Todd Esque
Dr. Todd Esque's research interests are in disturbance ecology with emphasis in areas of community ecology, herpetology, invasive species and fire, habitat restoration, and conservation biology.
Dr. Esque's work focuses on understanding how organisms, habitats, and ecosystem processes respond to environmental change, how organisms interact to effect change, and how human-induced changes compare to the natural range of variation in arid systems. Recent work focuses on the synthesis of these experiments into regional analyses of habitat suitability and connectivity in response to global change and other anthropogenic disturbances for use by natural resource managers.
Representative studies include: projects to determine how desert tortoises, Mojave ground squirrels, golden eagles, long-lived plants, and biodiversity will respond to climate change and energy development in a rapidly changing landscape; vegetation change from fires across a 30-year chronosequence in Sonoran desert tortoise habitat; identifying habitat and health relationships for the desert tortoise, and developing a vegetation restoration program for the Mojave Desert.
Dr. Esque's projects are collaborative and interdisciplinary in nature and he is active in academic research as well as applied problems for public entities in the Department of Interior (Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), Department of Defense, State and local governments, and private entities.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- Arid Systems
- Conservation Biology
- Disturbance and Restoration Ecology
- Demographic and Habitat Modeling
- Community Ecology
- Invasive Species and Wildfire
- Energy Development
EDUCATION
- 2004 Ph.D. Ecology Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno
- 1994 M.S. Zoology, Colorado State University
- 1982 B.A. Biology, Prescott College, Arizona
PROFESSIONAL AND HONORARY SOCIETIES AND SCIENCE ADVISORY COMMITTEES
- Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan – Science Advisory Committee 2012
- BLM – Rapid Ecoregional Assessments – lead USGS science reviewer for the Mojave and Sonoran Ecoregions 2013
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Research Ecologist, USGS, Western Ecological Research Center, 1997-Present
- Station Leader, USGS, St. George Field Station, 1994-1997
- Research Ecologist, USGS, Mid-continent Ecological Science Center, 1996- 1997
- Research Ecologist, National Biological Service (Survey), Mid-continent Ecological Science Center, 1993 - 1996
- Ecologist, Bureau of Land Management, Dixie Resource Area, Utah, 1993 - 1993
- Research Technician, Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 8, Research, Ft. Collins, CO 1986-1993
Science and Products
Testing taxon tenacity of tortoises: evidence for a geographical selection gradient at a secondary contact zone
Effects of drought and fire on bird communities of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona
Disease dynamics during wildlife translocations: disruptions to the host population and potential consequences for transmission in desert tortoise contact networks
Water and food acquisition and their consequences for life history and metabolism of North American tortoises
Population viability of Pediocactus brady (Cactaceae) in a changing climate
Life-history traits predict perennial species response to fire in a desert ecosystem
Seedling ecology and restoration of blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) in the Mojave Desert, United States
Contrasting long-term survival of two outplanted Mojave Desert perennials for post-fire revegetation
Mapping habitat for multiple species in the Desert Southwest
Soil seed banks: preserving native biodiversity and repairing damaged desert shrublands
Impacts of upper respiratory tract disease on olfactory behavior of the Mojave desert tortoise
Soil compaction vulnerability at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona
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Testing taxon tenacity of tortoises: evidence for a geographical selection gradient at a secondary contact zone
We examined a secondary contact zone between two species of desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii and G. morafkai. The taxa were isolated from a common ancestor during the formation of the Colorado River (4-8 mya) and are a classic example of allopatric speciation. However, an anomalous population of G. agassizii comes into secondary contact with G. morafkai east of the Colorado River in the Black MAuthorsTaylor Edwards, Kristin H. Berry, Richard D. Inman, Todd C. Esque, Kenneth E. Nussear, Cristina A. Jones, Melanie CulverEffects of drought and fire on bird communities of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona
Executive Summary The U.S. Government created the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge (Kofa NWR) in 1939 in response to a citizen campaign to improve desert bighorn sheep populations in Arizona. The Kofa NWR is mountainous and remote, and its management by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) keeps anthropogenic disturbance levels low. As such, Partners In Flight (PIF) listed the Kofa NWR as one ofAuthorsChris McCreedy, Charles van Riper, Todd C. Esque, Abigail J. DarrahDisease dynamics during wildlife translocations: disruptions to the host population and potential consequences for transmission in desert tortoise contact networks
Wildlife managers consider animal translocation a means of increasing the viability of a local population. However, augmentation may disrupt existing resident disease dynamics and initiate an outbreak that would effectively offset any advantages the translocation may have achieved. This paper examines fundamental concepts of disease ecology and identifies the conditions that will increase the likeAuthorsChristina M. Aiello, Kenneth E. Nussear, Andrew D. Walde, Todd C. Esque, Patrick G. Emblidge, Pratha Sah, S. Bansal, Peter J. HudsonWater and food acquisition and their consequences for life history and metabolism of North American tortoises
No abstract available.AuthorsTodd C. Esque, K. Kristina Drake, Kenneth E. NussearPopulation viability of Pediocactus brady (Cactaceae) in a changing climate
• Premise of the study: A key question concerns the vulnerability of desert species adapted to harsh, variable climates to future climate change. Evaluating this requires coupling long-term demographic models with information on past and projected future climates. We investigated climatic drivers of population growth using a 22-yr demographic model for Pediocactus bradyi, an endangered cactus in nAuthorsDaniel F. Shryock, Todd C. Esque, Lee HugesLife-history traits predict perennial species response to fire in a desert ecosystem
The Mojave Desert of North America has become fire-prone in recent decades due to invasive annual grasses that fuel wildfires following years of high rainfall. Perennial species are poorly adapted to fire in this system, and post-fire shifts in species composition have been substantial but variable across community types. To generalize across a range of conditions, we investigated whether simple lAuthorsDaniel F. Shryock, Lesley A. DeFalco, Todd C. EsqueSeedling ecology and restoration of blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) in the Mojave Desert, United States
Increases in fire frequency are disrupting many ecological communities not historically subjected to fire. In the southwestern United States, the blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) community is among the most threatened, often replaced by invasive annual grasses after fire. This long-lived shrub is vulnerable because it recruits sporadically, partially due to mast seeding and the absence of a seedAuthorsLisa C. Jones, Susanne Schwinning, Todd C. EsqueContrasting long-term survival of two outplanted Mojave Desert perennials for post-fire revegetation
Post-fire recovery of arid shrublands is typically slow, and planting greenhouse-raised seedlings may be a means of jump-starting this process. Recovery can be further accelerated by understanding the factors controlling post-planting survival. In fall 2007 and 2009, we outplanted seedlings of two contrasting native evergreen shrubs—fast-growing Nevada jointfir and slow-growing blackbrush—across fAuthorsSara J. Scoles-Sciulla, Lesley A. Defalco, Todd C. EsqueMapping habitat for multiple species in the Desert Southwest
Many utility scale renewable energy projects are currently proposed across the Mojave Ecoregion. Agencies that manage biological resources throughout this region need to understand the potential impacts of these renewable energy projects and their associated infrastructure (for example, transmission corridors, substations, access roads, etc.) on species movement, genetic exchange among populationsAuthorsRichard D. Inman, Kenneth E. Nussear, Todd C. Esque, Amy G. Vandergast, Stacie A. Hathaway, Dustin A. Wood, Kelly R. Barr, Robert N. FisherSoil seed banks: preserving native biodiversity and repairing damaged desert shrublands
No abstract available.AuthorsLesley A. Defalco, Todd C. EsqueImpacts of upper respiratory tract disease on olfactory behavior of the Mojave desert tortoise
Upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) caused by Mycoplasma agassizii is considered a threat to desert tortoise populations that should be addressed as part of the recovery of the species. Clinical signs can be intermittent and include serous or mucoid nasal discharge and respiratory difficulty when nares are occluded. This nasal congestion may result in a loss of the olfactory sense. Turtles areAuthorsJennifer Germano, Vanessa E. Van Zerr, Todd C. Esque, Ken E. Nussear, Nadine LamberskiSoil compaction vulnerability at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona
Compaction vulnerability of different types of soils by hikers and vehicles is poorly known, particularly for soils of arid and semiarid regions. Engineering analyses have long shown that poorly sorted soils (for example, sandy loams) compact to high densities, whereas well-sorted soils (for example, eolian sand) do not compact, and high gravel content may reduce compaction. Organ Pipe Cactus NatiAuthorsRobert H. Webb, Kenneth E. Nussear, Shinji Carmichael, Todd C. Esque - Web Tools
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