Sammy King, PhD
Regional Supervisor - Northeast Region - Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units
In January 2025, Sammy accepted the CRU Regional Unit Supervisor for the Northeast Region. Unit scientists and unit supervisors work with cooperators to help them identify their needs, and unit supervisors ensure that all research conducted is aligned with the USGS mission.
Originally from Louisiana, Sammy served as the Unit Leader of the Louisiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit from 2003-2025. Previously, he worked at the USGS National Wetlands Research Center (now the Wetlands and Aquatic Resource Center) and the University of Tennessee, Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries. Sammy’s research interests focused on wetlands and wetland-dependent wildlife to support the conservation, restoration, and management of wetland systems. His research included studies of hydrology, geomorphology, plant ecology, and waterbirds within a wide range of wetland systems including temperate floodplains, coastal marshes, and inland arid wetlands.
Professional Experience
Regional Supervisor Northeast Region, Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2025-
Unit Leader, Louisiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2003-2025
Education and Certifications
Ph D Texas A&M University 1994
MS Auburn University 1990
BS Nicholls State University 1987
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 54
Determining the effects of reduced water availability on seed germination of five bottomland hardwood tree species Determining the effects of reduced water availability on seed germination of five bottomland hardwood tree species
Globally, floodplain forests are experiencing shifts in species composition associated with drier conditions and disruptions of flood pulse hydrology. The specific processes behind these shifts in composition are not fully understood, but differential effects of drought on regeneration processes such as seed germination may be partially responsible. To determine how reduced water...
Authors
Charles J. Pell, Sammy L. King, Tracy S. Hawkins, Matt Symmank
Hydrologic variability and plant composition drive relative abundance of marsh birds at created and reference marshes in southeastern Louisiana, U.S.A. Hydrologic variability and plant composition drive relative abundance of marsh birds at created and reference marshes in southeastern Louisiana, U.S.A.
Coastal marsh loss occurs at an alarming pace globally, with extremely high rates along the northern Gulf of Mexico, particularly in Louisiana. In Louisiana, marsh creation projects combat wetland loss; however, biotic responses of vegetation and wildlife receive little to no consideration during and after construction. Habitat characteristics such as hydrologic processes, plant...
Authors
Aylett Lipford, Leah L.K. Moran, Drew Nathan Fowler, Sammy L. King
Relationships among rare plant communities and abiotic conditions in managed spring-fed arid wetlands Relationships among rare plant communities and abiotic conditions in managed spring-fed arid wetlands
Spring-fed wetlands within arid and semiarid systems are hotspots for endemism and distribution of rare plants. Interactions among groundwater and the geomorphic and climatic features of the setting control the abiotic conditions, particularly soil salinity and moisture, that support these plants. However, water uncertainty and land use change challenge the persistence of conditions...
Authors
Antonio Cantu de Leija, Sammy L. King
Diurnal time–activity budget and habitat use of Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) in the reintroduced Louisiana nonmigratory population Diurnal time–activity budget and habitat use of Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) in the reintroduced Louisiana nonmigratory population
Time–activity budget studies provide valuable insights for better understanding animal behavior relative to spatial and temporal habitat use. We examined a reintroduced, nonmigratory Whooping Crane (Grus americana) population to determine how time–activity budgets change relative to crane age, sex, habitat type, and season. Our study area encompassed natural marshes and working wetlands...
Authors
Phillip L. Vasseur, Sammy L. King, Michael D. Kaller
Influences of channel and floodplain modification on expansion of woody vegetation into Catahoula Lake, Louisiana, USA Influences of channel and floodplain modification on expansion of woody vegetation into Catahoula Lake, Louisiana, USA
Ecosystem structure of wetlands in managed floodplains depends on hydrological processes controlled by geomorphology and water management. Overlapping effects of direct modifications and geomorphic adjustments to management can combine to trigger changes to floodplain ecosystem structure. We examined the case of woody vegetation encroaching into the depressional Catahoula Lake, Louisiana...
Authors
R.F. Keim, L. Dugué, K.D. Latuso, S. Joshi, Sammy L. King, F.L. Willis
Seed germination responses to salinity for three rare wetland plants of spring-fed arid systems Seed germination responses to salinity for three rare wetland plants of spring-fed arid systems
Spring-fed wetlands within arid systems host unique species of plants, many of which are threatened due to the vulnerability of these ecosystems. Increased salinity and drier hydrologic regimes due to anthropogenic activities threaten these systems. Furthermore, limited knowledge regarding key life history traits of species jeopardize the restoration and management of their rare plants...
Authors
Antonio Cantu de Leija, Sammy L. King, Tracy S. Hawkins
Floodplain forest tree seedling response to variation in flood timing and duration Floodplain forest tree seedling response to variation in flood timing and duration
The regeneration process is a sensitive period within life cycles of floodplain tree species and can strongly influence forest community composition. Yet, fundamental information remains limited on the relationship between regeneration processes and the flood disturbances that, together, construct floodplain forest landscapes. In a controlled greenhouse experiment we tested the effects...
Authors
W.A. Kroschel, Sammy L. King
Factors affecting nest success of colonial nesting waterbirds in southwest Louisiana Factors affecting nest success of colonial nesting waterbirds in southwest Louisiana
Subsidence and accelerated sea level rise impact nesting area availability and flood probabilities of breeding islands for colonial nesting waterbirds. In 2017 and 2018, we monitored 855 nests of four species of colonial nesting waterbirds on Rabbit Island, LA, to determine factors affecting nest and chick success. Based on logistic exposure models of nests, tricolored herons had the...
Authors
K. Ritenour, Sammy L. King, S. M. Collins, M.D. Kaller
Migration efficiency sustains connectivity across agroecological networks supporting sandhill crane migration Migration efficiency sustains connectivity across agroecological networks supporting sandhill crane migration
Preserving avian flyway connectivity has long been challenged by our capacity to meaningfully quantify continental habitat dynamics and bird movements at temporal and spatial scales underlying long-distance migrations. Waterbirds migrating hundreds or thousands of kilometers depend on networks of wetland stopover sites to rest and refuel. Entire populations may rely on discrete wetland...
Authors
J. Patrick Donnelly, Sammy L. King, Jeff Knetter, James H. Gammonley, Victoria J. Dreitz, Blake A. Grisham, M. Cathy Nowak, Daniel P. Collins
Wetland conservation: Challenges related to water law and farm policy Wetland conservation: Challenges related to water law and farm policy
Water is essential for wetland function and sustaining migratory networks for wetland wildlife across broad landscapes. Groundwater declines and surface flow reductions that impact aquatic and wetland organisms are common in the western U.S. and increasingly in the eastern U.S. Agriculture is the largest consumptive water user in the U.S. and understanding economic incentives of water...
Authors
Sammy L. King, M. Laubbhan, P. Tashjian, J. Vradenburg, L. Fredrickson
Early successional riparian vegetation is important for western Yellow-billed Cuckoo nesting habitat Early successional riparian vegetation is important for western Yellow-billed Cuckoo nesting habitat
Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Cuckoo; Coccyzus americanus) populations continue to decline in the western United States despite efforts to increase availability of riparian forest. Cuckoos have unique breeding habitat requirements such as large contiguous tracts of riparian forest (>80 ha), large estimated home ranges (20–90 ha), and dense vertical structure around the nest. However...
Authors
P.J. Wohner, S.A. Laymon, J.E. Stanek, Sammy L. King, R.J. Cooper
Challenging our understanding of western Yellow-billed Cuckoo habitat needs and accepted management practices Challenging our understanding of western Yellow-billed Cuckoo habitat needs and accepted management practices
Riparian restoration in the southwestern United States frequently involves planting cottonwood (Populus spp.) and willow (Salix spp.). In the absence of flooding and gap-forming disturbance, planted forests often senesce without further young tree recruitment. This has largely been the case in California riparian systems that historically supported state-endangered western Yellow-billed...
Authors
P.J. Wohner, S.A. Laymon, J.E. Stanek, Sammy L. King, R.J. Cooper
Effects of Wetland Management and Associated Abiotic Processes on Rare Plant Communities of Spring-fed Arid Wetlands at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge 2019-2020 Effects of Wetland Management and Associated Abiotic Processes on Rare Plant Communities of Spring-fed Arid Wetlands at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge 2019-2020
This dataset consists of three datafiles: 1) vegetation, 2) abiotic factors, and 3) groundwater levels. Vegetation data were collected twice per month between July and September of 2019 and 2020. Data was collected by establishing 1m x 1m subplots within 12 5m-radius sampling plots distributed across the management units of Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Subplots were established...
Seed germination requirements and seed responses to salinity for three rare wetland plants of spring-fed arid systems at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge near Roswell, New Mexico 2018-2020 Seed germination requirements and seed responses to salinity for three rare wetland plants of spring-fed arid systems at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge near Roswell, New Mexico 2018-2020
Data includes seed germination experiments observations from seeds collected during the fall of 2018 and 2020 at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, near Roswell, New Mexico. Seeds of Cirsium wrightii, Agalinis calycina, and Helianthus paradoxus were collected by manually clipping seed heads from plants across the wetland management units. Seeds were placed in brown paper bags and...
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 54
Determining the effects of reduced water availability on seed germination of five bottomland hardwood tree species Determining the effects of reduced water availability on seed germination of five bottomland hardwood tree species
Globally, floodplain forests are experiencing shifts in species composition associated with drier conditions and disruptions of flood pulse hydrology. The specific processes behind these shifts in composition are not fully understood, but differential effects of drought on regeneration processes such as seed germination may be partially responsible. To determine how reduced water...
Authors
Charles J. Pell, Sammy L. King, Tracy S. Hawkins, Matt Symmank
Hydrologic variability and plant composition drive relative abundance of marsh birds at created and reference marshes in southeastern Louisiana, U.S.A. Hydrologic variability and plant composition drive relative abundance of marsh birds at created and reference marshes in southeastern Louisiana, U.S.A.
Coastal marsh loss occurs at an alarming pace globally, with extremely high rates along the northern Gulf of Mexico, particularly in Louisiana. In Louisiana, marsh creation projects combat wetland loss; however, biotic responses of vegetation and wildlife receive little to no consideration during and after construction. Habitat characteristics such as hydrologic processes, plant...
Authors
Aylett Lipford, Leah L.K. Moran, Drew Nathan Fowler, Sammy L. King
Relationships among rare plant communities and abiotic conditions in managed spring-fed arid wetlands Relationships among rare plant communities and abiotic conditions in managed spring-fed arid wetlands
Spring-fed wetlands within arid and semiarid systems are hotspots for endemism and distribution of rare plants. Interactions among groundwater and the geomorphic and climatic features of the setting control the abiotic conditions, particularly soil salinity and moisture, that support these plants. However, water uncertainty and land use change challenge the persistence of conditions...
Authors
Antonio Cantu de Leija, Sammy L. King
Diurnal time–activity budget and habitat use of Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) in the reintroduced Louisiana nonmigratory population Diurnal time–activity budget and habitat use of Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) in the reintroduced Louisiana nonmigratory population
Time–activity budget studies provide valuable insights for better understanding animal behavior relative to spatial and temporal habitat use. We examined a reintroduced, nonmigratory Whooping Crane (Grus americana) population to determine how time–activity budgets change relative to crane age, sex, habitat type, and season. Our study area encompassed natural marshes and working wetlands...
Authors
Phillip L. Vasseur, Sammy L. King, Michael D. Kaller
Influences of channel and floodplain modification on expansion of woody vegetation into Catahoula Lake, Louisiana, USA Influences of channel and floodplain modification on expansion of woody vegetation into Catahoula Lake, Louisiana, USA
Ecosystem structure of wetlands in managed floodplains depends on hydrological processes controlled by geomorphology and water management. Overlapping effects of direct modifications and geomorphic adjustments to management can combine to trigger changes to floodplain ecosystem structure. We examined the case of woody vegetation encroaching into the depressional Catahoula Lake, Louisiana...
Authors
R.F. Keim, L. Dugué, K.D. Latuso, S. Joshi, Sammy L. King, F.L. Willis
Seed germination responses to salinity for three rare wetland plants of spring-fed arid systems Seed germination responses to salinity for three rare wetland plants of spring-fed arid systems
Spring-fed wetlands within arid systems host unique species of plants, many of which are threatened due to the vulnerability of these ecosystems. Increased salinity and drier hydrologic regimes due to anthropogenic activities threaten these systems. Furthermore, limited knowledge regarding key life history traits of species jeopardize the restoration and management of their rare plants...
Authors
Antonio Cantu de Leija, Sammy L. King, Tracy S. Hawkins
Floodplain forest tree seedling response to variation in flood timing and duration Floodplain forest tree seedling response to variation in flood timing and duration
The regeneration process is a sensitive period within life cycles of floodplain tree species and can strongly influence forest community composition. Yet, fundamental information remains limited on the relationship between regeneration processes and the flood disturbances that, together, construct floodplain forest landscapes. In a controlled greenhouse experiment we tested the effects...
Authors
W.A. Kroschel, Sammy L. King
Factors affecting nest success of colonial nesting waterbirds in southwest Louisiana Factors affecting nest success of colonial nesting waterbirds in southwest Louisiana
Subsidence and accelerated sea level rise impact nesting area availability and flood probabilities of breeding islands for colonial nesting waterbirds. In 2017 and 2018, we monitored 855 nests of four species of colonial nesting waterbirds on Rabbit Island, LA, to determine factors affecting nest and chick success. Based on logistic exposure models of nests, tricolored herons had the...
Authors
K. Ritenour, Sammy L. King, S. M. Collins, M.D. Kaller
Migration efficiency sustains connectivity across agroecological networks supporting sandhill crane migration Migration efficiency sustains connectivity across agroecological networks supporting sandhill crane migration
Preserving avian flyway connectivity has long been challenged by our capacity to meaningfully quantify continental habitat dynamics and bird movements at temporal and spatial scales underlying long-distance migrations. Waterbirds migrating hundreds or thousands of kilometers depend on networks of wetland stopover sites to rest and refuel. Entire populations may rely on discrete wetland...
Authors
J. Patrick Donnelly, Sammy L. King, Jeff Knetter, James H. Gammonley, Victoria J. Dreitz, Blake A. Grisham, M. Cathy Nowak, Daniel P. Collins
Wetland conservation: Challenges related to water law and farm policy Wetland conservation: Challenges related to water law and farm policy
Water is essential for wetland function and sustaining migratory networks for wetland wildlife across broad landscapes. Groundwater declines and surface flow reductions that impact aquatic and wetland organisms are common in the western U.S. and increasingly in the eastern U.S. Agriculture is the largest consumptive water user in the U.S. and understanding economic incentives of water...
Authors
Sammy L. King, M. Laubbhan, P. Tashjian, J. Vradenburg, L. Fredrickson
Early successional riparian vegetation is important for western Yellow-billed Cuckoo nesting habitat Early successional riparian vegetation is important for western Yellow-billed Cuckoo nesting habitat
Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Cuckoo; Coccyzus americanus) populations continue to decline in the western United States despite efforts to increase availability of riparian forest. Cuckoos have unique breeding habitat requirements such as large contiguous tracts of riparian forest (>80 ha), large estimated home ranges (20–90 ha), and dense vertical structure around the nest. However...
Authors
P.J. Wohner, S.A. Laymon, J.E. Stanek, Sammy L. King, R.J. Cooper
Challenging our understanding of western Yellow-billed Cuckoo habitat needs and accepted management practices Challenging our understanding of western Yellow-billed Cuckoo habitat needs and accepted management practices
Riparian restoration in the southwestern United States frequently involves planting cottonwood (Populus spp.) and willow (Salix spp.). In the absence of flooding and gap-forming disturbance, planted forests often senesce without further young tree recruitment. This has largely been the case in California riparian systems that historically supported state-endangered western Yellow-billed...
Authors
P.J. Wohner, S.A. Laymon, J.E. Stanek, Sammy L. King, R.J. Cooper
Effects of Wetland Management and Associated Abiotic Processes on Rare Plant Communities of Spring-fed Arid Wetlands at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge 2019-2020 Effects of Wetland Management and Associated Abiotic Processes on Rare Plant Communities of Spring-fed Arid Wetlands at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge 2019-2020
This dataset consists of three datafiles: 1) vegetation, 2) abiotic factors, and 3) groundwater levels. Vegetation data were collected twice per month between July and September of 2019 and 2020. Data was collected by establishing 1m x 1m subplots within 12 5m-radius sampling plots distributed across the management units of Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Subplots were established...
Seed germination requirements and seed responses to salinity for three rare wetland plants of spring-fed arid systems at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge near Roswell, New Mexico 2018-2020 Seed germination requirements and seed responses to salinity for three rare wetland plants of spring-fed arid systems at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge near Roswell, New Mexico 2018-2020
Data includes seed germination experiments observations from seeds collected during the fall of 2018 and 2020 at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, near Roswell, New Mexico. Seeds of Cirsium wrightii, Agalinis calycina, and Helianthus paradoxus were collected by manually clipping seed heads from plants across the wetland management units. Seeds were placed in brown paper bags and...