Robert S Arkle
I am a Supervisory Ecologist at the USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center. My research focuses on population ecology, community ecology, and restoration in forests and shrublands of the Intermountain West.
My research focuses on how stochastic and anthropogenic disturbances influence species, communities, and habitats. I am interested in how these interactions can affect the outcome of management actions such as habitat restoration or exotic species removal efforts. My experience is in modeling species-habitat relationships, interspecific interactions, habitat connectivity, climate suitability, and in using multivariate approaches to assess community structure and composition. Much of my work has focused on the effects of landscape-scale disturbance or restoration on patch-scale community structure and composition in forest and sagebrush ecosystems. I have worked in several biomes and community types of western North America including studies in alpine lakes and meadows, coniferous forests, riparian forests, mountain streams, sagebrush shrublands, and grasslands. In these systems, I have studied communities of plants, biotic soil crusts, aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, salmonids, birds, small mammals, and ungulate mammals.
Professional Experience
2011 - Present: Supervisory Ecologist, USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, ID
2007 - 2011: Ecologist, USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, ID
2004 - 2007: Lecturer, Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, CA
Education and Certifications
M.S., Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA (2007)
B.S., Biological Sciences (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology), University of California, Irvine, CA (2002)
Science and Products
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Filter Total Items: 46
Quantifying and predicting fuels and the effects of reduction treatments along successional and invasion gradients in sagebrush habitats
Sagebrush shrubland ecosystems in the Great Basin are prime examples of how altered successional trajectories can create dynamic fuel conditions and, thus, increase uncertainty about fire risk and behavior. Although fire is a natural disturbance in sagebrush, post-fire environments are highly susceptible to conversion to an invasive grass-fire regime (often referred to as a “grass-fire cycle”). Af
Authors
Douglas J. Shinneman, David S. Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Nancy F. Glenn
Long-term effects of seeding after wildfire on vegetation in Great Basin shrubland ecosystems
1. Invasive annual grasses alter fire regimes in shrubland ecosystems of the western USA, threatening ecosystem function and fragmenting habitats necessary for shrub-obligate species such as greater sage-grouse. Post-fire stabilization and rehabilitation treatments have been administered to stabilize soils, reduce invasive species spread and restore or establish sustainable ecosystems in which na
Authors
Kevin C. Knutson, David A. Pyke, Troy A. Wirth, Robert S. Arkle, David S. Pilliod, Matthew L. Brooks, Jeanne C. Chambers, James B. Grace
Quantifying restoration effectiveness using multi-scale habitat models: implications for sage-grouse in the Great Basin
A recurrent challenge in the conservation of wide-ranging, imperiled species is understanding which habitats to protect and whether we are capable of restoring degraded landscapes. For Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), a species of conservation concern in the western United States, we approached this problem by developing multi-scale empirical models of occupancy in 211 randomly loc
Authors
Robert S. Arkle, David S. Pilliod, Steven E. Hanser, Matthew L. Brooks, Jeanne C. Chambers, James B. Grace, Kevin C. Knutson, David A. Pyke, Justin L. Welty
Performance of quantitative vegetation sampling methods across gradients of cover in Great Basin plant communities
Resource managers and scientists need efficient, reliable methods for quantifying vegetation to conduct basic research, evaluate land management actions, and monitor trends in habitat conditions. We examined three methods for quantifying vegetation in 1-ha plots among different plant communities in the northern Great Basin: photography-based grid-point intercept (GPI), line-point intercept (LPI),
Authors
David S. Pilliod, Robert S. Arkle
Factors influencing detection of eDNA from a stream-dwelling amphibian
Environmental DNA (eDNA) methods for detecting and estimating abundance of aquatic species are emerging rapidly, but little is known about how processes such as secretion rate, environmental degradation, and time since colonization or extirpation from a given site affect eDNA measurements. Using stream-dwelling salamanders and quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis, we conducted three experiments to ass
Authors
David S. Pilliod, Caren S. Goldberg, Robert S. Arkle, Lisette P. Waits
Estimating occupancy and abundance of stream amphibians using environmental DNA from filtered water samples
Environmental DNA (eDNA) methods for detecting aquatic species are advancing rapidly, but with little evaluation of field protocols or precision of resulting estimates. We compared sampling results from traditional field methods with eDNA methods for two amphibians in 13 streams in central Idaho, USA. We also evaluated three water collection protocols and the influence of sampling location, time o
Authors
David S. Pilliod, Caren S. Goldberg, Robert S. Arkle, Lisette P. Waits
Persistence and extirpation in invaded landscapes: patch characteristics and connectivity determine effects of non-native predatory fish on native salamanders
Studies have demonstrated negative effects of non-native, predatory fishes on native amphibians, yet it is still unclear why some amphibian populations persist, while others are extirpated, following fish invasion. We examined this question by developing habitat-based occupancy models for the long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) and nonnative fish using survey data from 1,749 water bodie
Authors
David S. Pilliod, Robert S. Arkle, Bryce A. Maxell
Pattern and process of prescribed fires influence effectiveness at reducing wildfire severity in dry coniferous forests
We examined the effects of three early season (spring) prescribed fires on burn severity patterns of summer wildfires that occurred 1–3 years post-treatment in a mixed conifer forest in central Idaho. Wildfire and prescribed fire burn severities were estimated as the difference in normalized burn ratio (dNBR) using Landsat imagery. We used GIS derived vegetation, topography, and treatment variable
Authors
Robert S. Arkle, David S. Pilliod, Justin L. Welty
Molecular detection of vertebrates in stream water: A demonstration using rocky mountain tailed frogs and Idaho giant salamanders
Stream ecosystems harbor many secretive and imperiled species, and studies of vertebrates in these systems face the challenges of relatively low detection rates and high costs. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has recently been confirmed as a sensitive and efficient tool for documenting aquatic vertebrates in wetlands and in a large river and canal system. However, it was unclear whether this tool could b
Authors
C.S. Goldberg, D. S. Pilliod, R.S. Arkle, L.P. Waits
Prescribed fires as ecological surrogates for wildfires: A stream and riparian perspective
Forest managers use prescribed fire to reduce wildfire risk and to provide resource benefits, yet little information is available on whether prescribed fires can function as ecological surrogates for wildfire in fire-prone landscapes. Information on impacts and benefits of this management tool on stream and riparian ecosystems is particularly lacking. We used a beyond-BACI (Before, After, Control,
Authors
R.S. Arkle, D. S. Pilliod
Non-USGS Publications**
Arkle, R.S., Pilliod, D.S., Strickler, K.M., 2010, Fire, flow and dynamic equilibrium in stream macroinvertebrate communities: Freshwater Biology, v. 55, p. 299-314.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Filter Total Items: 13
Science and Products
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Filter Total Items: 46
Quantifying and predicting fuels and the effects of reduction treatments along successional and invasion gradients in sagebrush habitats
Sagebrush shrubland ecosystems in the Great Basin are prime examples of how altered successional trajectories can create dynamic fuel conditions and, thus, increase uncertainty about fire risk and behavior. Although fire is a natural disturbance in sagebrush, post-fire environments are highly susceptible to conversion to an invasive grass-fire regime (often referred to as a “grass-fire cycle”). Af
Authors
Douglas J. Shinneman, David S. Pilliod, Robert Arkle, Nancy F. Glenn
Long-term effects of seeding after wildfire on vegetation in Great Basin shrubland ecosystems
1. Invasive annual grasses alter fire regimes in shrubland ecosystems of the western USA, threatening ecosystem function and fragmenting habitats necessary for shrub-obligate species such as greater sage-grouse. Post-fire stabilization and rehabilitation treatments have been administered to stabilize soils, reduce invasive species spread and restore or establish sustainable ecosystems in which na
Authors
Kevin C. Knutson, David A. Pyke, Troy A. Wirth, Robert S. Arkle, David S. Pilliod, Matthew L. Brooks, Jeanne C. Chambers, James B. Grace
Quantifying restoration effectiveness using multi-scale habitat models: implications for sage-grouse in the Great Basin
A recurrent challenge in the conservation of wide-ranging, imperiled species is understanding which habitats to protect and whether we are capable of restoring degraded landscapes. For Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), a species of conservation concern in the western United States, we approached this problem by developing multi-scale empirical models of occupancy in 211 randomly loc
Authors
Robert S. Arkle, David S. Pilliod, Steven E. Hanser, Matthew L. Brooks, Jeanne C. Chambers, James B. Grace, Kevin C. Knutson, David A. Pyke, Justin L. Welty
Performance of quantitative vegetation sampling methods across gradients of cover in Great Basin plant communities
Resource managers and scientists need efficient, reliable methods for quantifying vegetation to conduct basic research, evaluate land management actions, and monitor trends in habitat conditions. We examined three methods for quantifying vegetation in 1-ha plots among different plant communities in the northern Great Basin: photography-based grid-point intercept (GPI), line-point intercept (LPI),
Authors
David S. Pilliod, Robert S. Arkle
Factors influencing detection of eDNA from a stream-dwelling amphibian
Environmental DNA (eDNA) methods for detecting and estimating abundance of aquatic species are emerging rapidly, but little is known about how processes such as secretion rate, environmental degradation, and time since colonization or extirpation from a given site affect eDNA measurements. Using stream-dwelling salamanders and quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis, we conducted three experiments to ass
Authors
David S. Pilliod, Caren S. Goldberg, Robert S. Arkle, Lisette P. Waits
Estimating occupancy and abundance of stream amphibians using environmental DNA from filtered water samples
Environmental DNA (eDNA) methods for detecting aquatic species are advancing rapidly, but with little evaluation of field protocols or precision of resulting estimates. We compared sampling results from traditional field methods with eDNA methods for two amphibians in 13 streams in central Idaho, USA. We also evaluated three water collection protocols and the influence of sampling location, time o
Authors
David S. Pilliod, Caren S. Goldberg, Robert S. Arkle, Lisette P. Waits
Persistence and extirpation in invaded landscapes: patch characteristics and connectivity determine effects of non-native predatory fish on native salamanders
Studies have demonstrated negative effects of non-native, predatory fishes on native amphibians, yet it is still unclear why some amphibian populations persist, while others are extirpated, following fish invasion. We examined this question by developing habitat-based occupancy models for the long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) and nonnative fish using survey data from 1,749 water bodie
Authors
David S. Pilliod, Robert S. Arkle, Bryce A. Maxell
Pattern and process of prescribed fires influence effectiveness at reducing wildfire severity in dry coniferous forests
We examined the effects of three early season (spring) prescribed fires on burn severity patterns of summer wildfires that occurred 1–3 years post-treatment in a mixed conifer forest in central Idaho. Wildfire and prescribed fire burn severities were estimated as the difference in normalized burn ratio (dNBR) using Landsat imagery. We used GIS derived vegetation, topography, and treatment variable
Authors
Robert S. Arkle, David S. Pilliod, Justin L. Welty
Molecular detection of vertebrates in stream water: A demonstration using rocky mountain tailed frogs and Idaho giant salamanders
Stream ecosystems harbor many secretive and imperiled species, and studies of vertebrates in these systems face the challenges of relatively low detection rates and high costs. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has recently been confirmed as a sensitive and efficient tool for documenting aquatic vertebrates in wetlands and in a large river and canal system. However, it was unclear whether this tool could b
Authors
C.S. Goldberg, D. S. Pilliod, R.S. Arkle, L.P. Waits
Prescribed fires as ecological surrogates for wildfires: A stream and riparian perspective
Forest managers use prescribed fire to reduce wildfire risk and to provide resource benefits, yet little information is available on whether prescribed fires can function as ecological surrogates for wildfire in fire-prone landscapes. Information on impacts and benefits of this management tool on stream and riparian ecosystems is particularly lacking. We used a beyond-BACI (Before, After, Control,
Authors
R.S. Arkle, D. S. Pilliod
Non-USGS Publications**
Arkle, R.S., Pilliod, D.S., Strickler, K.M., 2010, Fire, flow and dynamic equilibrium in stream macroinvertebrate communities: Freshwater Biology, v. 55, p. 299-314.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Filter Total Items: 13