Publications

Developing effective butterfly monitoring strategies is key to understanding how butterflies interact with urban environments, and, in turn, to developing local conservation practices. We investigated two urban habitat types (public gardens and restored/reconstructed prairies) and compared three survey methods (Pollard transects, purposive point counts, and random point counts) to determine which

Understanding drivers of freshwater fish assemblages is critically important for biodiversity conservation strategies, especially in rapidly developing countries, which often have environmental protections lagging behind economic development. The influences of natural and human factors in structuring fish assemblages and their relative contributions are likely to change given the increasing magnit

Anadromous Pacific salmon are semelparous, and resource subsidies from spawning adults (marine-derived nutrients, or MDN) benefit juvenile salmonids rearing in freshwater. However, it remains unclear how MDN assimilation relates to spawner abundance within a watershed. To address this, we examined seasonal, watershed-scale patterns of MDN assimilation in rearing coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and Chi

Regulated water level fluctuations alter the physical, chemical, and biological environments in lakes. However, few studies have measured the effects of repeated annual winter drawdowns on freshwater mussel populations (Bivalvia: Unionida), and it is unknown whether drawdowns permanently constrain mussel populations to deeper depths or are resilient to the annual disturbance.We quantified mussel d

Information about population abundance, distribution, and demographic rates is critical for understanding a species’ ecology and for effective conservation and management. To collect data over large spatial and temporal extents for such inferences, especially for species with low densities or wide distributions, citizen science can be an efficient approach. Integrated models have also emerged as a

Within most resource management agencies, fish ages assigned by multiple readers are used to estimate age-based population metrics and to develop state or regional growth standards under the assumption that among-reader precision and accuracy are high. A cursory evaluation suggested that precision of age estimates among seven individuals who routinely estimate Walleye Sander vitreus age for the Wi

Bringing Bayesian Models to Life empowers the reader to extend, enhance, and implement statistical models for ecological and environmental data analysis. We open the black box and show the reader how to connect modern statistical models to computer algorithms. These algorithms allow the user to fit models that answer their scientific questions without needing to rely on automated Bayesian software

The five most common species of Pacific salmon, Rainbow Trout (steelhead) Oncorhynchus spp., and Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar intermingle in the North Pacific Ocean and its freshwater tributaries. Efficient morphological methods for distinguishing among these species are sometimes limited by condition of the specimen (degraded or missing morphology), life history stage, or training of the observer.

Although development and urbanization are typically believed to have negative impacts on carnivoran species, some species can successfully navigate an urban matrix. Sympatric carnivorans compete for limited resources in urban areas, likely with system-specific impacts to their distributions and activity patterns. We used automatically triggered wildlife cameras to assess the local distribution and

Decades of fire suppression, logging, and overgrazing have led to increased densities of small diameter trees which have been associated with decreases in biodiversity, reduced habitat quality for wildlife species, degraded foraging conditions for ungulates, and more frequent and severe wildfires. In response, land managers are implementing forest restoration treatments using prescribed fire and t

Accurate age estimates are critical for understanding life histories of fishes and developing management strategies for fish populations. However, validation of age estimates requires known-age fish, which are often lacking. We used known-age (ages 1–25) muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) to determine the precision and accuracy of age estimates from fin rays. We also determined whether fin location (a

Natural resource managers are increasingly faced with threats to managed ecosystems that are largely outside of their control. Examples include land development, climate change, invasive species, and emerging infectious diseases. All of these are characterized by large uncertainties in timing, magnitude, and effects on species. In many cases, the conservation of species will only be possible throu