Shawn T O'Neil
Shawn O'Neil is a wildlife biologist at the USGS Western Ecological Research Center.
Science and Products
Sage-grouse population dynamics are adversely impacted by overabundant feral horses
In recent decades, feral horse (Equus caballus; horse) populations increased in sagebrush (Artimesia spp.) ecosystems, especially within the Great Basin, to the point of exceeding maximum appropriate management levels (AMLmax), which were set by land administrators to balance resource use by feral horses, livestock, and wildlife....
Coates, Peter S.; O'Neil, Shawn; Munoz, Diana A.; Dwight, Ian; Tull, John C. Large-scale wildfire reduces population growth in a peripheral population of sage-grouse
Drastic increases in wildfire size and frequency threaten western North American sagebrush (Artemisia L. spp.) ecosystems. At relatively large spatial scales, wildfire facilitates type conversion of sagebrush-dominated plant communities to monocultures of invasive annual grasses (e.g., Bromus tectorum L.). Annual grasses provide fine...
Dudley, Ian F; Coates, Peter S.; Prochazka, Brian G.; O'Neil, Shawn; Gardner, Scott C.; Delehanty, David J. Nesting, brood rearing, and summer habitat selection by translocated greater sage‐grouse in North Dakota, USA
Human enterprise has led to large‐scale changes in landscapes and altered wildlife population distribution and abundance, necessitating efficient and effective conservation strategies for impacted species. Greater sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter sage‐grouse) are a widespread sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) obligate species that...
Lazenby, Kade D; Coates, Peter S.; O'Neil, Shawn; Kohl, Michel T.; Dahlgren, David K Wildfire and the ecological niche: Diminishing habitat suitability for an indicator species within semi‐arid ecosystems
Globally accelerating frequency and extent of wildfire threatens the persistence of specialist wildlife species through direct loss of habitat and indirect facilitation of exotic invasive species. Habitat specialists may be especially prone to rapidly changing environmental conditions because their ability to adapt lags behind the rate of habitat...
O'Neil, Shawn; Coates, Peter S.; Brussee, Brianne E.; Ricca, Mark A.; Espinosa, Shawn P.; Gardner, Scott C.; Delahanty, David J
When Unchecked, Free-Roaming Horse Populations Threaten Greater Sage-Grouse
Greater sage-grouse populations may decline by more than 70% within free-roaming horse-occupied areas by 2034 if horse populations increase unchecked at current rates. Reducing horse numbers could neutralize their negative impacts.
Research Spotlight: New Research Indicates that Greater Sage-Grouse are Struggling to Adapt to Wildfire-Induced Changes in the Great Basin
Research from the USGS and partners concluded that greater sage-grouse in the Great Basin often select nest sites that result in poor nest survival following wildfire. The poor quality nest sites are strongly associated with spread of invasive understory grasses and loss of shrub canopy cover.