote conflict and prairie dog colonies in an urban landscape. Landscape and Urban Planning 127:146-153
Poessel, S.A. and E.M. Gese. 2013. Den attendance patterns in swift foxes during pup rearing: varying degrees of parental investment within the breeding pair. Journal of Ethology 31:193-201
Poessel, S.A., S.W. Breck, T.L. Teel, S. Shwiff, K.R. Crooks, and L. Angeloni. 2013. Patterns of human-coyote conflicts in the Denver Metropolitan Area. Journal of Wildlife Management 77:297-305
Poessel, S.A., K.H. Beard, C.M. Callahan, R.B. Ferreira, and E.T. Stevenson. 2013. Biotic acceptance in introduced amphibians and reptiles in Europe and North America. Global Ecology and Biogeography 22:192-201
Ferreira, R.B., K.H. Beard, S.L. Peterson, S.A. Poessel, and C.M. Callahan. 2012. Establishment of introduced reptiles increases with the presence and richness of native congeners. Amphibia-Reptilia 33:387-392
Ferreira, R.B., C.M. Callahan, S.A. Poessel, and K.H. Beard. 2012. Global assessment of establishment success for amphibian and reptile invaders. Wildlife Research 39:637-640
Poessel, S.A., D.E. Biggins, R.M. Santymire, T.M. Livieri, K.R. Crooks, and L. Angeloni. 2011. Environmental enrichment affects adrenocortical stress responses in the endangered black-footed ferret. General and Comparative Endocrinology 172: 526-533
**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.
To request an interview, contact fresc_outreach@usgs.gov or call (541) 750-1030.
Science and Products
Tri-axial acceleration data from California condors (Gymnogyps californianus), California, USA
We outfitted nine condors in a flight pen with patagial tags, each with a unique ID, and a proprietary solar powered Global Positioning System-Global System for Mobile Communications (GPS-GSM) telemetry device weighing 50 g (Cellular Tracking Technologies, LLC, Rio Grande, NJ). The units collected tri-axial acceleration data at a rate of 20 Hz. Data were transmitted once daily over cellular networ
Long-distance movements of non-migratory golden eagles in western North America, 2007-2017
We studied >500 golden eagles tracked by telemetry over a 10-year period in western North America, of which 160 engaged in non-routine, long-distance (> 300 km) movements. We identified spatial and temporal correlates of those movements at both small and large scales, and we quantified movement timing and direction. We further tested which age and sex classes of eagles were more likely to engage i
Post-fire habitat associations of greater sage-grouse in Idaho and Oregon, 2016-2018
We investigated habitat selection by 28 male greater sage-grouse during each of three years (2016-2018) after a 113,000-ha wildfire in a sagebrush steppe ecosystem in Idaho and Oregon. During the study period, seeding and herbicide treatments were applied for habitat restoration. This dataset includes pre-fire land cover, post-fire vegetation, and post-fire treatment data within 500-m buffers of s
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Filter Total Items: 26
Illegal shooting of protected nongame birds along power lines coincides with places and times of peak legal recreational shooting
Illegal killing of protected nongame birds is pervasive and can be demographically relevant.
In 2021 and 2022, we evaluated spatial and temporal patterns in illegal killing of birds along
69.7 km of power lines in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National
Conservation Area in Idaho, USA, to provide insight into potential drivers behind the activity
and key information to manage this
Authors
Eve C. Thomason, James R. Belthoff, Sharon Poessel, Todd E. Katzner
Abundance of Long-billed Curlews on military lands in the Columbia Basin
Long-billed Curlews (Numenius americanus) are declining throughout North America, and the loss of grassland breeding habitat is one of the primary threats to the species. Intermountain West, in particular, has been identified as the most important region in North America for breeding curlews. Nevertheless, the density and abundance of Long-billed Curlews in this region is not well understood. Land
Authors
Sharon Poessel, Elise Elliott-Smith, Sean M. Murphy, Susan M Haig, Adam E. Duerr, Todd E. Katzner
Ecological effects of pinyon-juniper removal in the Western United States—A synthesis of scientific research, January 2014–March 2021
Executive SummaryIncreasing density of pinyon (Pinus spp.) and juniper (Juniperus spp.) woodlands (hereinafter “pinyon-juniper”), as well as expansion of these woodlands into adjacent shrublands and grasslands, has altered ecosystem function and wildlife habitat across large areas of the interior western United States. Although there are many natural and human-caused drivers of woodland infilling
Authors
Douglas J. Shinneman, Susan K. McIlroy, Sharon A Poessel, Rosemary L. Downing, Tracey N. Johnson, Aaron C. Young, Todd E. Katzner
Captive breeding, husbandry, release, and translocation of sciurids
Captive breeding and release programs have been instrumental in preventing the extinction of some wildlife species, but these programs have been less successful for other species. Evaluating initial guidelines for procedures to start a captive breeding and release program for a particular species is an important first step in the process of initiating such a program. The Mohave ground squirrel (Xe
Authors
Sharon A Poessel
Supervised versus unsupervised approaches to classification of accelerometry data
Sophisticated animal-borne sensor systems are increasingly providing novel insight into how animals behave and move. Despite their widespread use in ecology, the diversity and expanding quality and quantity of data they produce have created a need for robust analytical methods for biological interpretation. Machine learning tools are often used to meet this need. However, their relative effectiven
Authors
Maitreyi Sur, Jonathan C. Hall, Joseph Brandt, Molly Astell, Sharon Poessel, Todd E. Katzner
Demographic and environmental correlates of home ranges and long-distance movements of Mohave ground squirrels
Space use by mammals can differ among age-classes, sexes, or seasons, and these processes are recognized as adaptive behavioral strategies. Semi-fossorial ground squirrels, in particular, have shown age- and sex-specific patterns in their aboveground movement behaviors. We studied space use of Mohave ground squirrels (Xerospermophilus mohavensis) at the Freeman Gulch study site in the central regi
Authors
Sharon Poessel, Philip Leitner, Richard D. Inman, Todd Esque, Todd E. Katzner
Open-source intelligence for conservation biology
Open-source intelligence (OSINT) evolved in spy agencies but now is rapidly changing many fields of study, from anthropology to zoology. Despite the fact that OSINT occasionally is used in conservation biology, there is little recognition that some tools and frameworks used by conservation professionals are drawn from this well-established field. The history and conceptual foundations of OSINT ste
Authors
Todd E. Katzner, Eve C. Thomason, Karrin Huhmann, Tara Conkling, Camille B. Concepcion, Vincent Slabe, Sharon Poessel
Interpreting long-distance movements of non-migratory golden eagles: Prospecting and nomadism?
Movements by animals can serve different functions and occur over a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Routine movement types, such as residency (localized movements) and migration, have been well studied. However, nonroutine movement types, such as dispersal, prospecting, and nomadism, are less well understood. Documenting these rarely detected events requires tracking large numbers of indiv
Authors
Sharon Poessel, Brian Woodbridge, Brian W. Smith, Robert K. Murphy, Bryan E Bedrosian, Douglas A. Bell, David Bittner, Peter H. Bloom, Ross H. Crandall, Robert Domenech, Robert N. Fisher, Patricia Haggerty, Steven J. Slater, Jeff A. Tracey, James W. Watson, Todd E. Katzner
Greater sage-grouse respond positively to intensive post-fire restoration treatments
Habitat loss is the most prevalent threat to biodiversity in North America. One of the most threatened landscapes in the United States is the sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystem, much of which has been fragmented or converted to non-native grasslands via the cheatgrass-fire cycle. Like many sagebrush obligates, greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) depend upon sagebrush for food and cov
Authors
Sharon Poessel, David M Barnard, Cara Applestein, Matthew Germino, Ethan A. Ellsworth, Donald J. Major, Ann Moser, Todd E. Katzner
Drivers of flight performance of California Condors (Gymnogyps californianus)
Flight behavior of soaring birds depends on a complex array of physiological, social, demographic, and environmental factors. California Condors (Gymnogyps californianus) rely on thermal and orographic updrafts to subsidize extended bouts of soaring flight, and their soaring flight performance is expected to vary in response to environmental variation and, potentially, with experience. We collecte
Authors
Sophie R. Bonner, Sharon Poessel, Joseph C. Brandt, Molly T. Astell, James R. Belthoff, Todd Katzner
Seasonal and age-related variation in daily travel distances of California Condors
Despite a dramatic recovery from the brink of extinction, California Condors (Gymnogyps californianus) still face significant anthropogenic threats. Although condor movement patterns across large temporal scales are understood, less is known about their movements on a fine temporal scale. We used a trajectory-based analysis of GPS telemetry data gathered from condors during 2013 to 2018 to investi
Authors
Jonathan C. Hall, Insu Hong, Sharon Poessel, Melissa A. Braham, Joseph Brandt, Joseph Burnett, Todd E. Katzner
Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca
Eastern imperial eagles are a short-, medium-distance, partially-migratory, or even non-migratory, raptor that breeds at the forest-steppe interface in Eurasia and winters in Northern Africa, the Middle East or South Asia. Migratory strategies of imperial eagles are diverse. Eagles breeding in Central and Southeast Europe and south of the Black Sea usually are year-round residents or partial- or s
Authors
Evgeny Bragin, Marton Horvath, Sharon Poessel, Todd E. Katzner
Non-USGS Publications**
Breck, S.W., Poessel, S., Mahoney, P. et al. The intrepid urban coyote: a comparison of bold and exploratory behavior in coyotes from urban and rural environments. Sci Rep 9, 2104 (2019)
Breck, S.W., S.A. Poessel, and M.A. Bonnell. 2017. Evaluating lethal and nonlethal management options for urban coyotes. Human-Wildlife Interactions 11:133-145
Poessel, S.A., E. Mock, and S.W. Breck. 2017. Coyote (Canis latrans) diet in an urban environment: variation relative to pet conflicts, housing density, and season. Canadian Journal of Zoology 95:287-297
Poessel, S.A., E.M. Gese, and J.K. Young. 2017. Environmental factors influencing the occurrence of coyotes and conflicts in urban areas. Landscape and Urban Planning 157:259-269
Poessel, S.A., S.W. Breck, and E.M. Gese. 2016. Spatial ecology of coyotes in the Denver metropolitan area: influence of the urban matrix. Journal of Mammalogy 97:1414-1427
Poessel, S.A., S.W. Breck, K.A. Fox, and E.M. Gese. 2015. Anticoagulant rodenticide exposure and toxicosis in coyotes (Canis latrans) in the Denver Metropolitan Area. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 51:265-268
Poessel, S.A., E.M. Gese, and J.K. Young. 2014. Influence of habitat structure and food on patch choice of captive coyotes. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 157:127-136
Magle, S.B., S.A. Poessel, K.R. Crooks, and S.W. Breck. 2014. More dogs less bite: the relationship between human-coyote conflict and prairie dog colonies in an urban landscape. Landscape and Urban Planning 127:146-153
Poessel, S.A. and E.M. Gese. 2013. Den attendance patterns in swift foxes during pup rearing: varying degrees of parental investment within the breeding pair. Journal of Ethology 31:193-201
Poessel, S.A., S.W. Breck, T.L. Teel, S. Shwiff, K.R. Crooks, and L. Angeloni. 2013. Patterns of human-coyote conflicts in the Denver Metropolitan Area. Journal of Wildlife Management 77:297-305
Poessel, S.A., K.H. Beard, C.M. Callahan, R.B. Ferreira, and E.T. Stevenson. 2013. Biotic acceptance in introduced amphibians and reptiles in Europe and North America. Global Ecology and Biogeography 22:192-201
Ferreira, R.B., K.H. Beard, S.L. Peterson, S.A. Poessel, and C.M. Callahan. 2012. Establishment of introduced reptiles increases with the presence and richness of native congeners. Amphibia-Reptilia 33:387-392
Ferreira, R.B., C.M. Callahan, S.A. Poessel, and K.H. Beard. 2012. Global assessment of establishment success for amphibian and reptile invaders. Wildlife Research 39:637-640
Poessel, S.A., D.E. Biggins, R.M. Santymire, T.M. Livieri, K.R. Crooks, and L. Angeloni. 2011. Environmental enrichment affects adrenocortical stress responses in the endangered black-footed ferret. General and Comparative Endocrinology 172: 526-533
**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.
To request an interview, contact fresc_outreach@usgs.gov or call (541) 750-1030.
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government