Kate Schoenecker, PhD
Kate Schoenecker is a Supervisory Research Wildlife Biologist at the Fort Collins Science Center.
Dr. Kate Schoenecker has been studying the ecology of ungulates for 26 years as a Research Wildlife Biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Fort Collins Science Center, Colorado. She received a Master’s degree from the University of Arizona, Tucson studying desert bighorn sheep and a PhD from Colorado State University on bison and elk grazing ecology in the Great Sand Dunes National Park & Baca National Wildlife Refuge ecosystem. She currently leads the Ungulate Ecology Research team, focusing on science to support bison conservation and wild horse and burro research across the west. She’s been studying the ecology of wild horses and burros since 1999, when she was first hired as a USGS field technician recording group composition of horse harems in the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, Montana. Her current work includes investigating free-roaming horse competition with mule deer, and assessing mountain lion predation on free roaming horses in Nevada, as well as assessing fine scale foraging behavior of bison on the North rim of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, and the Great Sand Dunes National Park ecosystem of southern Colorado.
Professional Experience
Research Wildlife Biologist, USGS, Fort Collins Science Center
Education and Certifications
PhD, Colorado State University
MS, University of Arizona
Science and Products
Long-term persistence of horse fecal DNA in the environment makes equids particularly good candidates for non-invasive sampling
Perissodactyla diet
Effects of feral horse herds on plant communities across a precipitation gradient
Habitat and diet of equids
Application of a hybrid model to reduce bias and improve precision in population estimates for elk (Cervus elaphus) inhabiting a cold desert ecosystem
Practical bias correction in aerial surveys of large mammals: Validation of hybrid double-observer with sightability method against known abundance of feral horse (Equus caballus) populations
Development of a grazing monitoring program for Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
Selection of vegetation types and density of bison in an arid ecosystem
Modeling elk and bison carrying capacity for Great Sand Dunes National Park, Baca National Wildlife Refuge, and The Nature Conservancy's Medano Ranch, Colorado
Estimating bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) abundance using noninvasive sampling at a mineral lick within a National Park Wilderness Area
Influence of nonnative and native ungulate biomass and seasonal precipitation on vegetation production in a Great Basin ecosystem
Bison grazing ecology at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado
Non-USGS Publications**
**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.
Science and Products
Long-term persistence of horse fecal DNA in the environment makes equids particularly good candidates for non-invasive sampling
Perissodactyla diet
Effects of feral horse herds on plant communities across a precipitation gradient
Habitat and diet of equids
Application of a hybrid model to reduce bias and improve precision in population estimates for elk (Cervus elaphus) inhabiting a cold desert ecosystem
Practical bias correction in aerial surveys of large mammals: Validation of hybrid double-observer with sightability method against known abundance of feral horse (Equus caballus) populations
Development of a grazing monitoring program for Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
Selection of vegetation types and density of bison in an arid ecosystem
Modeling elk and bison carrying capacity for Great Sand Dunes National Park, Baca National Wildlife Refuge, and The Nature Conservancy's Medano Ranch, Colorado
Estimating bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) abundance using noninvasive sampling at a mineral lick within a National Park Wilderness Area
Influence of nonnative and native ungulate biomass and seasonal precipitation on vegetation production in a Great Basin ecosystem
Bison grazing ecology at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado
Non-USGS Publications**
**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.