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
An assessment of food habits, prey availability, and nesting success of golden eagles within the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan Area
Coupling gene-based and classic veterinary diagnostics improves interpretation of health and immune function in the Agassiz’s desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
Drawing a line in the sand: Effectiveness of off-highway vehicle management in California's Sonoran desert
Common Raven (Corvus corax) kleptoparasitism at a Golden Eagle (Aquila chyrsaetos) nest in southern Nevada
Using science to inform management and improve biological conservation in the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan
Landscape genetic approaches to guide native plant restoration in the Mojave Desert
Negative impacts of invasive plants on conservation of sensitive desert wildlife
Habitat drives dispersal and survival of translocated juvenile desert tortoises
Comparison of methods to monitor the distribution and impacts of unauthorized travel routes in a border park
Impacts of climate change and renewable energy development on habitat of an endemic squirrel, Xerospermophilus mohavensis, in the Mojave Desert, USA
Inferring social structure and its drivers from refuge use in the desert tortoise, a relatively solitary species
Multi-scale connectivity and graph theory highlight critical areas for conservation under climate change
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An assessment of food habits, prey availability, and nesting success of golden eagles within the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan Area
Within the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan area, which encompasses California’s Mojave Desert, development and operation of renewable energy facilities has the potential to impact golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) populations through loss of habitat and prey base. Developing an effective conservation strategy that aims to mitigate for such operations is necessary to lessen these impacts;AuthorsKathleen M. Longshore, Todd C. Esque, Kenneth E. Nussear, Diego R. Johnson, Matthew Simes, Rich InmanCoupling gene-based and classic veterinary diagnostics improves interpretation of health and immune function in the Agassiz’s desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
The analysis of blood constituents is a widely used tool to aid in monitoring of animal health and disease. However, classic blood diagnostics (i.e. hematologic and plasma biochemical values) often do not provide sufficient information to determine the state of an animal’s health. Field studies on wild tortoises and other reptiles have had limited success in drawing significant inferences betweenAuthorsK. Kristina Drake, Lizabeth Bowen, Rebecca L. Lewison, Todd C. Esque, Kenneth E. Nussear, Josephine Braun, Shannon C. Waters, A. Keith MilesDrawing a line in the sand: Effectiveness of off-highway vehicle management in California's Sonoran desert
Public land policies manage multiple uses while striving to protect vulnerable plant and wildlife habitats from degradation; yet the effectiveness of such policies are infrequently evaluated, particularly for remote landscapes that are difficult to monitor. We assessed the use and impacts of recreational vehicles on Mojave Desert washes (intermittent streams) in the Chemehuevi Desert Wildlife ManaAuthorsNathan Custer, Lesley A. Defalco, Kenneth E. Nussear, Todd C. EsqueCommon Raven (Corvus corax) kleptoparasitism at a Golden Eagle (Aquila chyrsaetos) nest in southern Nevada
The Common Raven (Corvus corax) is a ubiquitous species in the Mojave Desert of southern Nevada and California. From 5 to 24 May 2014, using remote trail cameras, we observed ravens repeatedly kleptoparasitizing food resources from the nest of a pair of Golden Eagles (Aquila chyrsaetos) in the Spring Mountains of southern Nevada. The ravens fed on nine (30%) of the 30 prey items delivered to the nAuthorsMatthew Simes, Diego R. Johnson, Justin Streit, Kathleen M. Longshore, Kenneth E. Nussear, Todd C. EsqueUsing science to inform management and improve biological conservation in the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan
The Mojave and Colorado deserts of southern California have been viewed as vast wilderness since early exploration and, until recently, were considered the most untrammeled among western landscapes in the contiguous lower 48 states (United States Department of Agriculture 1893; Leu et al. 2008). However, the factors that define desert wilderness—small human population, temperature differentials thAuthorsTodd C. Esque, Amy Fesnock-Parker, Brian Croft, Felicia Chen, Amy G. VandergastLandscape genetic approaches to guide native plant restoration in the Mojave Desert
Restoring dryland ecosystems is a global challenge due to synergistic drivers of disturbance coupled with unpredictable environmental conditions. Dryland plant species have evolved complex life-history strategies to cope with fluctuating resources and climatic extremes. Although rarely quantified, local adaptation is likely widespread among these species and potentially influences restoration outcAuthorsDaniel F. Shryock, Caroline A. Havrilla, Lesley A. DeFalco, Todd C. Esque, Nathan Custer, Troy E. WoodNegative impacts of invasive plants on conservation of sensitive desert wildlife
Habitat disturbance from development, resource extraction, off-road vehicle use, and energy development ranks highly among threats to desert systems worldwide. In the Mojave Desert, United States, these disturbances have promoted the establishment of nonnative plants, so that native grasses and forbs are now intermixed with, or have been replaced by invasive, nonnative Mediterranean grasses. ThisAuthorsK. Kristina Drake, Lizabeth Bowen, Kenneth E. Nussear, Todd C. Esque, Andrew J. Berger, Nathan Custer, Shannon C. Waters, Jay D. Johnson, A. Keith Miles, Rebecca L. LewisonHabitat drives dispersal and survival of translocated juvenile desert tortoises
1.In spite of growing reliance on translocations in wildlife conservation, translocation efficacy remains inconsistent. One factor that can contribute to failed translocations is releasing animals into poor quality or otherwise inadequate habitat. 2.Here we used a targeted approach to test the relationship of habitat features to post-translocation dispersal and survival of juvenile Mojave desert tAuthorsAleta Nafus, Todd C. Esque, Roy C. Averill-Murray, Kenneth E. Nussear, Ronald R. SwaisgoodComparison of methods to monitor the distribution and impacts of unauthorized travel routes in a border park
The distribution and abundance of human-caused disturbances vary greatly through space and time and are cause for concern among land stewards in natural areas of the southwestern border-lands between the USA and Mexico. Human migration and border protection along the international boundary create Unauthorized Trail and Road (UTR) networks across National Park Service lands and other natural areas.AuthorsTodd C. Esque, Rich Inman, Kenneth E. Nussear, Robert Webb, M.M. Girard, J. DeGaynerImpacts of climate change and renewable energy development on habitat of an endemic squirrel, Xerospermophilus mohavensis, in the Mojave Desert, USA
Predicting changes in species distributions under a changing climate is becoming widespread with the use of species distribution models (SDMs). The resulting predictions of future potential habitat can be cast in light of planned land use changes, such as urban expansion and energy development to identify areas with potential conflict. However, SDMs rarely incorporate an understanding of dispersalAuthorsRichard D. Inman, Todd C. Esque, Kenneth E. Nussear, Philip Leitner, Marjorie D. Matocq, Peter J. Weisberg, Thomas E. DiltsInferring social structure and its drivers from refuge use in the desert tortoise, a relatively solitary species
For several species, refuges (such as burrows, dens, roosts, nests) are an essential resource for protection from predators and extreme environmental conditions. Refuges also serve as focal sites for social interactions, including mating, courtship, and aggression. Knowledge of refuge use patterns can therefore provide information about social structure, mating, and foraging success, as well as thAuthorsPratha Sah, Kenneth E. Nussear, Todd C. Esque, Christina M. Aiello, Peter J. Hudson, Shweta BansalMulti-scale connectivity and graph theory highlight critical areas for conservation under climate change
Conservation planning and biodiversity management require information on landscape connectivity across a range of spatial scales from individual home ranges to large regions. Reduction in landscape connectivity due changes in land-use or development is expected to act synergistically with alterations to habitat mosaic configuration arising from climate change. We illustrate a multi-scale connectivAuthorsThomas E. Dilts, Peter J. Weisberg, Phillip Leitner, Marjorie D. Matocq, Richard D. Inman, Ken E. Nussear, Todd C. Esque - Web Tools
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