A5027073180- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Animal Disease Management and Epidemiology
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Forest ecology and management
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Economic and Environmental Valuation
- Zoonotic diseases and public health
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Soil Geostatistics and Mapping
- Turfgrass Adaptation and Management
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Ecology and Conservation Studies
- Data Analysis with R
- Parasitic Diseases Research and Treatment
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Study of Mite Species
- Yersinia bacterium, plague, ectoparasites research
- Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
US Forest Service
2019-2025
Rocky Mountain Research (United States)
2019-2025
Rocky Mountain Research Station
2018-2025
Beltsville Agricultural Research Center
2024
United States Department of Agriculture
2016-2024
Agricultural Research Service
2024
Colorado State University
2014-2020
Arena Pharmaceuticals (United States)
2020
National Wildlife Research Center
2017
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
2016-2017
Abstract Analyzing ecological data often requires modeling the autocorrelation created by spatial and temporal processes. Many seemingly disparate statistical methods used to account for can be expressed as regression models that include basis functions. Basis functions also enable ecologists modify a wide range of existing in order autocorrelation, which improve inference predictive accuracy. Furthermore, understanding properties is essential evaluating fit or time‐series models, detecting...
The movement behavior of an animal is determined by extrinsic and intrinsic factors that operate at multiple spatio-temporal scales, yet much our knowledge comes from studies examine only one or two scales concurrently. Understanding the drivers across crucial for understanding fundamentals ecology, predicting changes in distribution, describing disease dynamics, identifying efficient methods wildlife conservation management.We obtained over 400,000 GPS locations wild pigs 13 different...
ABSTRACT Does environmental DNA (eDNA) concentration correlate with numerical abundance ( N ) or biomass in aquatic organisms? We hypothesize that eDNA can be adjusted to simultaneously reflect both. Building on frameworks developed from the Metabolic Theory of Ecology, we derive two equations adjust data both and using population size structure allometric scaling coefficients. also demonstrate these share model parameters, necessitating joint estimation regressions between eDNA, , biomass....
Abstract Our ability to infer unobservable disease‐dynamic processes such as force of infection (infection hazard for susceptible hosts) has transformed our understanding disease transmission mechanisms and capacity predict dynamics. Conventional methods inferring FOI estimate a time‐averaged value are based on population‐level processes. Because many pathogens exhibit epidemic cycling is the result acting across scales individuals populations, flexible framework that extends dynamics links...
Trichinella murrelli Pozio and La Rosa, 2000, is the primary sylvatic trichinellid encountered in temperate North America. During a survey for Sarcocystis wild canids, single worm matching morphology of encapsulated was observed muscle tissue squash from gray fox male originating Pennsylvania. The photographed then separated host by artificial digestion, genomic DNA extracted worm. This subjected to species-specific multiplex PCR short-read sequencing. banding pattern indicated that T....
Abstract The Methods section is a key component of any ecology research publication containing detailed information on how the data were collected and analyzed. However, descriptions which statistical methods used they applied can substantially vary may not provide enough for analyses to be reproducible. Computational programming advances have allowed ecological researchers without strong or mathematical background access use increasingly complex methods. Thus, are written by need accessible...
The human-mediated spread of exotic and invasive species often leads to unintentional harmful consequences. Invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are one such that have been repeatedly translocated throughout the United States cause extensive damage natural ecosystems, threatened endangered species, agricultural resources, private lands. In 2005, a newly established population was confirmed in Fulton County, Illinois, U.S. 2011, state-wide pig management program involving federal, state, local...
Fire agencies across the United States must make complex resource allocation decisions to manage wildfires using a national network of shared firefighting resources. Firefighters play critical role in suppressing fires and protecting vulnerable communities. However, they are exposed health safety risks associated with fire, smoke inhalation, infectious disease transmission. The COVID-19 pandemic further complicated these risks, prompting fire propose management adaptations minimize exposure...
Uncertainties about controls on tree mortality make forest responses to land-use and climate change difficult predict. We tracked biomass of functional groups in tropical inventories across Puerto Rico the U.S. Virgin Islands, with random forests we ranked 86 potential predictors small survival (young or mature stems 2.5–12.6 cm diameter at breast height). Forests span dry cloud forests, range age, geology past land use experienced severe drought storms. When excluding species as a...
One measure of habitat quality is a species' demographic performance in and the gold standard metric reproduction. Such measure, however, may be misleading if individual fitness determinant. We report on factors affecting lifetime reproduction (LR), total number fledglings produced by an individual, long-term territory-specific multi-generational study northern goshawks (Accipiter gentilis). LR increased with longer lifespans more breeding attempts was strongly correlated recruits two filial...
Xylem traumatic resin ducts (TRDs) in Douglas-fir form response to mechanical injury, fire, and root pathogens, but it is unknown if these at the stem bark-beetle-associated fungi. Meanwhile, TRDs are rarely documented lodgepole pine. In southern Rocky Mountains, TRD formation two species from sterile (Control) fungal inoculation treatments (Aggressive, Weak (Douglas-fir only)) were compared; predicting following: (1) both trees would produce treatments; (2) Douglas-fir, Aggressive treatment...
The mite and fungal biota associated with the mountain pine beetle (MPB) (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopk.) may not be stable throughout an irruptive event. In congeneric beetles, variations in frequency of their organisms affect population trends similar effects occur MPB. We studied fungi a declining MPB as it attacked three different hosts Colorado Front Range. During study, we found two new associates including one biologically relevant beneficial blue-stain fungus. Fungi hyperphoretic on...
Analyzing ecological data often requires modeling the autocorrelation created by spatial and temporal processes. Many of statistical methods used to account for can be viewed as regression models that include basis functions. Understanding concept functions enables ecologists modify commonly autocorrelation, which improve inference predictive accuracy. properties is essential evaluating fit or time-series models, detecting a hidden form multicollinearity, analyzing large sets. We present...
Prominent examples of predator-prey oscillations between prey-specific predators exist, but long-term data sets showing these are uncommon. We explored various models to describe the oscillating behavior coyote (Canis latrans) and black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus) abundances in a sagebrush-steppe community Curlew Valley, UT over 31-year period 1962 1993. tested both continuous discrete which accounted for variety mechanisms discriminate most important factors affecting time...
Abstract Does environmental DNA (eDNA) correlate more closely with numerical abundance (N) or biomass in aquatic organisms? We hypothesize that the answer is ‘neither’: eDNA production likely scales allometrically, reflecting key physiological rates and surface area-to-body mass relationships. Building on individual-level frameworks developed from Metabolic Theory of Ecology, we derive a framework through which quantitative data can be transformed to simultaneously reflect both...
Fungal and mite associates may drive changes in bark beetle populations, mechanisms constraining irruptions be hidden endemic populations. We characterized common fungi of endemic-level Jeffrey pine (JPB) western USA analyzed their dissemination by JPB (maxillae fecal pellet) fungivorous mites to identify if endogenous regulation drove the population. hypothesized that: (1) as near-endemic mountain JPB’s mutualistic fungus would either less abundant than non-endemic populations or that...