A5033374139- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Agriculture and Agroindustry Studies
- Aquatic life and conservation
- Comparative Animal Anatomy Studies
- Medicinal Plant Research
- Ecology and biodiversity studies
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Indigenous Studies and Ecology
- Dermatological diseases and infestations
- Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies
- Underwater Acoustics Research
- Satellite Image Processing and Photogrammetry
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Soil Geostatistics and Mapping
Pennsylvania State University
2011-2025
Colorado State University
2014-2019
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...
ABSTRACT Motivation SNAPSHOT USA is an annual, multicontributor camera trap survey of mammals across the United States. The growing dataset intended for tracking spatial and temporal responses mammal populations to changes in land use, cover climate. These data will be useful exploring drivers relative abundance distribution, as well impacts species interactions on daily activity patterns. Main Types Variables Contained 2019–2023 contains 987,979 records image sequence 9694 deployment...
New methods for modeling animal movement based on telemetry data are developed regularly. With advances in capabilities, models becoming increasingly sophisticated. Despite a need population‐level inference, still predominantly individual‐level inference. Most efforts to upscale the inference population level either post hoc or complicated enough that only developer can implement model. Hierarchical Bayesian provide an ideal platform development of but be challenging fit due computational...
Abstract SNAPSHOT USA is a multicontributor, long‐term camera trap survey designed to mammals across the United States. Participants are recruited through community networks and directly website application ( https://www.snapshot-usa.org/ ). The growing Snapshot dataset useful, for example, tracking wildlife population responses land use, cover, climate changes spatial temporal scales. Here we present 2021 dataset, third national US. Data were collected 109 arrays included 1711 sites. total...
Summary Advancements in wildlife telemetry techniques have made it possible to collect large data sets of highly accurate animal locations at a fine temporal resolution. These prompted the development number statistical methodologies for modelling movement. Telemetry are often collected purposes other than fine‐scale movement analysis. may differ substantially from those that with technologies suitable and consist irregular time, temporally coarse or measurement error. time‐consuming costly...
Habitat selection models frequently use data collected from a small geographic area over short window of time to extrapolate patterns relative abundance into unobserved areas or periods time. However, such often poorly predict the distribution animal space‐use intensity beyond place and collection, presumably because behaviors vary between individuals environmental contexts. Similarly, ecological inference based on habitat could be muddied biased due unaccounted individual context...
Abstract Identifying the specific environmental features and associated density‐dependent processes that limit population growth is central to both ecology conservation. Comparative assessments of sympatric species allow for inference about how ecologically similar differentially respond their shared environment, which can be used inform community‐level conservation strategies. nevertheless complicated by interactions feedback loops among in question. We developed an integrated model based...
ABSTRACT Objective Although conserving fish biodiversity in lotic systems is challenging, protected areas can provide refuge from certain environmental stressors. In the Appalachian region, USA, National Park Service manages Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area and New River Gorge & Preserve, which contain abundant diverse freshwater resources. To assess effectiveness of these stream fishes, we evaluated decadal changes ecological drivers species occupancy detection. Methods Using...
Dual-frequency identification sonar (DIDSON) offers important advantages over other sampling tools for observing pelagic and benthic fishes in situ. Because it relies on sound, DIDSON can detect fish a non-destructive non-intrusive manner. In our unique application, the equipment's small size low power requirements allow deployment from kayak increased maneuverability complex habitats. Characteristics that typify echograms of different be extracted using multivariate ordination techniques,...
While many species have suffered from the detrimental impacts of increasing human population growth, some species, such as cougars (Puma concolor), been observed using human-modified landscapes. However, habitat can be a source both increased risk and food availability, particularly for large carnivores. Assessing preferential use landscape is important managing wildlife useful in transitional habitats, at wildland-urban interface. Preferential often evaluated resource selection functions...
Anthropogenic landscape alteration and climate change can have multiscale interrelated effects on ecological systems. Such changes to the environment disrupt connection between habitat quality cues that species use identify habitat, which result in an trap. Ecological traps are typically difficult without fine-scale information individual survival fitness, but this is rarely available over large temporal spatial scales. The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of United States Canada has undergone...
As human populations continue to expand across the world, need understand and manage wildlife within wildland-urban interface is becoming commonplace. This especially true for large carnivores as these species are not always tolerated by public can pose a risk safety. Unfortunately, information on sparse, knowledge from wildland ecosystems does translate well human-dominated systems. Across western North America, cougars (Puma concolor) routinely utilizing habitats while use of areas homes...
Abstract Background Identifying the behavioral state for wild animals that can’t be directly observed is of growing interest to ecological community. Advances in telemetry technology and statistical methodologies allow researchers use space-use movement metrics infer underlying, latent, an animal without direct observations. For example, studying ungulate ecology have started using these methods quantify behaviors related mating strategies. However, little work has been done determine if...
Abstract Climate and land use change are two of the primary threats to global biodiversity; however, each species within a community may respond differently these facets change. Although it is typically assumed that habitat advantageous for survival reproduction, anthropogenic changes environment can create ecological traps, making critical assess both selection (e.g. where congregate on landscape) influence selected habitats demographic processes govern population dynamics. We used...
Understanding movement behavior and identifying areas of landscape connectivity is critical for the conservation many species. However, collecting fine‐scale data can be prohibitively time consuming costly, especially rare or endangered species, whereas existing sets may provide best available information on animal movement. Contemporary models not an option modeling due to low temporal resolution large unusual error structures, but inference still obtained using a functional approach. We...
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are widely accepted as a multidisciplinary vertebrate model for neurobehavioral and clinical studies, more recently have become established exercise physiology behavior. Individual differences in activity level (e.g., exploration) been characterized zebrafish, however, how different levels of exploration correspond to motivation engage swimming behavior has not yet explored. We screened individual zebrafish two tests exploration: the open field novel tank diving...
Abstract Advances in tagging technologies are expanding opportunities to estimate survival of fish and wildlife populations. Yet, capture handling effects could impact outcomes bias inference about natural mortality processes. We developed a multistage time-to-event model that can partition the process into sequential phases reflect tagged animal experience, including release mortality, post-release recovery subsequently, mortality. demonstrate performance models through simulation testing...
Abstract Mark‐recapture methods are generally considered to more accurately reflect population trends than count data, which is especially important for indicator species. Terrestrial salamanders often used as indicators of forest ecosystem health and may be monitored through diurnal cover object searches or nocturnal activity searches. Our goal was determine whether search method affected encounter probabilities, these probabilities differed between age classes, the inclusion in...
Abstract We trapped, anesthetized, and fit 16 female feral swine ( Sus scrofa ) with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) to develop predictive summer winter models for more effective population control efforts. Given the highly diverse habitat topography GRSM spatial extent of our dataset, we employed Step Selection Function (SSF) evaluate resource selection at 3 rd -order level Resource (RSF) 2 nd both seasons. The SSF RSF suggested...
The parasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei causes mange in nearly 150 species of mammals by burrowing under the skin, triggering hypersensitivity responses that can alter animals' behavior and result extreme weight loss, secondary infections, even death. Since 1990s, sarcoptic has increased incidence geographic distribution Pennsylvania black bear (Ursus americanus) populations, including expansion into other states. Recovery from free-ranging wildlife rarely been evaluated. Following Game...
Abstract While the quantity, quality, and variety of movement data has increased, methods that jointly allow for population- species-level parameters to be estimated are still needed. We present a formal integration approach combine individual-level population-level distribution data. show how can used improve precision individual population level additional metrics (e.g., connectivity) formally quantified. describe three components needed an Integrated Movement Model (IMM): model movement,...
The Brownie tag-recovery model is useful for estimating harvest rates but assumes all tagged individuals survive to the first hunting season; otherwise, mortality between time of tagging and season will cause estimator be negatively biased. Alternatively, fitting animals with radio transmitters can used accurately estimate rate may more costly. We developed a joint annual survival that combines known-fate data from fitted probability surviving period capture season, reward-tagged in model....
ABSTRACT Banding waterfowl, in combination with the citizen science provided by hunters that report marks from harvested birds, is a long‐standing, institutionalized practice for estimating probabilities of survival and exploitation (i.e., legal harvest such populations). Range‐wide population abundance can also be estimated combining number banded individuals population. Waterfowl marking uniquely identifiable bands done during late summer North America often referred to as pre‐season...