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USGS2018

Application of isoscapes to determine geographic origin of terrestrial wildlife for conservation and management

Accounting for migration and connectivity of mobile species across the annual cycle can present challenges for conservation and management efforts. The use of stable isotope approaches to examine the movements and ecology of wildlife has been widespread over the past two decades. Hydrogen stable isotope ( δ 2 H) composition, in particular, has been frequently used to provide insight into the origin of migratory species, although isotopes of other elements are sometimes used. These intrinsic markers can yield valuable information about distributions of wildlife on a broad scale, with reduced labor and expense compared to tracking and telemetry. Many of the applications of isotopes to migratory species to date have addressed connectivity and origin, and studies in support of conservation biology are less common. In addition, there are few guides for how to best employ these methods for management. Therefore, we provide an overview for the wildlife conservation and management community on how stable isotope methods may be applied to conservation problems and a primer on the process for assigning geographic origins to terrestrial wildlife. We also discuss best practices for employing environmental isoscapes (isotopic distributions across landscapes), rescaling functions, and the assumptions required for assignment to origin while highlighting emerging issues in the modeling process. Finally, we provide example applications to illustrate these principles, and we explore strengths and limitations of this approach in a conservation context.

Biological Conservation↗

USGS2026

Spatially realistic dynamic N-mixture models

Dispersal is a complex ecological process that can be driven by the abiotic environment, density-dependent processes and species mobility. Traditionally, dispersal has been studied with capture-based data that are often limited in space and time. More recently, spatial dynamic N-mixture models (i.e. N-mixture models accounting for dispersal among local populations and changes in abundance over time) allow the study of dispersal with count data. However, current spatial dynamic N-mixture models focus mainly on distance-based dispersal, limiting our ability to evaluate realistic patterns and drivers of dispersal at relevant spatial and temporal scales. We developed a spatially realistic dynamic N-mixture model that allows dispersal to be driven by environmental conditions and population density. Using simulations, we evaluated the inferential performance of this model when large proportions of sites are unsurveyed and the survey period is short, situations that are typical of real-world studies. We then used two case studies to illustrate the applications of this model, one representing a species with limited mobility in fragmented habitat (Chiricahua Leopard Frogs, Lithobates chiricahuensis , in isolated ponds) and the other representing a species with great mobility in continuous heterogeneous habitat (Common Nighthawks, Chordeiles minor , in grasslands). Our simulation study showed that the model provides valid inference even when the number of surveyed sites is small (𝑛 =10) or when the survey period is short for dynamic models (5 years), indicating that the model could have great practical value in real-world studies. The case study of Chiricahua Leopard Frogs showed that the model is capable of revealing pond-type-specific dispersal and predicting dispersal among ponds. The case study of Common Nighthawks showed the ability of the model to reveal the effect of primary productivity on dispersal and to map dispersal across the study area. Our effort demonstrates the potential of using count data to gain insights about complex yet realistic dispersal processes. The model that we introduce is flexible and adaptable for a broad range of situations in population and conservation ecology

Arizona, Kansas↗

USGS2019

Distant neighbors: recent wildfire patterns of the Madrean Sky Islands of southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico

Background Information about contemporary fire regimes across the Sky Island mountain ranges of the Madrean Archipelago Ecoregion in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico can provide insight into how historical fire management and land use have influenced fire regimes, and can be used to guide fuels management, ecological restoration, and habitat conservation. To contribute to a better understanding of spatial and temporal patterns of fires in the region relative to environmental and anthropogenic influences, we augmented existing fire perimeter data for the US by mapping wildfires that occurred in the Mexican Sky Islands from 1985 to 2011. Results A total of 254 fires were identified across the region: 99 fires in Mexico (μ = 3901 ha, σ = 5066 ha) and 155 in the US (μ = 3808 ha, σ = 8368 ha). The Animas, Chiricahua, Huachuca-Patagonia, and Santa Catalina mountains in the US, and El Pinito in Mexico had the highest proportion of total area burned (>50%) relative to Sky Island size. Sky Islands adjacent to the border had the greatest number of fires, and many of these fires were large with complex shapes. Wildfire occurred more often in remote biomes, characterized by evergreen woodlands and conifer forests with cooler, wetter conditions. The five largest fires (>25 000 ha) all occurred during twenty-first century droughts (2002 to 2003 and 2011); four of these were in the US and one in Mexico. Overall, high variation in fire shape and size were observed in both wetter and drier years, contributing to landscape heterogeneity across the region. Conclusions Future research on regional fire patterns, including fire severity, will enhance opportunities for collaborative efforts between countries, improve knowledge about ecological patterns and processes in the borderlands, and support long-term planning and restoration efforts.

Madrean Sky Islands↗

USGS2019

Evaluating community-level response to management actions across a diverse Hawaiian forest bird community

Although species‐specific approaches are necessary to understand the dynamics of individual species composing a community, they do not offer a framework for making optimal management decisions at the community level. Here, we present a simple framework for comparing the response of entire communities to multiple management scenarios. Our approach uses a weighted average of standardized species‐specific responses to produce a single integrative measure of the community response and employs mixed‐effect linear models to quantify the increase in the community response due to each management action, or combination of actions. We demonstrate our approach with a simulation study assessing the potential benefits of multiple management actions on the avian community of Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, Hawaiʻi, which is composed of eight native species with conservation status varying from endangered to least concern. Management actions considered included a reduction of avian malaria transmission risk, reducing rat predation, and increasing forest habitat. We used three different prioritization (weighting) schemes to assess whether the response to management actions differed along a conservation gradient (from endangered to least concern). We also investigated whether future changes in disease distribution as a result of climate change will alter the relationship between management practices and community response. Our community‐level analysis produced three important insights, highlighting the need to consider the response from multiple species to changing threats and management actions. First, increasing the amount of habitat always had the greatest positive impact on the avian community, regardless of the weighting scheme. Second, the community response to management was different under current vs. future conditions, with increased benefit in the future when disease risks were higher. Third, the response to management varied along the conservation gradient. Reducing malaria transmission risk in 2100 had the greatest benefit to endangered species, while increasing forest habitat had the greatest benefit to “least concern” species. However, reducing rat predation appeared to benefit a subset of species based on ecological factors unrelated to rarity, such as nest accessibility. Our approach is widely applicable using experimental, observational, or simulation‐based data, allowing managers to consider the response of all species while weighting their priority levels.

Hawaii↗

USGS2022

Genetic analyses provide new insight on the mating strategies of the American Black Swift (Cypseloides niger)

Avian mating strategies play a vital role in the demographic and genetic dynamics of a species and understanding avian reproductive tactics is important to conservation, population management and restoration. Classifications of avian mating strategies have historically been based on direct physical observations and tend to be rigid population-level generalizations that overlook the variations inherent in most ecological systems. Based on limited empirical field observations, the American Black Swift Cypseloides niger borealis is considered to be a socially monogamous species with pair bonds lasting for many years. To test this hypothesis, we collected genomic DNA samples from banded swifts from six American Black Swift colonies in the western United States from 2004 to 2019 and isolated and developed primers for highly polymorphic microsatellite loci and used them to genotype our samples. Our parentage analysis revealed that sampled females never mated with the same male in subsequent years, suggesting that they are not sexually monogamous with a single partner for many years as previously hypothesized.

Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico↗

USGS2017

Conservation endocrinology

Endocrinologists can make significant contributions to conservation biology by helping to understand the mechanisms by which organisms cope with changing environments. Field endocrine techniques have advanced rapidly in recent years and can provide substantial information on the growth, stress, and reproductive status of individual animals, thereby providing insight into current and future responses of populations to changes in the environment. Environmental stressors and reproductive status can be detected nonlethally by measuring a number of endocrine-related endpoints, including steroids in plasma, living and nonliving tissue, urine, and feces. Information on the environmental or endocrine requirements of individual species for normal growth, development, and reproduction will provide critical information for species and ecosystem conservation. For many taxa, basic information on endocrinology is lacking, and advances in conservation endocrinology will require approaches that are both “basic” and “applied” and include integration of laboratory and field approaches.

BioScience↗

USGS2025

Divergence of leptin receptor and interleukin-6 receptor subunit b in early vertebrate evolution and physiological insights from the sea lamprey

Current knowledge of class-I cytokine receptors comes primarily from studies in jawed vertebrates (gnathostomes), and their origin and evolution remain unresolved. In this study, we identified a leptin receptor-like sequence (LepRL) and three interleukin-6 receptor subunit b-like sequences (IL6RBL) from a jawless vertebrate (cyclostome), the sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ). Based on structural, phylogenetic, and syntenic analyses, we deduced that these lamprey receptors are likely distinct ohnologs to gnathostome LepR and IL6RB-related receptors, respectively, that arose in the two rounds of vertebrate whole-genome duplication (1R and 2R). Notably, lamprey LepRL likely originated from a different 1R progenitor than the one giving rise to gnathostome LepR during cyclostome hexaploidization. Differential patterns in mRNA expression of LepRL and IL6RBLs were observed among adult tissues, during larval metamorphosis, and in response to juvenile feeding. Feeding stimulated hepatic expression of LepRL and IL6RBL (namely, IL6RBL1) mRNAs in correlation with upregulation of insulin-like growth factor mRNA, whereas brain LepRL and IL6RBL1 mRNA expression was correlated positively with neuropeptide Y but inversely with intestinal content in fed juveniles. Notably, these observations along with immunolocalization of LepRL in the hypothalamus suggest a role of leptin signaling in regulating energy balance that is conserved among vertebrates. Additionally, seawater exposure stimulated branchial LepRL expression coincident with increased expression of ion transporters in ionocytes, indicating a role of leptin signaling in osmoregulation. These findings provide new insight into the early evolution of class-I cytokine receptors and reveal diverse functions of the leptin signaling system in jawless vertebrate.

Molecular Biology and Evolution↗

USGS2020

Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus specialization in a multihost salmonid system

Many pathogens interact and evolve in communities where more than one host species is present, yet our understanding of host–pathogen specialization is mostly informed by laboratory studies with single species. Managing diseases in the wild, however, requires understanding how host–pathogen specialization affects hosts in diverse communities. Juvenile salmonid mortality in hatcheries caused by infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) has important implications for salmonid conservation programs. Here, we evaluate evidence for IHNV specialization on three salmonid hosts and assess how this influences intra‐ and interspecific transmission in hatchery‐reared salmonids. We expect that while more generalist viral lineages should pose an equal risk of infection across host types, viral specialization will increase intraspecific transmission. We used Bayesian models and data from 24 hatcheries in the Columbia River Basin to reconstruct the exposure history of hatcheries with two IHNV lineages, MD and UC, allowing us to estimate the probability of juvenile infection with these lineages in three salmonid host types. Our results show that lineage MD is specialized on steelhead trout and perhaps rainbow trout (both Oncorhynchus mykiss ), whereas lineage UC displayed a generalist phenotype across steelhead trout, rainbow trout, and Chinook salmon. Furthermore, our results suggest the presence of specialist–generalist trade‐offs because, while lineage UC had moderate probabilities of infection across host types, lineage MD had a small probability of infection in its nonadapted host type, Chinook salmon. Thus, in addition to quantifying probabilities of infection of socially and economically important salmonid hosts with different IHNV lineages, our results provide insights into the trade‐offs that viral lineages incur in multihost communities. Our results suggest that knowledge of the specialist/generalist strategies of circulating viral lineages could be useful in salmonid conservation programs to control disease.

Oregon, Washington↗

USGS2021

Hawai‘i forest review: Synthesizing the ecology, evolution, and conservation of a model system

As the most remote archipelago in the world, the Hawaiian Islands are home to a highly endemic and disharmonic biota that has fascinated biologists for centuries. Forests are the dominant terrestrial biome in Hawai‘i, spanning complex, heterogeneous climates across substrates that vary tremendously in age, soil structure, and nutrient availability. Species richness is low in Hawaiian forests compared to other tropical forests, as a consequence of dispersal limitation from continents and adaptive radiations in only some lineages, and forests are dominated by the widespread Metrosideros species complex. Low species richness provides a relatively tractable model system for studies of community assembly, local adaptation, and species interactions. Moreover, Hawaiian forests provide insights into predicted patterns of evolution on islands, revealing that while some evidence supports “island syndromes,” there are exceptions to them all. For example, Hawaiian plants are not as a whole less defended against herbivores, less dispersible, more conservative in resource use, or more slow-growing than their continental relatives. Clearly, more work is needed to understand the drivers, sources, and constraints on phenotypic variation among Hawaiian species, including both widespread and rare species, and to understand the role of this variation for ecological and evolutionary processes, which will further contribute to conservation of this unique biota. Today, Hawaiian forests are among the most threatened globally. Resource management failures – the proliferation of non-native species in particular – have led to devastating declines in native taxa and resulted in dominance by novel species assemblages. Conservation and restoration of Hawaiian forests now rely on managing threats including climate change, ongoing species introductions, novel pathogens, lost mutualists, and altered ecosystem dynamics through the use of diverse tools and strategies grounded in basic ecological, evolutionary, and biocultural principles. The future of Hawaiian forests thus depends on the synthesis of ecological and evolutionary research, which will continue to inform future conservation and restoration practices.

Hawaii↗

USGS2012

Temporal analysis of mtDNA variation reveals decreased genetic diversity in least terns

The Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) has undergone large population declines over the last century as a result of direct and indirect anthropogenic factors. The genetic implications of these declines are unknown. We used historical museum specimens (pre-1960) and contemporary (2001–2005) samples to examine range-wide phylogeographic patterns and investigate potential loss in the species' genetic variation. We obtained sequences (522 bp) of the mitochondrial gene for NADH dehydrogenase subunit 6 (ND6) from 268 individuals from across the species' range. Phylogeographic analysis revealed no association with geography or traditional subspecies designations. However, we detected potential reductions in genetic diversity in contemporary samples from California and the Atlantic coast Least Tern from that in historical samples, suggesting that current genetic diversity in Least Tern populations is lower than in their pre-1960 counterparts. Our results offer unique insights into changes in the Least Tern's genetic diversity over the past century and highlight the importance and utility of museum specimens in studies of conservation genetics.

The Condor↗

USGS2022

Annual summer submersed macrophyte standing stocks estimated from long-term monitoring data in the Upper Mississippi River

System-scale restoration efforts within the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge have included annual monitoring of submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) since 1998 in four representative reaches spanning ∼ 440 river kilometers. We developed predictive models relating monitoring data (site-scale SAV abundance indices) to diver-harvested SAV biomass, used the models to back-estimate annual standing stock biomass between 1998 and 2018, and compared biomass estimates with previous abundance measures. We modeled two morphologically distinct groups of SAV with differing sampling efficiencies and estimated each separately: the first category included only wild celery Vallisneria americana, which has long, unbranched leaves and dominates lotic environments, while the second category included 17 branched morphology species (e.g., hornwort Ceratophyllum demersum and Canadian water weed Elodea canadensis ) and dominates lentic environments. Wild celery accounted for approximately half of total estimated total biomass in the four reaches, combined branched species accounted for half, and invasive species (Eurasian watermilfoil Myriophyllum spicatum and curly-leaf pondweed Potamogeton crispus ), a fraction of the branched species, accounted for < 1.5%. Site-scale SAV estimates ranged from 0 to 535 g·m −2 (dry mass). We observed increases in biomass in most areas between 1998 and 2009 and substantial increases (e.g., from < 10 g·m −2 to ∼ 125 g·m −2 ) in wild celery in extensive impounded areas between 2002 and 2007. Analyses also indicate a transitional period in 2007–2010 during which changes in biomass trajectories were evident in all reaches and included the start of a 9-y, ∼ 70% decrease in wild celery biomass in the southernmost impounded area. Biomass estimates provided new insights and illustrated scales of change that were not previously apparent using traditional metrics. The ability to estimate biomass from Long Term Resource Monitoring data improves conservation efforts through better understanding of changes in habitat and food resources for biota, improved goal setting for restoration projects and improved quantification of SAV-mediated structural effects such as anchoring of sediments and feedbacks with water quality.

Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin↗

USGS2019

Spatial capture-recapture reveals age- and sex-specific survival and movement in stream amphibians

Life history information sets the foundation for our understanding of ecology and conservation requirements. For many species, this information is lacking even for basic demographic rates such as survival and movement. When survival and movement estimates are available, they are often derived from mixed demographic groups and do not consider differences among life stages or sexes, which is critical because life stages and sexes often contribute differentially to population dynamics. We used hierarchical models informed with spatial capture-mark-recapture data of Ascaphus montanus (Rocky Mountain tailed frog) in 5 streams and A. truei (coastal tailed frog) in 1 stream to estimate variation in survival and movement by sex and age, represented by size. By incorporating survival and movement into a single model, we were able to estimate both parameters with limited bias. Annual survival was similar between sexes of A. montanus (females = 0.885 [95% CI: 0.614–1], males = 0.901 [0.657–1]), but was slightly higher for female A. truei (0.836 [0.560–0.993]) than for males (0.664 [0.354–0.962]). Survival of A. montanus peaked at mid-age, suggesting that lower survival of young and actuarial senescence may influence population demographics. Our models suggest that younger A. montanus moved farther than older individuals, and that females moved farther than males in both species. Our results provide uncommon insight into age- and sex-specific rates of survival and movement that are crucial elements of life-history strategies and are important for modeling population growth and prescribing conservation actions.

Oecologia↗

USGS2021

Stewardship and management of freshwater ecosystems: From Leopold's land ethic to a freshwater ethic

In 1949, Aldo Leopold formalized the concept of the ‘land ethic’, in what emerged as a foundational and transformational way of thinking about natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and stewardship in terrestrial systems. Yet, the land ethic has inherent linkages to aquatic ecosystems; Leopold himself conducted research on rivers and lakes, and freshwater ecosystems figured widely in his writing. We reflect on the land ethic and other aspects of Leopold's scholarship to identify key messages that provide insight into the stewardship and management of freshwater ecosystems around the globe. We also frame what we call the ‘freshwater ethic’ around Leopold's legacy. Although Leopold could not have envisaged the stressors affecting modern aquatic ecosystems, his core principles remain salient. These apply not only to ecosystem protection, but also to the ethics of modern conservation economics, sustainability, and the protection of natural capital, in which lakes, rivers, and wetlands now figure prominently. We identify key ‘Aldo-inspired’ recommendations for protecting and restoring freshwater ecosystems in the Anthropocene that emanate directly from his writings (e.g. adopt an ecosystem approach, identify win–win–win scenarios, recognize the irreplaceability of wild waters, and strive for freshwater optimism). In an epoch where links between people and nature are becoming more explicit in environmental management, policy, and governance, we suggest that Aldo Leopold's work illustrates how inspirational, seminal thinkers have offered leadership in this domain. We contend that today there is still much that can be learned from Leopold, especially by the next generation of environmental practitioners, to ensure the effective stewardship of our aquatic ecosystems. We submit that the adoption of a freshwater ethic in parallel with Leopold's land ethic will enhance the stewardship of the world's increasingly threatened fresh waters by raising the profile of the plight of fresh waters and identifying enduring actions that, if embraced, will help conserve and restore biodiversity.

Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosys↗

USGS2021

Resilience to fire and resistance to annual grass invasion in sagebrush ecosystems of US National Parks

Western North American sagebrush shrublands and steppe face accelerating risks from fire-driven feedback loops that transition these ecosystems into self-reinforcing states dominated by invasive annual grasses. In response, sagebrush conservation decision-making is increasingly done through the lens of resilience to fire and annual grass invasion resistance. Operationalizing resilience and resistance concepts requires place-based understanding of resilience and resistance variation among landscapes over time. Place-based insights allow for landscape prioritization in targeted areas of significance such as protected-area sagebrush ecosystems that exhibit inherently low resilience and are therefore at high risk of loss. We used a multi-scale approach to evaluate sagebrush resiliency and strategic planning across 1) the US National Park system, 2) a regional suite of five parks, and 3) for two specific park case studies. First, we summarized broad patterns of relative resilience to fire and resistance to annual grass invasion across all parks with sagebrush ecosystems. We found that national parks represented ~11% of US protected-area sagebrush ecosystems and reflected a similar low-resilience bias that occurs across the biome, broadly. Climate change is likely to shift both low- and high-resilience park sagebrush ecosystems towards moderate resiliency, creating new opportunities and constraints for park conservation. Approximately seventy park units include at least some sagebrush shrublands or steppe, but we identified 40 parks with substantial amounts (>20% of park area) that can be included in an agency-wide conservation strategy. Second, we examined detailed patterns of resilience and resistance, fire history and fire risk, cheatgrass ( Bromus tectorum ) invasion, and sagebrush shrub ( Artemisia spp.) persistence in five national park units in Columbia Basin and Snake River Plain sagebrush steppe, contextualized by the broader summary. In these five parks, fire frequency and size increased in recent decades. Cheatgrass invasion and sagebrush persistence correlated strongly with resilience, burn frequency (0–3 fires since ~1940), and burn probability, but with important variation, in part mediated by local-scale topography. Third, we used these insights to assemble strategic sagebrush ecosystem fire protection mapping scenarios in two additional parks – Lava Beds National Monument and Great Basin National Park. Readily available and periodically updated geospatial data including soil surveys, fire histories, vegetation inventories, and long-term monitoring support resiliency-based adaptive management through tactical planning of pre-fire protection, post-fire restoration, and triage. Our assessment establishes the precarious importance of the US national park system to sagebrush ecosystem conservation and an operational strategy for place-based and science-supported conservation.

Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New↗

USGS2022

Dynamic material flow analysis of tantalum in the United States from 2002 to 2020

Tantalum has received considerable attention due to risks associated with its supply chain. In 2020 ∼70% of global tantalum supply originated in Africa, with 40% produced in the Democratic Republic of Congo alone. The United States has relied entirely on imports since the 1950s. However, quantifying total domestic consumption is problematic because refined tantalum compounds do not have unique tariff codes resulting in significant trade volumes not properly documented. Furthermore, tantalum incorporated into finished goods is not tracked as tantalum. Thus, estimates only capture a fraction of total consumption. We performed a material flow analysis to quantify total domestic tantalum consumption from 2002 to 2020. Our results indicate that consumption may be up to 250% more than previously estimated. Our detailed results allow quantification of tantalum stocks in-use as well as coming out of use any year, providing valuable insight to industry and policymakers for addressing potential supply security issues.

Resources, Conservation & Recycling↗

USGS2014

Demography of common toads after local extirpation of co-occurring midwife toads

Estimating demographic parameters like survival or recruitment provides insight into the state and trajectory of populations, but understanding the contexts influencing those parameters, including both biotic and abiotic factors, is particularly important for management and conservation. At a high elevation national park in Central Spain, common toads ( Bufo bufo ) are apparently taking advantage of the near-extirpation of the midwife toad ( Alytes obstetricans ), as colonization into new breeding ponds is evident. Within this scenario, we expected demographic parameters of common toad populations tobe affected favorably by the putative release from competition. However, we found the population growth rate was negative in 4 of 5 years at the long-standing population; survival probability at the long-standing population and newly-colonised breeding ponds was lower than reported for other toads living at high elevations and the probability of recruitment was inadequate to compensate for the survival rate in maintaining a positive trajectory for either of the breeding ponds. We assessed weather covariates and disease for their contribution to the context that may be limiting the common toad’s successful use of the niche vacated by the midwife toad.

Amphibia-Reptilia↗

USGS2025

Greater white-fronted goose habitat use in Louisiana provides water depth management insights

Numerous waterfowl species have altered their geographic distribution in recent decades. The greater white-fronted goose ( Anser albifrons ) has shifted its wintering distribution from coastal marshes in Texas and Louisiana, USA, to interior landscapes, creating challenges for conservation managers. Although the range shift has been primarily attributed to landscape-scale changes in rice production, effects of fine-scale habitat conditions on greater white-fronted goose habitat use are unknown. Thus, information on fine-scale environmental conditions could provide information to managers working to mitigate effects of the shift. We used global positioning system neck collars to monitor 78 greater white-fronted geese in Louisiana each winter during 2016–2019 and visited all used locations to record vegetation height, water depth, and land cover. We modeled greater white-fronted goose habitat use in 4 regions across Louisiana (central, coastal, north, southwest), and evaluated effects of vegetation height, water depth, land cover, and interactions. In our candidate model set, we included a sampling null, which accounted for differences in sampling frequencies among hunt seasons and diel periods. The top model in the central, coastal, and north regions included water depth, whereas the top model in the southwest region included water depth, vegetation height, and land cover. Parameter estimates and confidence intervals indicated that goose habitat use was higher at sites with >5.1 cm of water compared to dry sites or sites with <5.1 cm of water. In the southwest region, goose habitat use was highest in areas identified as other land cover (e.g., corn, cotton, rye, sugarcane) and lowest in open water. Although Louisiana has substantial anthropogenic food resources in the form of rice agriculture and abundant grazing opportunities afforded by mild winters, our results indicate that wet areas provide better habitat to greater white-fronted geese than dry areas. New agricultural flooding regimes in Louisiana could improve habitat quality and potentially mitigate some effects of the winter distribution shift.

Louisiana↗

USGS2020

Multi‐species occupancy models: Review, roadmap, and recommendations

Recent technological and methodological advances have revolutionized wildlife monitoring. Although most biodiversity monitoring initiatives are geared towards focal species of conservation concern, researchers are increasingly studying entire communities, specifically the spatiotemporal drivers of community size and structure and interactions among species. This has resulted in the emergence of multi‐species occupancy models (MSOMs) as a promising and efficient approach for the study of community ecology. Given the potential of MSOMs for conservation and management action, it is critical to know whether study design and model assumptions are consistent with inference objectives. This is especially true for studies that are designed for a focal species but can give insights about a community. Here, we review the recent literature on MSOMs, identify areas of improvement in the multi‐species study workflow, and provide a reference model for best practices for focal species and community monitoring study design. We reviewed 92 studies published between 2009 and early 2018, spanning 27 countries and a variety of taxa. There is a consistent under‐reporting of details that are central to determining the adequacy of designs for generating data that can be used to make inferences about community‐level patterns of occupancy, including the spatial and temporal extent, types of detectors used, covariates considered, and choice of field methods and statistical tools. This reporting bias could consequently result in skewed estimates, affecting conservation actions and management plans. On the other hand, comprehensive reporting is likely to help researchers working on MSOMs assess the robustness of inferences, in addition to making strides in terms of reproducibility and reusability of data. We use our literature review to inform a roadmap with best practices for MSOM studies, from simulations to design considerations and reporting, for the collection of new data as well as those involving existing datasets.

Ecography↗