James Nichols, Ph.D.
Dr. Jim Nichols conducts research on animal population dynamics and management
Recent Accomplishments
Education
- B.S. Wake Forest University, Biology, 1971
- M.S. Louisiana State University, Wildlife Management, 1973
- Ph.D. Michigan State University, Wildlife Ecology, 1976
Professional Studies/Experience
- Adaptive management and assessment of habitat changes on migratory birds
- Development of models of mallard population dynamics for adaptive harvest management
- Development of methods to estimate parameters associated with animal population dynamics
- Statistical methods for species richness estimation
- Technical Assistance -Tiger Monitoring and Population Research
- Development of methods for estimating patch occupancy and patch-dynamic parameters from detection-nondetection survey data
- Development of methods to estimate species richness and community-dynamic parameters from species list data
Mentorship/Outreach
Professional societies/affiliations/committees/editorial boardsScientific/Oral Presentations, Abstracts
Honors, awards, recognition, elected offices
- 2005 - U.S. Presidential Rank Award (Meritorious Senior Professional)
- 2004 - U.S. Geological Survey Meritorious Service Award
- 2004 - IFAS Scholar Award, University of Florida
- 1998 - Promoted to Senior Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey
- 1991 - The George W. Snedecor Award of the American Statistical Association
- 1991 - The Wildlife Society's Wildlife Publication Award for Monograph
- 1984 - Southeastern Section of the Wildlife Society, Outstanding Publication Award
Scientific/Oral Presentations, Abstracts
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 401
Monitoring for conservation
Human-mediated environmental changes have resulted in appropriate concern for the conservation of ecological systems and have led to the development of many ecological monitoring programs worldwide. Many programs that are identified with the purpose of `surveillance? represent an inefficient use of conservation funds and effort. Here, we revisit the 1964 paper by Platt and argue that his recomme
Authors
J. D. Nichols, B.K. Williams
Adaptive harvest management of North American waterfowl populations - recent successes and future prospects
The history of North American waterfowl harvest management has been characterized by attempts to use population monitoring data to make informed harvest management decisions. Early attempts can be characterized as intuitive decision processes, and later efforts were guided increasingly by population models and associated predictions. In 1995, a formal adaptive management process was implemented,
Authors
J. D. Nichols, M.C. Runge, F.A. Johnson, B.K. Williams
Assessing tiger population dynamics using photographic capture-recapture sampling
Although wide-ranging, elusive, large carnivore species, such as the tiger, are of scientific and conservation interest, rigorous inferences about their population dynamics are scarce because of methodological problems of sampling populations at the required spatial and temporal scales. We report the application of a rigorous, noninvasive method for assessing tiger population dynamics to test mod
Authors
K. U. Karanth, J. D. Nichols, S. Kumar, J. E. Hines
The role of local populations within a landscape context: Defining and classifying sources and sinks
The interaction of local populations has been the focus of an increasing number of studies in the past 30 years. The study of source-sink dynamics has especially generated much interest. Many of the criteria used to distinguish sources and sinks incorporate the process of apparent survival (i.e., the combined probability of true survival and site fidelity) but not emigration. These criteria impl
Authors
J.P. Runge, M.C. Runge, J. D. Nichols
Variation in probability of first reproduction of Weddell seals
Summary 1. For many species, when to begin reproduction is an important life-history decision that varies by individual and can have substantial implications for lifetime reproductive success and fitness. 2. We estimated age-specific probabilities of first-time breeding and modelled variation in these rates to determine age at first reproduction and understand why it varies in a population of
Authors
G.L. Hadley, J.J. Rotella, R.A. Garrott, J. D. Nichols
Intra-guild compensation regulates species richness in desert rodents: comment
No abstract available.
Authors
J. D. Nichols, J. E. Hines, J.R. Sauer, T. Boulinier, E. Cam
Comment on 'Are survival rates for northern spotted owls biased?'
Loehle et al. recently estimated survival rates from radio-telemetered northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina (Merriam, 1898)) and suggested that survival rates estimated for this species from capture-recapture studies were negatively biased, which subsequently resulted in the negatively biased estimates of rates of population change (lambda) reported by Anthony et al. (Wildl. Monogr.
Authors
A.B. Franklin, J. D. Nichols, R.G. Anthony, K.P. Burnham, Gary C. White, E.D. Forsman, D.R. Anderson
Comparative dynamics of avian communities across edges and interiors of North American ecoregions
Aim Based on a priori hypotheses, we developed predictions about how avian communities might differ at the edges vs. interiors of ecoregions. Specifically, we predicted lower species richness and greater local turnover and extinction probabilities for regional edges. We tested these predictions using North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data across nine ecoregions over a 20-year time perio
Authors
K.K. Karanth, J. D. Nichols, J.R. Sauer, J. E. Hines
Statistical approaches to the analysis of point count data: A little extra information can go a long way
Point counts are a standard sampling procedure for many bird species, but lingering concerns still exist about the quality of information produced from the method. It is well known that variation in observer ability and environmental conditions can influence the detection probability of birds in point counts, but many biologists have been reluctant to abandon point counts in favor of more intensi
Authors
G.L. Farnsworth, J. D. Nichols, J.R. Sauer, S.G. Fancy, K. H. Pollock, S.A. Shriner, T.R. Simons
Approaches for the direct estimation of rate of increase in population size using capture-recapture data
Recent developments in the modeling of capture-recapture data permit the direct estimation and modeling of population growth rate Pradel (1996). Resulting estimates reflect changes in numbers of birds on study areas, and such changes result from movement as well as survival and reproductive recruitment. One measure of the 'importance' of a demographic vital rate to population growth is based on
Authors
J. D. Nichols, T. Scott Sillett, J. E. Hines, Richard T. Holmes
General constraints on sampling wildlife on FIA plots
This paper reviews the constraints to sampling wildlife populations at FIA points. Wildlife sampling programs must have well-defined goals and provide information adequate to meet those goals. Investigators should choose a State variable based on information needs and the spatial sampling scale. We discuss estimation-based methods for three State variables: species richness, abundance, and patc
Authors
L.L. Bailey, J.R. Sauer, J. D. Nichols, P.H. Geissler
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 401
Monitoring for conservation
Human-mediated environmental changes have resulted in appropriate concern for the conservation of ecological systems and have led to the development of many ecological monitoring programs worldwide. Many programs that are identified with the purpose of `surveillance? represent an inefficient use of conservation funds and effort. Here, we revisit the 1964 paper by Platt and argue that his recomme
Authors
J. D. Nichols, B.K. Williams
Adaptive harvest management of North American waterfowl populations - recent successes and future prospects
The history of North American waterfowl harvest management has been characterized by attempts to use population monitoring data to make informed harvest management decisions. Early attempts can be characterized as intuitive decision processes, and later efforts were guided increasingly by population models and associated predictions. In 1995, a formal adaptive management process was implemented,
Authors
J. D. Nichols, M.C. Runge, F.A. Johnson, B.K. Williams
Assessing tiger population dynamics using photographic capture-recapture sampling
Although wide-ranging, elusive, large carnivore species, such as the tiger, are of scientific and conservation interest, rigorous inferences about their population dynamics are scarce because of methodological problems of sampling populations at the required spatial and temporal scales. We report the application of a rigorous, noninvasive method for assessing tiger population dynamics to test mod
Authors
K. U. Karanth, J. D. Nichols, S. Kumar, J. E. Hines
The role of local populations within a landscape context: Defining and classifying sources and sinks
The interaction of local populations has been the focus of an increasing number of studies in the past 30 years. The study of source-sink dynamics has especially generated much interest. Many of the criteria used to distinguish sources and sinks incorporate the process of apparent survival (i.e., the combined probability of true survival and site fidelity) but not emigration. These criteria impl
Authors
J.P. Runge, M.C. Runge, J. D. Nichols
Variation in probability of first reproduction of Weddell seals
Summary 1. For many species, when to begin reproduction is an important life-history decision that varies by individual and can have substantial implications for lifetime reproductive success and fitness. 2. We estimated age-specific probabilities of first-time breeding and modelled variation in these rates to determine age at first reproduction and understand why it varies in a population of
Authors
G.L. Hadley, J.J. Rotella, R.A. Garrott, J. D. Nichols
Intra-guild compensation regulates species richness in desert rodents: comment
No abstract available.
Authors
J. D. Nichols, J. E. Hines, J.R. Sauer, T. Boulinier, E. Cam
Comment on 'Are survival rates for northern spotted owls biased?'
Loehle et al. recently estimated survival rates from radio-telemetered northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina (Merriam, 1898)) and suggested that survival rates estimated for this species from capture-recapture studies were negatively biased, which subsequently resulted in the negatively biased estimates of rates of population change (lambda) reported by Anthony et al. (Wildl. Monogr.
Authors
A.B. Franklin, J. D. Nichols, R.G. Anthony, K.P. Burnham, Gary C. White, E.D. Forsman, D.R. Anderson
Comparative dynamics of avian communities across edges and interiors of North American ecoregions
Aim Based on a priori hypotheses, we developed predictions about how avian communities might differ at the edges vs. interiors of ecoregions. Specifically, we predicted lower species richness and greater local turnover and extinction probabilities for regional edges. We tested these predictions using North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data across nine ecoregions over a 20-year time perio
Authors
K.K. Karanth, J. D. Nichols, J.R. Sauer, J. E. Hines
Statistical approaches to the analysis of point count data: A little extra information can go a long way
Point counts are a standard sampling procedure for many bird species, but lingering concerns still exist about the quality of information produced from the method. It is well known that variation in observer ability and environmental conditions can influence the detection probability of birds in point counts, but many biologists have been reluctant to abandon point counts in favor of more intensi
Authors
G.L. Farnsworth, J. D. Nichols, J.R. Sauer, S.G. Fancy, K. H. Pollock, S.A. Shriner, T.R. Simons
Approaches for the direct estimation of rate of increase in population size using capture-recapture data
Recent developments in the modeling of capture-recapture data permit the direct estimation and modeling of population growth rate Pradel (1996). Resulting estimates reflect changes in numbers of birds on study areas, and such changes result from movement as well as survival and reproductive recruitment. One measure of the 'importance' of a demographic vital rate to population growth is based on
Authors
J. D. Nichols, T. Scott Sillett, J. E. Hines, Richard T. Holmes
General constraints on sampling wildlife on FIA plots
This paper reviews the constraints to sampling wildlife populations at FIA points. Wildlife sampling programs must have well-defined goals and provide information adequate to meet those goals. Investigators should choose a State variable based on information needs and the spatial sampling scale. We discuss estimation-based methods for three State variables: species richness, abundance, and patc
Authors
L.L. Bailey, J.R. Sauer, J. D. Nichols, P.H. Geissler