Wayne E Thogmartin, PhD
I am a quantitative ecologist conducting scholarly research at the intersection of animal ecology, spatial analyses, and statistics.
My interests are in population ecology for animals declining in abundance, asking new questions of multiple, combined data sets to gain novel insight into the dynamics of animal populations, and translating science into guidance for practical management decisions.
Professional Experience
2014 to the present Research Ecologist, US Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54603
2002 to 2014 Research Statistician (Biology), US Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54603
1995 Wildlife Biologist, United States Forest Service, Forestry Sciences Lab
Education and Certifications
PhD, Zoology, Southern Illinois University, May, 2002
MS, Zoology, University of Arkansas, May, 1998
BA, Ecology / Behavior / Evolution, University of California, San Diego, June, 1990
Science and Products
Density estimates of monarch butterflies overwintering in central Mexico
Full annual cycle climate change vulnerability assessment for migratory birds
Experts correctly describe demography associated with historical decline of the endangered Indiana bat, but not recent period of stationarity
A method to assess the population-level consequences of wind energy facilities on bird and bat species
Quantifying the relative contribution of an ecological reserve to conservation objectives
A general modeling framework for describing spatially structured population dynamics
Operationalizing the telecoupling framework for migratory species using the spatial subsidies approach to examine ecosystem services provided by Mexican free-tailed bats
A trans-national monarch butterfly population model and implications for regional conservation priorities
Past and predicted future effects of housing growth on open space conservation opportunity areas and habitat connectivity around National Wildlife Refuges
Dynamic distributions and population declines of Golden-winged Warblers
Future frequencies of extreme weather events in the National Wildlife Refuges of the conterminous U.S.
Using the North American Breeding Bird Survey to assess broad-scale response of the continent's most imperiled avian community, grassland birds, to weather variability
Science and Products
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Density estimates of monarch butterflies overwintering in central Mexico
Given the rapid population decline and recent petition for listing of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus L.) under the Endangered Species Act, an accurate estimate of the Eastern, migratory population size is needed. Because of difficulty in counting individual monarchs, the number of hectares occupied by monarchs in the overwintering area is commonly used as a proxy for population size, whicAuthorsWayne E. Thogmartin, James E. Diffendorfer, Laura Lopez-Hoffman, Karen Oberhauser, John M. Pleasants, Brice X. Semmens, Darius J. Semmens, Orley R. Taylor, Ruscena WiederholtFull annual cycle climate change vulnerability assessment for migratory birds
Climate change is a serious challenge faced by all plant and animal species. Climate change vulnerability assessments (CCVAs) are one method to assess risk and are increasingly used as a tool to inform management plans. Migratory animals move across regions and continents during their annual cycles where they are exposed to diverse climatic conditions. Climate change during any period and in any rAuthorsLeah A. Culp, Emily B. Cohen, Amy L. Scarpignato, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Peter P. MarraExperts correctly describe demography associated with historical decline of the endangered Indiana bat, but not recent period of stationarity
Demographic characteristics of bats are often insufficiently described for modeling populations. In data poor situations, experts are often relied upon for characterizing ecological systems. In concert with the development of a matrix model describing Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) demography, we elicited estimates for parameterizing this model from 12 experts. We conducted this elicitation in two sAuthorsWayne E. Thogmartin, Carol A. Sanders-Reed, Jennifer Szymanski, Lori Pruitt, Michael C. RungeA method to assess the population-level consequences of wind energy facilities on bird and bat species
For this study, a methodology was developed for assessing impacts of wind energy generation on populations of birds and bats at regional to national scales. The approach combines existing methods in applied ecology for prioritizing species in terms of their potential risk from wind energy facilities and estimating impacts of fatalities on population status and trend caused by collisions with windAuthorsJames E. Diffendorfer, Julie A. Beston, Matthew D. Merrill, Jessica C. Stanton, M.D. Corum, Scott R. Loss, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Douglas H. Johnson, Richard A. Erickson, Kevin W. HeistQuantifying the relative contribution of an ecological reserve to conservation objectives
Evaluating the role public lands play in meeting conservation goals is an essential step in good governance. We present a tool for comparing the regional contribution of each of a suite of wildlife management units to conservation goals. We use weighted summation (simple additive weighting) to compute a Unit Contribution Index (UCI) based on species richness, population abundance, and a conservatiAuthorsKevin Aagaard, James E. Lyons, Wayne E. ThogmartinA general modeling framework for describing spatially structured population dynamics
Variation in movement across time and space fundamentally shapes the abundance and distribution of populations. Although a variety of approaches model structured population dynamics, they are limited to specific types of spatially structured populations and lack a unifying framework. Here, we propose a unified network-based framework sufficiently novel in its flexibility to capture a wide varietyAuthorsChristine Sample, John Fryxell, Joanna A. Bieri, Paula Federico, Julia Earl, Ruscena Wiederholt, Brady J. Mattsson, Tyler Flockhart, Sam Nicol, James E. Diffendorfer, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Richard A. Erickson, D. Ryan NorrisOperationalizing the telecoupling framework for migratory species using the spatial subsidies approach to examine ecosystem services provided by Mexican free-tailed bats
Drivers of environmental change in one location can have profound effects on ecosystem services and human well-being in distant locations, often across international borders. The telecoupling provides a conceptual framework for describing these interactions—for example, locations can be defined as sending areas (sources of flows of ecosystem services, energy, or information) or receiving areas (reAuthorsLaura Lopez Hoffman, James E. Diffendorfer, Ruscena Widerholt, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Gary McCraken, Rodrigo Medellin, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Amy Russell, Darius J. SemmensA trans-national monarch butterfly population model and implications for regional conservation priorities
1. The monarch has undergone considerable population declines over the past decade, and the governments of Mexico, Canada, and the United States have agreed to work together to conserve the species.2. Given limited resources, understanding where to focus conservation action is key for widespread species like monarchs. To support planning for continental-scale monarch habitat restoration, we addresAuthorsKaren Oberhauser, Ruscena Wiederholt, James E. Diffendorfer, Darius J. Semmens, Leslie Ries, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Laura Lopez-Hoffman, Brice SemmensPast and predicted future effects of housing growth on open space conservation opportunity areas and habitat connectivity around National Wildlife Refuges
ContextHousing growth can alter suitability of matrix habitats around protected areas, strongly affecting movements of organisms and, consequently, threatening connectivity of protected area networks.ObjectivesOur goal was to quantify distribution and growth of housing around the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System. This is important information for conservation planningAuthorsChristopher M. Hamilton, Matthias Baumann, Anna M. Pidgeon, David P. Helmers, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Patricia J. Heglund, Volker C. RadeloffDynamic distributions and population declines of Golden-winged Warblers
With an estimated breeding population in 2010 of 383,000 pairs, the Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) is among the most vulnerable and steeply declining of North American passerines. This species also has exhibited among the most dynamic breeding distributions, with populations expanding and then contracting over the past 150 years in response to regional habitat changes, interactionsAuthorsKenneth V. Rosenberg, Tom Will, David A. Buehler, Sara Barker Swarthout, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Ruth E. Bennett, Richard ChandlerFuture frequencies of extreme weather events in the National Wildlife Refuges of the conterminous U.S.
Climate change is a major challenge for managers of protected areas world-wide, and managers need information about future climate conditions within protected areas. Prior studies of climate change effects in protected areas have largely focused on average climatic conditions. However, extreme weather may have stronger effects on wildlife populations and habitats than changes in averages. Our goalAuthorsSebastian Martinuzzi, Andrew J. Allstadt, Brooke L. Bateman, Patricia J. Heglund, Anna M. Pidgeon, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Stephen J. Vavrus, Volker C. RadeloffUsing the North American Breeding Bird Survey to assess broad-scale response of the continent's most imperiled avian community, grassland birds, to weather variability
Avian populations can respond dramatically to extreme weather such as droughts and heat waves, yet patterns of response to weather at broad scales remain largely unknown. Our goal was to evaluate annual variation in abundance of 14 grassland bird species breeding in the northern mixed-grass prairie in relation to annual variation in precipitation and temperature. We modeled avian abundance duringAuthorsJessica Gorzo, Anna M. Pidgeon, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Andrew J. Allstadt, Volker C. Radeloff, Patricia J. Heglund, Stephen J. Vavrus - Web Tools
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