Ryan C Burner, PhD
Ryan Burner is a Research Wildlife Biologist at the USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center.
His background is in quantitative ecology and ornithology and his research interests include helping to understand how species and communities respond to environmental change.
Science and Products
Spruce beetles as ecosystem engineers: Effects of spruce mortality on insect communities and fire behavior in Denali National Park and Preserve
Spruce beetles ( Dendroctonus rufipennis) are ecosystem engineers that can have substantial effects on forest structure. In 2015, a spruce beetle outbreak began in southcentral Alaska and as of 2021 has impacted 1.6 million acres of land (USFS 2021). This outbreak has expanded quickly and has crossed over the boundary of Denali National Park. Spruce beetles can alter the ecosystem by rapidly...
Bird-habitat associations: Accounting for stop-level location uncertainty in the Breeding Bird Survey dataset
Many ecological inferences are based on the locations at which species are detected and on the characteristics (e.g., habitat, ) of those locations. Yet many species records, particularly in historical datasets, lack precise location information. An example is the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), a 55-year record of bird surveys that has revealed large-scale trends in bird populations...
Multi-species modeling of species-rich communities: assessing taxonomic, functional, and morphological variation and change
Joint species distribution models (JSDMs) allow researchers to model responses of large numbers of species to their environment while investigating the role of species traits and phylogenetic relationships in these responses. JSDMs can also estimate species associations (non-random co-occurrence patterns) in a way that accounts for differences in species niches. In this project we are applying...
Status and trends of Blanchard’s Cricket Frog near the northern extent of its range
Blanchard’s cricket frog ( Acris blanchardi) is currently listed as an endangered species in Wisconsin and Minnesota, is threatened in Michigan, and has potentially declining populations in Iowa and Illinois as well as suspected declines across much of its northern range. We are surveying frogs across four states to better understand potential distribution changes relative to surveys that occurred...
Climate-Driven Changes to Forested Wetland Inundation Dynamics: Implications for Frogs and Toads
Project Overview Wetlands in forested areas of the Upper Midwest provide vital habitat for amphibians, but changing patterns of drying under climate change can disrupt species reproduction and growth. Researchers supported by this Midwest CASC project will use water depth sensor data, machine learning models, and long-term amphibian surveys to predict wet and dry periods for wetlands...
Climate matching with the climatchR R package
Climate matching is a method for understanding species distributions and ranges and may be used as part of horizon scanning. Horizon scanning is the process of examining potential risk of invasion of new invasive species. Preventing new invasive species invasion requires less time and resources than attempting to control and remove established invasive species. Horizon scanning allows resource...
Workshop: Natural Solutions to Ecological and Economic Problems Caused by Extreme Precipitation Events in the Upper Mississippi River Basin
Future climate conditions in the Upper Mississippi River Basin are projected to include many more extreme precipitation events. These intense periods of rain can lead to flooding of the Mississippi River itself, as well the small streams and rivers that feed it. This flooding presents a challenge for local communities, farmers, small businesses, river users, and the ecosystems and...
Science and Products
Spruce beetles as ecosystem engineers: Effects of spruce mortality on insect communities and fire behavior in Denali National Park and Preserve
Spruce beetles ( Dendroctonus rufipennis) are ecosystem engineers that can have substantial effects on forest structure. In 2015, a spruce beetle outbreak began in southcentral Alaska and as of 2021 has impacted 1.6 million acres of land (USFS 2021). This outbreak has expanded quickly and has crossed over the boundary of Denali National Park. Spruce beetles can alter the ecosystem by rapidly...
Bird-habitat associations: Accounting for stop-level location uncertainty in the Breeding Bird Survey dataset
Many ecological inferences are based on the locations at which species are detected and on the characteristics (e.g., habitat, ) of those locations. Yet many species records, particularly in historical datasets, lack precise location information. An example is the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), a 55-year record of bird surveys that has revealed large-scale trends in bird populations...
Multi-species modeling of species-rich communities: assessing taxonomic, functional, and morphological variation and change
Joint species distribution models (JSDMs) allow researchers to model responses of large numbers of species to their environment while investigating the role of species traits and phylogenetic relationships in these responses. JSDMs can also estimate species associations (non-random co-occurrence patterns) in a way that accounts for differences in species niches. In this project we are applying...
Status and trends of Blanchard’s Cricket Frog near the northern extent of its range
Blanchard’s cricket frog ( Acris blanchardi) is currently listed as an endangered species in Wisconsin and Minnesota, is threatened in Michigan, and has potentially declining populations in Iowa and Illinois as well as suspected declines across much of its northern range. We are surveying frogs across four states to better understand potential distribution changes relative to surveys that occurred...
Climate-Driven Changes to Forested Wetland Inundation Dynamics: Implications for Frogs and Toads
Project Overview Wetlands in forested areas of the Upper Midwest provide vital habitat for amphibians, but changing patterns of drying under climate change can disrupt species reproduction and growth. Researchers supported by this Midwest CASC project will use water depth sensor data, machine learning models, and long-term amphibian surveys to predict wet and dry periods for wetlands...
Climate matching with the climatchR R package
Climate matching is a method for understanding species distributions and ranges and may be used as part of horizon scanning. Horizon scanning is the process of examining potential risk of invasion of new invasive species. Preventing new invasive species invasion requires less time and resources than attempting to control and remove established invasive species. Horizon scanning allows resource...
Workshop: Natural Solutions to Ecological and Economic Problems Caused by Extreme Precipitation Events in the Upper Mississippi River Basin
Future climate conditions in the Upper Mississippi River Basin are projected to include many more extreme precipitation events. These intense periods of rain can lead to flooding of the Mississippi River itself, as well the small streams and rivers that feed it. This flooding presents a challenge for local communities, farmers, small businesses, river users, and the ecosystems and...