Stephanie Romañach, Ph.D. (Former Employee)
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 37
Ecological Modeling in Support of the Lake Okeechobee Water Management
The Joint Ecosystem Modeling team will be running a suite of ecological models to evaluate scenarios and provide insight into how alternative restorations plans compare, indicate whether alternatives could lead to unintended consequences, and determine effects of alternatives that could conflict with other goals.
Integrating Sea Level Rise Scenarios into Everglades Restoration Planning
One of the largest and most expensive restoration efforts in the world is the restoration of the Everglades, a sub-tropical freshwater wetland system located in southern Florida. This unique ecosystem supports several endemic and endangered species, provides flood control for Florida’s large urban population, and provides water for both the agricultural and drinking supply within the...
Enhancing Cross-Jurisdictional Adaptive Management in the Gulf
Using an iterative qualitative coding process, WARC researchers are identifying objectives, stressors, and management priorities to support the implementation of adaptive management in restoration programs across the Gulf.
Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN)
In the early 2000s, USGS developed the Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) to provide water-level data for scientists, decision-makers, and managers to help monitor and assess Everglades restoration. EDEN is a real-time integrated network of 275 water-level gages, water-surface models, and applications that provides 400 x 400 meter gridded daily water-level data across the freshwater part...
NexView: Empowering decision makers to assess the impacts of development on social-ecological systems in the Lower Mekong River Basin by increasing access with integrated and visualized data, models, and decision making tools
The NexView integrated decision framework will facilitate informed discussions and decisions by enabling policy makers to manipulate and explore multiple decision scenarios and understand the impacts of these decision alternatives before decisions are made.
Webinar: Using Decision Tools to Design the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge
View this webinar to learn how decision tools may be used to help managers identify habitat that meet land management objectives.
Spatial Ecology of Bobcats in the Greater Everglades
WARC researchers will estimate the density and distribution of bobcats in relation to environmental variables through the development of spatially explicit capture-recapture and occupancy models.
Modeling Conservation Targets for the Peninsular Florida Landscape Conservation Cooperative
The USGS is working with the Peninsular Florida Landscape Conservation Cooperative to develop forecast models that integrate potential impacts from external drivers for selected conservation targets and priority resources.
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.
Filter Total Items: 33
Everglades Vulnerability Analysis (EVA) modeling scripts and output Everglades Vulnerability Analysis (EVA) modeling scripts and output
The Everglades Vulnerability Analysis (EVA) is a series of connected Bayesian networks that models the landscape-scale response of indicators of Everglades ecosystem health to changes in hydrology and salinity on the landscape. Using the uncertainty built into each network, it also produces surfaces of vulnerability in relation to user-defined ‘ideal’ outcomes. This dataset includes the...
KiteNest modeling scripts and output KiteNest modeling scripts and output
KiteNest is a spatially explicit model of Everglades snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus) relative nest site selection that quantifies the relationships between a range of environmental factors and nest site selection specific to the southern portion of the species' range. Using hydrologic conditions such as mean 2-week water depth and water depth change rate, days since the last...
Sea level rise scenarios for the Cape Sable seaside sparrow Sea level rise scenarios for the Cape Sable seaside sparrow
The endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis; CSSS) occurs in marl prairie habitat at the southern end of the Everglades, at the southernmost part of the Florida peninsula. The locations of three of its six subpopulations are proximate to the coast, putting them at risk for inundation caused by sea level rise (SLR). The spatially explicit predictive model...
Ecological modeling output for the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual iteration 3 (of 3), 2022 Ecological modeling output for the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual iteration 3 (of 3), 2022
Ecological models facilitate the evaluation and assessment of alternative approaches to restore the Greater Everglades ecosystem. Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) provides ecological models tailored to address specific management issues. The multi-agency REstoration, COordination and VERification (RECOVER) science team uses ecological models (i.e., ecological planning tools) to evaluate...
Ecological modeling output for the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual iterations 1 and 2 (of 3), 2021 Ecological modeling output for the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual iterations 1 and 2 (of 3), 2021
Ecological models facilitate the evaluation and assessment of alternative approaches to restore the Greater Everglades ecosystem. Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) provides ecological models tailored to address specific management issues. The multi-agency REstoration, COordination and VERification (RECOVER) science team uses ecological models (i.e., ecological planning tools) to evaluate...
Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round One of Four, 2018 Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round One of Four, 2018
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...
Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Two of Four, 2018 Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Two of Four, 2018
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...
Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Three of Four, 2019 Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Three of Four, 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...
Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Four of Four, 2020 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...
Ecological Model Support for RECOVER's Update of Interim Goals, 2019 Ecological 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...
Multiple Species Comparisons from EverForecast May 2021 Multiple 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...
EverSparrow model scripts and outputs EverSparrow 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...
Filter Total Items: 63
Identifying shared priorities for a bioregional approach to restoration in the Northern Gulf of Mexico Identifying shared priorities for a bioregional approach to restoration in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
Natural resource management is often challenged with a mismatch between the scale of decision-making and the scale of the biological, ecological, and physical processes that control a system. Bioregional approaches to adaptive management have emerged as an approach to inform natural resource management at ecologically relevant scales and across multi-level governance structures. The...
Authors
Kelly G. Guilbeau, Ann C Hijuelos, Stephanie Romanach, Gregory Steyer
Evaluating temporal and spatial transferability of a tidal inundation model for foraging waterbirds Evaluating temporal and spatial transferability of a tidal inundation model for foraging waterbirds
For ecosystem models to be applicable outside their context of development, temporal and spatial transferability must be demonstrated. This presents a challenge for modeling intertidal ecosystems where spatiotemporal variation arises at multiple scales. Models specializing in tidal dynamics are generally inhibited from having wider ecological applications by coarse spatiotemporal...
Authors
Marisa T. Martinez, Leonardo Calle, Stephanie Romanach, Dale E. Gawlik
Managing multiple species with conflicting needs in the Greater Everglades Managing multiple species with conflicting needs in the Greater Everglades
Given limited funding, natural resources decision making is riddled with tradeoffs, including which species or landscapes to prioritize for management action. Florida’s Everglades wetland is home to numerous indicator species, some of which are endangered. But with a multitude of species comes differing hydrologic requirements to yield appropriate foraging and breeding conditions for...
Authors
Stephanie Romanach, Saira M. Haider, Caitlin E. Hackett, Mark McKelvy, Leonard G. Pearlstine
Landscape-scale drivers of endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis) presence using an ensemble modeling approach Landscape-scale drivers of endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis) presence using an ensemble modeling approach
The Florida Everglades is a vast and iconic wetland ecosystem in the southern United States that has undergone dramatic changes from habitat degradation, development encroachment, and water impoundment. Starting in the past few decades, large restoration projects have been undertaken to restore the landscape, including improving conditions for threatened and imperiled taxa. One focus of
Authors
Saira M. Haider, Allison Benscoter, Leonard G. Pearlstine, Laura D’Acunto, Stephanie Romanach
The Everglades vulnerability analysis—Integrating ecological models and addressing uncertainty The Everglades vulnerability analysis—Integrating ecological models and addressing uncertainty
The Everglades vulnerability analysis (EVA) is a project led by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Park Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to accomplish one of the science goals of Restoration Coordination & Verification (RECOVER), a multiagency group responsible for providing scientific and technical evaluations and assessments for improving the ability of...
Authors
Laura E. D’Acunto, Stephanie S. Romanach, Saira M. Haider, Caitlin E. Hackett, Jennifer H. Nestler, Dilip Shinde, Leonard G. Pearlstine
Knowledge synthesis of Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow science Knowledge synthesis of Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow science
This report represents a literature review of science conducted on the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis, hereafter “CSSS” or “spar-row”). This information can be used as a foundation for the upcoming Species Status Assessment and for updating the CSSS Recovery Plan. This report focuses on areas of interest relative to CSSS management such as habitat, hydrology...
Authors
Allison Benscoter, Saira M. Haider, Kelly G. Guilbeau, Stephanie Romanach
EverForecast—A near-term forecasting application for ecological decision support 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...
Authors
Saira M. Haider, Stephanie S. Romañach, Mark McKelvy, Kevin J. Suir, Leonard Pearlstine
Forecasting ecological responses for wetland restoration planning in Florida's Everglades Forecasting 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...
Authors
Stephanie Romanach, Leonard G. Pearlstine
Joint species distribution models of Everglades wading birds to inform restoration planning Joint 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...
Authors
Laura D’Acunto, Leonard G. Pearlstine, Stephanie Romanach
Small mammal responses to wetland restoration in the Greater Everglades ecosystem Small 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...
Authors
Stephanie Romanach, Laura D’Acunto, Julia Chapman, Matthew R Hanson
Preserving connectivity under climate and land-use change: No one-size-fits-all approach for focal species in similar habitats Preserving 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...
Authors
Jennifer K. Costanza, James I. Watling, Ron Sutherland, Curtis Belyea, Bistra Dilkina, Heather Cayton, David N. Bucklin, Stephanie Romanach, Nick M. Haddad
Near-term spatial hydrologic forecasting in Everglades, USA for landscape planning and ecological forecasting Near-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...
Authors
Leonard G. Pearlstine, James M. Beerens, Gregg Reynolds, Saira Haider, Mark McKelvy, Kevin Suir, Stephanie Romanach, Jennifer H. Nestler
Non-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.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 37
Ecological Modeling in Support of the Lake Okeechobee Water Management
The Joint Ecosystem Modeling team will be running a suite of ecological models to evaluate scenarios and provide insight into how alternative restorations plans compare, indicate whether alternatives could lead to unintended consequences, and determine effects of alternatives that could conflict with other goals.
Integrating Sea Level Rise Scenarios into Everglades Restoration Planning
One of the largest and most expensive restoration efforts in the world is the restoration of the Everglades, a sub-tropical freshwater wetland system located in southern Florida. This unique ecosystem supports several endemic and endangered species, provides flood control for Florida’s large urban population, and provides water for both the agricultural and drinking supply within the...
Enhancing Cross-Jurisdictional Adaptive Management in the Gulf
Using an iterative qualitative coding process, WARC researchers are identifying objectives, stressors, and management priorities to support the implementation of adaptive management in restoration programs across the Gulf.
Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN)
In the early 2000s, USGS developed the Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) to provide water-level data for scientists, decision-makers, and managers to help monitor and assess Everglades restoration. EDEN is a real-time integrated network of 275 water-level gages, water-surface models, and applications that provides 400 x 400 meter gridded daily water-level data across the freshwater part...
NexView: Empowering decision makers to assess the impacts of development on social-ecological systems in the Lower Mekong River Basin by increasing access with integrated and visualized data, models, and decision making tools
The NexView integrated decision framework will facilitate informed discussions and decisions by enabling policy makers to manipulate and explore multiple decision scenarios and understand the impacts of these decision alternatives before decisions are made.
Webinar: Using Decision Tools to Design the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge
View this webinar to learn how decision tools may be used to help managers identify habitat that meet land management objectives.
Spatial Ecology of Bobcats in the Greater Everglades
WARC researchers will estimate the density and distribution of bobcats in relation to environmental variables through the development of spatially explicit capture-recapture and occupancy models.
Modeling Conservation Targets for the Peninsular Florida Landscape Conservation Cooperative
The USGS is working with the Peninsular Florida Landscape Conservation Cooperative to develop forecast models that integrate potential impacts from external drivers for selected conservation targets and priority resources.
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.
Filter Total Items: 33
Everglades Vulnerability Analysis (EVA) modeling scripts and output Everglades Vulnerability Analysis (EVA) modeling scripts and output
The Everglades Vulnerability Analysis (EVA) is a series of connected Bayesian networks that models the landscape-scale response of indicators of Everglades ecosystem health to changes in hydrology and salinity on the landscape. Using the uncertainty built into each network, it also produces surfaces of vulnerability in relation to user-defined ‘ideal’ outcomes. This dataset includes the...
KiteNest modeling scripts and output KiteNest modeling scripts and output
KiteNest is a spatially explicit model of Everglades snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus) relative nest site selection that quantifies the relationships between a range of environmental factors and nest site selection specific to the southern portion of the species' range. Using hydrologic conditions such as mean 2-week water depth and water depth change rate, days since the last...
Sea level rise scenarios for the Cape Sable seaside sparrow Sea level rise scenarios for the Cape Sable seaside sparrow
The endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis; CSSS) occurs in marl prairie habitat at the southern end of the Everglades, at the southernmost part of the Florida peninsula. The locations of three of its six subpopulations are proximate to the coast, putting them at risk for inundation caused by sea level rise (SLR). The spatially explicit predictive model...
Ecological modeling output for the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual iteration 3 (of 3), 2022 Ecological modeling output for the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual iteration 3 (of 3), 2022
Ecological models facilitate the evaluation and assessment of alternative approaches to restore the Greater Everglades ecosystem. Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) provides ecological models tailored to address specific management issues. The multi-agency REstoration, COordination and VERification (RECOVER) science team uses ecological models (i.e., ecological planning tools) to evaluate...
Ecological modeling output for the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual iterations 1 and 2 (of 3), 2021 Ecological modeling output for the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual iterations 1 and 2 (of 3), 2021
Ecological models facilitate the evaluation and assessment of alternative approaches to restore the Greater Everglades ecosystem. Joint Ecosystem Modeling (JEM) provides ecological models tailored to address specific management issues. The multi-agency REstoration, COordination and VERification (RECOVER) science team uses ecological models (i.e., ecological planning tools) to evaluate...
Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round One of Four, 2018 Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round One of Four, 2018
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...
Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Two of Four, 2018 Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Two of Four, 2018
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...
Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Three of Four, 2019 Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Three of Four, 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...
Ecological Model Support for the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP) Round Four of Four, 2020 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...
Ecological Model Support for RECOVER's Update of Interim Goals, 2019 Ecological 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...
Multiple Species Comparisons from EverForecast May 2021 Multiple 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...
EverSparrow model scripts and outputs EverSparrow 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...
Filter Total Items: 63
Identifying shared priorities for a bioregional approach to restoration in the Northern Gulf of Mexico Identifying shared priorities for a bioregional approach to restoration in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
Natural resource management is often challenged with a mismatch between the scale of decision-making and the scale of the biological, ecological, and physical processes that control a system. Bioregional approaches to adaptive management have emerged as an approach to inform natural resource management at ecologically relevant scales and across multi-level governance structures. The...
Authors
Kelly G. Guilbeau, Ann C Hijuelos, Stephanie Romanach, Gregory Steyer
Evaluating temporal and spatial transferability of a tidal inundation model for foraging waterbirds Evaluating temporal and spatial transferability of a tidal inundation model for foraging waterbirds
For ecosystem models to be applicable outside their context of development, temporal and spatial transferability must be demonstrated. This presents a challenge for modeling intertidal ecosystems where spatiotemporal variation arises at multiple scales. Models specializing in tidal dynamics are generally inhibited from having wider ecological applications by coarse spatiotemporal...
Authors
Marisa T. Martinez, Leonardo Calle, Stephanie Romanach, Dale E. Gawlik
Managing multiple species with conflicting needs in the Greater Everglades Managing multiple species with conflicting needs in the Greater Everglades
Given limited funding, natural resources decision making is riddled with tradeoffs, including which species or landscapes to prioritize for management action. Florida’s Everglades wetland is home to numerous indicator species, some of which are endangered. But with a multitude of species comes differing hydrologic requirements to yield appropriate foraging and breeding conditions for...
Authors
Stephanie Romanach, Saira M. Haider, Caitlin E. Hackett, Mark McKelvy, Leonard G. Pearlstine
Landscape-scale drivers of endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis) presence using an ensemble modeling approach Landscape-scale drivers of endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis) presence using an ensemble modeling approach
The Florida Everglades is a vast and iconic wetland ecosystem in the southern United States that has undergone dramatic changes from habitat degradation, development encroachment, and water impoundment. Starting in the past few decades, large restoration projects have been undertaken to restore the landscape, including improving conditions for threatened and imperiled taxa. One focus of
Authors
Saira M. Haider, Allison Benscoter, Leonard G. Pearlstine, Laura D’Acunto, Stephanie Romanach
The Everglades vulnerability analysis—Integrating ecological models and addressing uncertainty The Everglades vulnerability analysis—Integrating ecological models and addressing uncertainty
The Everglades vulnerability analysis (EVA) is a project led by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Park Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to accomplish one of the science goals of Restoration Coordination & Verification (RECOVER), a multiagency group responsible for providing scientific and technical evaluations and assessments for improving the ability of...
Authors
Laura E. D’Acunto, Stephanie S. Romanach, Saira M. Haider, Caitlin E. Hackett, Jennifer H. Nestler, Dilip Shinde, Leonard G. Pearlstine
Knowledge synthesis of Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow science Knowledge synthesis of Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow science
This report represents a literature review of science conducted on the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima mirabilis, hereafter “CSSS” or “spar-row”). This information can be used as a foundation for the upcoming Species Status Assessment and for updating the CSSS Recovery Plan. This report focuses on areas of interest relative to CSSS management such as habitat, hydrology...
Authors
Allison Benscoter, Saira M. Haider, Kelly G. Guilbeau, Stephanie Romanach
EverForecast—A near-term forecasting application for ecological decision support 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...
Authors
Saira M. Haider, Stephanie S. Romañach, Mark McKelvy, Kevin J. Suir, Leonard Pearlstine
Forecasting ecological responses for wetland restoration planning in Florida's Everglades Forecasting 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...
Authors
Stephanie Romanach, Leonard G. Pearlstine
Joint species distribution models of Everglades wading birds to inform restoration planning Joint 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...
Authors
Laura D’Acunto, Leonard G. Pearlstine, Stephanie Romanach
Small mammal responses to wetland restoration in the Greater Everglades ecosystem Small 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...
Authors
Stephanie Romanach, Laura D’Acunto, Julia Chapman, Matthew R Hanson
Preserving connectivity under climate and land-use change: No one-size-fits-all approach for focal species in similar habitats Preserving 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...
Authors
Jennifer K. Costanza, James I. Watling, Ron Sutherland, Curtis Belyea, Bistra Dilkina, Heather Cayton, David N. Bucklin, Stephanie Romanach, Nick M. Haddad
Near-term spatial hydrologic forecasting in Everglades, USA for landscape planning and ecological forecasting Near-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...
Authors
Leonard G. Pearlstine, James M. Beerens, Gregg Reynolds, Saira Haider, Mark McKelvy, Kevin Suir, Stephanie Romanach, Jennifer H. Nestler
Non-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.