Steven E Hanser
Since 2019, Steve has served as the Deputy Center Director of the Fort Collins Science Center.
Before his current position at the Fort Collins Science Center, Steve was the Sagebrush Ecosystem Program Specialist in the Ecosystems Mission Area where he led the USGS effort to provide research and technical assistance on sage-grouse and sagebrush ecosystem management to the Department of the Interior, DOI bureaus, State wildlife agencies, and other partners. This work focused on inter-agency coordination, setting multi-agency research priorities, developing high-profile information syntheses, increasing outreach and communication opportunities, and improving multi-agency data sharing tools. Prior to his position in Reston, Steve spent 13 years working in the field at the USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center in Boise, ID where he focused on using geospatial tools and field-based measures to improve the understanding of the multi-scale environmental drivers of wildlife populations.
Professional Experience
Deputy Center Director, Fort Collins Science Center, U. S. Geological Survey, Ft. Collins, CO: June 2019 - Present
Chief, Invasive Species Science Branch (Acting), U. S. Geological Survey, Ft. Collins, CO: July 2022 - Present
Chief, Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics Research Branch (Acting), U. S. Geological Survey, Ft. Collins, CO: July 2019 - January 2022
Chief, Decision Support Science and Tools Branch (Acting), U. S. Geological Survey, Ft. Collins, CO: April 2019 - June 2020
Sagebrush Ecosystem Program Specialist (Acting), U. S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA: June 2019 - Sept 2019
Sagebrush Ecosystem Program Specialist, U. S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA: January 2015 – June 2019
Wildland Fire Science Coordinator (Acting), U. S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA: July 2014 - Oct 2014
Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Boise, ID: 2002-2015
Biological Science Technician, U.S. Geological Survey, Boise, ID: 2002
GIS Intern, City of Pocatello, Pocatello, ID: 2002
Graduate Research Assistant, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID: 1999–2002
Research Technician, Iowa State University, Ames, IA: 1998-1999
Undergraduate Research Assistant, Iowa Cooperative Research Unit, Ames, IA: 1998-1999
Education and Certifications
M.S. Biology, Idaho State University, 2002
Geotechnologies Post-baccalaureate Certification, Idaho State University, 2002
B.S. Biology, Iowa State University, 1999
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 23
Filter Total Items: 60
Chapter 2: Sagebrush-associated species of conservation concern
Selection of species of concern is a critical early step in conducting broad-scale ecological assessments for conservation planning and management. Many criteria can be used to guide this selection, such as conservation status, existing knowledge base, and association with plant communities of interest. In conducting the Wyoming Basins Ecoregional Assessment (WBEA), we followed a step-wise process
Authors
Mary M. Rowland, Lowell H. Suring, Matthias Leu, Steven T. Knick, Michael J. Wisdom
Chapter 1: Study area description
The boundary for the Wyoming Basins Ecoregional Assessment (WBEA) was largely determined by the co-occurrence of some of the largest tracts of intact sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) remaining in the western United States with areas of increasing resource extraction. The WBEA area includes two ecoregions in their entirety, Wyoming Basins and Utah-Wyoming Rocky Mountains, and portions of two others (Sout
Authors
Mary M. Rowland, Matthias Leu
Influences of the human footprint on sagebrush landscape patterns: Implications for sage-grouse conservation
Spatial patterns influence the processes that maintain Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations and sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) landscapes on which they depend. We used connectivity analyses to: (1) delineate the dominant pattern of sagebrush landscapes; (2) identify regions of the current range-wide distribution of Greater Sage-Grouse important for conservation; (3) estimate dis
Authors
Matthias Leu, Steven E. Hanser
Influences of environmental and anthropogenic features on greater sage-grouse populations, 1997-2007
The Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), endemic to western North Amer-ica, is of great conservation interest. Its popula-tions are tracked by spring counts of males at lek sites. We explored the relations between trends of Greater Sage-Grouse lek counts from 1997 to 2007 and a variety of natural and anthropogenic fea-tures. We found that trends were correlated with several habitat fea
Authors
Douglas H. Johnson, Matthew J. Holloran, John W. Connelly, Steven E. Hanser, Courtney L. Amundson, Steven T. Knick
Native and exotic plants of fragments of sagebrush steppe produced by geomorphic processes versus land use
Habitat fragmentation and invasion by exotic species are regarded as major threats to the biodiversity of many ecosystems. We surveyed the plant communities of two types of remnant sagebrush-steppe fragments from nearby areas on the Snake River Plain of southeastern Idaho, USA. One type resulted from land use (conversion to dryland agriculture; hereafter AG Islands) and the other from geomorphic p
Authors
N. Huntly, R. Bangert, S.E. Hanser
Chapter 5: Greater sage-grouse: General use and roost site occurrence with pellet counts as a measure of relative abundance
Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) have been declining both spatially and numerically throughout their range because of anthropogenic disturbance and loss and fragmentation of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats. Understanding how sage-grouse respond to these habitat alterations and disturbances, particularly the types of disturbances and extent at which they respond, is critical to d
Authors
Steve E. Hanser, Cameron L. Aldridge, Matthias Leu, Mary M. Rowland, Scott E. Nielsen, Steven T. Knick
Chapter 6: Detectability adjusted count models of songbird abundance
Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) steppe ecosystems have experienced recent changes resulting not only in the loss of habitat but also fragmentation and degradation of remaining habitats. As a result, sagebrush-obligate and sagebrush associated songbird populations have experienced population declines over the past several decades. We examined landscape-scale responses in occupancy and abundance for six
Authors
Cameron L. Aldridge, Steve E. Hanser, Scott E. Nielsen, Matthias Leu, Brian S. Cade, D. Joanne Saher, Steven T. Knick
Chapter 7: Occurrence and abundance of ants, reptiles, and mammals
Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.)- associated wildlife are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation and by impacts associated with anthropogenic disturbances, including energy development. Understanding how species of concern as well as other wildlife including insects, reptiles, and mammals respond to type and spatial scale of disturbance is critical to managing future land uses and identifying site
Authors
Steve E. Hanser, Matthias Leu, Cameron L. Aldridge, Scott E. Nielsen, Mary M. Rowland, Steven T. Knick
Chapter 8: Occurrence of large and medium-sized mammals: Occurrence but not count models predict pronghorn distribution
Management of medium to large-sized terrestrial mammals (Antilocapridae, Canidae, Cervidae, Leporidae, Mustelidae, Ochotonidae) in the western United States is multifaceted and complex. Species in this group generally are charismatic and provide economic opportunities, although others are considered a nuisance at one extreme or are listed as species of conservation concern at the other. Understand
Authors
Matthias Leu, Steve E. Hanser, Cameron L. Aldridge, Scott E. Nielsen, Lowell H. Suring, Steven T. Knick
Chapter 4: A sampling and analytical approach to develop spatial distribution models for sagebrush-associated species
Understanding multi-scale floral and faunal responses to human land use is crucial for informing natural resource management and conservation planning. However, our knowledge on how land use influences sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems is limited primarily to site-specific studies. To fill this void, studies across large regions are needed that address how species are distributed relative to t
Authors
Matthias Leu, Steven E. Hanser, Cameron L. Aldridge, Scott E. Nielsen, Brian S. Cade, Steven T. Knick
Chapter 3: Changes to the Wyoming Basins landscape from oil and natural gas development
Oil and natural gas have been produced in Wyoming since the late 1800s although the rate of extraction has increased substantially in the last two decades. Well pads, roads, and infrastructure built to support resource development alter native vegetation configuration; however, the rate and effect of land cover change resulting from oil and gas extraction has not been quantified across the region.
Authors
Sean P. Finn, Steven T. Knick
The human footprint in the west: a large-scale analysis of anthropogenic impacts.
Anthropogenic features such as urbanization, roads, and power lines, are increasing in western United States landscapes in response to rapidly growing human populations. However, their spatial effects have not been evaluated. Our goal was to model the human footprint across the western United States. We first delineated the actual area occupied by anthropogenic features, the physical effect area.
Authors
M. Leu, S.E. Hanser, S.T. Knick
Non-USGS Publications**
Hanser, S.E., 2001. The Diversity and Abundance of Small Mammals in Sage-steppe Habitat Fragments Within Agricultural and Lava-flow Matrices (Master Thesis, Idaho State University).
Hanser, S.E. and Huntly, N.J., 2006. The biogeography of small mammals of fragmented sagebrush-steppe landscapes. Journal of Mammalogy, 87(6), pp.1165-1174.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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Chapter 2: Sagebrush-associated species of conservation concern
Selection of species of concern is a critical early step in conducting broad-scale ecological assessments for conservation planning and management. Many criteria can be used to guide this selection, such as conservation status, existing knowledge base, and association with plant communities of interest. In conducting the Wyoming Basins Ecoregional Assessment (WBEA), we followed a step-wise processAuthorsMary M. Rowland, Lowell H. Suring, Matthias Leu, Steven T. Knick, Michael J. WisdomChapter 1: Study area description
The boundary for the Wyoming Basins Ecoregional Assessment (WBEA) was largely determined by the co-occurrence of some of the largest tracts of intact sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) remaining in the western United States with areas of increasing resource extraction. The WBEA area includes two ecoregions in their entirety, Wyoming Basins and Utah-Wyoming Rocky Mountains, and portions of two others (SoutAuthorsMary M. Rowland, Matthias LeuInfluences of the human footprint on sagebrush landscape patterns: Implications for sage-grouse conservation
Spatial patterns influence the processes that maintain Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations and sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) landscapes on which they depend. We used connectivity analyses to: (1) delineate the dominant pattern of sagebrush landscapes; (2) identify regions of the current range-wide distribution of Greater Sage-Grouse important for conservation; (3) estimate disAuthorsMatthias Leu, Steven E. HanserInfluences of environmental and anthropogenic features on greater sage-grouse populations, 1997-2007
The Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), endemic to western North Amer-ica, is of great conservation interest. Its popula-tions are tracked by spring counts of males at lek sites. We explored the relations between trends of Greater Sage-Grouse lek counts from 1997 to 2007 and a variety of natural and anthropogenic fea-tures. We found that trends were correlated with several habitat feaAuthorsDouglas H. Johnson, Matthew J. Holloran, John W. Connelly, Steven E. Hanser, Courtney L. Amundson, Steven T. KnickNative and exotic plants of fragments of sagebrush steppe produced by geomorphic processes versus land use
Habitat fragmentation and invasion by exotic species are regarded as major threats to the biodiversity of many ecosystems. We surveyed the plant communities of two types of remnant sagebrush-steppe fragments from nearby areas on the Snake River Plain of southeastern Idaho, USA. One type resulted from land use (conversion to dryland agriculture; hereafter AG Islands) and the other from geomorphic pAuthorsN. Huntly, R. Bangert, S.E. HanserChapter 5: Greater sage-grouse: General use and roost site occurrence with pellet counts as a measure of relative abundance
Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) have been declining both spatially and numerically throughout their range because of anthropogenic disturbance and loss and fragmentation of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats. Understanding how sage-grouse respond to these habitat alterations and disturbances, particularly the types of disturbances and extent at which they respond, is critical to dAuthorsSteve E. Hanser, Cameron L. Aldridge, Matthias Leu, Mary M. Rowland, Scott E. Nielsen, Steven T. KnickChapter 6: Detectability adjusted count models of songbird abundance
Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) steppe ecosystems have experienced recent changes resulting not only in the loss of habitat but also fragmentation and degradation of remaining habitats. As a result, sagebrush-obligate and sagebrush associated songbird populations have experienced population declines over the past several decades. We examined landscape-scale responses in occupancy and abundance for sixAuthorsCameron L. Aldridge, Steve E. Hanser, Scott E. Nielsen, Matthias Leu, Brian S. Cade, D. Joanne Saher, Steven T. KnickChapter 7: Occurrence and abundance of ants, reptiles, and mammals
Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.)- associated wildlife are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation and by impacts associated with anthropogenic disturbances, including energy development. Understanding how species of concern as well as other wildlife including insects, reptiles, and mammals respond to type and spatial scale of disturbance is critical to managing future land uses and identifying siteAuthorsSteve E. Hanser, Matthias Leu, Cameron L. Aldridge, Scott E. Nielsen, Mary M. Rowland, Steven T. KnickChapter 8: Occurrence of large and medium-sized mammals: Occurrence but not count models predict pronghorn distribution
Management of medium to large-sized terrestrial mammals (Antilocapridae, Canidae, Cervidae, Leporidae, Mustelidae, Ochotonidae) in the western United States is multifaceted and complex. Species in this group generally are charismatic and provide economic opportunities, although others are considered a nuisance at one extreme or are listed as species of conservation concern at the other. UnderstandAuthorsMatthias Leu, Steve E. Hanser, Cameron L. Aldridge, Scott E. Nielsen, Lowell H. Suring, Steven T. KnickChapter 4: A sampling and analytical approach to develop spatial distribution models for sagebrush-associated species
Understanding multi-scale floral and faunal responses to human land use is crucial for informing natural resource management and conservation planning. However, our knowledge on how land use influences sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems is limited primarily to site-specific studies. To fill this void, studies across large regions are needed that address how species are distributed relative to tAuthorsMatthias Leu, Steven E. Hanser, Cameron L. Aldridge, Scott E. Nielsen, Brian S. Cade, Steven T. KnickChapter 3: Changes to the Wyoming Basins landscape from oil and natural gas development
Oil and natural gas have been produced in Wyoming since the late 1800s although the rate of extraction has increased substantially in the last two decades. Well pads, roads, and infrastructure built to support resource development alter native vegetation configuration; however, the rate and effect of land cover change resulting from oil and gas extraction has not been quantified across the region.AuthorsSean P. Finn, Steven T. KnickThe human footprint in the west: a large-scale analysis of anthropogenic impacts.
Anthropogenic features such as urbanization, roads, and power lines, are increasing in western United States landscapes in response to rapidly growing human populations. However, their spatial effects have not been evaluated. Our goal was to model the human footprint across the western United States. We first delineated the actual area occupied by anthropogenic features, the physical effect area.AuthorsM. Leu, S.E. Hanser, S.T. KnickNon-USGS Publications**
Hanser, S.E., 2001. The Diversity and Abundance of Small Mammals in Sage-steppe Habitat Fragments Within Agricultural and Lava-flow Matrices (Master Thesis, Idaho State University).
Hanser, S.E. and Huntly, N.J., 2006. The biogeography of small mammals of fragmented sagebrush-steppe landscapes. Journal of Mammalogy, 87(6), pp.1165-1174.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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