Stephanie Romañach, Ph.D.
Stephanie uses a combination of field observations and predictive ecological models to explore the impacts of climate change and ecosystem restoration on wildlife.
Stephanie leads Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM), focused on developing predictive ecological models and decision support tools that help decision makers explore potential ecological impacts from ecosystem restoration and climate change. In addition to her work on Everglades restoration and conservation planning in Florida, she also works on natural resources conservation in Africa and Asia.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Ecology, University of California, Santa Barbara
M.A., Ecology, University of California, Santa Barbara
B.S., Zoology, University of Florida, Gainesville
Science and Products
Multispecies Operational Forecasting in the Florida Everglades
Modeling Spatial Habitat Quality for the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow
Ecological Modeling in Support of the Western Everglades Restoration Project
Evaluating Ecological Vulnerabilities of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem to Provide Decision Support for Restoration
Habitat Modeling for the Endangered Everglades Snail Kite and Its Prey
Joint Ecosystem Modeling: Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow Helper
Joint Ecosystem Modeling: Wader Distribution & Evaluation Modeling (WADEM)
Joint Ecosystem Modeling: Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow Marl Prairie Indicator
Joint Ecosystem Modeling: EverSnail
Joint Ecosystem Modeling: Alligator Production Probability Model
Natural Resources Conservation in East Africa
Impacts of Sea Level Rise & Ecosystem Restoration on Wildlife
Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Four of Four, 2020
Ecological Model Support for RECOVER's Update of Interim Goals, 2019
Multiple Species Comparisons from EverForecast May 2021
EverSparrow model scripts and outputs
Ecological modeling output for the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir 2020
Synthesis of Gulf Coast Management Plans and Restoration Project Values, Stressors, and Strategies (2020-2021)
EverWaders species distribution model development and output in the Greater Everglades from 2000-2009
Small mammal captures at the Picayune Strand State Forest, October 2014 - April 2016
Ecological modeling output for the Combined Operational Plan, Round 1 in the Greater Everglades, 2018-2019
EverForecast hydrologic output for April 2020: a six-month water stage forecast for the Greater Everglades
Determining the habitat suitability of coastal waterbirds in New Jersey: impacts related to Hurricane Sandy
Fish data collected during 2015 and 2016 at 9 sites at the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.
EverForecast—A near-term forecasting application for ecological decision support
Forecasting ecological responses for wetland restoration planning in Florida's Everglades
Joint species distribution models of Everglades wading birds to inform restoration planning
Small mammal responses to wetland restoration in the Greater Everglades ecosystem
Preserving connectivity under climate and land-use change: No one-size-fits-all approach for focal species in similar habitats
Near-term spatial hydrologic forecasting in Everglades, USA for landscape planning and ecological forecasting
Joint seasonality in geographic and ecological spaces, illustrated with a partially migratory bird
Potential impacts of future urbanization and sea level rise on Florida’s natural resources
Coastal marsh bird habitat selection and responses to Hurricane Sandy
Targeting wildlife crime interventions through geographic profiling
Fire disturbance influences endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammopiza maritima mirabilis) relative bird count
A multi-indicator spatial similarity approach for evaluating ecological restoration scenarios
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
Filter Total Items: 33
Multispecies Operational Forecasting in the Florida Everglades
A USGS forecasting tool helps Everglades natural resource managers identify management actions that can benefit one or more species while quantifying the potential costs to others.Modeling Spatial Habitat Quality for the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow
The Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) team will develop species distribution models that incorporate hydrologic and habitat variables known to influence Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow occurrence.Ecological Modeling in Support of the Western Everglades Restoration Project
Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) provides ecological models tailored to address specific management issues, for example, the Western Everglades Restoration Project.Evaluating Ecological Vulnerabilities of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem to Provide Decision Support for Restoration
USGS scientists develop decision support tools to help inform management and restoration of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem.Habitat Modeling for the Endangered Everglades Snail Kite and Its Prey
Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) provides real-time habitat suitability models for species of interest in Everglades restoration planning, including the federally endangered Everglades snail kite.Joint Ecosystem Modeling: Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow Helper
The Sparrow Helper tool allows for the evaluation of water management scenarios by generating, plotting, and mapping hydrologic metrics across a range of time scales to predict impacts of proposed water depth changes to sparrow subpopulations.Joint Ecosystem Modeling: Wader Distribution & Evaluation Modeling (WADEM)
WADEM (Wader Distribution Evaluation Modeling) is a JEM model that estimates species-specific habitat suitability across the landscape for Great Egret ( Ardea alba ), White Ibis ( Eudocimus albus ), and Wood Stork ( Mycteria americana ).Joint Ecosystem Modeling: Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow Marl Prairie Indicator
Marl prairie is the most diverse freshwater vegetation community in the Greater Everglades and provides the only suitable habitat for the federally endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow (CSSS; Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis ).Joint Ecosystem Modeling: EverSnail
EverSnail, developed in collaboration with the University of West Florida, is an age- and size-structured spatially-explicit landscape model of native apple snails ( Pomacea paludosa ).Joint Ecosystem Modeling: Alligator Production Probability Model
Because the American alligator ( Alligator mississippiensis ) is a keystone species of the Everglades ecosystem, managers need a way to quantitatively assess the effects of alternative restoration scenarios on alligators.Natural Resources Conservation in East Africa
The U.S. Agency for International Development‘s regional mission in East Africa (USAID/EA) and contributing USAID bilateral missions in the region have partnered with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s International Technical Assistance Program (DOI-ITAP) to strategically leverage DOI expertise as it pertains to wildlife poaching and wildlife trafficking.Impacts of Sea Level Rise & Ecosystem Restoration on Wildlife
The interior marshes of the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge (TTINWR) are currently negatively impacted by sea level rise through saltwater intrusion from the south which furthers mangrove encroachment into the freshwater marsh. - Data
Filter Total Items: 25
Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Four of Four, 2020
Ecological models facilitate evaluation and assessment of alternative approaches to restore the Greater Everglades ecosystem. However, the provision of useful and accessible models is a challenge because there is often a disconnect between model output and its use by decision makers. Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) meets this challenge by providing ecological model output tailored to management decEcological Model Support for RECOVER's Update of Interim Goals, 2019
Ecological models facilitate evaluation and assessment of alternative approaches to restore the Greater Everglades ecosystem. However, the provision of useful and accessible models is a challenge because there is often a disconnect between model output and its use by decision makers. Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) meets this challenge by providing ecological model output tailored to management decMultiple Species Comparisons from EverForecast May 2021
These data are summaries and comparisons of the EverForecast outputs from May 2021. EverForecast is a near-term hydrologic forecasting application that provides daily water depth forecasts across the freshwater Everglades (Pearlstine et al. 2020); water depth forecasts are then used to run species models. Here, we examine the EverForecast outputs of five species models: (1) American alligator prodEverSparrow model scripts and outputs
EverSparrow is a spatially explicit Bayesian model of Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis; CSSS) presence that quantifies the interdependent relationships between a range of environmental factors and CSSS presence. Using hydrologic conditions such as mean 4-year hydroperiod and maximum depth, fire occurrence history, and vegetation structure throughout the range of CSSS, EverSEcological modeling output for the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir 2020
Ecological models facilitate evaluation and assessment of alternative approaches to restore the Greater Everglades ecosystem. The models of particular interest to the South Florida Water Management District for planning for the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir were: (1) Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow Marl Prairie Indicator, (2) Florida apple snail (native) population model (EverSnail), (3)Synthesis of Gulf Coast Management Plans and Restoration Project Values, Stressors, and Strategies (2020-2021)
Dataset of segments (e.g. phrases, sentences, paragraphs) associated with ecological values, human community values, stressors, or restoration strategies found within Gulf Coast state management plans and restoration project descriptions, collected 2019-2020.EverWaders species distribution model development and output in the Greater Everglades from 2000-2009
Restoration of the Florida Everglades, a substantial wetland ecosystem within the United States, is one of the largest ongoing restoration projects in the world. Decision-makers and managers within the Everglades ecosystem rely on ecological models forecasting indicator wildlife response to changes in the management of water flows within the system. One such indicator of ecosystem health, the presSmall mammal captures at the Picayune Strand State Forest, October 2014 - April 2016
We used Sherman live traps to capture and mark rodents in the Picayune Strand State Forest between October 2014 and April 2016 (IACUC permit USGS/SESC 2014-12). We selected areas to trap small mammals within the major vegetative types within Picayune Strand State Forest: cypress, pine, hardwood hammock, and wet prairie. We trapped in paired "restored" and "unrestored" areas of each habitat type.Ecological modeling output for the Combined Operational Plan, Round 1 in the Greater Everglades, 2018-2019
Ecological models facilitate evaluation and assessment of alternative plans for restoring the Greater Everglades ecosystem. Modeling outputs were used in evaluations of alternative water control plans to be performed by the Combined Operational Plan (COP). The models used were: (1) Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow Marl Prairie Indicator in conjunction with (2) Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow Helper, (3) FlorEverForecast hydrologic output for April 2020: a six-month water stage forecast for the Greater Everglades
Operational ecological forecasting is an emerging field that leverages ecological models in a new, cross-disciplinary way, using a real-time or nearly real-time climate forecast to project near-term ecosystem states. These applications give decision-makers lead time to anticipate and manage state changes that degrade ecosystem functions or directly impact humans. The Everglades Forecasting model (Determining the habitat suitability of coastal waterbirds in New Jersey: impacts related to Hurricane Sandy
Understanding the long-term consequences of hurricane effects on wildlife and their habitats is critical to efficiently and effectively protect and restore important coastal wetland and marsh habitat. Hurricane Sandy caused widespread and substantial physical, environmental, ecological damage, likely impacting the food supplies, habitats, and reproductive success of many animal species along the cFish data collected during 2015 and 2016 at 9 sites at the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Florida.
Field sampling occurred at locations within Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge on three transects along the natural salinity gradient of increasing salinity to the coastal south. We used three replicates per tier (east-west) for a total of nine sampling sites. Sites were approximately 1300 m apart in all directions. Sampling events occurred every 3-4 weeks from January to May for 7 samp - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 57
EverForecast—A near-term forecasting application for ecological decision support
The Everglades Forecasting application (EverForecast) provides decision makers with a support tool to examine optimal allocations of water across the managed landscape while explicitly quantifying the conflicting needs of multiple species. Covering the Greater Everglades (a vast, subtropical wetland ecosystem in South Florida), EverForecast provides 6-month forecasts of daily projected water stageAuthorsSaira M. Haider, Stephanie S. Romañach, Mark McKelvy, Kevin J. Suir, Leonard PearlstineForecasting ecological responses for wetland restoration planning in Florida's Everglades
The Everglades wetland was once a river of grass, with water flowing slowly through the sawgrass, southward across the landscape. As developers took hold of south Florida, water was sent away from the heart of the Everglades through canals and levees to protect the former wetland for residential and agricultural development. In the 1990s, planning began to restore the Everglades in what is the larAuthorsStephanie Romanach, Leonard G. PearlstineJoint species distribution models of Everglades wading birds to inform restoration planning
Restoration of the Florida Everglades, a substantial wetland ecosystem within the United States, is one of the largest ongoing restoration projects in the world. Decision-makers and managers within the Everglades ecosystem rely on ecological models forecasting indicator wildlife response to changes in the management of water flows within the system. One such indicator of ecosystem health, the presAuthorsLaura D'Acunto, Leonard G. Pearlstine, Stephanie RomanachSmall mammal responses to wetland restoration in the Greater Everglades ecosystem
Wetlands have experienced dramatic losses in extent around the world, disrupting ecosystem function, habitat, and biodiversity. In Florida’s Greater Everglades, a massive restoration effort costing billions of dollars and spanning multiple decades is underway. As Everglades restoration is implemented in incremental projects, scientists and planners monitor the outcomes of projects. In this study,AuthorsStephanie Romanach, Laura D'Acunto, Julia Chapman, Matthew R HansonPreserving connectivity under climate and land-use change: No one-size-fits-all approach for focal species in similar habitats
Habitat connectivity is essential for maintaining populations of wildlife species, especially as climate changes. Knowledge about the fate of existing habitat networks in a changing climate and in light of land-use change is critical for determining which types of conservation actions must be taken to maintain those networks. However, information is lacking about how multiple focal species that usAuthorsJennifer K. Costanza, James I. Watling, Ron Sutherland, Curtis Belyea, Bistra Dilkina, Heather Cayton, David N. Bucklin, Stephanie Romanach, Nick M. HaddadNear-term spatial hydrologic forecasting in Everglades, USA for landscape planning and ecological forecasting
Operational ecological forecasting is an emerging field that leverages ecological models in a new, cross-disciplinary way – using a real-time or nearly real-time climate forecast to project near-term ecosystem states. These applications give decision-makers lead time to anticipate and manage state changes that degrade ecosystem functions or directly impact humans. The Everglades Forecasting modelAuthorsLeonard G. Pearlstine, James M. Beerens, Gregg Reynolds, Saira Haider, Mark McKelvy, Kevin Suir, Stephanie Romanach, Jennifer H. NestlerJoint seasonality in geographic and ecological spaces, illustrated with a partially migratory bird
As most species live in seasonal environments, considering varying conditions is essential to understand species dynamics in both geographic and ecological spaces. Both resident and migratory species need to contend with seasonality and balance settling in favorable areas with tracking favorable environmental conditions during the year. We present an exploratory framework to jointly investigate aAuthorsMathieu Basille, James I. Watling, Stephanie Romanach, Rena R. BorkhatariaPotential impacts of future urbanization and sea level rise on Florida’s natural resources
As urban development continues to encroach into natural systems, these ecosystems experience increasing degradation to their form and function. Losses in biodiversity and ecosystem function are further compounded by changing climatic conditions. The State of Florida is known for its biodiversity but has experienced declines in species populations and habitats because of urbanization and sea levelAuthorsStephanie Romanach, Allison Benscoter, Saira HaiderCoastal marsh bird habitat selection and responses to Hurricane Sandy
Wetlands provide numerous ecosystem functions such as water purification, nutrient cycling, and wildlife habitat. Avian populations are indicators of wetland health, and understanding their responses to extreme events can aid in targeting restoration efforts following disturbance. Here, we assessed the habitat selection of six coastal wetland bird species (American Bittern, Black-crowned Night HerAuthorsAllison Benscoter, James Beerens, Stephanie RomanachTargeting wildlife crime interventions through geographic profiling
Seeing an animal hanging lifelessly from a snare is a heart-wrenching experience. Knowing that most animals caught in snares are left to rot without being used for meat or any other purpose might be worse. Over an eight-year period, 2001–2009, we recorded 10,231 incidents of illegal hunting in a wildlife conservation area in southeastern Zimbabwe, the Savé Valley Conservancy (SVC). Sixty-three perAuthorsStephanie Romanach, Sally C. Faulkner, Michael C.A. Stevens, Peter A. Lindsey, Steven C. Le ComberFire disturbance influences endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammopiza maritima mirabilis) relative bird count
Periodicity of fire disturbance is a known driver of ecosystem function and is reported as important in both promoting and maintaining viable breeding habitat for the endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis; CSSS). In south Florida, the CSSS serves as a fine-scale indicator of the marl and mixed-marl prairie communities of the Florida Everglades. The CSSS distribution iAuthorsAllison Benscoter, James Beerens, Leonard G. Pearlstine, Stephanie RomanachA multi-indicator spatial similarity approach for evaluating ecological restoration scenarios
ContextThe greater Everglades region in Florida (USA) is an area of wetlands that has been altered and reduced to 50% of its original area and faces multiple threats. Spatial landscape analysis can help guide a large and complex ecosystem restoration process, involving billions of dollars and multiple groups of stakeholders.ObjectivesTo guide Everglades restoration efforts, we evaluated ecologicalAuthorsRuscena Wiederholt, Rajendara Paudel, Yogesh Khare, Stephen E. Davis, G.M. Naja, Stephanie Romanach, L. Pearlstine, Thomas Van LentNon-USGS Publications**
Lindsey, P.A., Havemann, C.P., Lines, R.M., Price, A.E., Retief, T.A., Rhebergen, T., Van der Waal, C. and Romañach, S.S., 2013. Benefits of wildlife-based land uses on private lands in Namibia and limitations affecting their development. Oryx, 47(01), pp.41-53.Romañach, S.S., Lindsey, P.A. and Woodroffe, R., 2010. Attitudes toward predators and options for their conservation in the Ewaso Ecosystem. A Chronology of Middle Missouri Plains Village Sites, 85.Lindsey, Peter Andrew, S. S. Romanach, S. Matema, C. Matema, I. Mupamhadzi, and J. Muvengwi. "Dynamics and underlying causes of illegal bushmeat trade in Zimbabwe." Oryx 45, no. 01 (2011): 84-95.Lindsey, Peter Andrew, S. S. Romanach, Craig J. Tambling, K. Chartier, and R. Groom. "Ecological and financial impacts of illegal bushmeat trade in Zimbabwe." Oryx 45, no. 01 (2011): 96-111.Lindsey, P. A., S. S. Romanach, and H. T. Davies‐Mostert. "The importance of conservancies for enhancing the value of game ranch land for large mammal conservation in southern Africa." Journal of Zoology 277, no. 2 (2009): 99-105.Lindsey, P., Romanach, S., Romanach, S.S. and Davies-Mostert, H., 2009. A synthesis of early indicators of the drivers of predator conservation on private lands in south africa. Anonymous Reintroduction of Top-Order Predators.: Wiley-Blackwell, pp.321-344.Lindsey, P.A., du Toit, R., Pole, A. and Romañach, S., 2008. Savé Valley Conservancy: a large-scale African experiment in cooperative wildlife management. Evolution and innovation in wildlife conservation: parks and game ranches to transfrontier conservation areas, pp.163-184.Romañach, S.S. and Lindsey, P.A., 2008. Conservation implications of prey responses to wild dogs Lycaon pictus during the denning season on wildlife ranches. Animal conservation, 11(2), pp.111-117.Romanach, S.S., Lindsey, P.A. and Woodroffe, R., 2007. Determinants of attitudes towards predators in central Kenya and suggestions for increasing tolerance in livestock dominated landscapes. Oryx, 41(02), pp.185-195.Romanach, S.S., Seabloom, E.W. and Reichman, O.J., 2007. Costs and benefits of pocket gopher foraging: Linking behavior and physiology. Ecology, 88(8), pp.2047-2057.Georgiadis, N.J., Olwero, J.N. and Romañach, S.S., 2007. Savanna herbivore dynamics in a livestock-dominated landscape: I. Dependence on land use, rainfall, density, and time. Biological conservation, 137(3), pp.461-472.Georgiadis, N.J., Ihwagi, F., Olwero, J.N. and Romañach, S.S., 2007. Savanna herbivore dynamics in a livestock-dominated landscape. II: Ecological, conservation, and management implications of predator restoration. Biological Conservation, 137(3), pp.473-483.Lindsey, P.A., Roulet, P.A. and Romanach, S.S., 2007. Economic and conservation significance of the trophy hunting industry in sub-Saharan Africa. Biological conservation, 134(4), pp.455-469.**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.
- Web Tools
- Software
- News