Graves, T.A., S. Farley, M. Goldstein, and C.Servheen. 2007. Identification of functional corridors with movement characteristics of brown bears on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. Landscape Ecology.
Tabitha Graves, Ph.D.
Biography
Education
PhD. 2012. Northern Arizona University. Dissertation Title: Spatial ecology of grizzly bears in northwestern Montana and estimating resistance to gene flow
M.S. Wildlife Biology. 2002. University of Montana
Honors B.A. German Literature with distinction. 1995. University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Interests
I answer applied research questions at the intersection of wildlife biology, landscape ecology, and statistics. My work falls under three broad themes: (1) understand the influence of humans and associated land use impacts on wildlife distributions, densities, and related processes at local and landscape scales, (2) develop new analytical tools that address the influence of landscape features on animals at the sub-population and population scales, and (3) improve efficiency of research and monitoring through optimal study design. I have >15 years experience studying grizzly bears, bighorn sheep, elk, and the development of novel and integrated analyses of habitat use, connectivity, migration, and genetics, all very applied work. I have also assisted with projects studying black bears, wolverines, mountain goats, wolves, lynx, kinkajou, loons, hawks, owls, riparian vegetation, pika, and sugar pine.
Science and Products
Date published: July 1, 2020
Status: Active Chronic Wasting Disease
Over the past 20 years, chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Wyoming has been spreading slowly outward from the southeastern corner of the state toward the Greater Yellowstone Area and Wyoming's elk feed grounds, where more than 24,000 elk are supplementally fed each winter.
Contacts: Paul Cross, Ph.D., Tabitha Graves, Ph.D.
Date published: July 21, 2019
Status: Active Western Bumblebee and Native Pollinator Research
The western bumblebee occurs across western U.S. and Canada, and was one of the most common bumblebees in this region. However, our research and others suggests it has been declining, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are considering it for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Data are needed to improve our understanding of...
Contacts: Tabitha Graves, Ph.D., Will Janousek, Ph.D.
Attribution: Ecosystems, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center
Date published: September 19, 2017
Status: Active NOROCK Large Carnivore Research Program
NOROCK has substantial expertise in large carnivore research, primarily involving species listed as Threatened or Endangered. NOROCK’s Large Carnivore Research Program includes scientists from NOROCK’s Headquarters, West Glacier Field Station, and the Southern Appalachian Field Station. Studies are conducted in a wide variety of landscapes throughout the U.S., as well as international...
Date published: September 13, 2017
Status: Active Science in Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park (GNP) is considered a stronghold for a large diversity of plant and animal species and harbors some of the last remaining populations of threatened and endangered species such as grizzly bear and bull trout, as well as non threatened keystone species such as bighorn sheep and black bear. The mountain ecosystems of GNP that support these species are dynamic and influenced...
Date published: January 25, 2017
Status: Active Long Term Research in northwest Montana
The Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) in northwest Montana is one of the last strongholds of the grizzly bear in the lower 48 states. Of the six established grizzly bear recovery zones, the NCDE is the third largest in area, potentially harboring the greatest number of grizzly bears, and is the only zone contiguous to a strong Canadian population. However, little information exists...
Contacts: Tabitha Graves, Ph.D., Kate Kendall
Date published: April 12, 2016
Status: Active Grizzly Bear Dispersal
This work has two components. First, we developed a method to use our family tree data to examine dispersal. Next, we would like to apply this method to our updated and more complete family tree to improve our understanding of how grizzly bears disperse.
Contacts: Tabitha Graves, Ph.D.
Date published: April 12, 2016
Status: Active Predicting changes in Bear Foods
Huckleberries are central to the diets of bears, grouse, and other animals, as well as being a cultural and food resource for humans. Approximately 15% of the diet of bears in the Whitefish range and Glacier National Park is huckleberries, and huckleberries help bears gain weight for hibernation. Changes in climate lead to changes in vegetation phenology, productivity, and quality that may...
Contacts: Tabitha Graves, Ph.D.
Date published: April 12, 2016
Grizzly Bear Family Tree
Building a family tree of grizzly bears can both satisfy our natural curiosity about bear society and answer many ecologically important questions about the ways bears interact with each other and the landscape.
Contacts: Tabitha Graves, Ph.D.
Date published: April 10, 2016
Status: Active Bighorn Sheep in and near Glacier National Park
USGS collected GPS data as well as genetic and other samples on over 100 bighorn sheep east of the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park, Waterton National Park, and the Blackfeet Reservation. Bighorn sheep across the west are vulnerable to disease such as pneumonia. We are therefore working to improve our understanding of bighorn sheep movements, approaches for monitoring bighorns, and...
Contacts: Tabitha Graves, Ph.D.
Date published: April 9, 2016
Status: Active Ecology of Elk on Department of Interior Lands in Southwest Wyoming
Between 2005 and 2010, we radio- collared 61 female elk (Cervus elaphus) on Fossil Butte National Monument and 12 female elk near Cokeville, Wyoming, slightly northwest of the Monument, all from the West Green River herd. We are using the 209,250 locations from these elk to identify seasonal distribution patterns, evaluate habitat use, and assess factors influencing the timing of migration. ...
Date published: April 7, 2015
Status: Active Geocaching Natural Features - Applying Game Mechanics to Citizen Science Data Collection
ScienceCache is a scientific geocaching mobile application framework that targets two user groups for citizen science data collection: youth and geocachers. By melding training and games into the hunt for place-based data collection sites and incorporating photo uploads as data and authentication, new volunteers can collaborate in robust data collection. Scientists build a project on the...
Attribution: Community for Data Integration (CDI)
Year Published: 2021
The smell of success: Reproductive success related to rub behavior in brown bears
Several species of bears are known to rub deliberately against trees and other objects, but little is known about why bears rub. Patterns in rubbing behavior of male and female brown bears (Ursus arctos) suggest that scent marking via rubbing functions to communicate among potential mates or competitors. Using DNA from bear hairs collected from...
Morehouse, Andrea T.; Loosen, Anne E.; Graves, Tabitha; Boyce, Mark S.Attribution: Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2021
Human activities and weather drive contact rates of wintering elk
Wildlife aggregation patterns can influence disease transmission. However, limited research evaluates the influence of anthropogenic and natural factors on aggregation. Many managers would like to reduce wildlife contact rates, driven by aggregation, to limit disease transmission. We develop a novel analytical framework to quantify how management...
Janousek, William Michael; Graves, Tabitha; Berman, Ethan; Chong, Geneva W.; Cole, Eric K; Dewey, Sarah; Johnston, Aaron; Cross, PaulAttribution: Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2020
Systematics, evolution, and genetics of bears
Molecular genetics are key to understanding current and historical relationships between isolated populations, including species’ colonizations during glacial–interglacial cycles, to determine viability of local populations, needs for habitat corridors, and other aspects of population management, especially where bears are harvested for sport, etc...
Kitchener, Andrew C; Bellemain, Eva; Ding, Xiang; Kopatz, Alexander; Kutschera, Verena; Salomashkina, Valentina; Ruiz-Garcia, Manuel; Graves, Tabitha; Hou, Yiling; Werdelin, Lars; Janke, AxelAttribution: Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2020
Evaluating wildlife translocations using genomics: A bighorn sheep case study
Wildlife restoration often involves translocation efforts to reintroduce species and supplement small, fragmented populations. We examined the genomic consequences of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) translocations and population isolation to enhance understanding of evolutionary processes that affect population genetics and inform future...
Flesch, Elizabeth P; Graves, Tabitha; Thomson, Jennifer; Proffitt, Kelly M.; White, P.J.; Stephenson, Thomas R; Garrott, Robert A.Attribution: Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2020
Ungulate migrations of the western United States, Volume 1
Across the western United States, many ungulate herds must migrate seasonally to access resources and avoid harsh winter conditions. Because these migration paths cover vast landscapes (in other words migration distances up to 150 miles [241 kilometers]), they are increasingly threatened by roads, fencing, subdivisions, and other development. Over...
Kauffman, Matthew; Copeland, Holly; Berg, Jodi; Bergen, Scott; Cole, Eric; Cuzzocreo, Matthew; Dewey, Sarah; Fattebert, Julien; Gagnon, Jeff; Gelzer, Emily; Chris Geremia; Graves, Tabitha; Hersey, Kent; Hurley, Mark; Kaiser, Rusty; Meacham, James; Merkle, Jerod; Middleton, Arthur; Nuñez, Tristan; Oates, Brendan; Olson, Daniel; Olson, Lucas; Sawyer, Hall; Schroeder, Cody; Sprague, Scott; Steingisser, Alethea; Thonhoff, MarkAttribution: Ecosystems
View Citation
Kauffman, M.J., Copeland, H.E., Berg, J., Bergen, S., Cole, E., Cuzzocreo, M., Dewey, S., Fattebert, J., Gagnon, Gelzer, E., Geremia, C., Graves, T., Hersey, K., Hurley, M., Kaiser, J., Meacham, J., Merkle, J., Middleton, A., Nuñez, T., Oates, B., Olson, D., Olson, L., Sawyer, H., Schroeder, C., Sprague, S., Steingisser, A., Thonhoff, M., 2020, Ungulate migrations of the western United States, Volume 1: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2020–5101, 119 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20205101.
Year Published: 2020
Comparative performance and trend of remotely sensed phenology and productivity metrics across the Western United States
Vegetation phenology and productivity play a crucial role in surface energy balance, plant and animal distribution, and animal movement and habitat use and can be measured with remote sensing metrics including start of season (SOS), peak instantaneous rate of green-up date (PIRGd), peak of season (POS), end of season (EOS), and integrated...
Graves, Tabitha; Berman, Ethan Edward; Mikle, Nathaniel; Merkle, J. A.; Johnston, Aaron; Chong, Geneva W.Attribution: Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2020
Western bumble bee: Declines in United States and range-wide information gaps
In recent decades, many bumble bee species have declined due to changes in habitat, climate, and pressures from pathogens, pesticides, and introduced species. The western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis ), once common throughout western North America, is a species of concern and will be considered for listing by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife...
Graves, Tabitha; Janousek, William Michael; Gaulke, Sarah M.; Nicholas, Amy; Keinath, Douglas; Bell, Christine M.; Cannings, Syd; Hatfield, Richard G.; Heron, Jennifer M; Koch, Jonathan B; Loffland, Helen L; Richardson, Leif L; Rohde, Ashley T.; Rykken, Jessica; Strange, James P; Tronstead, Lusha; Sheffield, CoryAttribution: Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2020
Connectivity in the Crown: Highway 2 wildlife crossings
This report summarizes data collected to inform decisions on how to best mitigate the effects on wildlife migration from increasing traffic, development, and recreation along US highway 2. The highway, railway, and river split the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem. This data addresses SO 3362 by providing information on major wildlife trails,...
Waller, John S.; Graves, Tabitha; Anderson, Brad; Kittson, Brandon; Gaulke, Sarah MccrimmonAttribution: Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Ecosystems
View Citation
Waller, J, TA Graves, B Anderson, B Kittson, S Gaulke. 2020. Connectivity in the Crown: Highway 2 Wildlife Crossing 2019 Report. Unpublished report. National Park Service, Glacier National Park. 37 pp.
Year Published: 2019
To forage or flee: Lessons from an elk migration near a protected area
Alteration of wide-ranging wildlife migrations can drastically impact the structure and function of ecosystems, yet the causes and consequences of shifting migration patterns remain largely unknown. Management decisions made in one portion of a landscape may induce spatial and temporal shifts of wildlife use in another, creating tension among...
Mikle, Nathaniel; Graves, Tabitha A.; Olexa, Edward M.Attribution: Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2019
Mapping a keystone shrub species, huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum), using seasonal colour change in the Rocky Mountains
Black huckleberries (Vaccinium membranaceum) provide a critical food resource to many wildlife species, including apex omnivores such as the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos), and play an important socioeconomic role for many communities in western North America, especially indigenous peoples. Remote sensing imagery offers the potential for accurate...
Shores, Carolyn R.; Mikle, Nathaniel; Graves, Tabitha A.Attribution: Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2019
U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2017 annual report
The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) was established in 2008 to address the scientific and conservation questions associated with land use changes because of energy development and other factors in southwest Wyoming. Over the past decade, partners from U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), State and Federal land management agencies,...
Zeigenfuss, Linda C.; Aikens, Ellen; Aldridge, Cameron L.; Anderson, Patrick J.; Assal, Timothy J.; Bowen, Zachary H.; Chalfoun, Anna D.; Chong, Geneva W.; Eddy-Miller, Cheryl A.; Germaine, Stephen S.; Graves, Tabitha; Homer, Collin G.; Huber, Christopher; Johnston, Aaron; Kauffman, Matthew J.; Manier, Daniel J.; McShane, Ryan R.; Miller, Kirk A.; Monroe, Adrian P.; Ortega, Anna; Walters, Annika W.; Wyckoff, Teal B.Attribution: Fort Collins Science Center, Ecosystems
View Citation
Zeigenfuss, L.C., Aikens, E., Aldridge, C.L., Anderson, P.J., Assal, T.J., Bowen, Z.H., Chalfoun, A.D., Chong, G.W., Eddy-Miller, C.A., Germaine, S.S., Graves, T., Homer, C.G., Huber, C.C., Johnston, A., Kauffman, M.J., Manier, D.J., McShane, R.R., Miller, K.A., Monroe, A.P., Ortega, A., Walters, A.W., and Wyckoff, T.B., 2019, U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2017 annual report: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018–1188, 57 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20181188.
Year Published: 2019
Keeping the crown of the continent connected: An interagency US2 connectivity workshop report
At over 2.5 million acres, Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness complex form one of the largest protected areas in the continental United States. Straddling the Continental Divide, these two areas form a vital linkage between vast areas of public land to the south towards Yellowstone, and contiguous protected areas north of the US...
Waller, John S.; Graves, TabithaAttribution: Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Ecosystems
View Citation
Waller, J and TA Graves. 2018. Keeping the Crown of the Continent Connected: An interagency US2 connectivity workshop report. Unpublished report. National Park Service, Glacier National Park. 30 pp. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2259314
Pre-USGS Publications
Graves, T.A., S. Farley, and C.Servheen. 2006. Frequency and distribution of highway crossings by Kenai Peninsula brown bears. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 34: 800-808.
Graves, T.A. and J. Waller. 2006. Identification of causes of missed fixes in GPS collar on animals. Journal of Wildlife Management. 70: 844-851.
Date published: December 22, 2016
A Grand Slam for Students, Schools and Science
"It’s a grand slam for all involved,” said Dawn Childs, USGS Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units. “Recent high school graduates with special needs get real-world experience while helping USGS scientists on projects ranging from grizzly bears and energy to historic documents and bird migration. And a school system gets to successfully train students to enter the workforce."
Date published: November 16, 2016
Nature vs. Nurture: Evidence for social learning of conflict behavior in grizzly bears
Offspring of grizzly bear mothers with a history of human-bear conflicts are more likely to be involved in human-bear conflicts than offspring of mothers without a history of human-bear conflicts, according to a new study.
Attribution: Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center
Date published: September 21, 2016
Both gender and movement important for genetic diversity of grizzly bears.
Grizzly bears in the southern portion of the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem experienced a rapid increase in genetic diversity, according to a new study led by the USGS.
Attribution: Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center