Wesley Newton
Wesley Newton is a Statistician (Emeritus) at the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, North Dakota.
Wes Newton has been a statistical consultant and analyst working on a diversity of ecological studies in the northern prairies and elsewhere for most of his career. He most enjoys the challenges of working with researchers on ways to answer theirs and natural resource managers questions, often from “messy” data, using a broad range of statistical methods. Wes states that it’s a great job as he gets to apply his chosen profession, statistics, to a fascinating subject, wildlife biology and ecology.
Science and Products
Impacts of wind-turbine energy complexes on northern prairie grouse
Wind-energy development in the northern Great Plains primarily occurs along the Missouri Coteau and Missouri River Plateau in North Dakota and South Dakota. While these areas rank high in wind-energy potential they also contain important breeding habitat for sharp-tailed grouse and greater prairie-chickens. The impact of these wind-energy developments on prairie grouse populations and trends in...
Improving wildlife-habitat modeling and assessments with lidar
Lidar has proven itself as a valuable tool for providing high-resolution digital elevation models and for quantifying forest stand metrics utilized by the forest industry. Studies are only beginning to emerge relating lidar data directly to wildlife species occurrences and abundances. NPWRC has been assessing capabilities of lidar data in various ecosystems to include the mixed forests in Maine...
Science and Products
Impacts of wind-turbine energy complexes on northern prairie grouse
Wind-energy development in the northern Great Plains primarily occurs along the Missouri Coteau and Missouri River Plateau in North Dakota and South Dakota. While these areas rank high in wind-energy potential they also contain important breeding habitat for sharp-tailed grouse and greater prairie-chickens. The impact of these wind-energy developments on prairie grouse populations and trends in...
Improving wildlife-habitat modeling and assessments with lidar
Lidar has proven itself as a valuable tool for providing high-resolution digital elevation models and for quantifying forest stand metrics utilized by the forest industry. Studies are only beginning to emerge relating lidar data directly to wildlife species occurrences and abundances. NPWRC has been assessing capabilities of lidar data in various ecosystems to include the mixed forests in Maine...