Staff Member
Bryan Stevens
Research Scientist
Email: bstevens@usgs.gov
Education
- Ph D Michigan State University 2016
- MS University of Idaho 2012
- MS University of Idaho 2011
- BS University of Idaho 2008
- Other Hocking College 2006
Biography
I received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Wildlife Resources and a M.S. degree in Statistics from the University of Idaho, as well as a Ph.D. in Fisheries and Wildlife from Michigan State University. My postdoctoral research is focused on modeling the distribution and abundance of wetland birds.. Wildlife ecology and management, applied population ecology, structured decision making, statistical ecology My research interests are focused on the intersection of ecology, natural resource management, and applied statistics, including population and statistical ecology, landscape-scale conservation of wildlife, and decision-theoretic applications in conservation and resource management. This work spans a variety of species and study systems (both terrestrial and aquatic), where a unifying theme is application of advanced statistical and ecological modeling tools to address real-world challenges in the conservation and management of animal populations.
| Research Publications | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| Stevens, B., and C.J. Conway. 2020. Predictive multi-scale occupancy models at range-wide extents: effects of habitat and human disturbance on distributions of wetland birds. Diversity and Distributions 26:34-48. doi: 10.1111/ddi.12995 | December 2019 |
| Stevens, B., and C.J. Conway. 2019. Predicting species distributions: unifying model selection and scale optimization for multi-scale occupancy models. Ecosphere 10(5):e02748. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.2748 | July 2019 |
| Stevens, B. S., and C. J. Conway. 2021. Mapping habitat quality and threats for eastern black rails. Waterbirds 44:245-256. | October 2021 |
| Stevens, B. S., and C. J. Conway. 2020. Mapping habitat suitability at range-wide scales: spatially-explicit distribution models to inform conservation and research for marsh birds. Conservation Science and Practice 2:e178. doi: 10.1111/csp2.178 | February 2020 |
| Stevens, B. S., and C. J. Conway. 2019. Identifying important military installations for continental-scale conservation of marsh bird breeding habitat. Journal of Environmental Management 252:e109664. doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109664 | November 2019 |
| Stevens, B. S., S. B. Roberts, C. J. Conway, and D. K. Englestead. 2023. Effects of large-scale disturbance on animal space use: Functional responses by sage-grouse after megafire. Ecology and Evolution 13:ece3.9933. | April 2023 |
| Stevens, B. S., C. J. Conway, K. Luke, A. Weldon, C. Hand, A. Schwarzer, F. Smith, C. Watson, and B. D. Watts. 2022. Large-scale distribution models for optimal prediction of Eastern black rail habitat within tidal ecosystems. Global Ecology and Conservation 38:e02222. | July 2022 |
| Stevens, B. S., C. J. Conway, J. M. Knetter, S. B. Roberts, and P. Donnelly. 2023. Multi-scale effects of land cover, weather, and fire on Columbian sharp-tailed grouse. Journal of Wildlife Management 87:e22349. https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.22349 | January 2023 |
| Stevens, B. S., C. J. Conway, C. Tisdale, K. Denny, A. Meyers, and P. Makela. 2023. Backpack satellite transmitters reduce survival but not nesting propensity or success of greater sage-grouse. Ecology and Evolution 13:e10820. | December 2023 |
| Riley, I. P., C. J. Conway, B. S. Stevens, and S. Roberts. 2021. Survival of greater sage-grouse broods: survey method affects disturbance, detection probability, and ability to detect age-specific mortality. Journal of Field Ornithology 92:88-102. doi: 10.1111/jofo.12356 | April 2021 |
| Riley, I. P., C. J. Conway, B. S. Stevens, and S. Roberts. 2021. Aural and visual detection of greater sage-grouse leks: implications for population trend estimates. Journal of Wildlife Management 85:508-519. DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21991 | January 2021 |
| Manning, S. E., B. S. Stevens, and D. M. Williams. 2019. Simulated performance of multi-year regulation cycles for wild turkeys. Journal of Wildlife Management 83(5):1032-1042. | October 2019 |
| Helmstetter, N. A., C. J. Conway, B. S. Stevens, and A. R. Goldberg. 2021. Balancing transferability and complexity of species distribution models for rare species conservation. Diversity and Distributions 27:95-108. doi: 10.1111/ddi.13174 | December 2020 |
| Harrity, E.J., B.S. Stevens, and C.J. Conway. 2020. Keeping up with the times: mapping range-wide habitat suitability for endangered species in a changing environment. Biological Conservation 250:108734. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108734 | September 2020 |
| Project | Completion Date |
|---|---|
| Assessing the Importance of Wetlands on DoD Installations for the Persistence of Wetland-dependent Birds | December 2019 |
| Eastern Black Rail Species Distribution Model | September 2021 |
| Movement Ecology and Survival of Light-footed Ridgway's Rail | December 2024 |
| Population Dynamics of Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse in Idaho | April 2021 |
| A Comprehensive Framework for Monitoring and Adaptively Managing Deer Harvest in North Dakota | June 2022 |
| Dispersal behavior of Yuma Ridgway's Rail | September 2020 |
| Effects of spring cattle grazing on demographic traits of greater sage-grouse | December 2024 |
| Presentations | Presentation Date |
|---|---|
| Stevens, B.S., and C.J. Conway. 2020. Predictive distribution models for eastern black rails: analyses and results. Atlantic Coast Join Venture - Eastern Black Rail Working Group. Webinar. 22 July 2020. | July 2020 |
| Stevens, B.S., and C.J. Conway. 2017. Developing range-wide occupancy models for king rails: optimizing predictive capabilities across spatial scales. Annual Meeting of The Wildlife Society. Albuquerque, NM. 24 Sep 2017. | September 2017 |
| Stevens, B.S., and C. J. Conway. 2021. Large-scale distribution models for optimal prediction of Eastern black rail habitat suitability within estuarine ecosystems. TWS conference. 3 November 2021. | November 2021 |
| Stevens, B.S., and C. J. Conway. 2018. Developing predictive distribution models for secretive marsh birds: occupancy and spatial modeling to facilitate habitat conservation. The Wildlife Society, Cleveland, OH. 9 Oct 2018. | October 2018 |
| Stevens, B.S., and C. J. Conway. 2019. Predicting black rail breeding habitat: spatial models to identify anthropogenic threats and facilitate conservation. The Waterbird Society, Salisbury, Maryland. 8 Nov 2019. | November 2019 |
| Stevens, B.S., and C. J. Conway. 2019. Species distribution model for eastern Black Rails. USFWS Webinar. 29 May 2019. | May 2019 |
| Stevens, B.S., and C. J. Conway. 2019. Spatial models to facilitate broad-scale conservation of breeding habitat for secretive marsh birds. American Ornithological Society. Anchorage, AK. 26 Jun 2019. | June 2019 |
| Stevens, B.S., and C. J. Conway. 2019. Predicting breeding habitat for marsh birds: Models to facilitate spatial conservation planning. USFWS Webinar. 11 Jun 2019. | June 2019 |
| Stevens, B.S., and C. J. Conway. 2019. Predicting black rail breeding habitat: range-wide models to identify anthropogenic threats and facilitate conservation. Joint Meeting of The Wildlife Society and the American Fisheries Society, Reno, NV. 2 Oct 2019. | October 2019 |
| Stevens, B.S., and C. J. Conway. 2019. Mapping marsh bird breeding habitat: rangewide models to guide strategic conservation. Idaho Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Boise, ID. 20 Mar 2019. | March 2019 |
| Stevens, B.S., and C. J. Conway. 2019. Assessing the importance of wetlands on DoD installations for the persistence of wetland-dependent birds in North America. U.S. Department of Defense Natural Resources Program National Webinar Series. 7 Feb 2019. | February 2019 |
| Stevens, B.S., and C. J. Conway. 2018. Estimating animal abundance with removal models. North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Bismark, ND. 25 Jan 2018. INVITED. | January 2018 |
| Stevens, B.S., S. Roberts, D. Englestead, and C.J. Conway. 2021. Functional responses in greater sage-grouse habitat selection in response to large-scale disturbance. 32nd Western Agencies Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Workshop, Virtual (webinar). 23 Jun 2021. | June 2021 |
| Stevens, B.S., C.J. Conway, J. Knetter, P. Donnelly, and S. Roberts. 2021. Productivity and abundance of Columbian sharp-tailed grouse in Idaho: multi-scale effects of weather, habitat, and disturbance. 32nd Western Agencies Sage and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Workshop, Virtual (webinar). 23 Jun 2021. | June 2021 |
| Stevens, B., and C. J. Conway. 2018. Developing predictive distribution models for secretive marsh birds: Occupancy and spatial modeling to facilitate habitat conservation. Annual Meeting of the Idaho Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Idaho Falls, ID. 7 Mar 2018. | March 2018 |
| Stevens, B., S. Roberts, C.J. Conway, and D. Englestead. 2023. Predicting space use after rapid environmental change: megafire and greater sage-grouse in eastern Idaho. Annual Conference of the Idaho Chapter of The Wildlife Society. Boise, ID. 17 Feb 2023. | February 2023 |
| Stevens, B., C.J. Conway, S. Roberts, and D. Englestead. 2023. Fitness consequences of megafire are mitigated by behavioral responses of greater sage-grouse in eastern Idaho. Annual Conference of the Idaho Chapter of The Wildlife Society. Boise, ID. 16 Feb 2023. | February 2023 |
| Stevens, B. S., J. R. Bence, W. F. Porter, and M. L. Jones. 2018. Developing robust fall harvest targets for managing assessment-limited wild turkey populations. Southeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Wild Turkey Working Group Meeting, Bismarck, AR. May 2018 | May 2018 |
| Stevens, B. S., J. R. Bence, M. L. Jones, W. F. Porter, D. R. Luukkonen, C. A. Stewart, and D. M. Williams. 2018. Stakeholders, statistics, and structured decision making: building a foundation for adaptive management of wild turkey harvests in Michigan. Southeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Wild Turkey Working Group Meeting, Bismarck, AR May 2018. | May 2018 |
| Stevens, B. S., C. J. Conway, K. Sawyer, L. Kershek, G. Block, S. Hamilton, and R. Kolstrom. 2024. Developing a Range-wide Sampling Framework for Endangered Species: an example with light-footed Ridgway’s rail. Idaho Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Coeur d’Alene, ID. 28 Mar 2024. | March 2024 |
| Helmstetter, N., C.J. Conway, A.R. Goldberg, and B.S. Stevens. 2019. Predicting habitat suitability for a threatened ground squirrel: balancing model complexity and spatial transferability. Joint Meeting of The Wildlife Society and the American Fisheries Society, Reno, NV. 30 Sep 2019. | September 2019 |
| Crawford, J. C., B. S. Stevens, and W. F. Porter. 2018. Simulated effects of heterogeneity in catchability on population inferences for wild turkeys. Midwest Deer and Wild Turkey Study Group Meeting. Little Camp, MN, October 2018 | October 2018 |
| Conway, C. J., and B. S. Stevens. 2019. Marsh bird monitoring and data management for North America. Atlantic Flyway Council meeting. Kitty Hawk, NC. 26 Feb 2019. | February 2019 |