Wyoming Research: Projects, Research Publications, Presentations, Thesis and Dissertations, Technical Publications

Wyoming Research Activities

A pika hoists itself between two rocks, photographed during a study for the WY Coop Unit.

Procedures for identifying research needs and priorities include identification of research needs through a collaborative process with WGFD staff, preparation of proposals for review by WGFD staff, development of work plans prior to funding, preparation of quarterly reports for all projects in progress, and submission of detailed project reports (often in the form of theses or dissertations) at the completion of a project. The Unit also provides extensive research administration services for projects funded by WGFD and Federal agencies. These services include the preparation and monitoring of contracts and Research Work Orders with Federal agencies, monitoring of budgets and billings, and maintenance of necessary communications regarding projects such as the submission of progress and completion reports.

Projects

Project	Completion Date
Wildlife-Livestock Disease Transmission in a Changing Climate	September 2018	The goal of this project is to develop a framework for understanding the ecology of elk-cattle commingling, particularly with regards to how annual forage conditions and weather patterns influence elk movement during the critical spring/summer brucellosis transmission period. Elk habitat use and cattle grazing regimes are largely determined by the changing distribution of high-quality forage throughout the year.	...
Determining stream of origin and spawning site fidelity of salmonids in the Upper North Platte River drainage using otolith microchemistry	December 2017	The Upper North Platte River watershed supports a nationally recognized and important wild trout fishery. The productivity of this fishery is dependent on accessibility to spawning habitat in tributary streams, but we do not know which tributaries are most important for trout spawning. Increasingly, otolith microchemistry analysis is used as a tool to trace fish migrations especially migrations of diadromous fish. In collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department we built on existing approaches of otolith microchemistry to quantify and compare the migration diversity of two inland salmonid populations, Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and Brown Trout (Salmo trutta), residing in the Upper North Platte River Basin. A better understanding of which tributary streams are used by spawning trout is essential for prioritizing management actions to protect this valuable fishery. In addition, this study will improve our understanding of fluvial life-history strategies of trout and the physical characteristics of important spawning tributaries.	The Upper North Platte River watershed supports a nationally recognized and important wild trout fishery. The productivity of this fishery is dependent on accessibility to spawning habitat in tributary streams, but we do not know which tributaries are most important for trout spawning. Increasingly, otolith microchemistry analysis is used as a tool to trace fish migrations especially migrations of diadromous fish. In collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department we built on existing approaches of otolith microchemistry to quantify and compare the migration diversity of two inland salmonid populations, Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and Brown Trout (Salmo trutta), residing in the Upper North Platte River Basin. A better understanding of which tributary streams are used by spawning trout is essential for prioritizing management actions to protect this valuable fishery. In addition, this study will improve our understanding of fluvial life-history strategies of trout and the physical characteristics of important spawning tributaries.
Identification of priority conservation areas for native aquatic species	September 2016	The main goal is to prioritize native aquatic species monitoring and management efforts through the designation of priority conservation areas. We will do this for fish and other aquatic species (pending data availability), which will allow us to see which areas are important for multiple aquatic taxa. Once we have identified areas we will evaluate how successful they are at addressing species-specific concerns and assess the major threats for each priority conservation area.	None
Updating Temperature Criteria for Wyoming Surface Waters - DEQ	August 2017	The goal of this project is to provide recommendations to WDEQ for new aquatic life use tiers and temperature criteria. Specific objectives are to identify a sufficient number of aquatic life use tiers to protect the aquatic communities present in Wyoming's waters, identify thermal tolerances for species within each aquatic life use tier, and evaluate the newly-developed aquatic life use tiers against fish distribution data.	The goal of this project is to provide recommendations to WDEQ for new aquatic life use tiers and temperature criteria. Specific objectives are to identify a sufficient number of aquatic life use tiers to protect the aquatic communities present in Wyoming's waters, identify thermal tolerances for species within each aquatic life use tier, and evaluate the newly-developed aquatic life use tiers against fish distribution data.
Population Dynamics in Moose in the Snowy Range	December 2018	Snowy Range moose are at a crossroads. Managers have considered the population to be performing well because it is recently introduced and has had abundant forage, however, the current status of the population and the influence of harvest, remain uncertain. This has created considerable uncertainty in how these moose should be manged (i.e., harvest levels) over the long term, and what can be done to maintain productivity and reduce the probabilility of a population decline which has become the norm for Shiras moose across much of their range. The overall goal of the proposed project is to characterize the population trajectory of moose in the Snowy Range to determine if the population is increasing or decreasing under current management. We also seek to understand the primary factors influencing population performance (especially nutrition), and to develop cost-effective tools to aid in the long-term monitoring and management.	None
Phenology Tracking in Migratory Mule Deer	December 2018	In terrestrial ecosystems, there is critical need to understand the influence of climate change on the spatial and temporal heterogeneity in forage conditions and the wildlife species that depend on it. We aim to address the Green Wave hypothesis as it relates to phenological tracking along migration routes and summer ranges of migratory mule deer in western Wyoming	None
Technical Guidance for the Implementation of the Rapid Ecoregional Assessment Program	September 2015	Managing public lands is a complex challenge that requires consideration of the potential effects of different land uses and their interactions with natural processes across a wide range of ecosystems and spatial scales. To provide information that supports regional planning and analysis for the management of ecological resources, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has initiated 14 Rapid Ecoregional Assessments (REA). The REAs provides broad-scale assessments of baseline ecological conditions, an evaluation of current risks from drivers of ecosystem change, and a predictive capacity for evaluating future risks. Additionally, the REA may be used for identifying priority areas for conservation or restoration and for assessing cumulative effects of multiple land uses. To foster innovation and creativity for conducting assessments at regional scales and to allow the REAs sufficient flexibility to tailor the assessments to meet local information needs, REA participants have been given wide latitude to develop approaches and methods. However, the REAs lack consistency, which can be especially problematic for BLM field and state offices that encompass more than one ecoregion within their jurisdiction. In addition, each REA provides hundreds of compiled and derived data sets, but guidance on how to incorporate regional data into local planning and decision-making is lacking. The goal of this project is to: provide technical guidance for the implementation and application of REAs in planning and management activities by evaluating the existing REAs, developing recommendations for standards and guidelines that improve consistency while allowing local flexibility, and demonstrate how REA products can be used to support management decision.	None
Influence of Energy Development on Non-Game Sagebrush Birds III	December 2017	One of the most influential sources of on-going sagebrush loss and change in Wyoming is oil and natural gas development, which is associated with lower nesting success of all three sagebrush songbird species. Yet, mechanisms underlying why nest predation rates increased in areas with energy development were unknown and critical to understand for potential mitigation measures. We identified nest predator species of songbird nests via 24-hour infrared video cameras in the Jonah and Pinedale Anticline natural gas fields, and found that 75% of depredation events were by rodents (mice, chipmunks and ground squirrels). Moreover, rodent predators increased in abundance across the same energy development gradient, especially where there was more reseeded (reclaimed) land. Project partners included the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (multi-agency) and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Results have been provided to state and federal agencies involved in sagebrush habitat management in Wyoming such that future developments can proceed in a manner to limit further population declines of sensitive non-game bird species.	One of the most influential sources of on-going sagebrush loss and change in Wyoming is oil and natural gas development, which is associated with lower nesting success of all three sagebrush songbird species. Yet, mechanisms underlying why nest predation rates increased in areas with energy development were unknown and critical to understand for potential mitigation measures. We identified nest predator species of songbird nests via 24-hour infrared video cameras in the Jonah and Pinedale Anticline natural gas fields, and found that 75% of depredation events were by rodents (mice, chipmunks and ground squirrels). Moreover, rodent predators increased in abundance across the same energy development gradient, especially where there was more reseeded (reclaimed) land. Project partners included the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (multi-agency) and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Results have been provided to state and federal agencies involved in sagebrush habitat management in Wyoming such that future developments can proceed in a manner to limit further population declines of sensitive non-game bird species.
Avian Community Response in GTNP	December 2015	Information provided by this study will serve multiple purposes. First, it will contribute to a better understanding of the effects of restoration treatments on sagebrush steppe birds and their habitats. Currently, there is little information available in the primary literature on bird responses to restoration in sagebrush steppe ecosystems. In fact, a recent review of published articles by Ortega-Alvarez and Lindig-Cisneros (2012) of the effects of ecological restoration on birds and the role birds play in evaluating restoration outcomes yielded no studies focused on sagebrush steppe habitats. Although there are studies reporting restoration treatments of sagebrush steppe with the aim of creating or improving Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) habitat, the actual effects of restoration on sage grouse populations seemingly have not been evaluated (e.g., Wisdon et al. 2002; Baker et al. 2009). Second, these data could be used in building state-and-transition (STM) models as a way of determining when ecological functions (like the provision of wildlife habitat) are intact. Holmes and Miller (2010) recently used an STM approach to model effects of habitat dynamics on grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) abundance in Oregon rangelands, and there are efforts underway to do the same for populations of Greater Sage-grouse (Evers 2010). Information from our study will be made available to other researchers and land managers through a manuscript published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Additionally, our data will be shared with NPS personnel to be used in natural resource management decisions.	None
Sublette Moose Demography and Habitat Use	December 2016	This proposal represents an extension of ongoing work, generously funded in part by the WGBGLC in 2012. The Sublette moose herd accounts for 55%-65% of all moose counted in Wyoming during annual surveys. This herd also represents the largest population of Shiras moose (Alces alces shirasi) in the lower 48, carrying great economic and cultural significance to the state of Wyoming. Our project was initiated at the behest of the WY Governor's office in November 2010 to provide 1) information on the survival and fecundity of cow moose; 2) information on rates of juvenile recruitment; and 3) information on habitat selection and migration between winter and summer ranges. We collected these data to provide baseline information prior to energy development by the Plains Exploration and Production Company (PXP). During Fall 2012, a collaboration of sportsmen and sportswomen, conservationists, outdoor enthusiasts, and Wyoming government officials organized to offer a buyout of the leases owned by PXP in Hoback Basin. The Trust For Public Land agreed to broker the $8.75 million deal with PXP, which was met in December. While the potential for energy development in the Hoback Basin has subsided, there are still natural gas leases (44,720 acres; hereafter the 44-7 leasing zone) that fall within our study area near the creeks of South Beaver, North Horse, and Cottonwood (see map at right). Although moose are relatively abundant in the 44-7 leasing zone, very little is known about their demography or habitat use. Thus, it is crucial to continue our study where existing leases still are active. Furthermore, our data provide information on the interacting influences of nutritional condition, disease, and predation for this important Wyoming moose herd, which are critical but poorly understood components of demography.	None
Statewide Moose Habitat Project	June 2018	Currently, Shiras moose (Alces alces shirasi) herds in the state are exhibiting a wide range of population performance, with many declining (e.g. Jackson, Snowy Range, North Park, CO) and some stable (e.g. Sublette, Unita) or increasing (e/g. Bighorn). For the declining herds, potential mechanisms that may affect carrying capacity are habitat deterioration due to current and historic overbrowsing, regional variation in forage quality, and other disturbances, such as severe wildfire or bark beetle outbreaks. Additionally, a new and growing predator community is present in the northwest corner of the state and may prevent higher recruitment rates form being achieved, but these predators can not account for declines elsewhere in Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah. Further, a newly emergent disease, the carotid artery worm (Elaeophora schneideri), appears to be prevalent in Wyoming. Unfortunately we do not yet understand the impacts of this disease on the nutritional condition and survival of moose. In combination with the observed range in population performance, variability of moose habitat in the state represents a timely opportunity to evaluate habitat-performance relationships (i.e. local carrying capacities). Such a statewide habitat evaluation could serve as a benchmark to understand the relationship between moose habitat and population performance and would provide the WGFD with 'early warning' metrics to predict where and when declines are likely to occur, and would improve the scientific basis of moose population objectives.	...
Trophic Resource Portfoilio	August 2015	A basic goal of ecosystem-based management (EBM) is to account for species interactions and the potential for harvest levels on target species to have indirect effects on others. An implicit assumption of most EBM strategies is that harvested species can be modeled as homogenous entities with interactions governed by their numerical abundance or biomass. However, recent research on species interactions suggests this assumption is flawed. Rather than occurring as homogeneous entities, many prey resources exhibit functional diversity in terms of where and when they are available to consumers. For example, genetically differentiated prey populations often exhibit differential timing in the life-cycle events that make them available to consumers. Consumers benefit from phenological diversity in prey resources because it spreads foraging opportunities across space and time, enabling individuals to track a shifting mosaic of food rather than get swamped by a single pulse. Recent studies suggest many wide-ranging consumers depend not only on phenological diversity in prey resources, but also on habitat connectivity, which enables them to track shifting prey phenologies across heterogeneous landscapes. The goal of this proposal is to explore whether these recent discoveries in ecology have substantial implications for how we manage ecosystems. As we experience rapid losses to population diversity and widespread habitat fragmentation, a key uncertainty is in understanding how much trophic diversity and habitat connectivity is necessary to support consumers at the top of the food chain. This question is especially important in coastal ecosystems of North America, where recent research shows that phenological diversity in commercially harvested salmon may provide benefits to wide-ranging consumers including grizzly bears, rainbow trout, and eagles. Habitat loss and homogenization, hatchery supplementation, and climate change have the potential to alter salmon phenologies and the mobility of consumers. I propose to address these issues by generating consumerresource models that consider trophic resources not as a homogenous entity, but instead as an aggregate of stocks analogous to a financial portfolio.	None
Evaluating the Influence of Beetle Kill on Sierra Madre Elk	June 2019	This project will provide information on how hunters and elk change their use of the forest as trees die, as dead trees begin to fall and beetle kill management is implemented. Most of the beetle killed trees in our study area of the Sierra Madre mountains are infected and dying, but have not yet fallen over. Thus, this study will provide an assessment of elk movement and forest use prior to, during, and after massive tree fall. We are also documenting how hunters change their use of the forest and where they choose to hunt elk throughout all stages of the beetle kill and tree fall, and evaluating any change in elk and elk hunters caused by beetle-kill management activities	...
Relating Mule Deer Corridors to Sage-Grouse Conservation	November 2015	In spring of 2010, US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) introduced the Sage-Grouse Initiative (SGI); A highly targeted and science-based landscape approach to delivering enough of the right conservation practices in the right places to elicit a positive sage-grouse population response to management. This Initiative continues to generate broad interest and support from diverse stakeholders and has yielded significant improvements benefitting sage-grouse on 2 million acres in two short years. Through SGI, NRCS is helping to orchestrate a paradigm shift in at-risk species conservation by using voluntary and incentive-based programs to positively influence sage-grouse populations, making an ESA listing unnecessary. At the heart of SGI is the commitment to maintain large and intact grazing landscapes capable of supporting world-class wildlife populations. In a recent outcome based assessment, funded by SGI, The Nature Conservancy teamed up with Initiative and developed build-out scenarios to simulate future energy and residential development to measure the efficacy of conservation actions for protecting sage-grouse populations. This approach quantifies how much sage-grouse population loss can be averted through conservation action and how spatial targeting can help maximize return on investment. No conservation action would decrease sage-grouse populations in Wyoming statewide by 14-29%. But findings also show that core area policy and $250 million in targeted easements cuts anticipated losses by nearly half statewide and reduces losses by two-thirds within sage-grouse high abundance areas. This winning strategy provides a framework to guide the quantity and placement of future conservation work, so that policy makers and practitioners can work together to maintain habitats that support healthy wildlife populations. SGI may have branded the initiative with the iconic sage-grouse but NRCS fully embraces a multi-species approach and mule deer are the vanguard of public support for landscape conservation in the West. Most importantly, similar and overlapping habitat needs make mule deer a foundation upon which SGI can reliably expand its partnership. Assessing the outcomes of SGI benefits to mule deer will enhance targeting of existing Farm Bill resources to mutually benefit both deer and grouse	None
Monitoring Elk Migrations with Remote Photography	December 2018	Most elk population estimates are based largely on data collected from aerial classification surveys. Although aerial surveys are an excellent source of data, they are costly and dangerous. Recent wildlife underpass projects and pilot projects to monitor migratory elk populations suggest there may be potential to obtain accurate estimate of annual elk trend from digital cameras as animals move through migration bottlenecks during their spring and fall migrations. This project is evaluating the use of remote cameras to monitor population dynamics and migration patterns of elk in northwest Wyoming.	...
Columbia Spotted Frog Investigations	December 2016	One of the conservation actions identified in the species account for Columbia spotted frog in the 2010 SWAP is “A systematic study of this species should be conducted with respect to distribution, abundance, habitat associations, and disease status within Wyoming.” We propose conducting this investigation in the Bighorn Mountains where spotted frog populations are most susceptible to extirpation	None
Mule Deer Fitness Nutrition	December 2016	Strong behavioral responses of ungulates to development have been well documented and likely induce demographic changes. Nonetheless, the potential link and thus mechanism between altered behavior and population-level change remain a key knowledge gap inhibiting effective mitigation. We propose a three-year study of nutrition and fitness of mule deer in the face of a gradient of human disturbance associated with natural gas development across three winter ranges in western Wyoming: the Pinedale Anticline Project Area (PAPA), and two distinct winter ranges occupied by Wyoming Range mule deer. Our goal is to evaluate the nutritional and fitness consequences of behavioral avoidance and indirect habitat loss associated with displacement by energy development. Concurrently evaluating the influence of individual nutritional condition on winter habitat use and seasonal changes in nutritional condition as a function of disturbance levels will help reveal the mechanisms underlying disturbance-related impacts on animal fitness. This work draws strength from 12 years of detailed research on the behavioral responses of mule deer to energy development in the study area, along with substantial in-kind support from ongoing research, while providing a mechanistic evaluation of the cumulative effects of energy development at a large spatial scale.	None
Small Mammal (SGCN): The Influence of exotic grassland plants	February 2016	Grassland habitats and the species that occupy them have become the focus of tremendous conservation concern range-wide due to widespread loss, fragmentation, and conversion to non-native monocultures (Brennan and Kuvlesky 2005, WGFD bird and mammal grassland plan). Less than 4% of pre-human settlement North American grasslands remain intact (Samson and Knopf 1994). As a result, many small mammal species that utilize grassland habitats are classified as Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) in the State Wildlife Action Plan (WGFD 2010) (Table 1). A critical informational need is how small mammal abundance, diversity and productivity are altered when native prairies are converted to non-native systems dominated by species such as cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum). SGCN small mammals that occur in Wyoming grasslands (Table 1) help shape vegetative communities by serving as seed predators and dispersers (Vander Wall 1993, Bass et al. 2006, Bricker et al. 2010). Moreover, evidence suggests that small mammals are particularly vulnerable to habitat changes such as those caused by exotic grass invasion because of their short longevity and complete dependence on the local environment for food (Sammon and Wilkins 2005, Hanser and Huntly 2006, Richardson 2010). The dispersal and establishment of exotic grasses in eastern Wyoming will likely only increase as previously contiguous tracts of grasslands are fragmented by increasing wind and oil and gas exploration and extraction. 1) Examine and compare small mammal abundance, diversity, reproductive status, sex ratios, population age structure, productivity, and morphometrics in native mixed-grass prairie compared to areas with exotic grass (cheatgrass) encroachment. 2) Quantify vegetative characteristics of native and exotic grasslands that benefit grassland SGCN mammals. 3) Conduct a removal experiment of the deer mouse, a common generalist species that can thrive in human-altered environments, to determine grassland small mammal SGCN habitat preferences and quality in areas with native versus non-native grasses in the absence of the dominant species. 4) Compare the efficacy of multiple techniques (Sherman and Havahart live-traps and pitfall traps) for sampling grassland small mammal populations. 5) Develop recommendations for grassland management in eastern Wyoming based on the results from objectives 1-2.	None
Alpine Habitat: Influence of Climate Change on Wildlife	March 2017	Alpine and northern latitude environments are expected to be particularly impacted by on-going climate change. The American pika (Ochotona princeps), a small alpine mammal in the rabbit family, is vulnerable to climate change due to its distinctive life-history (no migration or hibernation in winter), physiological constraints, limited dispersal ability, and occurrence in small isolated populations. Furthermore, pikas play a key role in the alpine ecosystem by enhancing nutrient availability for vegetation, maintaining plant diversity via grazing, and providing a prey-base for predators. Changes in or local extirpations of pikas therefore influence the entire alpine system. Range shifts and declines of pikas at low elevation and historic sites have been linked to rising summer temperatures at southern latitudes and exposure to extreme cold at more northern latitudes. However, the factors currently limiting pika distribution and abundance in the Central Rocky Mountains, or what may drive declines in the future, are unclear. Moreover, the January 2010 decision not to list the pika under the Endangered Species Act due to lack of sufficient data has elucidated the critical need for further study of the status and potential threats to pika populations throughout its range.	None
Wyoming Basin Rapid Ecoregional Assessment: Aquatic Ecosystems	September 2014	This study is a component of the USGS Fort Collins Science Center led Rapid Ecoregional Assessment for the Wyoming Basin and will focus on understanding the key attributes of aquatic ecosystems and specific fish species and how disturbance will impact them. Specific objectives that are being addressed include: 1. Identify key ecological attributes of aquatic conservation elements 2. Identify primary change agents affecting aquatic conservation elements 3. Assess how change agents (fire, development, invasive species, and climate change) will affect the distribution and key ecological attributes of aquatic conservation elements	None
Wyoming Range Native Fish and Energy Development	June 2021	The rapid expansion of natural gas development has raised concerns about potential effects of energy development for fish and wildlife. An understanding of the effects of oil and natural gas development is required to balance the expansion of development with the protection of natural areas. In collaboration with the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative we are addressing the effects of oil and natural gas development for native fish communities. Our research provides insight into the responses of fish populations and the potential mechanisms underlying the effects. These results can be used to develop monitoring and mitigation strategies for fish most at risk from oil and gas development.	The rapid expansion of natural gas development has raised concerns about potential effects of energy development for fish and wildlife. An understanding of the effects of oil and natural gas development is required to balance the expansion of development with the protection of natural areas. In collaboration with the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative we are addressing the effects of oil and natural gas development for native fish communities. Our research provides insight into the responses of fish populations and the potential mechanisms underlying the effects. These results can be used to develop monitoring and mitigation strategies for fish most at risk from oil and gas development.
Burbot migration and movement: the impact of a managed flow regime	December 2015	The goal of this study is to evaluate the impact of flow management practices on burbot. We will examine the relationship between seasonal out-migration patterns and flow and temperature regimes. We will also determine the age and size-structure of burbot migrants which will be susceptible to entrainment by irrigation diversions. In addition, a secondary goal is to examine the status of burbot in the upper Wind River. Specific objectives that will be addressed are: 1. Determine the timing of burbot out-migration. 2. Determine the age and size-structure of burbot migrants. 3. Evaluate the relationship between burbot out-migration and flow regimes. 4. Determine whether the Wind River supports a self-sustaining population of burbot.	None
Wyoming Migration Initiative	December 2023	Wyoming's ungulate migrations, like the vast landscapes on which they occur, are a vital part of the state's cultural heritage. But corridors are facing new and ongoing threats, and their conservation is constrained by a still-incomplete understanding of migration ecology and by misconceptions among public stakeholders. In 2012, we created the Wyoming Migration Initiative (WMI) to enhance our research program, translate our research into actionable conservation tools, and expand our education and outreach to public and agency cooperators. The WMI has a broad goal of understanding and conserving ungulate migration routes through 1) migration research, 2) the development of conservation tools, 3) and public outreach and education. We conduct this work in collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in addition to a wide variety of other state and federal partners and conservation groups. Current research is focused on mapping undocumented corridors and studying the benefits and challenges of long-distance migration. Our work on conservation tools focuses on creating a powerful archive of corridor data that can guide on-the-ground conservation and policy. Our outreach and education programs continue to tell the story of migration to a broad audience, focusing on "live" tracking of migrations, compelling new videos, storytelling, and resources for K-12 instructors.	Wyoming's ungulate migrations, like the vast landscapes on which they occur, are a vital part of the state's cultural heritage. But corridors are facing new and ongoing threats, and their conservation is constrained by a still-incomplete understanding of migration ecology and by misconceptions among public stakeholders. In 2012, we created the Wyoming Migration Initiative (WMI) to enhance our research program, translate our research into actionable conservation tools, and expand our education and outreach to public and agency cooperators. The WMI has a broad goal of understanding and conserving ungulate migration routes through 1) migration research, 2) the development of conservation tools, 3) and public outreach and education. We conduct this work in collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in addition to a wide variety of other state and federal partners and conservation groups. Current research is focused on mapping undocumented corridors and studying the benefits and challenges of long-distance migration. Our work on conservation tools focuses on creating a powerful archive of corridor data that can guide on-the-ground conservation and policy. Our outreach and education programs continue to tell the story of migration to a broad audience, focusing on "live" tracking of migrations, compelling new videos, storytelling, and resources for K-12 instructors.
Wyoming Range Mule Deer Project	December 2019	The overall goal of this research project is to address important research and management needs indentified by the Mule Deer Working Group in the MDI and WRMDI. Overall, we seek to investigate the nutritional relationships between mule deer population dynamics, energy development and disturbance, habitat conditions, and climate to provide a mechanistic approach to monitoring and management of mule deer.	None
Stable Isotopes to Delineate Seasonal Range Use for Wyoming Ungulates	June 2019	For over a century, wildlife ecologists have sought to describe animal movements and differentiate populations across the vast landscapes they occupy. Understanding the movement biology of terrestrial mammals, especially large ungulates, is important for conserving migratory corridors, understanding interchange of individuals among herds, and understanding how landscape characteristics shape animal movement patterns. Knowing when, how, and where animals use the landscape is important for the successful management of wildlife populations.	...
Platte Valley Mule Deer Project	June 2018	The Platte Valley Herd Unit is facing considerable stresses and informational gaps that challenge its efficeint management by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Change in winter and summer habitat, predators, human development, migration barriers, competition from other ungulates, and diseases, are all factors potentially influencing this herd. In addition to the challenges these deer face, wildlife managers currently have insufficient (and contradictory!) information on the stustus and abundance of this herd. Being a large public land area near Wyoming's major population centers, the Platte Valley Herd Unit is of very high interest to the State of Wyoming because of the large amount of public hunting and viewing opportunities it provides. We have four study objectives. 1. Test, modify, and apply the Idaho Sightability model to Platte Valley deer to provide an independent estimate of current populations size, 2. Evaluate the timing of seasonal migrations for Platte Valley deer and identify the most important migration corridors connecting seasonal ranges. 3. Characterize summer range habitat use and response to beetle-killed portions of summer habitat. 4. Evaluate POP-II population estimates under a range of plausible vital rates from the literature necessary to bring predictions in line with sightability population estimates.	...
Pinedale Mule Deer Condition (PAPA)	June 2015	The number of mule deer that winter on the Pinedale Anticline Project Area (PAPA) has declined in the past decade, coincident with general declines of mule deer observed throughout much of the West. It has been challenging for wildlife managers to disentangle the multitude of factors that have potentially contributed to reduced productivity, survival, and overall abundance of PAPA deer. Proposed factors include drought, altered plant phenology, winter severity, and altered habitat conditions associated with development activity. Our objective is to evaluate the relative contributions of environmental (e.g. drought, disturbance, winter severity) and intrinsic (e.g. age, recruitment status) influences on nutritional condition, reproduction, and survival of mule deer that winter in the PAPA.	None
Elk Survival (Multi-state)	March 2013	Two major factors may be poised to affect elk populations in northwestern states and provinces in the future--climate change and restoration of native carnivores. To address these 2 issues with new research would be financially daunting and require many years to complete. A wealth of information, however, exists that can address these 2 challenges sit in offices, file cabinets, and notebooks across the western states. Since the early 1980's to today, literally thousands of adult elk have been radiocollared in more than 50 studies where their survival and causes of death were recorded. Analysis of data on survival and causes of death of these animals can provide complelling information on what the future may hold for elk populations.	None
Effects on Elk Pregnancy Rates in Wyoming	December 2014	Historically, elk pregnancy rates have not been a focus of study and management, but recent observations of unusually low pregnancy rates in several key Rocky Mountain elk herds have highlighted the potential importance of this demographic rate to calf recruitment. Yet the underlying causes of depressed elk pregnancy are poorly understood, which complicates the management of elk, their habitat, and their predators. A number of previous studies indicate that elk pregnancy rates are determined primarily by summer habitat conditions. It is also possible that winter severity influences elk pregnancy rates. Several recent studies have suggested that the risk of wolf predation depresses elk pregnancy, though there are currently conflicting results on this factor. Additionally, changes in age structure (i.e., following long-term recruitment declines), increasing brucellosis seroprevalence, and supplemental feeding may also influence elk pregnancy rates in Wyoming. Herein we propose a multi-population, regional-scale evaluation of variation elk pregnancy that is designed to help understand the relative contribution of each factor. This project is a collaboration of the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (WCFWRU) and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department's Brucellosis Feedground Habitat group (WGFD-BFH).	None
Teton Bighorn Sheep Project	December 2012	Loss of migration patterns and access to seasonal ranges are threats facing ungulate populations throughout the world. Historically, bighorn sheep in the Teton Range near Jackson Hole, Wyoming undertook an annual migration from high elevation summer range to low elevation winter range. However, the combined effects of human settlement, livestock grazing, and other factors led to the disruption and loss of migration around 50 years ago. The herd currently resides year-round at high elevation (8,000 to 12,000 feet) in Grand Teton National Park and on the Bridger-Teton and Caribou-Targhee National Forests. It is Wyoming's smallest and most isolated native herd – a remnant population of approximately 100-150 sheep. However, the population's hold on the future is tenuous owing to its small size, genetic isolation from surrounding herds, marginal winter habitat, and potential disturbance from winter backcountry recreation. Growing recognition of the status of the herd and the need for interagency cooperation in management led to the formation of the Teton Range Bighorn Sheep Working Group in 1990 and the development of a strategic plan. The strategic plan recognized that the existing information regarding the status and threats to this herd was inadequate. Thus, the primary goal of our project is to conduct research that is closely aligned with the knowledge gaps and management needs outlined in the strategic plan. The specific objectives are to 1) evaluate the summer and winter habitat selection strategies of the herd, 2) assess whether and how bighorn sheep avoid winter habitats due to backcountry recreation, 3) evaluate bighorn sheep use of retired domestic sheep allotments, 4) determine lamb survival through summer for a sample of bighorn ewes, and 5) evaluate summer diet selection and time-budgets. Results from this study will inform future management decisions regarding refinement or addition of seasonal closures, habitat enhancements, justification for or against a future transplant, and expansion of human development. We also hope to shed light on how these bighorn sheep have adapted behaviorally to wintering on high elevation range, as such information would better our understanding of how loss of migration influences ungulate populations.	None
Elk Nutritional Condition	August 2013	For many animal taxa, nutritional condition (i.e., fat levels) is a balance of food intake that increases condition versus energy outputs (i.e., cost of reproduction) that diminish condition. While nutritional condition gradients are common in nature, relatively little is known about how nutritional condition influences behavior. Current management practices in Wyoming offer a rare opportunity to evaluate the influence of nutritional condition on the behavioral strategies of a large, free-ranging population of elk (Cervus elaphus). The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) operates 22 winter feedgrounds for population and disease management. There are many native winter ranges nearby that also support elk, resulting in two groups that differ in their nutritional condition. Our study views supplemental feeding as a landscape-scale experiment that manipulates the nutritional condition of elk. Feedground populations with consistent, reliable winter food supplies should show less inter-annual variability in body condition and come out of winter with higher body-fat levels than non-fed elk. It is unknown whether fed elk make different cost-benefit tradeoffs or employ different strategies than non-fed elk outside of winter owing to difference in winter fat losses. The objectives of this study are to evaluate differences between fed and non-fed elk in regards to 1) migration patterns, 2) foraging, 3) summer habitat selection, and 4) landscape-level distribution. In addition, parturition area delineation, interchange between fed and non-fed elk, and brucellosis seroprevalence will be characterized. This work is being conducted collaboratively by investigators from our research group, WGFD, and the US Geological Survey, and will make use of existing fine-scale movement monitoring (70 GPS collars on feedground elk). Female elk that are on native winter range (n=35) were captured in January 2010 and fitted with GPS collars that will record location data every hour for two years. To quantify the difference in body condition between fed and non-fed elk, 20 elk will be recaptured from each group in March 2011 and their body-fat levels will be estimated through ultrasound measurements. To test for differences between groups in migratory behavior, we will examine timing, pattern, and rate of travel for spring and fall migrations. To evaluate carry-over effects on foraging, we are locating collared individuals on summer range and conducting behavioral observations to estimate time budgets. To evaluate summer habitat selection, we will develop resource selection functions for individual elk and then compare groups of fed and non-fed elk. We are also interested in whether any behavioral differences scale up to influence landscape distribution of elk, which we are evaluating using stable isotope analysis. Stable isotope values are influenced by diet and physiology, and disparities between fed and non-fed elk should be reflected in distinct isotopic signatures in tissues such as fur, hoof, and tooth cementum. Understanding the influence of body-condition on elk behavioral ecology throughout the year will provide insight into the generality of behavior-condition relationships and movement and distribution data that are crucial to effective conservation and management. Initial stable isotope analysis from hair samples of elk during initial capture failed to show detectable differences with regards to isotope ratios. To determine if our hair location sampling was incorrect due to false assumptions regarding timing and rate of hair growth, we initiated a collaborative effort with Dr. Kreeger and his staff at the WGFD Sybille Wildlife Research Center to measure both hair and hoof growth rates using six captive elk. This portion of the project was initiated in December 2010 with the dyeing of a patch of hair on the elk’s back with Nyanzol D and filing a grooved notch into one digit 10 mm below the coronary corium. These six elk will be brought in through squeeze chutes at the facility once a month for one year in order to determine both annual and seasonal growth rates. Digits will be renotched each month and total digit length will be recorded. To our knowledge this has never been done on elk before. We will then use this knowledge to acurately determine the correct location on hair and hooves to sample for growth that would have occurred while the elk was on a feedground in winter. Fall elk hunter harvest sample collection was very successful with the collaboration of WGFD staff from the Jackson, Pinedale and Laramie regions. From the Pinedale and Jackson regions, samples were solicited from elk hunters at check stations in all hunt areas containing or adjacent to feedgrounds. Check stations in the Laramie region were prioritized based on what WGFD biologists felt would be good oportunities to sample elk that never feed on agricultural fields (this would help to serve as a base for non-fed elk). Samples from 129 different elk were collected, including one hoof, one tooth and a pinch of hair. Sampling location and isotope analysis will wait until elk hoof and hair growth rate can be determined from the captive elk at Sybille.	None
Absaroka Elk Ecology Project	August 2012	We are working to understand the changing demography and distribution of the Clarks Fork elk herd, which ranges widely in the Absaroka Mountains between Cody, WY and the headwaters of the Lamar River inside Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Each summer, while resident Clarks Fork elk remain in the foothills of the Absaroka Front, their migratory counterparts travel 40-60 kilometers across the Absaroka Divide to summer in high-elevation alpine and subalpine habitats of YNP. There, the migratory elk bear and nurse their calves, breed, and forage until the first substantial snows of winter, when they return to winter ranges neighboring and overlapping with those of resident elk. These two distinct strategies expose migrant and resident Clarks Fork elk to different densities of grizzly bears and wolves and different patterns of summer climate and plant growth – including access to irrigated fields for the resident elk. Long-term monitoring by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) and emerging results from our research suggest that these large-scale environmental differences are causing dramatic changes in the demography, movements, and distribution of the Clarks Fork herd. Over the past decade, WGFD has documented declining calf recruitment among migratory elk versus stable or increasing recruitment among resident elk. Concurrently, the overall distribution of the herd has shifted about 20 kilometers eastward into the Absaroka foothills, favoring the resident subpopulation. These trends have generated local attention and regional management concern because growing numbers of resident elk cause damage to agricultural crops, compete with domestic livestock for native grasses, and may threaten cattle with brucellosis. Meanwhile, shifting patterns of elk productivity have brought changes to hunter opportunity, including curtailed hunting of migratory elk and limited hunter access to large numbers of resident elk that frequent private land refuges.	None
Elk Monitoring Project (Elk POP II)	June 2013	Rocky Mountain elk is an important game species in Wyoming and elsewhere in the West. Many efforts of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (i.e., harvest, habitat enhancement, feeding) are focused on monitoring and managing elk in the state. The survey, data collection, and modeling protocols in place within WGFD have evolved over the years but may not be currently optimized to allow efficient management of elk under current fiscal, logistical, or environmental constraints. Regionally (in the West) there is a call for standardizing data collection and sharing of ungulate monitoring data to enable needed regional analyses such as those addressing climate change or habitat alteration. The primary objectives of the project are to: i) evaluate sources of uncertainty in elk population models, ii) determine the sensitivity of elk population models to variation in vital rates and extrinsic drivers, iii) evaluate the effectiveness of different types of elk monitoring programs, including population surveys and survival studies, and iv) develop parameter estimation procedures to best characterize elk population dynamics given various sources of field data from annual monitoring. The study will primarily involve state monitoring data and vital rate estimates from existing studies and the literature. Once a basic framework is in place, this project may be expanded to examine other ungulate species that are monitored by the WGFD.	None
Absaroka Wolf-Livestock Project	June 2011	The Absaroka Wolf-Cattle project was created to evaluate wolf habitat selection and predation in a multiple-use landscape in the Absaroka Mountains of Wyoming, an area characterized by high levels of wolf-cattle conflict and a changing distribution of migratory and nonmigratory elk. We have been conducting this work in collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and have received much support from participating ranchers, sportsmen, U.S.D.A. Wildlife Services, and U.S. Forest Service personnel. The study area spans from Cody, Wyoming to the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and includes the seasonal ranges of the partially migratory Clark’s Fork elk herd and four resident wolf packs. Prior studies indicate that the distribution and abundance of elk can influence not only wolf movements but also cattle depredation patterns. Three of our focal packs –Sunlight, Beartooth and Hoodoo – rely on the fully migratory portion of the Clark’s Fork elk herd in winter. When these elk undergo a 20-30 mile migration into the upper Lamar River in YNP during the summer, the wolf packs appear to change their habitat use patterns and prey choices. In contrast, a fourth pack – the Absaroka Pack – relies on the nonmigratory portion of the elk herd that remain year-round in the foothills of the Absaroka Front. These elk often mingle in pastures with domestic cattle during the summer. By comparing the movement and predation patterns of these two different types of wolf packs, we hope to better understand the influence of migratory prey on the ecology and conservation of wolves. In the field, we have used GPS tracking of wolves and elk to assess the influence of elk distribution and migratory status on 1) wolf habitat use in summer and winter, and 2) the incidence and patterns of predation on livestock vs. wild ungulates. To characterize pastures with re-occurring livestock depredations each year, we located cattle carcasses using wolf GPS location clusters and reports from cooperating ranchers and agencies. In areas with recolonizing wolf populations, predicting wolf movements and conflicts can be challenging. Large-scale shifts in the distribution of wolves’ prey, including changing migratory patterns, further complicate efforts to sustain wolves and minimize conflicts. Wildlife management agencies often gather long-term information on the distribution and abundance of wild ungulates, and our study is providing some insights into how the distribution of such prey populations can influence the establishment patterns and seasonal movements of wolves. A primary focus of this work is to develop the means to characterize the risk of wolf depredation for cattle pastures, dependent on whether they occur where elk are migratory versus resident.	None
Jackson Moose Project	December 2011	We are working to understand the influnece of seasonal limitations and limiting factors on ungulate populations. Landscapes are being altered at increasing rates from both anthropogenic and natural causes. Growing human populations and increasing frequency of natural disturbances like wildfires produce fine to large-scale changes on the landscape. Such disturbances can alter habitat use and result in population-level consequences and thus challenges our ability to conserve and manage wildlife populations. In collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Grand Teton National Park, and the US Forest Service, we are exploring the influence of large scale disturbance (i.e., wildfire) on a moose population in northwest Wyoming. Shiras moose (Alces alces shirasi) that inhabit areas within Grand Teton National Park and Bridger-Teton National Forest, have been experiencing a population decline for the last 16-22 years. Recent research has shown that these animals are highly migratory and that most moose wintering in the Buffalo Valley migrate north and summer in southern portions of Yellowstone National Park. By evaluating the condition and demography of captured moose, previous research that we conducted suggested that poor habitat quality is most likely limiting this population. Habitat quality has not been directly measured, however, and it is not known if summer or winter habitat is most limiting. Additionally, much of the summer range in the study area burned during the Yellowstone fires of 1988. Fire typically creates habitats favorable for moose, and is often followed by an increase in moose reproduction and density. However, moose in this study population have continued to decline despite an abundance of fires in the last 20 years. Thus, the influence of fire on Jackson moose population performance remains unclear. The growth of wolf and grizzly bear populations further complicates our understanding of moose population ecology in the region. We are evaluating moose habitat by characterizing browse condition, diet, and the nutritional quality of forage on both winter and summer ranges. The overall objective of this study is to assess the condition and nutritional quality of forage at both times of the year and to connect these measures of seasonal habitat quality with the demographic performance of individual moose. We hope to provide a more mechanistic understanding of the effects of disturbance and seasonal habitat quality on moose demography and population growth and to clarify the role of habitat change in recent population declines.	None
Migration Corridors and Landscape Connectivity Project	June 2018	We are using geospatial modeling to determine existing ungulate migration corridors, landscape connectivity and integrity patterns throughout Wyoming. Our work focuses on the use of geospatial tools and modeling to determine a) where ungulate migration corridors occur in Wyoming, b) statewide distribution of existing intact landscapes, and c) how a and b relate spatially to each other. In order to determine existing ungulate migration corridors, a combination of existing collar data on populations in Wyoming will be considered, as well as existing spatial data maintained by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD), based on collar data and best professional opinion. These will be used in combination with modeling techniques that include deterministic variables such as elevation, vegetation, phenology, and anthropogenic disturbances, among others. Modeling existing intact landscapes will involve the incorporation of a variety of factors, including the weighted evaluation of all anthropogenic disturbances, from grazing and other agricultural uses to oil and gas development, transportation, and rural development. In consideration of their relationship to each other, ungulate migration corridors and landscape connectivity and integrity, a variety of variables will be considered, including existing barriers to migration. This work is currently in its initial phase, and is being funded by the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources, and will contribute to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and the Western Governors Association. Future considerations for this work include evaluation of how migration corridors are considered in energy, agriculture, and rural development management decisions in Wyoming.	None
Analysis of Life History Typologies	March 2009	Most threatened and endangered species lie on a continuum ranging from species for which no data exists to species for which extensive demographic data exists over several locations and many years. Ideally, the level of demographic data available will dictate actions for species recovery. When adequate data exists, a formal PVA can be conducted. However, conducting a formal PVA is only possible for species where an abundance of data exists, typically mean and variance of demographic vital rates within (e.g. survival, reproduction) and amoung populations (i.e. dispersal). For the vast majority of threatened and endangered species - including those on military lands - these demographic data do not exist, and management decisions often need to be made before they can be collected. Thus, managers are left with very little scientifically based guidance regarding how best to restore populations of all but the best studied species. This occurs because the life history strategies and patterns of most endangered species are considered to be idiosyncratic. It is generally thought that there is no substitute for detailed, species specific information for guiding the mangement of imperiled species. Indeed, there are no "general rules" that an ecologist or manager can look to for guidance on how to best recover a particular species. This proposal is part of a larger multi-investigator effort to conduct demographic analyses to develop a general set of scientifically based rules, delineated by broad taxonomic groups, to aid in the management of species for which limited demographic data exist. We call these scientifically based rules Life History Typologies (LHTs), as they will be derived by synthesizing data from many well-studied species of a given taxonomic grouping and life history type. From these existing data sets the LHT will quantitatively characterize the influence of vital rates on population growth and recovery, the vulnerability of vital rates to disturbance, and management-induced changes to vital rates, thereby informing the management of similar species for which detailed data are lacking.	None
The effectiveness of the Greater Sage-Grouse as an umbrella for non-game sagebrush SGCN	June 2018	The greater sage-grouse is frequently considered a promising umbrella species for the management of co-occurring wildlife species within North American sagebrush steppe. Sage-grouse are well-studied, habitat specialists, have large home ranges, and are already the target of extensive conservation and management efforts. Previous analyses of sage-grouse as an umbrella species, however, have revealed potential issues that must be addressed before accepting the use of the sage-grouse as an effective single-species surrogate. The primary project partner is the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Project results have clarified the other sensitive species for which the sage-grouse is a suitable conservation surrogate, and at which spatial scales.	The greater sage-grouse is frequently considered a promising umbrella species for the management of co-occurring wildlife species within North American sagebrush steppe. Sage-grouse are well-studied, habitat specialists, have large home ranges, and are already the target of extensive conservation and management efforts. Previous analyses of sage-grouse as an umbrella species, however, have revealed potential issues that must be addressed before accepting the use of the sage-grouse as an effective single-species surrogate. The primary project partner is the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Project results have clarified the other sensitive species for which the sage-grouse is a suitable conservation surrogate, and at which spatial scales.
Effects of pathways within Grand Teton National Park on avian abundance, distribution, diversity, and productivity of focal species	November 2011	Landbirds are an integral component of park ecosystems and serve a wide range of ecological roles from pollinating plants to controlling insect populations. Proposed construction of a bicycle pathway through portions of Grand Teton National Park beginning in spring/summer 2008 may pose a threat to landbird abundance, diversity, productivity, and/or breeding behavior, as numerous migratory landbird species breed within the lower elevation shrub steppe and forest habitat through which the pahtway will traverse. Human-induced changes to natural landscapes have become ubiquitous, resulting in exposure of wildlife populations to novel stressors (Munns 2006). While it is clear that changes such as habitat loss can directly impact wildlife species, less clear is the extent to which human presence itself functions as a disturbance that influences wildlife behaviors with important finess consequences. Animals clearly respond to perceived risk of predation by natural predators via, for example, fleeing, or altering foraging and/or breeding habitat election (Marzluff 1988, Hakkarainen et al. 2001, Frid and Dill 2002, Blumstein 2006, Borkowski et al. 2006, Fontaine and Martin 2006). Such responses can alter access to important resources, energy budgets, and therefore attributes such as body condition (Bechet et al. 2004) with potential impacts to survival and reproductive output. Of critical importance to the management of wildlife populations is therefore to derermine 1) whether wildlife species perceive human presence as predation risk, 2) how individuals respond to suck risk, and 3) how such responses influence fitness consequences and therefore population dynamics and community structure. Birds are known to respond behaviorally to perceived predation risk (e.g., Marzluff 1988, Hakkarainen et al. 2001, Fontaine and Marin 2006, Chalfoun and Martin, unpublished data), and may therefore respond similarly to human disturbance. This project will therefore evaluate the potential impacts of pathway development and use on breeding landbird species.	None
The Global Initiative on Ungulate Migration: Advancing Mapping and Conservation of the World’s Ungulate Migrations	December 2028	Most of the world’s large terrestrial mammals are ungulates, and many migrate seasonally to sustain their massive herds. The abundance that migration supports in turn connects systems and promotes the resilience of the ecosystems that sustain subsistence hunting, rural economies, and provides the primary prey base for many of the world's top carnivores. Today, the slow and steady spread of our human footprint represents a common threat to ungulate migrations. Global projections estimate 22 million kilometers of new roads will be needed by 2050 to support growing economies. The wild landscapes that migrations require are increasingly fragmented by roads, fences, agriculture, energy development, and human settlements. <br><br>The Global Initiative on Ungulate Migrations was founded by researchers from the USGS; Universities of Wyoming, Montana, Glasgow, and Olso; Fondazione Edmund Mach; Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS; UN Environmental Program, Convention on Migratory Species; Senckenberg Nature Research Society; and the Bavarian State Institute of Forestry, in partnership with the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP/CMS). In 2021, we created a new Global Initiative on Ungulate Migration (www.cms.int/gium). <br><br>The main aim of the initiative is to work collaboratively to 1) create a Global Atlas of Ungulate Migration using tracking data and expert knowledge; and 2) stimulate research on drivers, mechanisms, threats, and conservation solutions common to ungulate migration worldwide. The Atlas will provide the first set of detailed migration maps to guide conservation and development globally.	None
Habitat associations for native aquatic species in a spring-fed prairie system	June 2027	Prairie streams are threatened by fragmentation and drying with many prairie fish species experiencing population declines. An understanding of fish-habitat associations in intermittent prairie streams is needed to better target management actions. Lower Lodgepole Creek is an intermittent prairie stream that has been designated as a SWAP Aquatic Conservation Area due to its diverse assemblage of native aquatic species. Lower Lodgepole Creek has one NSS2 (CPM) mussel species and four NSS3 (IDT, ODT, PKF, PTM) and two NSS4 (BMN, CSH) fish species. This work is a collaborative effort between the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Our goal is to assess SGCN fish and mussel species distribution and habitat associations in Lower Lodegepole Creek and predict the impact of proposed grazing strategies and aquatic habitat projects by species. A detailed understanding of spatial and temporal variability in habitat use of aquatic SGCNs in Lower Lodgepole Creek will allow habitat projects to be targeted effectively.	None
Habitat and Climatic Factors Influencing Pygmy Rabbit Distribution in Wyoming	June 2026	The pygmy rabbit is a sagebrush-obligate with specialized habitat requirements(deep soils, high cover) within landscapes. Moreover, they are sensitive to heat which is concerning given a warming climate. Finally, a recent outbreak of rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHDV2) in 2020 caused further concern. As such the pygmy rabbit is listed as an SGCN in the Wyoming SWAP and in March 2023 was petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act. A detailed assessment of multi-scale pygmy rabbit habitat relationships in Wyoming is lacking which could hinder habitat prioritization plans in light of the pending listing. Moreover, the relative importance of habitat elements that promote burrowing and refugia from predators versus suitable microclimates remains unclear. This project is a collaborate effort between the USGS Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Pygmy rabbit occupancy surveys will be conducted using previously developed protocols and survey grid cells. Results will be compared to surveys from past years to quantify and illustrate population trends. Results will also be incorporated into regional datasets to evaluate pygmy rabbit population status and to contribute to ESA listing determinations.	None
Keystone Habitat Elements as a Tool in the Conservation of Wildlife Biodiversity and Abundance	December 2026	Amidst the ongoing loss and fragmentation of native habitats worldwide, determining the extent to which fine-scale, keystone habitat elements can disproportionately influence patterns of species richness and abundance is essential to developing effective habitat prioritization strategies within threatened systems. The ever-expanding footprint of human-induced habitat alteration has precipitated a rapid decline in biodiversity throughout the world (Cardinale et al. 2012). Given limited resources, maintaining resilient and functional ecosystems that support robust wildlife populations amidst ongoing and widespread habitat loss, fragmentation, and alteration necessitates identifying how to most efficiently and effectively conserve local species of concern. This study is conducted by the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, in collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. This work will address many knowledge gaps needs articulated in the 2017 Wyoming State Wildlife Action Plan by informing the prioritization of habitats and determining how energy development influences multiple SGCNs, including the Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), Brewer’s Sparrow (Spizella brewerii), Sagebrush Sparrow (Artemisiospiza nevadensis), Sage Thrashers (Oreoscoptes montanus), Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus), and pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis).	None
Mechanisms underlying forest songbird declines in Wyoming	June 2026	Many of the songbirds that inhabit Wyoming’s forest habitats are demonstrating steep but enigmatic population declines. Declining species include both resident and migratory species, and Wyoming SGCN and non-SGCN. For example, red crossbills declined by an average of 1.7% per year since 1968, and evening grosbeaks were proclaimed one of the fastest declining North American landbirds by Partners in Flight. These declines are part of a larger trend of billions of birds lost in North America since 1970. Considerable attention has been paid recently to similar declines in grassland and sagebrush passerines, whereas no published synthesis exists that codifies trends in western forest birds, or explores the potential mechanisms. This study is conducted in collaboration between the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the U.S. Forest Service. We propose to use existing avian monitoring data (BBS, IMBCR, eBIRD) to quantify the population trends in Wyoming’s forest songbirds across different spatial and temporal extents, and explore potential mechanisms underlying population declines and whether multiple stressors may be at play.	None
How do elk learn to migrate?	May 2026	Ungulate migration is one of the world’s most awe-inspiring animal behaviors, and it has important ecological benefits for the migrating species, as well as cascading effects throughout terrestrial food webs. Yet, ungulate migrations have been declining globally due to factors such as anthropogenic disturbances and environmental change. Elk are an iconic species of the western United States with many of the populations being migratory. Understanding how elk migration persists over time within a population is an important step to protecting migratory populations.<br><br>It has recently been shown that many migratory ungulates use memory from previous years’ migrations to re-create these movements year after year. We are studying how juvenile elk learn to migrate and acquire the memories that they will rely on to migrate throughout their lifetime. We are assessing this question by GPS tracking elk mother-offspring pairs, monitoring the calves from birth until adulthood. This will allow us to evaluate what the calves learn in their first year of life and then compare this to what they do as adults. This work will help us understand how migratory elk will be able to adapt to a changing environment (land-use, barriers, new development, etc.) as well as inform the re-establishment of historical migrations.	None
Clarifying the finer-scale landscape elements critical to support the breeding activities of non-game, sagebrush-associated birds	December 2025	The North American sagebrush steppe has been converted and altered extensively, with concomitant declines in sagebrush-associated wildlife. The recent Sagebrush Conservation Design (SCD) efforts provide valuable, broad-scale inference about core sagebrush areas (CSAs) and growth opportunity areas (GOAs). A key next step is to clarify the finer-scale, within-landscape habitat elements that are critical to support sagebrush species, particularly non-game species that have received less management attention. The main goal of the project is therefore to assess the habitat characteristics associated with consistent occupancy and nesting success of nesting sagebrush songbirds across multiple years and four unique study areas in Wyoming and Montana. Research and funding partners include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, USGS (WLCI). The identification of consistently important habitat features for breeding non-game birds within sagebrush landscapes will complement existing biome-wide habitat prioritization efforts.	The North American sagebrush steppe has been converted and altered extensively, with concomitant declines in sagebrush-associated wildlife. The recent Sagebrush Conservation Design (SCD) efforts provide valuable, broad-scale inference about core sagebrush areas (CSAs) and growth opportunity areas (GOAs). A key next step is to clarify the finer-scale, within-landscape habitat elements that are critical to support sagebrush species, particularly non-game species that have received less management attention. The main goal of the project is therefore to assess the within-landscape habitat characteristics associated with consistent occupancy and nesting success of nesting sagebrush songbirds across multiple years and four unique study areas in Wyoming and Montana. Research and funding partners include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, USGS (WLCI). The identification of consistently important habitat features for breeding non-game birds within sagebrush landscapes will complement existing biome-wide habitat prioritization efforts.
OA 104: Intermittent River Research Coordination Network (IRRCN): Integrating Intermittent River Ecology and Hydrology	June 2024	The purpose of this NSF Research Coordination Network (RCN) is to organize a series of expert workgroups to synthesize the growing body of research on intermittent river hydrology and ecology. Intermittent rivers, those that cease to flow each year make up more than half of the Earth’s river channels. Yet, intermittent rivers are often overlooked or excluded from water management plans due to uncertainty about their hydrologic and ecological importance. Workgroups formed by this RCN will create products that explain how intermittent river hydrologic and ecologic systems work, including characterization of flow-regimes, synthesis of biodiversity and ecosystem datasets, and integrated conceptual and process-based statistical ecohydrology models. This research will improve the management of intermittent rivers by enhancing communication and networking among academic researchers and nonacademic stakeholders and providing open access datasets, methods, and materials to the broader scientific community. This RCN award is funded by the National Science Foundation to Daniel Allen at Pennsylvania State University. The RCN is made up of primarily academic and federal scientists in the United States, Europe, and Australia.	The purpose of this NSF Research Coordination Network (RCN) is to organize a series of expert workgroups to synthesize the growing body of research on intermittent river hydrology and ecology. Intermittent rivers, those that cease to flow each year make up more than half of the Earth’s river channels. Yet, intermittent rivers are often overlooked or excluded from water management plans due to uncertainty about their hydrologic and ecological importance. Workgroups formed by this RCN will create products that explain how intermittent river hydrologic and ecologic systems work, including characterization of flow-regimes, synthesis of biodiversity and ecosystem datasets, and integrated conceptual and process-based statistical ecohydrology models. This research will improve the management of intermittent rivers by enhancing communication and networking among academic researchers and nonacademic stakeholders and providing open access datasets, methods, and materials to the broader scientific community. This RCN award is funded by the National Science Foundation to Daniel Allen at Pennsylvania State University. The RCN is made up of primarily academic and federal scientists in the United States, Europe, and Australia.
Jackson Moose Calf Survival and Development of Migration Patterns	December 2028	Long-distance wildlife migrations have been declining globally due to factors such as anthropogenic disturbances and environmental change. Understanding how migration strategies are learned can help us evaluate the capacity migratory taxa have to respond to a changing world. The first goal of this project is evaluating how moose learn to migrate and develop their own migrations after separating from their mother. The second is to evaluate survival and causes of mortality for moose in the Jackson Herd in their early years of life (9 months – 3½ years). This is the first time these questions have been explored in Jackson moose. The project is a collaboration of researchers across multiple agencies and includes the University of Wyoming, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and the Teton Conservation District. This work will further our scientific understanding of migratory taxa by evaluating how moose learn to migrate. This will not only benefit the migratory moose of Jackson but could help the management of migratory populations across the globe.	Long-distance wildlife migrations have been declining globally due to factors such as anthropogenic disturbances and environmental change. Understanding how migration strategies are learned can help us evaluate the capacity migratory taxa have to respond to a changing world. The first goal of this project is evaluating how moose learn to migrate and develop their own migrations after separating from their mother. The second is to evaluate survival and causes of mortality for moose in the Jackson Herd in their early years of life (9 months – 3½ years). This is the first time these questions have been explored in Jackson moose. The project is a collaboration of researchers across multiple agencies and includes the University of Wyoming, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and the Teton Conservation District. This work will further our scientific understanding of migratory taxa by evaluating how moose learn to migrate. This will not only benefit the migratory moose of Jackson but could help the management of migratory populations across the globe.
Quantifying the influence of climate change on Rocky Mountain ungulate populations, migration and feedground use, and herbivory impacts on vegetation	September 2010	In coming decades, society will be challenged to effectively manage important animal species as habitats and populations are altered due to climate change. In particular, many ungulates in the northern Rocky Mountains are predicted to respond to declining snow levels and increased drought, though in ways that remains uncertain. We will investigate how climate change, through altering precipitation regimes, may affect the abundance of Rocky Mountain ungulates, their migration patterns, the degree to which they transmit diseases to livestock, and their impact on certain key plants. Using large scale meta-analyses and computer simulations, we will assess the impacts of changing climate on the population dynamics of elk (Cervus elaphus), moose (Alces alces), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), and pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) populations. With previously collected data from GPS-collars, we will evaluate how the timing and routes of migration are influenced by the annual phenology of spring snowmelt, green-up, and winter severity. Combined with advanced epidemiological models, this information will help us assess how climate influences the time elk spend on winter feedgrounds, a key determinant of rate of transmission of brucellosis. Thus, the interaction between climate, elk feeding, and brucellosis transmission to cattle will be explored. Finally, preliminary evidence suggests that declining winter snow allows elk greater access to aspen during the winter, and could explain the widespread decline of these important trees. Monitoring elk herbivory, experimentally manipulating snow levels, and developing the first ever climate reconstruction of aspen based on previously-collected tree rings will allow us to evaluate how climate change impacts on elk foraging behavior, jointly with climatic forcing of aspen demography, influence future aspen regeneration.	None
Assessment of wildlife vulnerability to energy development	May 2012	The main goal of this project is to construct a tool that can be used to rank the vulnerability of Wyoming's wildlife species to energy development in a rigorous, replicable, and transparent way. This vulnerability assessment will be conducted so that management agencies and conservation groups can quantitatively assess statewide impacts to wildlife from energy development (and similar disturbances) and identify appropriate conservation options. The assessment will target species that have been identified by state and federal agencies as being of management concern in Wyoming, but which have not been the focus of prior landscape-level research relating to energy development. Primary objectives are to: 1) Construct the framework of a vulnerability assessment tool; 2) identify species at potential risk from development; 3) analyze the biological sensitivity of species that are at risk; 4) analyze the ecological impacts of disturbance on species that are at risk; and 5) validate sensitivity and impact analyses with field data. Initiation of Task 1: Task 1, Vulnerability Assessment Tool, will be initiated by an academic research professional employed by the University of Wyoming. This individual will conduct a literature review of possible techniques, assess alternatives, and provide a skeleton for a systematic assessment tool that will be more fully constructed and refined as the project progresses. A written report will be made available to the principal investigators and interested parties (e.g., resource managers, conservation biologists, land use planners, etc.) This phase of Task 1 will require 3 months of effort spread over 1 year. The work will be initiated upon completion of research work order from the U.S. Geological Survey to the University of Wyoming and the employment of an academic research professional at the University of Wyoming, hopefully by November 1, 2007. This phase of Task 1 will be completed by December 31, 2008. 4/23/2008: . Primary objectives are to: 1. Identify species at potential risk from development 2. Analyze the biological sensitivity of species that are at risk 3. Analyze the ecological impacts of disturbance on species that are at risk 4. Validate sensitivity and impact analyses with field data	None
How will methods to suppress an invasive fish affect Yellowstone Lake water quality?	December 2025	Yellowstone Lake has been the site of intensive efforts to conserve native Yellowstone cutthroat trout (<i>Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri</i>) and restore natural ecological function since invasive lake trout (<i>Salvelinus namaycush</i>) were first discovered there in 1994 (Koel et al. 2020a). Lake trout are apex predators that have decimated native trout populations following introductions in several large western lakes (Martinez et al. 2009). The lake trout population of Yellowstone Lake is resilient to gillnetting probably because of high survival of early life stages. Our primary objective is to estimate the degree to which adding carcasses and pellets to lake trout spawning sites may alter the water quality of Yellowstone Lake, and estimate how these changes may affect algal biomass and lake primary production. The project is a collaboration of researchers across multiple agencies and includes the National Park Service and the University of Wyoming. The study will provide standard operating procedures for a water quality monitoring program so that Yellowstone National Park can continue collecting data to estimate changes into the future. The water quality monitoring program will be based on methods developed in this study and suggest the best procedures moving forward.	Yellowstone Lake has been the site of intensive efforts to conserve native Yellowstone cutthroat trout (<i>Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri</i>) and restore natural ecological function since invasive lake trout (<i>Salvelinus namaycush</i>) were first discovered there in 1994 (Koel et al. 2020a). Lake trout are apex predators that have decimated native trout populations following introductions in several large western lakes (Martinez et al. 2009). The lake trout population of Yellowstone Lake is resilient to gillnetting probably because of high survival of early life stages. Our primary objective is to estimate the degree to which adding carcasses and pellets to lake trout spawning sites may alter the water quality of Yellowstone Lake, and estimate how these changes may affect algal biomass and lake primary production. The project is a collaboration of researchers across multiple agencies and includes the National Park Service and the University of Wyoming. The study will provide standard operating procedures for a water quality monitoring program so that Yellowstone National Park can continue collecting data to estimate changes into the future. The water quality monitoring program will be based on methods developed in this study and suggest the best procedures moving forward.
Implications of Stream Fragmentation for Climate Change Resilience of Northern Prairie Fishes	December 2028	Fishes native to the northern prairie ecoregion of North America are adapted to harsh conditions such as seasonal flooding and drying, often recolonizing habitats from refuge habitats. However, climate change induced drought and anthropogenic barriers are fragmenting streams and disrupting natural recolonization pathways. Our goal is to evaluate the vulnerability of prairie stream fishes to stream fragmentation and climate-induced drought, and explore potential mitigation strategies. We are also collaborating with partners to evaluate the efficacy of stream restoration to increase the extent and availability of drought-refuge habitats. The project is a collaboration of researchers across multiple agencies and includes the USGS North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center, fisheries in Wyoming and Montana, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Bureau of Land Management, and the University of Wyoming. Our research will provide products that will help manage for processes (e.g., habitat connectivity to allow recolonization post-disturbance or drying events) that can maintain resilient fish populations in the face of climate change.	Fishes native to the northern prairie ecoregion of North America are adapted to harsh conditions such as seasonal flooding and drying, often recolonizing habitats from refuge habitats. However, climate change induced drought and anthropogenic barriers are fragmenting streams and disrupting natural recolonization pathways. Our goal is to evaluate the vulnerability of prairie stream fishes to stream fragmentation and climate-induced drought, and explore potential mitigation strategies. We are also collaborating with partners to evaluate the efficacy of stream restoration to increase the extent and availability of drought-refuge habitats. The project is a collaboration of researchers across multiple agencies and includes the USGS North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center, fisheries in Wyoming and Montana, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Bureau of Land Management, and the University of Wyoming. Our research will provide products that will help manage for processes (e.g., habitat connectivity to allow recolonization post-disturbance or drying events) that can maintain resilient fish populations in the face of climate change.
Limiting Factors for Declining Loggerhead Shrikes in Western Wyoming	June 2025	The Loggerhead Shrike is a migratory songbird listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the Wyoming State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) and that is declining steeply range-wide. In Wyoming, shrikes nest along tall drainages within sagebrush steppe habitats that have been affected substantially by oil and natural gas development. No targeted or rigorous study of Loggerhead Shrikes has ever been conducted in Wyoming, however, and optimal habitats, breeding success, and causes of decline remain unclear. Maintaining the necessary habitats and conditions for sensitive species while balancing the economic needs of the state is a key challenge for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and other management agencies. The project was developed and is in collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. A better understanding of preferred and high-quality habitats will clarify threats to Loggerhead Shrikes in Wyoming and inform future management objectives and approaches. Moreover, by documenting migratory routes and wintering locations, our project will provide foundational information for the species across the full annual cycle, and help assess the extent to which limiting factors exist outside of the breeding period and will inform the next revision of the Wyoming State Wildlife Action Plan.	The Loggerhead Shrike is a migratory songbird listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the Wyoming State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) and that is declining steeply range-wide. In Wyoming, shrikes nest along tall drainages within sagebrush steppe habitats that have been affected substantially by oil and natural gas development. No targeted or rigorous study of Loggerhead Shrikes has ever been conducted in Wyoming, however, and optimal habitats, breeding success, and causes of decline remain unclear. Maintaining the necessary habitats and conditions for sensitive species while balancing the economic needs of the state is a key challenge for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and other management agencies. The project was developed and is in collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. A better understanding of preferred and high-quality habitats will clarify threats to Loggerhead Shrikes in Wyoming and inform future management objectives and approaches. Moreover, by documenting migratory routes and wintering locations, our project will provide foundational information for the species across the full annual cycle, and help assess the extent to which limiting factors exist outside of the breeding period and will inform the next revision of the Wyoming State Wildlife Action Plan.
Infection rates and effects of ectoparasites on declining sagebrush songbirds	December 2025	Sagebrush steppe ecosystems throughout western North America have been converted and altered extensively by human activities, and many sagebrush-obligate species have experienced significant population declines. We are quantifying the rate of infection by parasitic bird blow flies (<i>Protocalliphora </i>spp. and <i>Trypocalliphora braueri</i>) in nestlings of declining sagebrush songbirds in relation to weather patterns and proximity to human disturbance. We also will determine the extent to which parasite loads may be contributing to songbird declines via slower nestling growth, offspring condition, rates of fledging, and post-fledging survival. The project is collaborative in nature, with funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USGS (WLCI), and Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Results will inform the management and conservation of declining sagebrush-obligate songbirds for numerous state and federal management agencies, with implications for land use and effects of a changing climate.	Sagebrush steppe ecosystems throughout western North America have been converted and altered extensively by human activities, and many sagebrush-obligate species have experienced significant population declines. We are quantifying the rate of infection by parasitic bird blow flies (<i>Protocalliphora </i>spp. and <i>Trypocalliphora braueri</i>) in nestlings of declining sagebrush songbirds in relation to weather patterns and proximity to human disturbance. We also will determine the extent to which parasite loads may be contributing to songbird declines via slower nestling growth, offspring condition, rates of fledging, and post-fledging survival. The project is collaborative in nature, with funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USGS (WLCI), and Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Results will inform the management and conservation of declining sagebrush-obligate songbirds for numerous state and federal management agencies, with implications for land use and effects of a changing climate.
Winter space use and habitat selection of migratory-subadult Golden Eagle (Aquila Chrystaetos) in Wyoming	April 2023	Migratory wildlife can experience unique challenges and stressors across seasons, yet information often is lacking for one or more portions of the annual cycle. We are partnering with the Teton Raptor Center in Jackson WY to investigate the habitat use of golden eagles that winter in Wyoming. The first project objective is to investigate the use of risky landscape elements, with a focus on major roadways because of carrion availability, and the factors (e.g., snow depth, temperature, time of season) that may modulate such use. The second objective is to evaluate how habitat selection by over-wintering eagles changes with age and experience. The project is leveraging a large existing data set of transmittered eagles across multiple years. Results will inform the extent to which this sensitive species may be at risk of mortality from automobiles and other landscape stressors, and under which contexts.	Migratory wildlife can experience unique challenges and stressors across seasons, yet information often is lacking for one or more portions of the annual cycle. We are partnering with the Teton Raptor Center in Jackson WY to investigate the habitat use of golden eagles that winter in Wyoming. The first project objective is to investigate the use of risky landscape elements, with a focus on major roadways because of carrion availability, and the factors (e.g., snow depth, temperature, time of season) that may modulate such use. The second objective is to evaluate how habitat selection by over-wintering eagles changes with age and experience. The project is leveraging a large existing data set of transmittered eagles across multiple years. Results will inform the extent to which this sensitive species may be at risk of mortality from automobiles and other landscape stressors, and under which contexts.
An assessment of the limiting factors for boreal toads in the La Barge Creek watershed	June 2025	Boreal toads (<i>Anaxyrus boreas boreas</i>) once were widespread and common but have suffered substantial population declines in the Rocky Mountain region. Declines have been attributed to climate change, habitat loss and alteration, and morbidity and mortality from the fungal pathogen <i>Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis </i>(<i>Bd</i>).<br><br>Mechanisms underlying boreal toad declines in the LaBarge drainage remain enigmatic but may include the introduction of Bd (~2003-2006) and/or habitat alteration associated with a reclamation treatment that removed beaver dams (~2000-2006). Given the on-going and range-wide population declines of boreal toads, understanding of boreal toad population status and drivers of population dynamics in the La Barge watershed is timely.<br><br>The project is a collaboration of researchers between the USGS Wyoming Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit and state partners at the Wyoming Game & Fish Department.<br><br>The improved understanding of multi-scale habitat associations, factors associated with breeding success, movement patterns, disease prevalence and home ranges size that should result from the work will greatly enhance the ability of state and federal agencies to assess threats and develop effective mitigation strategies for boreal toads.	Boreal toads (<i>Anaxyrus boreas boreas</i>) once were widespread and common but have suffered substantial population declines in the Rocky Mountain region. Declines have been attributed to climate change, habitat loss and alteration, and morbidity and mortality from the fungal pathogen <i>Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis </i>(<i>Bd</i>). <br><br>Mechanisms underlying boreal toad declines in the LaBarge drainage remain enigmatic but may include the introduction of Bd (~2003-2006) and/or habitat alteration associated with a reclamation treatment that removed beaver dams (~2000-2006). Given the on-going and range-wide population declines of boreal toads, understanding of boreal toad population status and drivers of population dynamics in the La Barge watershed is timely.<br><br>The project is a collaboration of researchers between the USGS Wyoming Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit and state partners at the Wyoming Game & Fish Department.<br><br>The improved understanding of multi-scale habitat associations, factors associated with breeding success, movement patterns, disease prevalence and home ranges size that should result from the work will greatly enhance the ability of state and federal agencies to assess threats and develop effective mitigation strategies for boreal toads.
Uinta Mule Deer Survival, Movement, and Habitat Use	January 2025	Interstate 80 crosses the range of the Uinta Mule Deer Herd which comprises approximately 12,000 to 14,000 animals. These deer are known to cross I-80, which dissects the winter range for this herd. As deer navigate between seasonal ranges they are exposed to being hit by vehicles along the I-80 corridor and in other locations in the herd unit. There is a need for comprehensive assessment of the movements and migratory routes of the Uinta herd to provide information for effective mitigation of the wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs). The project is a collaboration of researchers across multiple agencies and includes the University of Wyoming, Wyoming Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Wyoming Migration Initiative, Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD), and the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT). Mule deer migration corridors have never been mapped in this part of Wyoming, and this collaring study is providing this critical information to identify current mule deer use of existing crossing structures along the I-80 corridor. This study will collect movement and habitat use data for mule deer to aid WYDOT, WGFD, and partners in reducing wildlife vehicle collisions and conserving ungulate migrations along the I-80 corridor in western Wyoming.	Interstate 80 crosses the range of the Uinta Mule Deer Herd which comprises approximately 12,000 to 14,000 animals. These deer are known to cross I-80, which dissects the winter range for this herd. As deer navigate between seasonal ranges they are exposed to being hit by vehicles along the I-80 corridor and in other locations in the herd unit. There is a need for comprehensive assessment of the movements and migratory routes of the Uinta herd to provide information for effective mitigation of the wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs). The project is a collaboration of researchers across multiple agencies and includes the University of Wyoming, Wyoming Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Wyoming Migration Initiative, Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD), and the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT). Mule deer migration corridors have never been mapped in this part of Wyoming, and this collaring study is providing this critical information to identify current mule deer use of existing crossing structures along the I-80 corridor. This study will collect movement and habitat use data for mule deer to aid WYDOT, WGFD, and partners in reducing wildlife vehicle collisions and conserving ungulate migrations along the I-80 corridor in western Wyoming.
Visualizing Obstacles in Big Game Migration Corridors	June 2022	Research shows that elk encounter many obstacles during their migrations. Barriers like fences and roads can be deadly for elk, and also threaten their access to habitat, potentially leading to decreased herd health and population abundance. However, migrating elk face these obstacles mostly out of public view, because their corridors are in-between the hunting areas and winter range where the general public are most likely to spot them. Trail cameras and migration maps can effectively communicate to the public the challenges elk face in crossing highways, subdivisions, and other barriers. This web-based film project will show elk facing barriers, and how people in different parts of the state are using or could use migration data to address them. We will focus on groups that are using migration data to retrofit fences to make them more wildlife friendly, perhaps in places like Jackson Hole, the Green River Basin, or Park County. The film will also attempt to show how elk navigate road crossings identified for the Priority Opportunity List of the Wyoming Wildlife Roadways Initiative. This project is a collaboration of researchers across multiple agencies and includes the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Muley Fanatic Foundation.	Research shows that elk encounter many obstacles during their migrations. Barriers like fences and roads can be deadly for elk, and also threaten their access to habitat, potentially leading to decreased herd health and population abundance. However, migrating elk face these obstacles mostly out of public view, because their corridors are in-between the hunting areas and winter range where the general public are most likely to spot them. Trail cameras and migration maps can effectively communicate to the public the challenges elk face in crossing highways, subdivisions, and other barriers. This web-based film project will show elk facing barriers, and how people in different parts of the state are using or could use migration data to address them. We will focus on groups that are using migration data to retrofit fences to make them more wildlife friendly, perhaps in places like Jackson Hole, the Green River Basin, or Park County. The film will also attempt to show how elk navigate road crossings identified for the Priority Opportunity List of the Wyoming Wildlife Roadways Initiative. This project is a collaboration of researchers across multiple agencies and includes the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Muley Fanatic Foundation.
How do ungulates learn to migrate? A century-long case study with Yellowstone bison	May 2025	The story of how bison re-discovered their lost migrations over a 100-year period is one of the few examples worldwide of ungulates learning to migrate. This recovery has much to teach us about managing modern migrations, but the bison migration story has never been consolidated in one place. Although numerous studies have evaluated where bison move to their summer and winter ranges, a comprehensive picture of the history of their migration recovery has yet to be created. The proposed project will aim to reconstruct how generations of Yellowstone bison established the migration routes they now use to travel seasonally in and out of the park. The question of how ungulates learn to migrate is important for modern conservation, and this study will deepen our understanding of what is possible for animals recolonizing a landscape. This project is done in collaboration with researchers from Yellowstone National Park and the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Wyoming. We will analyze the impact that certain active management techniques, such as hazing, had on bison movement at different times in their history. Other anecdotes from more recent bison experts, such as Rick Wallen and collaborator Chris Geremia, will also be documented and assessed as they pertain to bison migration. Building a timeline of these events, we will search for which techniques had lasting effects on bison movements, and which did not. In addition to historical research, we will review modern GPS collar data and contemporary movements to understand what ranges and movements were possible for bison in the past.	The story of how bison re-discovered their lost migrations over a 100-year period is one of the few examples worldwide of ungulates learning to migrate. This recovery has much to teach us about managing modern migrations, but the bison migration story has never been consolidated in one place. Although numerous studies have evaluated where bison move to their summer and winter ranges, a comprehensive picture of the history of their migration recovery has yet to be created. The proposed project will aim to reconstruct how generations of Yellowstone bison established the migration routes they now use to travel seasonally in and out of the park. The question of how ungulates learn to migrate is important for modern conservation, and this study will deepen our understanding of what is possible for animals recolonizing a landscape. This project is done in collaboration with researchers from Yellowstone National Park and the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Wyoming. We will analyze the impact that certain active management techniques, such as hazing, had on bison movement at different times in their history. Other anecdotes from more recent bison experts, such as Rick Wallen and collaborator Chris Geremia, will also be documented and assessed as they pertain to bison migration. Building a timeline of these events, we will search for which techniques had lasting effects on bison movements, and which did not. In addition to historical research, we will review modern GPS collar data and contemporary movements to understand what ranges and movements were possible for bison in the past.
Identifying Structure of the Yellowstone Bison Population	December 2022	The Yellowstone bison population is thought to exist in at least two separate breeding herds that use northern and central areas of Yellowstone National Park. Recent and dramatic increases in bison using northern areas and decreases in bison using central areas has raised concern that management removals have targeted the central breeding herd. Bison are managed under an Interagency Management Plan that limits population abundance and distribution. Under this plan, limited numbers of bison are allowed to migrate out of the park during winter with the remainder lethally removed when migrating beyond park boundaries. Based on counts during 2017, numbers of bison using central areas of the park may no longer be sufficient for long-term genetic conservation. However, there is some indication that the historic herd structure has broken down over time. If this is the case, with bison conforming to a single, intermixing population, then the current bison population is likely sufficiently large for long-term genetic conservation – although there are substantially fewer bison observed in central areas of the park. GPS data collected by the NPS from adult female bison during 2003-2018 will be organized and shared with the recipient. Using these data, the recipient will complete a network analysis identifying nodes representing breeding areas and winter areas and edges representing connections among breeding and wintering areas between seasons and years. The NPS will also organize and share genetic information from a subset of the individuals used in the network analysis. The recipient will assimilate the genetic information with the network analysis to describe the genetic characterization of each node. The recipient will use findings from the network and genetic analyses to analyze the susceptibility of bison based on breeding area membership and genetic composition to out-of-park management removals. This project is a collaboration of researchers across multiple agencies and includes the National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, and the University of Wyoming.	The Yellowstone bison population is thought to exist in at least two separate breeding herds that use northern and central areas of Yellowstone National Park. Recent and dramatic increases in bison using northern areas and decreases in bison using central areas has raised concern that management removals have targeted the central breeding herd. Bison are managed under an Interagency Management Plan that limits population abundance and distribution. Under this plan, limited numbers of bison are allowed to migrate out of the park during winter with the remainder lethally removed when migrating beyond park boundaries. Based on counts during 2017, numbers of bison using central areas of the park may no longer be sufficient for long-term genetic conservation. However, there is some indication that the historic herd structure has broken down over time. If this is the case, with bison conforming to a single, intermixing population, then the current bison population is likely sufficiently large for long-term genetic conservation – although there are substantially fewer bison observed in central areas of the park. GPS data collected by the NPS from adult female bison during 2003-2018 will be organized and shared with the recipient. Using these data, the recipient will complete a network analysis identifying nodes representing breeding areas and winter areas and edges representing connections among breeding and wintering areas between seasons and years. The NPS will also organize and share genetic information from a subset of the individuals used in the network analysis. The recipient will assimilate the genetic information with the network analysis to describe the genetic characterization of each node. The recipient will use findings from the network and genetic analyses to analyze the susceptibility of bison based on breeding area membership and genetic composition to out-of-park management removals. This project is a collaboration of researchers across multiple agencies and includes the National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, and the University of Wyoming.
Quantifying the effect of resource partitioning by stocked salmonids on feeding dynamics of walleye in the Upper North Platte Reservoirs	December 2024	In several recent years, Wyoming Game and Fish Department spring gillnet surveys in Pathfinder Reservoir suggest near 100% mortality of salmonids stocked the previous fall. Similar surveys in Alcova Reservoir suggest reliable and stable recruitment of stocked salmonids following their first winter, although it varies by species. Wyoming Game and Fish Department biologists suspect Walleye predation on newly-stocked salmonids is the primary driver of stocking failures; however, verifying this hypothesis and quantifying the seasonal magnitude of Walleye consumption of newly-stocked salmonids is required to develop and evaluate alternative management actions. This research is a collaboration of researchers across multiple agencies and includes the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Casper Regional Fisheries Management Crew, Aquatic Assessment Crew, and the University of Wyoming. Results from this project will provide the Wyoming Game and Fish Department with an improved understanding of the timing and magnitude of Walleye consumption of newly-stocked salmonids in the Upper North Platte Reservoirs. This information will inform harvest regulations for Walleye, newly-stocked salmonids, and other fish species, and could guide development of a future salmonid stocking evaluation to identify best practices to maximize survival post-stocking (e.g., composition, fish size, density, location, and timing).	In several recent years, Wyoming Game and Fish Department spring gillnet surveys in Pathfinder Reservoir suggest near 100% mortality of salmonids stocked the previous fall. Similar surveys in Alcova Reservoir suggest reliable and stable recruitment of stocked salmonids following their first winter, although it varies by species. Wyoming Game and Fish Department biologists suspect Walleye predation on newly-stocked salmonids is the primary driver of stocking failures; however, verifying this hypothesis and quantifying the seasonal magnitude of Walleye consumption of newly-stocked salmonids is required to develop and evaluate alternative management actions. This research is a collaboration of researchers across multiple agencies and includes the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Casper Regional Fisheries Management Crew, Aquatic Assessment Crew, and the University of Wyoming. Results from this project will provide the Wyoming Game and Fish Department with an improved understanding of the timing and magnitude of Walleye consumption of newly-stocked salmonids in the Upper North Platte Reservoirs. This information will inform harvest regulations for Walleye, newly-stocked salmonids, and other fish species, and could guide development of a future salmonid stocking evaluation to identify best practices to maximize survival post-stocking (e.g., composition, fish size, density, location, and timing).
Quantifying age and growth dynamics of key sport fishes in Flaming Gorge Reservoir and Buffalo Bill Reservoir	June 2024	Age and growth data provide fundamental indicators of the environmental and physiological conditions fish experience and are critical to informing fisheries management decisions. Through analyses of age and growth data, biologists can gain valuable insights into key fish population demographics, including age structure, growth rates, and recruitment dynamics. Much of WGFD current sampling efforts and annual to semi-annual surveys focus on collecting population estimates, CPUE of key species, and individual fish length and weight. While this can provide an indication of the status and trends of fish populations and communities within a waterbody, it provides limited information on the mechanisms driving observed trends and the most appropriate management actions to achieve desired outcomes. This project is a collaboration between the UWYO Fetzer Lab and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Otoliths provided by Wyoming Game and Fish Department staff will be mounted in an epoxy resin, sectioned using a low-speed, precision saw, and imaged using a dissection microscope equipped with a high-resolution camera. On each image, annuli will be identified, counted, and measured using ImageJ software and the statistical package RFishBC in R will be used to quantify back-calculated length-at-age.	Age and growth data provide fundamental indicators of the environmental and physiological conditions fish experience and are critical to informing fisheries management decisions. Through analyses of age and growth data, biologists can gain valuable insights into key fish population demographics, including age structure, growth rates, and recruitment dynamics. Much of WGFD current sampling efforts and annual to semi-annual surveys focus on collecting population estimates, CPUE of key species, and individual fish length and weight. While this can provide an indication of the status and trends of fish populations and communities within a waterbody, it provides limited information on the mechanisms driving observed trends and the most appropriate management actions to achieve desired outcomes. This project is a collaboration between the UWYO Fetzer Lab and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Otoliths provided by Wyoming Game and Fish Department staff will be mounted in an epoxy resin, sectioned using a low-speed, precision saw, and imaged using a dissection microscope equipped with a high-resolution camera. On each image, annuli will be identified, counted, and measured using ImageJ software and the statistical package RFishBC in R will be used to quantify back-calculated length-at-age.
Evaluation of factors impacting Kokanee Salmon in New Forks Lakes	December 2023	New Fork Lakes maintain an important recreational fishery for Kokanee Salmon (KOE), Lake Trout (LAT) and other salmonids, and is the primary broodstock for early-run KOE in Wyoming. In recent years, achieving management targets designed to meet KOE propagation needs has proved challenging as several metrics indicate declines in the KOE population. The two primary mechanisms theorized by WGFD are: 1) LAT predation on newly-stocked KOE, and 2) angler harvest of KOE prior to spawning. This project is in collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. The goal of this proposed work is to quantify the extent and timing of different sources of mortality (e.g.,<i> </i>predation, harvest) on KOE populations in New Fork Lakes. KOE, LAT, and other fish species will be sampled during the open water period using experimental gill nets, midwater curtain gill nets, and hydroacoustics to quantify population demographics (relative abundance, age/size structure), foraging dynamics (stomach content and stable isotope analyses), and indices of condition. These data will be integrated with temperature data and estimates of population size into a bioenergetics model to quantify consumption of stocked KOE by LAT.	New Fork Lakes maintain an important recreational fishery for Kokanee Salmon (KOE), Lake Trout (LAT) and other salmonids, and is the primary broodstock for early-run KOE in Wyoming. In recent years, achieving management targets designed to meet KOE propagation needs has proved challenging as several metrics indicate declines in the KOE population. The two primary mechanisms theorized by WGFD are: 1) LAT predation on newly-stocked KOE, and 2) angler harvest of KOE prior to spawning. This project is in collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. The goal of this proposed work is to quantify the extent and timing of different sources of mortality (e.g.,<i> </i>predation, harvest) on KOE populations in New Fork Lakes. KOE, LAT, and other fish species will be sampled during the open water period using experimental gill nets, midwater curtain gill nets, and hydroacoustics to quantify population demographics (relative abundance, age/size structure), foraging dynamics (stomach content and stable isotope analyses), and indices of condition. These data will be integrated with temperature data and estimates of population size into a bioenergetics model to quantify consumption of stocked KOE by LAT.
Genetic assessment of Yellowstone cutthroat trout across the Bighorn GMU	April 2026	The Yellowstone cutthroat trout <i>Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri</i> (YSC) is a species of greatest conservation need in Wyoming and is threatened by hybridization with non-native rainbow trout, <i>Oncorhynchus mykiss</i> (RBT). In addition to hybridization, there is a long history of movement of YSC populations through stocking programs and it remains unclear whether current YSC populations are endemic or descendants of broodstock. Although some broad-scale geographic work on the genetics of Yellowstone cutthroat trout populations has been done in the western portion of the subspecies’ range, no genetic work has focused on genetic assessment of YSC structure across the eastern portion of its range (including the Bighorn-Wind GMU). This project is in collaboration with Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Our goal is to genetically characterize YSC populations in the Bighorn-Wind GMUs to assess genetic diversity and determine levels of inter and intraspecific hybridization of populations. We will obtain genetic data from previously collected YSC tissue samples using genotyping-by-sequencing methods (GBS) which will allow us to discern fine-scale spatial population structure and distinguish hybrid individuals.	The Yellowstone cutthroat trout <i>Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri</i> (YSC) is a species of greatest conservation need in Wyoming and is threatened by hybridization with non-native rainbow trout, <i>Oncorhynchus mykiss</i> (RBT). In addition to hybridization, there is a long history of movement of YSC populations through stocking programs and it remains unclear whether current YSC populations are endemic or descendants of broodstock. Although some broad-scale geographic work on the genetics of Yellowstone cutthroat trout populations has been done in the western portion of the subspecies’ range, no genetic work has focused on genetic assessment of YSC structure across the eastern portion of its range (including the Bighorn-Wind GMU). This project is in collaboration with Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Our goal is to genetically characterize YSC populations in the Bighorn-Wind GMUs to assess genetic diversity and determine levels of inter and intraspecific hybridization of populations. We will obtain genetic data from previously collected YSC tissue samples using genotyping-by-sequencing methods (GBS) which will allow us to discern fine-scale spatial population structure and distinguish hybrid individuals.
Evaluating the role of spring-fed streams to Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout	June 2024	Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhychus clarkii bouvieri; YSC) populations have been extirpated or are in decline throughout most of their range due to habitat degradation, hybridization with non-native species, and climate change. How stream habitat diversity, specifically, the availability of stable spring-fed streams, underlies the integrity of YSC in the Snake River watershed is not well appreciated. By developing a more complete understanding of the mechanisms underlying YSC success in the upper Snake River watershed, we can both direct local habitat management efforts and inform best approaches to population recovery in areas where YSC are in decline. The project is a collaborative effort between multiple agencies, including the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, the University of Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. This research will provide the necessary understanding of the role of groundwater to maintaining suitable stream temperatures despite climatic warming.	Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhychus clarkii bouvieri; YSC) populations have been extirpated or are in decline throughout most of their range due to habitat degradation, hybridization with non-native species, and climate change. How stream habitat diversity, specifically, the availability of stable spring-fed streams, underlies the integrity of YSC in the Snake River watershed is not well appreciated. By developing a more complete understanding of the mechanisms underlying YSC success in the upper Snake River watershed, we can both direct local habitat management efforts and inform best approaches to population recovery in areas where YSC are in decline. The project is a collaborative effort between multiple agencies, including the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, the University of Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park, and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. These efforts aim to develop an online tool that can be used by fisheries managers to evaluate status of trout populations in specific watersheds based on current and projected water temperature, streamflow, and habitat conditions. This research will provide the necessary understanding of the role of groundwater to maintaining suitable stream temperatures despite climatic warming.
An automated analytical system to synthesize environmental data from long-term remote sensors for use in animal migration ecology	December 2023	The seasonality of Earth results in a tapestry of resource waves across space and time. Most notable are the waves of snowmelt and plant green-up moving altitudinally and latitudinally in temperate ecosystems each spring. Migratory animals capitalize on resource waves by fine-tuning their movements with the ebb and flow of resources. With increasing variation in weather and temperature patterns, the consistency of phenological events, and hence resource waves, will inevitably change in complex ways.<br>This project is a collaborative effort between researchers at the University of Wyoming, the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, NASA, and the U.S. Geological Survey. This project will develop an automated analytical system that utilizes high-end computing to calculate derived metrics of environmental predictability – such as timing of green-up, brown-down, snow melt, winter severity, etc. – from relatively long-term remote sensors and algorithms (e.g., MODIS, SNODAS, PRISM), which will provide researchers, wildlife managers, and land managers access to derived metrics of environmental phenology and variability based on decades of earth surface monitoring.	The seasonality of Earth results in a tapestry of resource waves across space and time. Most notable are the waves of snowmelt and plant green-up moving altitudinally and latitudinally in temperate ecosystems each spring. Migratory animals capitalize on resource waves by fine-tuning their movements with the ebb and flow of resources. With increasing variation in weather and temperature patterns, the consistency of phenological events, and hence resource waves, will inevitably change in complex ways.<br>This project is a collaborative effort between researchers at the University of Wyoming, the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, NASA, and the U.S. Geological Survey. This project will develop an automated analytical system that utilizes high-end computing to calculate derived metrics of environmental predictability – such as timing of green-up, brown-down, snow melt, winter severity, etc. – from relatively long-term remote sensors and algorithms (e.g., MODIS, SNODAS, PRISM), which will provide researchers, wildlife managers, and land managers access to derived metrics of environmental phenology and variability based on decades of earth surface monitoring.
Documenting Mule Deer Movements, Season Ranges and Habitat Use in the Bighorn Mountains	August 2024	Wyoming Game and Fish (WGFD) managers and various stakeholders are concerned with mule deer populations and management in the northern Bighorn Mountains. WGFD managers have initiated preseason mule deer surveys to gather baseline vital rates and summer distribution. Managers would like a better understanding of mule deer seasonal habitats, habitat use and movement. There has never been a detailed study of mule deer in the northern Bighorn Mountains. Consequently, seasonal ranges and migration corridors have not been delineated using GPS technology. There is a need for greater understanding of seasonal habitats, habitat use, and migration routes. This information could also inform potential transmission risks for CWD in this herd. Armed with this information, decisions can be made with public and private land managers to conserve and improve habitats and migration corridors. Potential outcomes include habitat improvements, guidance for forest planning, fence modifications, conservation easements and modifications to hunting season structure.	Wyoming Game and Fish (WGFD) managers and various stakeholders are concerned with mule deer populations and management in the northern Bighorn Mountains. WGFD managers have initiated preseason mule deer surveys to gather baseline vital rates and summer distribution. Managers would like a better understanding of mule deer seasonal habitats, habitat use and movement. There has never been a detailed study of mule deer in the northern Bighorn Mountains. Consequently, seasonal ranges and migration corridors have not been delineated using GPS technology. There is a need for greater understanding of seasonal habitats, habitat use, and migration routes. This information could also inform potential transmission risks for CWD in this herd. Armed with this information, decisions can be made with public and private land managers to conserve and improve habitats and migration corridors. Potential outcomes include habitat improvements, guidance for forest planning, fence modifications, conservation easements and modifications to hunting season structure.
Mapping and conserving big game migration corridors in Wyoming and other western states	December 2028	In 2018, USGS assembled a Corridor Mapping Team to work with individual State wildlife agencies and DOI partners to facilitate mapping of migration corridors and develop a mapping report. The Team has been in place since the beginning of 2019. It is based out of the Wyoming CRU and includes key biologists in participating State agencies. The Corridor Mapping Team is providing expertise, statistical code, troubleshooting, metadata, and map templates as well as overall direction for this west-wide mapping effort. This collaborative effort includes the state wildlife agencies of all 11 public lands states in the West, and is closely integrated with the corridor mapping goals of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Through this effort, the collaborative team is developing numerous products to address science and management needs related to understanding big-game use of corridor habitat, winter ranges and stopover areas. A primary goal of this effort is to create a standardized inventory of big game migration corridors in the western US that can be used to guide conservation and management.	In 2018, USGS assembled a Corridor Mapping Team to work with individual State wildlife agencies and DOI partners to facilitate mapping of migration corridors and develop a mapping report. The Team has been in place since the beginning of 2019. It is based out of the Wyoming CRU and includes key biologists in participating State agencies. The Corridor Mapping Team is providing expertise, statistical code, troubleshooting, metadata, and map templates as well as overall direction for this west-wide mapping effort. This collaborative effort includes the state wildlife agencies of all 11 public lands states in the West, and is closely integrated with the corridor mapping goals of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Through this effort, the collaborative team is developing numerous products to address science and management needs related to understanding big-game use of corridor habitat, winter ranges and stopover areas. A primary goal of this effort is to create a standardized inventory of big game migration corridors in the western US that can be used to guide conservation and management.
Evaluating the Influence of Wind Energy on the Movement, Distribution, and Habitat Quality of Pronghorn	December 2025	Wyoming has approximately half of the world's total population of pronghorn, and local herds are strongly challenged by harsh winter weather. Much of the Shirley Basin in southeast Wyoming is designated crucial winter range for the Medicine Bow pronghorn herd. The Shirley Basin winter range contains a substantial footprint of proposed wind energy development and thus presents an opportunity to learn about how pronghorn respond to wind development. We are studying the effects of wind energy development on the movement of pronghorn that winter in the Shirley Basin. The project is a collaboration between the Wyoming Unit, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and The Nature Conservancy, in cooperation with the associated wind power companies. The overall goal of the study is to evaluate whether and how wind development influences pronghorn habitat use, the results of which will provide a useful comparison with prior work done on the influence of oil and gas development on mule deer and elk and will guide pronghorn management amid continued development.	Wyoming has approximately half of the world's total population of pronghorn, and local herds are strongly challenged by harsh winter weather. Much of the Shirley Basin in southeast Wyoming is designated crucial winter range for the Medicine Bow pronghorn herd. The Shirley Basin winter range contains a substantial footprint of proposed wind energy development and thus presents an opportunity to learn about how pronghorn respond to wind development. We are studying the effects of wind energy development on the movement of pronghorn that winter in the Shirley Basin. The project is a collaboration between the Wyoming Unit, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and The Nature Conservancy, in cooperation with the associated wind power companies. The overall goal of the study is to evaluate whether and how wind development influences pronghorn habitat use, the results of which will provide a useful comparison with prior work done on the influence of oil and gas development on mule deer and elk and will guide pronghorn management amid continued development.
Ungulate Migrations of the Wind River Indian Reservation	December 2025	The Wind River Indian Reservation provides vast and intact winter range for at least 10,000 elk and 4,000- 5,000 mule deer on the Owl Creek and Wind River Mountain winter ranges in northwest Wyoming. As such, the Wind River Reservation is of high-importance to the sustainability of elk and mule deer within northwest WY. Despite the numerous benefits of elk and mule deer to the local community and hunters of Wyoming, we do not know the location of their migration corridors or stopover areas. Understanding the location and use of these areas is critical to conserving and managing the elk and mule deer populations for future generations. Further, we have a limited understanding of the demography of elk (adult survival, pregnancy rates), and how diseases such as Brucellosis could be influencing population growth. This project seeks to gather this information, working in collaboration with the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe Tribal Fish and Game and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. This migration study will provide new maps of migration corridors, stopover areas, and winter ranges for these herds, thereby advancing population management and on-the-ground work to keep corridors open.	The Wind River Indian Reservation provides vast and intact winter range for at least 10,000 elk and 4,000- 5,000 mule deer on the Owl Creek and Wind River Mountain winter ranges in northwest Wyoming. As such, the Wind River Reservation is of high-importance to the sustainability of elk and mule deer within northwest WY. Despite the numerous benefits of elk and mule deer to the local community and hunters of Wyoming, we do not know the location of their migration corridors or stopover areas. Understanding the location and use of these areas is critical to conserving and managing the elk and mule deer populations for future generations. Further, we have a limited understanding of the demography of elk (adult survival, pregnancy rates), and how diseases such as Brucellosis could be influencing population growth. This project seeks to gather this information, working in collaboration with the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe Tribal Fish and Game and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. This migration study will provide new maps of migration corridors, stopover areas, and winter ranges for these herds, thereby advancing population management and on-the-ground work to keep corridors open.
A survey of current distributions for Wyoming crayfishes	December 2021	Many North American crayfishes are highly imperiled with an estimated 48% at some level of extinction risk. For most Wyoming crayfish species, abundance and population status is unknown. Crayfish can play an important positive role in ecosystems through consuming detritus and serving as forage food for fish, but nonnative species, such as rusty crayfish, can have serious negative effects. An understanding of native crayfish distribution and early detection of nonnative crayfish is critical for management and control. In collaboration with Wyoming Game and Fish Department we are updating Wyoming crayfish distributions to refine range maps and species of conservation need rank. A better understanding of crayfish ecology is crucial for preserving native species and preventing nonnative species introduction.	Many North American crayfishes are highly imperiled with an estimated 48% at some level of extinction risk. For most Wyoming crayfish species, abundance and population status is unknown. Crayfish can play an important positive role in ecosystems through consuming detritus and serving as forage food for fish, but nonnative species, such as rusty crayfish, can have serious negative effects. An understanding of native crayfish distribution and early detection of nonnative crayfish is critical for management and control. In collaboration with Wyoming Game and Fish Department we are updating Wyoming crayfish distributions to refine range maps and species of conservation need rank. A better understanding of crayfish ecology is crucial for preserving native species and preventing nonnative species introduction.
Drought, water availability, and the implications for fish	December 2028	In semi-arid systems, water availability is a critical resource for species to track, but we do not have good quantification of water availability. Climate change and increased water abstraction will increase the frequency and intensity of drought, but the ecological implications are not well understood. There is a need to better quantify water availability and evaluate implications for fish populations. This project is a collaboration of researchers between the USGS Wyoming Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit and the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative. Maps of spatial and temporal variation in water availability will be developed that will be useful in the planning and prioritization of management actions.	In semi-arid systems, water availability is a critical resource for species to track, but we do not have good quantification of water availability. Climate change and increased water abstraction will increase the frequency and intensity of drought, but the ecological implications are not well understood. There is a need to better quantify water availability and evaluate implications for fish populations. This project is a collaboration of researchers between the USGS Wyoming Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit and the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative. Maps of spatial and temporal variation in water availability will be developed along with a characterization of fish susceptibility to water availability that will be useful in the planning and prioritization of management actions.
Habitat Selection and Quality of Wood Frogs in the Bighorn Mountains	September 2022	Wyoming contains the most disjunct populations of wood frogs (<i>Lithobates sylvaticus</i>) in the species’ North American range. A glacial relict species, the Wood Frog occurs as two isolated populations in Wyoming, including one in the Medicine Bow Range. Because of their limited distribution, isolation, and lack of data on habitat use and population status, the Wood Frog is listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the Wyoming State Wildlife Action Plan. In addition, the chytrid fungus (<i>Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis</i>) responsible for the chytridiomycosis disease and amphibian declines and extirpations worldwide is present in the Medicine Bow, rendering information about ideal habitat characteristics necessary and timely. The main project cooperator is the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, with cooperation and assistance from the Medicine Bow National Forest.	Wyoming contains the most disjunct populations of wood frogs (<i>Lithobates sylvaticus</i>) in the species’ North American range. A glacial relict species, the Wood Frog occurs as two isolated populations in Wyoming, including one in the Medicine Bow Range. Because of their limited distribution, isolation, and lack of data on habitat use and population status, the Wood Frog is listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the Wyoming State Wildlife Action Plan. In addition, the chytrid fungus (<i>Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis</i>) responsible for the chytridiomycosis disease and amphibian declines and extirpations worldwide is present in the Medicine Bow, rendering information about ideal habitat characteristics necessary and timely. The main project cooperator is the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, with cooperation and assistance from the Medicine Bow National Forest.
Full life-cycle effects of natural gas development on sagebrush-obligate songbirds	September 2026	One of the primary challenges for the management of sagebrush habitats and wildlife is the conversion and fragmentation of habitat for energy extraction. All three species of sagebrush-obligate songbirds (Brewer's sparrow, sagebrush sparrow, sage thrasher) are declining and species of concern for many state and federal agencies. Large gaps in understanding remain, moreover, about how development influences key life stages outside of the nesting period, including the post-fledging period and annual survival, and the extent to which the fidelity of birds to breeding sites may influence trends in abundance. Moreover, the migratory routes and over-wintering locations for sagebrush songbirds remain unknown, which precludes the ability to assess which life stages may be most limiting. Project cooperators include the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (USGS). Results will address vital informational gaps necessary to update species conservation plans and inform future sighting decisions.	One of the primary challenges for the management of sagebrush habitats and wildlife is the conversion and fragmentation of habitat for energy extraction. All three species of sagebrush-obligate songbirds (Brewer's sparrow, sagebrush sparrow, sage thrasher) are declining and species of concern for many state and federal agencies. Large gaps in understanding remain, moreover, about how development influences key life stages outside of the nesting period, including the post-fledging period and annual survival, and the extent to which the fidelity of birds to breeding sites may influence trends in abundance. Moreover, the migratory routes and over-wintering locations for sagebrush songbirds remain unknown, which precludes the ability to assess which life stages may be most limiting. Project cooperators include the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (USGS). Results will address vital informational gaps necessary to update species conservation plans and inform future sighting decisions.
Habitat attributes of northern long-eared bat maternity roosts in Wyoming	June 2023	The northern long-eared bat (NLEB) has suffered catastrophic population losses in portions of its range with the arrival of white-nose syndrome, and is currently listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. ESA protections for the NLEB are partly centered on limiting disturbance to summer day roost trees which are critical as they provide shelter for females to raise their offspring. The habitat attributes preferred for female NLEBs for their roost sites, however, remain unknown for many parts of the range including within Wyoming. This project is in cooperation with the State of Wyoming (through a Governor's ESA fund grant), the U.S. Forest Service, and the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database. Results will contribute vital information for forest management practices geared towards forestalling further population declines of a threatened bat species.	The northern long-eared bat (NLEB) has suffered catastrophic population losses in portions of its range with the arrival of white-nose syndrome, and is currently listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. ESA protections for the NLEB are partly centered on limiting disturbance to summer day roost trees which are critical as they provide shelter for females to raise their offspring. The habitat attributes preferred for female NLEBs for their roost sites, however, remain unknown for many parts of the range including within Wyoming. This project is in cooperation with the State of Wyoming (through a Governor's ESA fund grant), the U.S. Forest Service, and the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database. Results will contribute vital information for forest management practices geared towards forestalling further population declines of a threatened bat species.
Seasonal Movement of Roundtail Chub in the Blacks Fork Drainage	August 2022	Freshwater fishes are threatened due to water diversion, habitat alteration, and nonnative species. The Roundtail Chub is a fish species endemic to the Colorado River Basin that currently occupies only 45% of its historic range. The Blacks Fork population constitutes the largest contiguous (i.e., not fragmented by barriers) population of Roundtail Chub remaining in Wyoming, but very little is known about their current status and life history. This project is a collaboration with Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Our goal is to determine general movement patterns of all Roundtail Chub life stages, timing of movements, how populations are connected, and whether they are using tributaries. The results of this study will provide information necessary for managers to conserve Roundtail Chub populations in the Blacks Fork drainage and across their range.	Freshwater fishes are threatened due to water diversion, habitat alteration, and nonnative species. The Roundtail Chub is a fish species endemic to the Colorado River Basin that currently occupies only 45% of its historic range. The Blacks Fork population constitutes the largest contiguous (i.e., not fragmented by barriers) population of Roundtail Chub remaining in Wyoming, but very little is known about their current status and life history. This project is a collaboration with Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Our goal is to determine general movement patterns of all Roundtail Chub life stages, timing of movements, how populations are connected, and whether they are using tributaries. The results of this study will provide information necessary for managers to conserve Roundtail Chub populations in the Blacks Fork drainage and across their range.
Sediment and fisheries: An assessment to inform sediment management practices at Wyoming dams	August 2022	Sediment accumulation behind dams presents managers with a substantial challenge. Allowing sediment to accumulate behind dams can impair dam operations, compromise structural integrity, and increase maintenance costs, but large sediment releases can harm downstream uses such as fisheries. The project is a collaboration of researchers across multiple agencies and includes Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Bureau of Reclamation, and Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Our project will provide insight into the relationship between sediment and fisheries thus providing managers with the tools and information to effectively address fisheries management below dams. This study will be directly applicable to Willwood Dam near Powell, Wyoming and will also assist in evaluating Wyoming’s water quality criteria for suspended sediment and turbidity.	Sediment accumulation behind dams presents managers with a substantial challenge. Allowing sediment to accumulate behind dams can impair dam operations, compromise structural integrity, and increase maintenance costs, but large sediment releases can harm downstream uses such as fisheries. The project is a collaboration of researchers across multiple agencies and includes Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Bureau of Reclamation, and Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Our project will provide insight into the relationship between sediment and fisheries thus providing managers with the tools and information to effectively address fisheries management below dams. This study will be directly applicable to Willwood Dam near Powell, Wyoming and will also assist in evaluating Wyoming’s water quality criteria for suspended sediment and turbidity.
Evaluating the effects of Brook Stickleback on native nongame fishes	June 2022	Nonnative species pose a substantial threat to aquatic ecosystems. Brook Stickleback is small fish non-native in Wyoming where it co-occurs with native non-game fish including at least six species that are listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Despite this extensive overlap, there has been no research on potential interactions between these species so it is unclear what level of risk Brook Stickleback establishment and expansion poses to the Wyoming native nongame fish assemblage. This work is in collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. An understanding of the potential effects of Brook Stickleback on native nongame fish populations will help determine whether management actions to control Brook Stickleback would be justified.	Nonnative species pose a substantial threat to aquatic ecosystems. Brook Stickleback is small fish non-native in Wyoming where it co-occurs with native non-game fish including at least six species that are listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Despite this extensive overlap, there has been no research on potential interactions between these species so it is unclear what level of risk Brook Stickleback establishment and expansion poses to the Wyoming native nongame fish assemblage. This work is in collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. An understanding of the potential effects of Brook Stickleback on native nongame fish populations will help determine whether management actions to control Brook Stickleback would be justified.
Exploring mechanisms underlying the persistence of Yellowstone cutthroat trout despite hybridization in the North Fork Shoshone River drainage	June 2021	Cutthroat trout populations are declining across the Western U.S. Hybridization with introduced rainbow trout, and backcrossing with parental species and other hybrids, has led to genetic introgression and the presence of hybrid individuals with a mix of ancestry. A recent study on the extent of cutthroat trout hybridization in the North Fork Shoshone watershed found no allopatric genetically unaltered streams. However in a subset of North Fork Shoshone tributaries pure cutthroat trout remain, raising the question of what mechanisms are allowing these cutthroat trout to persist. This project is a collaboration with Wyoming Game and Fish Department and U.S. Forest Service to identify and evaluate mechanisms that maintain cutthroat trout in the North Fork Shoshone River drainage despite potential for hybridization. If mechanisms are found, for example temporal segregation in spawn timing, management actions can be modified to promote cutthroat trout.	Cutthroat trout populations are declining across the Western U.S. Hybridization with introduced rainbow trout, and backcrossing with parental species and other hybrids, has led to genetic introgression and the presence of hybrid individuals with a mix of ancestry. A recent study on the extent of cutthroat trout hybridization in the North Fork Shoshone watershed found no allopatric genetically unaltered streams. However in a subset of North Fork Shoshone tributaries pure cutthroat trout remain, raising the question of what mechanisms are allowing these cutthroat trout to persist. This project is a collaboration with Wyoming Game and Fish Department and U.S. Forest Service to identify and evaluate mechanisms that maintain cutthroat trout in the North Fork Shoshone River drainage despite potential for hybridization. If mechanisms are found, for example temporal segregation in spawn timing, management actions can be modified to promote cutthroat trout.
The Red Desert to Hoback Mule Deer Migration	December 2026	Although migration is the most profitable foraging strategy in numerous systems, many migratory populations contain individuals that do not migrate – a phenomenon known as partial migration. Three different migratory strategies have been observed in a mule deer herd wintering in Wyoming's Red Desert. These include long-distance migrants that travel 150 miles to the Hoback Basin for the summer (the longest recorded mule deer migration, named the Red Desert to Hoback migration), medium-distance migrants that migrate nearly 70 miles to the southern Wind River Range for the summer, and short-distance migrants that either migrate less than 30 miles north for the summer or live year-round in the Red Desert. Although these different types of migration have been observed for several years, little is known about the costs or benefits associated with each migratory strategy and how varying environmental conditions (i.e., annual precipitation, mean temperature) or landscape changes (i.e., fire, fencing) may affect each strategy or how a diversity of migratory tactics benefits the productivity of the overall herd. The primary objective of our research is to compare the costs and benefits of each migratory strategy (long, medium, short-distance migration). This study is being conducted as a collaborative project among the Wyoming Unit, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Bureau of Land Management. Evaluating different migratory tactics in the Sublette Mule Deer Herd is an important step in understanding factors maintaining variability in migration behavior and will aid in future conservation and management efforts.	Although migration is the most profitable foraging strategy in numerous systems, many migratory populations contain individuals that do not migrate – a phenomenon known as partial migration. Three different migratory strategies have been observed in a mule deer herd wintering in Wyoming's Red Desert. These include long-distance migrants that travel 150 miles to the Hoback Basin for the summer (the longest recorded mule deer migration, named the Red Desert to Hoback migration), medium-distance migrants that migrate nearly 70 miles to the southern Wind River Range for the summer, and short-distance migrants that either migrate less than 30 miles north for the summer or live year-round in the Red Desert. Although these different types of migration have been observed for several years, little is known about the costs or benefits associated with each migratory strategy and how varying environmental conditions (i.e., annual precipitation, mean temperature) or landscape changes (i.e., fire, fencing) may affect each strategy or how a diversity of migratory tactics benefits the productivity of the overall herd. The primary objective of our research is to compare the costs and benefits of each migratory strategy (long, medium, short-distance migration). This study is being conducted as a collaborative project among the Wyoming Unit, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Bureau of Land Management. Evaluating different migratory tactics in the Sublette Mule Deer Herd is an important step in understanding factors maintaining variability in migration behavior and will aid in future conservation and management efforts.
Pronghorn Movement along the I-80 Barrier	December 2023	Movement barriers challenge the ability of species to make long-distance movements such as migrations. Along southern Wyoming, pronghorn (<i>Antilocapra americana</i>) migrations are severed by Interstate-80 (I-80), a nearly impermeable barrier to movement. The ecological consequences of this movement barrier has garnered interest in wildlife crossing structures to ameliorate this barrier effect to pronghorn and other wildlife. Our research utilizes a novel application of connectivity models to identify potential movement corridors across the I-80 barrier. This study is a collaborative effort with Wyoming Game & Fish Department and the Wyoming Department of Transportation. Analytical techniques will be used to model pronghorn movements across I-80 and to identify the locations that best facilitate movement, which we predict will be the optimal locations for a wildlife crossing structure. Our methods will have applied value both to managers in southern Wyoming, and in other systems where there is interest in how to restore movement across nearly impermeable barriers similar to I-80.	Movement barriers challenge the ability of species to make long-distance movements such as migrations. Along southern Wyoming, pronghorn (<i>Antilocapra americana</i>) migrations are severed by Interstate-80 (I-80), a nearly impermeable barrier to movement. The ecological consequences of this movement barrier has garnered interest in wildlife crossing structures to ameliorate this barrier effect to pronghorn and other wildlife. Our research utilizes a novel application of connectivity models to identify potential movement corridors across the I-80 barrier. This study is a collaborative effort with Wyoming Game & Fish Department and the Wyoming Department of Transportation. Analytical techniques will be used to model pronghorn movements across I-80 and to identify the locations that best facilitate movement, which we predict will be the optimal locations for a wildlife crossing structure. Our methods will have applied value both to managers in southern Wyoming, and in other systems where there is interest in how to restore movement across nearly impermeable barriers similar to I-80.
Evaluating the use of redd counts in monitoring Snake River Cutthroat in Snake River tributaries	June 2022	Redd counts are a commonly used management tool for monitoring spawning salmonid population status and trends. The validity of redd count data as an index of population size is based on two key assumptions: 1. redd counts are representative of actual redd numbers and 2. redd counts reflect population status. These may not always be met, especially when there is substantial red superimposition, leading to biased redd counts. In conjunction with Wyoming Game and Fish Department we are evaluating the relationships between redd count data and spawning populations, spawning success, and fry emergence in spring creeks in the Upper Snake River drainage. The results of this project will allow managers to better interpret what redd counts can tell us with respect to population status (spawner numbers, fry production). This will allow for recommendations on how to most effectively conduct redd counts moving forward.	Redd counts are a commonly used management tool for monitoring spawning salmonid population status and trends. The validity of redd count data as an index of population size is based on two key assumptions: 1. redd counts are representative of actual redd numbers and 2. redd counts reflect population status. These may not always be met, especially when there is substantial red superimposition, leading to biased redd counts. In conjunction with Wyoming Game and Fish Department we are evaluating the relationships between redd count data and spawning populations, spawning success, and fry emergence in spring creeks in the Upper Snake River drainage. The results of this project will allow managers to better interpret what redd counts can tell us with respect to population status (spawner numbers, fry production). This will allow for recommendations on how to most effectively conduct redd counts moving forward.
Distribution, habitat use, and evaluation of potential reintroduction sites for Finescale Dace in Wyoming	June 2021	Aquatic systems that support fish populations in the Great Plains region of North America are endangered due to an extensive disturbance history that includes land use change, hydrologic alteration, and proliferation of non-native taxa within watersheds. Finescale Dace are a Great Plains fish with a highly limited and fragmented distribution in Wyoming. The recent finding of Northern Pike in one of their core sites puts this population at increased risk for extirpation. A better understanding of ecologically limiting factors that may influence the persistence of rare or threatened taxa can be used to inform conservation and management strategies aimed at preservation of regional biodiversity. In collaboration with Wyoming Game and Fish Department we are evaluating the current status of Finescale Dace in Wyoming. Given the limited distribution of Finescale Dace and the threats from Northern Pike and habitat degradation, additional populations need to be established to ensure their persistence in Wyoming. This research will guide the identification of potential reintroduction sites within their historic range.	Aquatic systems that support fish populations in the Great Plains region of North America are endangered due to an extensive disturbance history that includes land use change, hydrologic alteration, and proliferation of non-native taxa within watersheds. Finescale Dace are a Great Plains fish with a highly limited and fragmented distribution in Wyoming. The recent finding of Northern Pike in one of their core sites puts this population at increased risk for extirpation. A better understanding of ecologically limiting factors that may influence the persistence of rare or threatened taxa can be used to inform conservation and management strategies aimed at preservation of regional biodiversity. In collaboration with Wyoming Game and Fish Department we are evaluating the current status of Finescale Dace in Wyoming. Given the limited distribution of Finescale Dace and the threats from Northern Pike and habitat degradation, additional populations need to be established to ensure their persistence in Wyoming. This research will guide the identification of potential reintroduction sites within their historic range.
Spatiotemporal pattern of hybridization with walleye and genetic divergence in sauger life histories in the Bighorn River sauger population	December 2019	Sauger (Sander canadensis) are listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Wyoming due to habitat fragmentation, competition with non-native fish, and potential loss of genetic integrity due to coexistence and hybridization with walleye (Sander vitreus). These species hybridize in locations where they are sympatric, and experimental crosses have confirmed viability of hybrid offspring. There is a need to understand hybridization and the degree of threat it poses to native sauger populations. In conjunction with Wyoming Game and Fish Department we are determining the extent of hybridization and describing the genetic structure of sauger. This project will provide essential information for management and conservation of sauger in the Bighorn River system by identifying frequency and extent of hybridization. Characterizing genetic divergence among life histories will also help to prioritize conservation actions if hybridization is detected in one or more of the life history forms of sauger.	Sauger (Sander canadensis) are listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Wyoming due to habitat fragmentation, competition with non-native fish, and potential loss of genetic integrity due to coexistence and hybridization with walleye (Sander vitreus). These species hybridize in locations where they are sympatric, and experimental crosses have confirmed viability of hybrid offspring. There is a need to understand hybridization and the degree of threat it poses to native sauger populations. In conjunction with Wyoming Game and Fish Department we are determining the extent of hybridization and describing the genetic structure of sauger. This project will provide essential information for management and conservation of sauger in the Bighorn River system by identifying frequency and extent of hybridization. Characterizing genetic divergence among life histories will also help to prioritize conservation actions if hybridization is detected in one or more of the life history forms of sauger.
Research and Monitoring of Wyoming Toad Reintroductions: Linking Survival, Behavior and Genetics to Inform Species Recovery	June 2023	The Wyoming toad (Anaxyrus baxteri) is one of the most endangered amphibians in North America, which rapidly declined in the 1970s due to unknown causes. A small population at Mortenson Lake National Wildlife Refuge sustained by captive-release is now one of the only known, non-captive populations of Wyoming toads. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently improved captive facilities to allow regular release of adult Wyoming toads into the wild in order to foster increased reproduction and survival. This resulted in notable increases in reproduction, as evidenced by regular wild breeding, but changes in survival are questionable because the released animals are being observed less frequently than expected. We are collaborating with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to track the fate of Wyoming toads at reintroduction sites across the Laramie basin to assess the interaction among individual survival, behavior (e.g., habitat selection, hibernacula selection), genetics, and disease, with the specific goal of identifying how these linkages can be used to facilitate recovery of the species. Data collected will provide valuable information for the reintroduction and recovery of the Wyoming toad. This information will be used to inform release strategies, monitoring and potential captive breeding.	The Wyoming toad (Anaxyrus baxteri) is one of the most endangered amphibians in North America, which rapidly declined in the 1970s due to unknown causes. A small population at Mortenson Lake National Wildlife Refuge sustained by captive-release is now one of the only known, non-captive populations of Wyoming toads. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently improved captive facilities to allow regular release of adult Wyoming toads into the wild in order to foster increased reproduction and survival. This resulted in notable increases in reproduction, as evidenced by regular wild breeding, but changes in survival are questionable because the released animals are being observed less frequently than expected. We are collaborating with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to track the fate of Wyoming toads at reintroduction sites across the Laramie basin to assess the interaction among individual survival, behavior (e.g., habitat selection, hibernacula selection), genetics, and disease, with the specific goal of identifying how these linkages can be used to facilitate recovery of the species. Data collected will provide valuable information for the reintroduction and recovery of the Wyoming toad. This information will be used to inform release strategies, monitoring and potential captive breeding.
Great gray owl habitat selection and home range characteristics during the breeding and post-fledging periods	June 2023	The Great Gray Owl is a species of conservation concern in Wyoming, and associated with older-aged, boreal forest habitats which are affected by wildfire, disease and beetle outbreaks, drought, climate change, logging and development. Very little is known, however, about Great Gray Owl habitat requirements and territory size during the nesting and post-fledging periods. The primary project partners are the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Teton Raptor Center, with cooperation from the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service. Information generated from the study will significantly enhance the state's ability to address the unknown aspects of the species' biology, update the species’ account in the State Wildlife Action Plan, and provide insight for the implementation of future monitoring efforts and management strategies.	The Great Gray Owl is a species of conservation concern in Wyoming, and associated with older-aged, boreal forest habitats which are affected by wildfire, disease and beetle outbreaks, drought, climate change, logging and development. Very little is known, however, about Great Gray Owl habitat requirements and territory size during the nesting and post-fledging periods. The primary project partners are the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Teton Raptor Center, with cooperation from the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service. Information generated from the study will significantly enhance the state's ability to address the unknown aspects of the species' biology, update the species’ account in the State Wildlife Action Plan, and provide insight for the implementation of future monitoring efforts and management strategies.
Survival of boreal toads across multiple life stages in relation to habitat, grazing, disease, and climate	December 2021	The boreal toad (Anaxyrus boreas) was once widespread and common, but has suffered substantial population declines in the Rocky Mountain region. As a result, the boreal toad is a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (NSS1, Tier 1) in Wyoming. Factors believed to be contributing to boreal toad decline include disease, habitat loss and alteration, pollution, and changing weather. The overall project objective is to develop a better understanding of boreal toad survival at multiple life stages in relation to habitat, grazing management practices, disease, and climatic variables. Project partners include the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the U.S. Forest Service. Results will clarify risks to the population sustainability of boreal toads in Wyoming and beyond, and the specific mechanisms underlying survival across life stages.	The boreal toad (Anaxyrus boreas) was once widespread and common, but has suffered substantial population declines in the Rocky Mountain region. As a result, the boreal toad is a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (NSS1, Tier 1) in Wyoming. Factors believed to be contributing to boreal toad decline include disease, habitat loss and alteration, pollution, and changing weather. The overall project objective is to develop a better understanding of boreal toad survival at multiple life stages in relation to habitat, grazing management practices, disease, and climatic variables. Project partners include the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the U.S. Forest Service. Results will clarify risks to the population sustainability of boreal toads in Wyoming and beyond, and the specific mechanisms underlying survival across life stages.
Decadal abundance trends of avian SGCN in Wyoming's natural gas fields	June 2021	Sagebrush-obligate songbird species continue to demonstrate considerable range-wide population declines (e.g., 4% and 1.2% per year for Brewer’s Sparrows and Sage Thrashers, respectively since 2000 according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey). The year 2018 marked the 10-year anniversary of avian point-count surveys conducted at 160 points spanning a gradient of energy development within the Jonah and Pinedale Anticline natural gas fields in western Wyoming. Particularly within the Jonah field, the 2008 and 2009 surveys revealed decreases in the abundance of two sagebrush-obligates (Brewer’s Sparrow and Sagebrush Sparrow) with increasing well densities; whether such trends in abundance remain, or have stabilized or worsened, however, is unknown. The current project is repeating the 2008-2009 surveys to address these informational gaps. The primary project partner is the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Results will inform status assessments for sensitive bird species inhabiting the sagebrush steppe in Wyoming and beyond.	Sagebrush-obligate songbird species continue to demonstrate considerable range-wide population declines (e.g., 4% and 1.2% per year for Brewer’s Sparrows and Sage Thrashers, respectively since 2000 according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey). The year 2018 marked the 10-year anniversary of avian point-count surveys conducted at 160 points spanning a gradient of energy development within the Jonah and Pinedale Anticline natural gas fields in western Wyoming. Particularly within the Jonah field, the 2008 and 2009 surveys revealed decreases in the abundance of two sagebrush-obligates (Brewer’s Sparrow and Sagebrush Sparrow) with increasing well densities; whether such trends in abundance remain, or have stabilized or worsened, however, is unknown. The current project is repeating the 2008-2009 surveys to address these informational gaps. The primary project partner is the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Results will inform status assessments for sensitive bird species inhabiting the sagebrush steppe in Wyoming and beyond.
Influence of Energy Development and Climatic Variability on Sagebrush Songbirds	July 2022	Changing temperature and precipitation regimes, especially within arid systems such as the sagebrush steppe, are broad-scale factors that will influence landscapes in addition to other forms of physical habitat loss and fragmentation. The combined, and potentially interactive, effects of climatic conditions and habitat loss/fragmentation on wildlife species of concern, however, are unknown. Simultaneously, all three species of songbirds (Brewer’s sparrow, sagebrush sparrow, sage thrasher) that nest almost exclusively within North American sagebrush habitats have been exhibiting population declines, at least partly due to habitat changes on breeding grounds. This project leverages a large, multi-year nesting dataset of sagebrush songbirds containing over 2,000 nests, and remotely-sensed weather data to investigate the joint influence of climatic conditions and energy development on the reproductive success of sagebrush songbirds within the WLCI (Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative) area in western Wyoming. Project partners include the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies), Wyoming Wildlife- the Foundation, and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Information generated by the research will be used to update the Wyoming Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy and Wyoming State Wildlife Action Plan, inform Climate Vulnerability Assessments, and address informational needs articulated by the multi-agency Sagebrush Conservation Initiative.	Changing temperature and precipitation regimes, especially within arid systems such as the sagebrush steppe, are broad-scale factors that will influence landscapes in addition to other forms of physical habitat loss and fragmentation. The combined, and potentially interactive, effects of climatic conditions and habitat loss/fragmentation on wildlife species of concern, however, are unknown. Simultaneously, all three species of songbirds (Brewer’s sparrow, sagebrush sparrow, sage thrasher) that nest almost exclusively within North American sagebrush habitats have been exhibiting population declines, at least partly due to habitat changes on breeding grounds. This project leverages a large, multi-year nesting dataset of sagebrush songbirds containing over 2,000 nests, and remotely-sensed weather data to investigate the joint influence of climatic conditions and energy development on the reproductive success of sagebrush songbirds within the WLCI (Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative) area in western Wyoming. Project partners include the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies), Wyoming Wildlife- the Foundation, and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Information generated by the research will be used to update the Wyoming Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy and Wyoming State Wildlife Action Plan, inform Climate Vulnerability Assessments, and address informational needs articulated by the multi-agency Sagebrush Conservation Initiative.
Evaluating Moose Demography, Habitat Use, and Browsing Interactions in the Bighorn Mountains, WY	June 2023	Moose in the Bighorn Mountains are not native to the area. They populated the Bighorns from translocated moose from Jackson, WY in the mid 1900s. To evaluate moose demography and habitat use, 74 GPS collars were deployed by helicopter and ground darting on adult female moose from March of 2017 to August of 2019 with six mortalities to date. The demographic data collected will aid in estimating population dynamics of the herd. The spatial data will be used to develop a resource selection function to identify preferred moose habitat. This study in being conducted in collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to advance the managment of this unique moose herd. An integrated population model will be developed to estimate population trends, including demographic data from other Wyoming moose herds. Overall this study will advance our understanding of how moose can endure in varying habitats across Wyoming with different movement strategies.	Moose in the Bighorn Mountains are not native to the area. They populated the Bighorns from translocated moose from Jackson, WY in the mid 1900s. To evaluate moose demography and habitat use, 74 GPS collars were deployed by helicopter and ground darting on adult female moose from March of 2017 to August of 2019 with six mortalities to date. The demographic data collected will aid in estimating population dynamics of the herd. The spatial data will be used to develop a resource selection function to identify preferred moose habitat. This study in being conducted in collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to advance the managment of this unique moose herd. An integrated population model will be developed to estimate population trends, including demographic data from other Wyoming moose herds. Overall this study will advance our understanding of how moose can endure in varying habitats across Wyoming with different movement strategies.
Climatic variability and the productivity of non-game sagebrush birds	December 2019	Sagebrush habitats have been extensively converted, fragmented, and altered via a wide range of human activities, which has resulted in concomitant declines in associated wildlife species, including sagebrush-obligate songbirds. Simultaneously, climatic regimes can influence wildlife, especially species that inhabit exposed, arid environments such as the sagebrush steppe. Biologists and managers, however, do not yet have the requisite information with which to assess how weather patterns such as high temperatures and moisture deficits will influence sagebrush songbird populations. The primary project partner is the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Results of the work will address information gaps identified by the Sagebrush Conservation Strategy, be used to update the Wyoming Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, and contribute to the development of better monitoring and mitigation strategies for sagebrush songbirds most at risk from additional habitat change range-wide.	Sagebrush habitats have been extensively converted, fragmented, and altered via a wide range of human activities, which has resulted in concomitant declines in associated wildlife species, including sagebrush-obligate songbirds. Simultaneously, climatic regimes can influence wildlife, especially species that inhabit exposed, arid environments such as the sagebrush steppe. Biologists and managers, however, do not yet have the requisite information with which to assess how weather patterns such as high temperatures and moisture deficits will influence sagebrush songbird populations. The primary project partner is the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Results of the work will address information gaps identified by the Sagebrush Conservation Strategy, be used to update the Wyoming Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, and contribute to the development of better monitoring and mitigation strategies for sagebrush songbirds most at risk from additional habitat change range-wide.
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Mule Deer Project	July 2020	Increasingly, scientists and wildlife managers are recognizing that the productivity of western herds of mule deer depend on their ability to migrate seasonally across vast expanses of public and private lands. Mule deer are especially important to the ecology and economy of northwest Wyoming, part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Along the eastern front of Wyoming’s Wind River Mountains, mule deer herds migrate from higher elevations in summer to lower elevation wintering habitats. Although a comprehensive map of the elk migrations of the GYE is soon to be completed, mule deer migration corridors have never been mapped comprehensively. By studying the movements and nutritional ecology of five EGYE herds over two years, we will provide essential information to our state partners (Wyoming Game and Fish Department) to manage these herds through identifying crucial habitats - including migration corridors, stop‐over sites, parturition areas, and winter concentration areas - for conservation and improvement projects.	Increasingly, scientists and wildlife managers are recognizing that the productivity of western herds of mule deer depend on their ability to migrate seasonally across vast expanses of public and private lands. Mule deer are especially important to the ecology and economy of northwest Wyoming, part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Along the eastern front of Wyoming’s Wind River Mountains, mule deer herds migrate from higher elevations in summer to lower elevation wintering habitats. Although a comprehensive map of the elk migrations of the GYE is soon to be completed, mule deer migration corridors have never been mapped comprehensively. By studying the movements and nutritional ecology of five EGYE herds over two years, we will provide essential information to our state partners (Wyoming Game and Fish Department) to manage these herds through identifying crucial habitats - including migration corridors, stop‐over sites, parturition areas, and winter concentration areas - for conservation and improvement projects.
Migration Assessment	December 2022	In order for ungulate migration corridors to be effectively managed, they must first be mapped with detailed movement data. The Wyoming Unit is continuing its multi-year effort to map migration corridors of elk and other big game in Wyoming, and to develop tools to facilitate the identification and prioritization of threats and opportunities for conservation along migration corridors. Our analytical team has produced the migration corridor maps currently being incorporated into the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s vital habitat program. Our initial corridor maps have also formed the scientific basis of multiple efforts to conserve private lands that intersect with migration corridors in northwest Wyoming. These products represent a new way of managing elk and other big game herds in Wyoming. They are already increasing awareness and interest in Wyoming’s elk migrations, while also acting as tools to guide on-the-ground management and conservation projects now and for years to come.	In order for ungulate migration corridors to be effectively managed, they must first be mapped with detailed movement data. The Wyoming Unit is continuing its multi-year effort to map migration corridors of elk and other big game in Wyoming, and to develop tools to facilitate the identification and prioritization of threats and opportunities for conservation along migration corridors. Our analytical team has produced the migration corridor maps currently being incorporated into the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s vital habitat program. Our initial corridor maps have also formed the scientific basis of multiple efforts to conserve private lands that intersect with migration corridors in northwest Wyoming. These products represent a new way of managing elk and other big game herds in Wyoming. They are already increasing awareness and interest in Wyoming’s elk migrations, while also acting as tools to guide on-the-ground management and conservation projects now and for years to come.
Baggs, Wyoming Mule Deer Project	December 2020	While environmental variables like weather and plant phenology are thought to be the main drivers of migration, new evidence suggests that anthropogenic disturbances, such as hunting, as well as intrinsic factors like age and sex can also influence ungulate migrations. However, critical gaps in understanding of the influence of both the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that affect migratory behaviors abound. We used three years (2016 – 2018) of GPS-collar data for a herd of migratory mule deer (<i>Odocoileus hemionus</i>) in south-central Wyoming to compare key migratory behaviors between sexes, identify factors that influence the potential and timing of migration, and evaluate habitat selection in and around the autumn hunting season. We found that during hunting season, males found security by using habitats far from roads, while females used habitats through the hunting season that retained higher forage quality longer. This collaborative study with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department suggests that mule deer mitigate disturbance from hunting season by moving to roadless security habitats. Overall, our findings contribute to a broader understanding of migration ecology and the factors that influence migration and habitat selection of wild ungulates in western landscapes.	While environmental variables like weather and plant phenology are thought to be the main drivers of migration, new evidence suggests that anthropogenic disturbances, such as hunting, as well as intrinsic factors like age and sex can also influence ungulate migrations. However, critical gaps in understanding of the influence of both the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that affect migratory behaviors abound. We used three years (2016 – 2018) of GPS-collar data for a herd of migratory mule deer (<i>Odocoileus hemionus</i>) in south-central Wyoming to compare key migratory behaviors between sexes, identify factors that influence the potential and timing of migration, and evaluate habitat selection in and around the autumn hunting season. We found that during hunting season, males found security by using habitats far from roads, while females used habitats through the hunting season that retained higher forage quality longer. This collaborative study with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department suggests that mule deer mitigate disturbance from hunting season by moving to roadless security habitats. Overall, our findings contribute to a broader understanding of migration ecology and the factors that influence migration and habitat selection of wild ungulates in western landscapes.
Yellowstone cutthroat trout hybridization in the North Fork Shoshone River	June 2018	The Yellowstone cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri has experienced substantial declines in abundance and distribution. Yellowstone cutthroat trout occupies 42% of its historic range, but only 28% of populations are genetically unaltered. Hybridization with rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss may present the greatest threat to conservation of YSC. Introgression from RBT may lead to the breakdown of important local adaptations in native cutthroat trout subspecies, and lead to loss of fitness of these subspecies in their native habitats, the formation of hybrid swarms, and genetic extinction of pure cutthroat trout. This project is in collaboration with Wyoming Game and Fish Department and U.S. Forest Service. The goal is to determine the extent of hybridization within the North Fork Shoshone River drainage and evaluate the relationship between hybridization and environmental variables (e.g., temperature, discharge, slope). This will allow managers to identify priority tributaries and determine conservation potential of Yellowstone cutthroat trout in the North Fork Shoshone River drainage.	The Yellowstone cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri has experienced substantial declines in abundance and distribution. Yellowstone cutthroat trout occupies 42% of its historic range, but only 28% of populations are genetically unaltered. Hybridization with rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss may present the greatest threat to conservation of YSC. Introgression from RBT may lead to the breakdown of important local adaptations in native cutthroat trout subspecies, and lead to loss of fitness of these subspecies in their native habitats, the formation of hybrid swarms, and genetic extinction of pure cutthroat trout. This project is in collaboration with Wyoming Game and Fish Department and U.S. Forest Service. The goal is to determine the extent of hybridization within the North Fork Shoshone River drainage and evaluate the relationship between hybridization and environmental variables (e.g., temperature, discharge, slope). This will allow managers to identify priority tributaries and determine conservation potential of Yellowstone cutthroat trout in the North Fork Shoshone River drainage.
Resource selection, area requirements and monitoring of bighorn sheep in northwest Nebraska	April 2016	While bighorn sheep occur throughout the Western US, they often occur in small, isolated herds that are especially prone to periodic die-offs from disease, low genetic diversity and random population fluctuations. These effects reduce the potential for sustained harvest and the long-term maintenance of viable wild bighorn sheep populations. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is interested in understanding the habitat requirements of sheep in Northwest Nebraska, with the goal of growing larger, self-sustaining populations. This project will use data from individually identified sheep between 2002 to present to understand habitat requirements, resource selection and movement dynamics of NE sheep. Indirect outcomes of this analysis will be to identify future data needs and monitoring requirements for these populations, and to provide a framework (e.g. databases, code) for quickly managing and analyzing data in the future.	None
Black Rosy-Finch Distribution, Abundance and Habitat Selection During the Breeding Season	December 2018	The black rosy-finch has a fairly restricted geographic range within the intermountain west, and is one of the most understudied species in North America. The black rosy-finch has been designated a Species of Greatest Conservation Need with a ranking of NSSU (Tier II) in Wyoming reflecting the lack of information available on this species. As a high elevation-obligate nester, range contraction and habitat changes resulting from warming weather trends could lead to local extirpation of the species. The primary project cooperator is the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. The study addresses conservation actions as identified in the State Wildlife Action Plan including the establishment of optimal long-term monitoring sites which could be used for tracking population trends and changes in habitat use given changing weather conditions in the alpine.	The black rosy-finch has a fairly restricted geographic range within the intermountain west, and is one of the most understudied species in North America. The black rosy-finch has been designated a Species of Greatest Conservation Need with a ranking of NSSU (Tier II) in Wyoming reflecting the lack of information available on this species. As a high elevation-obligate nester, range contraction and habitat changes resulting from warming weather trends could lead to local extirpation of the species. The primary project cooperator is the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. The study addresses conservation actions as identified in the State Wildlife Action Plan including the establishment of optimal long-term monitoring sites which could be used for tracking population trends and changes in habitat use given changing weather conditions in the alpine.
Boreal Toad Habitat Selection and Survival in Relation to Grazing Intensity and Disease Prevalence	December 2017	In Wyoming, boreal toads occur in the western and southern portions of the state and are listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (NSS1, Tier 1). A large proportion of the Wyoming boreal toad species range is found in the Bridger Teton National Forest. The Bridger Teton National Forest is considering implementing grazing habitat standards (>70% retention of herbaceous vegetation) to protect these populations. However, habitat selection by boreal toads is not well characterized or understood (Schmetterling and Young 2008). A better understanding of the effects of grazing on boreal toads is needed to guide management. It is unclear, moreover, how habitat changes imposed by different grazing regimes may influence boreal toads, or whether such changes may interact with local disease prevalence to influence toad movements, habitat use, and components of fitness. We propose to evaluate boreal toad movement, habitat selection, survival, and disease status across a gradient of livestock grazing intensity to understand how grazing individually and in conjunction with disease may affect boreal toad populations. Project Goal: To develop a better understanding of boreal toad habitat use and quality in relation to grazing management practices and disease prevalence.	None
LaBarge Creek Cutthroat Trout Investigations	December 2018	Colorado River cutthroat trout populations have declined across their range. Currently the major threats are habitat degradation, non-native species, and climate change. Due to concern about non-native species, one management strategy is the removal of non-native fish species and stocking from a captive brood source. Translocation success rates for cutthroat trout are often less than 50%. Increased knowledge of stocked fish survival and movement post-stocking is needed to understand why cutthroat trout are failing to establish and improve translocation success rates. This project is a collaboration with Wyoming Game and Fish Department and is taking place in LaBarge Creek, Wyoming, the site of a large-scale restoration project where hatchery-reared Colorado River cutthroat trout have failed to establish or reproduce. This study will provide useful insight into the causes of establishment failure. It will also provide information on the best time, size, and habitat in which to stock fish to maximize translocation success.	Colorado River cutthroat trout populations have declined across their range. Currently the major threats are habitat degradation, non-native species, and climate change. Due to concern about non-native species, one management strategy is the removal of non-native fish species and stocking from a captive brood source. Translocation success rates for cutthroat trout are often less than 50%. Increased knowledge of stocked fish survival and movement post-stocking is needed to understand why cutthroat trout are failing to establish and improve translocation success rates. This project is a collaboration with Wyoming Game and Fish Department and is taking place in LaBarge Creek, Wyoming, the site of a large-scale restoration project where hatchery-reared Colorado River cutthroat trout have failed to establish or reproduce. This study will provide useful insight into the causes of establishment failure. It will also provide information on the best time, size, and habitat in which to stock fish to maximize translocation success.
Conservation and Recovery of Hornyhead Chub	June 2018	Isolated fish populations are highly vulnerable because their small population sizes make them susceptible to extirpation due to disease or catastrophic disturbance such as fire. Western hornyhead chub (Nocomis biguttatus) populations historically occurred in Colorado, Wyoming, western Kansas, and southwestern Nebraska, but all except for one Wyoming population are believed to have been extirpated. An understanding of factors limiting hornyhead distribution and abundance is important for conservation of this population. In collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department we are evaluating threats to hornyhead chub and potential reintroduction and new refugia sites for hornyhead chub. This research will allow the development of management strategies for hornyhead chub population restoration and expansion.	Isolated fish populations are highly vulnerable because their small population sizes make them susceptible to extirpation due to disease or catastrophic disturbance such as fire. Western hornyhead chub (Nocomis biguttatus) populations historically occurred in Colorado, Wyoming, western Kansas, and southwestern Nebraska, but all except for one Wyoming population are believed to have been extirpated. An understanding of factors limiting hornyhead distribution and abundance is important for conservation of this population. In collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department we are evaluating threats to hornyhead chub and potential reintroduction and new refugia sites for hornyhead chub. This research will allow the development of management strategies for hornyhead chub population restoration and expansion.

Research Publications

Research Publications	Publication Date
Zuckerman, G. et al. Diverse migratory portfolios drive inter-annual switching behavior of elk across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem	December 2023
Zachary Hooley-Underwood, Elizabeth G. Mandeville, Paul Gerrity, Joe Deromedi, Kevin Johnson, and Annika W. Walters. 2018. Combining genetic, isotopic, and field data to better describe the influence of dams and diversions on Burbot movement in the Wind River Drainage, Wyoming. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 147 (3): 606-620. doi.org/10.1002/tafs.10062	May 2018
Wenger, S.J., E.S. Stowe, K.B. Gido, M.C. Freeman, Y. Kanno, N.R. Franssen, J.D. Olden, N.L. Poff, A.W. Walters, P.M. Bumpers, M.C. Mims, M.B. Hooten, and L. Lu. Accepted. Simple statistical models can be useful for testing hypotheses with population time series data. Ecology and Evolution http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9339	September 2022
Walters, A.W., T.Copeland, and D.A. Venditti. 2013. The density dilemma: limitations on juvenile production in threatened salmon populations. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 22:508-519.	March 2013
Walters, A.W., N.G. Clancy, T.P. Archdeacon, S. Yu, J.S. Rogosch, and E.A. Rieger. Early view. Development of a refuge identification framework that promotes fish persistence during climate-related drought. Fish and Fisheries doi/10.1111/faf.12860	September 2024
Walters, A.W., M.A.G. Sagrario, and D.E. Schindler. 2013. Species and community level responses interact to drive phenology of lake phytoplankton. Ecology 94:2188-2194.	October 2013
Walters, A.W., K.K. Bartz, and M.M. McClure. 2013. Interactive effects of water diversion and climate change for juvenile Chinook salmon in the Lemhi River. Conservation Biology 27:1179-1189.	December 2013
Walters, A.W., E. Mandeville, W.C. Saunders, P. Gerrity, J. Skorupski, Z. Underwood*, E. Gardunio. 2017. Comparison of burbot population dynamics across adjacent native and invaded ranges. Aquatic Invasions 12: 251-262 doi.org/10.3391/ai.2017.12.2.12	June 2017
Walters, A.W., D. M. Holzer, J. R. Faulkner, C. D. Warren, P. D. Murphy, and M.M. McClure. 2012. Quantifying cumulative entrainment effects for Chinook salmon in a heavily irrigated watershed. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 141:1180-1190.	December 2012
Walters, A.W., C.E. Girard, R.H. Walker, A.M. Farag, and D.A. Alvarez. 2019. Multiple approaches to surface water quality assessment provide insight for small streams experiencing oil and natural gas development. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 9999:1-13. doi.org/10.1002/ieam.4118.	January 2019
Walters, A.W., C. Peterson, F. Rahel. 2018. The interaction of exposure and sensitivity determines fish species vulnerability to warming stream temperatures. Biology Letters 14:20180342. doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0342.	September 2018
Walters, A.W. and D.M. Post. 2011. How low can you go? Response of aquatic insect communities to low flow disturbance. Ecological Applications 21:163–174.	September 2011
Walters, A.W. 2016. The importance of context dependency for understanding the effects of low flow events on fish. Freshwater Science 35(1), 216-228. doi:10.1086/683831.	March 2016
Walters, A.W. 2011. Resistance of aquatic insects to a low flow disturbance: exploring a trait-based approach. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 30: 346-356.	September 2011
Walker, R.H., G.D. Smith, S.B. Hudson, S.S. French, and A.W. Walters. 2020. Warmer temperatures interact with salinity to weaken physiological facilitation to stress in freshwater fishes. Conservation Physiology https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coaa107	December 2020
Walker, R.H., C.E. Girard, S.L. Alford, and A.W. Walters. 2020. Individual and interactive effects of hydrology and surface disturbance on fish populations. Journal of Applied Ecology 57: 149-159. doi:10.1111/1365-2664.13517	January 2020
Walker, R.H.* and A.W. Walters. 2019. A mechanistic understanding of ecological responses to anthropogenic surface disturbance in headwater streams. Ecosphere 10(10):e02907. 10.1002/ecs2.2907.	October 2019
Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 4. Kauffman et al.	April 2024
Underwood, Z., E. Mandeville, and A.W. Walters. 2016. Population connectivity and genetic clustering of burbot populations in the Wind River Basin, Wyoming. Hydrobiologia 765:329-342 doi: 10.1007/s10750-015-2422-y.	January 2016
Tucker, M. et al. 2018. Moving in the Anthropocene: Global reductions in terrestrial mammalian movements. Science 359:466-469. DOI: 10.1126/science.aam9712 \| Download	January 2018
Tucker et al. and 150 others. Changes in human presence during COVID-19 lockdowns altered the spatial behavior of terrestrial mammals	June 2023
T.B. Wyckoff et al. The influence of energy and residential development on the migratory behavior of mule deer.	February 2018
Sweet, D. E., R. I. Compton, and W. A. Hubert. 2009. Age and growth of bluehead suckers and flannelmouth suckers in headwater tributaries, Wyoming. Western North American Naturalist 69:35-41.	May 2009
Stichert, N. D., W. A. Hubert, and Q. D. Skinner. 2001. Factors influencing distributions of salmonids in the Little Bighorn River drainage, Wyoming. Intermountain Journal of Sciences 7:22-33.	January 2001
Stichert, N. D., W. A. Hubert, and Q. D. Skinner. 2001. A test of factors hypothesized to influence biomass of salmonids in Rocky Mountain streams. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 16:493-500.	October 2001
Stewart, D.R., Z.E. Underwood, F.J. Rahel, and A.W. Walters. 2018. The effectiveness of surrogate taxa to conserve freshwater biodiversity. Conservation Biology 32: 183-194. doi/10.1111/cobi.12967.	January 2018
Stewart, D.R., A.W. Walters, and F. Rahel. 2016. Factors influencing native and nonnative Great Plains fishes in Wyoming. Diversity and Distributions 22:225-238 doi: 10.1111/ddi.12383.	January 2016
Smith, M. A., and W. A. Hubert. 2004. Failure of a plant-and-krill-based diet to affect the performance of Yellowstone cutthroat trout broodfish. North American Journal of Aquaculture 66:61-68.	March 2004
Smith, M. A., and W. A. Hubert. 2003. Simulated thermal tempering versus sudden temperature change and short-term survival of fingerling rainbow trout. North American Journal of Aquaculture 65:67-69.	February 2003
Smith, A.B. and 68 others. 2019. Alternatives to genetic affinity as a context for within-species response to climate. Nature Climate Change 9:787-794.	October 2019
Simpkins, D. G., and W. A. Hubert. 2000. Drifting invertebrates, stomach contents, and body conditions of juvenile rainbow trout from fall through winter in a Wyoming tailwater. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 129:1176-1184.	January 2000
Simpkins, D. G., and W. A. Hubert. 1998. A technique for estimating the accuracy of fish locations identified by radiotelemetry. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 13:263-268.	June 1998
Simpkins, D. G., W. A. Hubert, and T. A. Wesche. 2000. Effects of fall to winter changes in habitat and frazil ice on movements and habitat use by juvenile rainbow trout in a Wyoming tailwater. Transactions of the Amercan Fisheries Society. 129:101-118.	January 2000
Simpkins, D. G., W. A. Hubert, and T. A. Wesche. 2000. Effects of a spring flushing flow on the distribution of radio-tagged juvenile rainbow trout in a Wyoming tailwater. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 20:546-551.	May 2000
Simpkins, D. G., W. A. Hubert, C. Martinez del Rio, and D. C. Rule. 2004. Factors affecting swimming performance of fasted rainbow trout with implications of exhaustive exercise on overwinter mortality. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 19:657-666.	January 2005
Simpkins, D. G., W. A. Hubert, C. Martinez del Rio, and D. C. Rule. 2004. Constraints of body size and swimming velocity on the ability of juvenile rainbow trout to endure periods without food. Journal of Fish Biology 65:530-544.	June 2004
Simpkins, D. G., W. A. Hubert, C. Martinez del Rio, and D. C. Rule. 2003. Physiological responses of juvenile rainbow trout to fasting and swimming activity: Effects on body condition and condition indices. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 132:576-589.	June 2003
Simpkins, D. G., W. A. Hubert, C. Martinez del Rio, and D. C. Rule. 2003. Interacting effects of water temperature and swimming activities on body condition and mortality of fasted juvenile rainbow trout. Canadian Journal of Zoology 81:1641-1649.	September 2003
Simpkins, D. G., W. A. Hubert, C. Martinez del Rio, and D. C. Rule. 2003. Effect of swimming activity on relative weight and body condition of juvenile rainbow trout. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 23:283-289.	March 2003
Senecal, A. C., A. W. Walters, and W. A. Hubert. 2015. Historical data reveal fish assemblage shifts in an unregulated prairie river. Ecosphere 6(12):287. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/ES14-00361.1	December 2015
Schwanke, C. J., and W. A. Hubert. 2004. Evaluation of three gears for sampling spawning populations of rainbow trout in a large Alaskan river. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 24:1078-1082.	August 2004
Schwanke, C. J., and W. A. Hubert. 2003. Structure, abundance, and movements of an allacustrine population of rainbow trout in the Naknek River, Southwest Alaska. Northwest Science 77:340-348.	September 2003
Schramm, H. L., Jr., and W. A. Hubert. 1999. Ecosystem management. Pages 111-126 in C. L. Kohler and W. A. Hubert, editors. Inland fisheries management in North America, second edition. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. (Ecosystems, fisheries management) (FY1999)	January 2000
Schipper, A.M., H.W.M. Hendriks, M.J. Kauffman, A.J. Hendriks, and M.A.J. Huijbregts. In revision. Density-dependent population responses to multiple toxicants: a case study of peregrine falcons exposed to DDE and PBDEs. Journal of Applied Ecology.	December 2013
Sawyer, H.S., M.J. Kauffman. 2011. Stopover ecology of a migratory ungulate. Journal of Animal Ecology 80, 1078-1087. \| Download	August 2011
Sawyer, H.S., M.J. Kauffman, and R.M. Nielson. 2009. Influence of well pad activity on the winter habitat selection patterns of mule deer. Journal of Wildlife Management 73:1052-1061. \| Download	September 2009
Sawyer, H.S., M.J. Kauffman, R.M. Nielson and J. Horne. 2009. Identifying and prioritizing ungulate migration routes for landscape-level conservation. Ecological Applications 19:2016-2025. \| Download	September 2009
Sawyer, H., M.J. Kauffman, A.D. Middleton, T.A. Morrison, R.M. Nielson, and T.B. Wyckoff. 2013. A framework for understanding semi-permeable barrier effects on migratory ungulates. Journal of Applied Ecology, 50 (1). DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12013 \| Abstract \| Download \| Publisher Website	February 2013	Summary Impermeable barriers to migration can greatly constrain the set of possible routes and ranges used by migrating animals. For ungulates, however, many forms of development are semi-permeable, and making informed management decisions about their potential impacts to the persistence of migration routes is difficult because our knowledge of how semi-permeable barriers affect migratory behaviour and function is limited. Here, we propose a general framework to advance the understanding of barrier effects on ungulate migration by emphasizing the need to (i) quantify potential barriers in terms that allow behavioural thresholds to be considered, (ii) identify and measure behavioural responses to semi-permeable barriers and (iii) consider the functional attributes of the migratory landscape (e.g. stopovers) and how the benefits of migration might be reduced by behavioural changes. We used global position system (GPS) data collected from two subpopulations of mule deer Odocoileus hemionus to evaluate how different levels of gas development influenced migratory behaviour, including movement rates and stopover use at the individual level, and intensity of use and width of migration route at the population level. We then characterized the functional landscape of migration routes as either stopover habitat or movement corridors and examined how the observed behavioural changes affected the functionality of the migration route in terms of stopover use. We found migratory behaviour to vary with development intensity. Our results suggest that mule deer can migrate through moderate levels of development without any noticeable effects on migratory behaviour. However, in areas with more intensive development, animals often detoured from established routes, increased their rate of movement and reduced stopover use, while the overall use and width of migration routes decreased. Synthesis and applications. In contrast to impermeable barriers that impede animal movement, semi-permeable barriers allow animals to maintain connectivity between their seasonal ranges. Our results identify the mechanisms (e.g. detouring, increased movement rates, reduced stopover use) by which semi-permeable barriers affect the functionality of ungulate migration routes and emphasize that the management of semi-permeable barriers may play a key role in the conservation of migratory ungulate populations.
Sawyer et al. Tradeoffs with utility-scale solar development and ungulates on western rangelands.	April 2022
Sawyer et al. THE EXTRA MILE: UNGULATE MIGRATION DISTANCE ALTERS USE OF SEASONAL RANGE AND EXPOSURE TO ANTHROPOGENIC RISK	October 2016
Sanderson, T. B., and W. A. Hubert. 2009. Influences of habitat fragmentation on habitat use and movements by a fluvial cutthroat trout population: implications for watershed-scale management. Fisheries Management and Ecology 16(4).	July 2009
Sanderson, T. B., and W. A. Hubert. 2007. Assessment of gaseous CO2 and AQUI-S as anesthetics when surgically implanting radio transmitters into cutthroat trout. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 27:1053-1057.	November 2007
Sanders, L.E., A. D. Chalfoun, and T. M. Scherr. Inter-species nest use by a Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus). Wilson Journal of Ornithology.	September 2018
Sanders, L. E., and A. D. Chalfoun. 2019. Mechanisms underlying increased nest predation in natural gas fields: a test of the mesopredator release hypothesis. Ecosphere 10(5):e02738.	May 2019
Sanders, L. E., and A. D. Chalfoun. 2018. Novel landscape elements within natural gas fields increase densities but not fitness of an important songbird nest predator. Biological Conservation 228:132-141.	December 2018
Saab, V., Q. Latif, M. Rowland, T. Johnson, A. Chalfoun, S. Buskirk, J. Heyward and M. Dresser. Ecological Consequences of Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreaks for Wildlife in Western North American Forests. Forest Science 60:539-559.	June 2014
Ruthven, J.S., and J. Leonard, and A.W. Walters. 2023. Assessment of invasive Brook Stickleback Culaea inconstans occupancy, habitat drivers, and overlap with native fishes in the North Platte River drainage, Wyoming. Hydrobiologia doi.org/10.1007/s10750-023-05262-y	June 2023
Ruthven, J.S., and A.W. Walters. 2023. Invasive Brook Stickleback Culaea inconstans has limited effects on the trophic ecology of native fishes in Wyoming, USA. Food Webs 35 e00275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fooweb.2023.e00275	June 2023
Ruprecht et al. The relationship between body condition and pregnancy in moose at their southern range limit	December 2016
Rosenthal, WC, EG Mandeville, AM Pilkerton, PC Gerrity, JA Skorupski, AW Walters, and CE Wagner. 2024. Influence of dams on sauger population structure and hybridization with introduced walleye. Ecology and Evolution 14(7): e11706 https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11706	July 2024
Rosenthal, W.R., J.M. Fennell, E.G. Mandeville, J.C. Burckhardt, A.W. Walters, and C.E. Wagner. 2022. Effects of reproductive fitness in a hybridizing trout population. Molecular Ecology http://doi.org/10.1111/mec.16578	June 2022
Rodgers, P.A. et al. Rifle hunting alters habitat use but does not trigger migration in mule deer. for Journal of Wildlife Management	December 2021
Rodgers et al. Sex-specific migratory behaviors in a temperate ungulate. for Ecosphere	December 2021
Robertson, B. A., and A. D. Chalfoun. Evolutionary traps as keys to understanding behavioral maladaptation. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences.	September 2016
Robb, B. et al. Nowhere to run: pronghorn space use impacted by semi-permeability of barriers	April 2022
Rickbeil et al. Plasticity in elk migration timing is a response to changing environmental conditions.	July 2019
Rhea, D. T., W. A. Hubert, R. S. Gangl, and R. A. Whaley. 2005. Temproal and spatial variation in relative abundance and length structure of salmonids in reservoirs: Implications for monitoring. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 25:1301-1309	February 2006
Rhea, D. T., W. A. Hubert, R. S. Gangl, and R. A. Whaley. 2005. Temporal and spatial variation in relative abundance and length structure of salmonids in reservoirs: Implications for monitoring. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 25:1301-1309.	September 2005
Rhea, A. M., and A. D. Chalfoun. 2023. Experimental reduction of a primary nest predator fails to decrease nest predation rates of sagebrush songbirds. Ornithological Applications 1:10 - 23. \| Abstract	September 2023	The use of predator removal to increase the reproductive success of a prey species of concern is relatively common in wildlife management. The efficacy of such an approach, however, depends partly on the extent to which predation risk is additive or compensatory, which remains unknown for many systems. We experimentally reduced the local abundance of deer mice (<i>Peromyscus maniculatus</i>), a primary nest predator of three sagebrush-obligate songbirds (Brewer’s Sparrow [<i>Spizella breweri</i>], Sagebrush Sparrow [<i>Artemisiospiza nevadensis</i>], and Sage Thrasher [<i>Oreoscoptus montanus</i>]) in western Wyoming, USA to assess whether nest predation risk was additive or compensatory, and whether nest predator removal could comprise a potentially effective management tool. Deer mouse removal did not affect the daily nest survival of songbirds, despite a reduction of 68 ̶ 85% in the deer mouse population within treatment areas. Nest mortality in this system therefore likely operates in a compensatory way, in which new immigrants or other species of nest predator can maintain similar levels of nest predation risk regardless of the prevalence of a dominant predator. We caution that predator removal may not be an effective management tool in open systems with many potential predator species, even when a single species typically is responsible for the majority of predation events.
Rhea, A. M., J. D. Carlisle, and A. D. Chalfoun. Intrabrood variation in nestling size among three sagebrush-associated songbirds. Wilson Journal of Ornithology. \| Abstract	June 2022	The young of some altricial bird species hatch asynchronously, sometimes leading to considerable size differences among siblings. Asynchronous hatching may comprise a bet-hedging strategy whereby adults can maximize the probability of successfully fledging at least one young from the nest even when resources are limited. Despite the potential importance of intrabrood variation in nestling size to the breeding strategy of altricial birds, the extent of this phenomenon remains largely unclear for many species. We weighed 453 nestlings from 148 nests of three sympatric, sagebrush-associated songbird species in Wyoming, USA to describe the magnitude of intrabrood size differences for these species. Intrabrood differences in nestling mass were greatest for the largest species, the Sage Thrasher (<i>Oreoscoptes montanus</i>), for which the smallest nestling in a brood was on-average 26.2% smaller than the largest. The smaller Vesper Sparrow (<i>Pooecetes gramineus</i>) and Brewer’s Sparrow (<i>Spizella breweri</i>) exhibited similar intrabrood size ratios, with the smallest nestling being 17.4% and 18.4% smaller on average than the largest for the two species, respectively. For each additional nestling within a brood, the smallest nestling was an additional 6.6 ̶ 13.6% smaller than the largest nestling, depending on species. Understanding the extent of intrabrood variation in nestling traits has important implications for the productivity of sensitive species facing increasingly unpredictable environments.
Raithel, J. D., M. J. Kauffman, D. H. Pletscher. 2007. Impact of spatial and temporal variation in calf survival on the growth of elk populations. Journal of Wildlife Management 71:795-803.	May 2007
R. P. Jakopak, L. E. Hall, and A. D. Chalfoun. Organizing the pantry: Cache management improves quality of overwinter food stores in a montane mammal. Journal of Mammalogy.	November 2017
Quist, M. C., and W. A. Hubert. 2005. Relative effects of biotic and abiotic processes: a test of the biotic-abiotic constraining hypothesis as applied to cutthroat trout. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 134:676-686.	May 2005
Quist, M. C., and W. A. Hubert. 2005. Ecological, social, and economic issues related to bioinvasive species and the preservation of cutthroat trout in the western United States. Pages 113-116 in Moore, S. E., R. F. Carline, and J. Dillon, eds. Working together to ensure the future of wild trout; proceedings of Wild Trout VIII symposium--30th anniversary; 2004 September 20-23; Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.	August 2005
Quist, M. C., and W. A. Hubert. 2004. Bioinvasive species and the preservation of cutthroat trout in the western United States: ecological, social, and economic issues. Environmental Science and Policy 7:303-313.	August 2004
Quist, M. C., Z. J. Jackson, M. R. Bower, and W. A. Hubert. 2007. Precision of hard structures used to estimate age of riverine catostomids and cyprinids in the Upper Colorado River basin. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 27:643-649.	June 2007
Quist, M. C., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. 2006. Concurrent assessment of fish and habitat in warmwater streams in Wyoming. Fisheries Management and Ecology 13:9-20.	February 2006
Quist, M. C., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. 2006. Concurrent assessment of fish and habitat in warmwater streams in Wyoming. Fisheries Management and Ecology 13:9-20.	February 2006
Quist, M. C., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. 2006. Concurrent assessment of fish and habitat in warmwater streams in Wyoming. Fisheries Management and Ecology 13:9-20.	March 2006
Quist, M. C., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. 2005. Fish assemblage structure following impoundment of a Great Plains river. Western North American Naturalist 65:53-63.	January 2005
Quist, M. C., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. 2004. Relations among habitat characteristics, exotic species, and turbid-river cyprinids in the Missouri River Drainage of Wyoming. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 133:727-742.	June 2004
Quist, M. C., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. 2004. Elevation and stream-size thresholds affect distributions of native and exotic warmwater fishes in Wyoming. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 19:227-236.	January 2004
Quist, M. C., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. 2003. Exotic piscivorous fishes and reduced intermittence affect suckermouth minnows in a Southeastern Wyoming stream. Intermountain Journal of Sciences 9:62-65.	September 2003
Quist, M. C., W. A. Hubert, and D. J. Isaak. 2004. Fish assemblage structure and relations with environmental conditions in a Rocky Mountain watershed. Canadian Journal of Zoology 82:1554-1565.	January 2005
Quist, M. C., W. A. Hubert, and D. J. Isaak. 2004. Factors affecting allopatric and sympatric occurrence of two sculpin species across a Rocky Mountain watershed. Copeia 2004:617-623.	September 2004
Quist, M. C., W. A. Hubert, M. Fowden, S. W. Wolff, and M. R. Bower. 2006. The Wyoming Habitat Assessment Methodology (WHAM): a systematic approach to evaluating watershed conditions and stream habitat. Fisheries 31:75-81.	March 2006
Quist, M. C., W. A. Hubert, M. Fowden, S. W. Wolff, and M. R. Bower. 2006. The Wyoming Habitat Assessment Methodology (WHAM): a systematic approach to evaluating watershed conditions and stream habitat. Fisheries 31(2):75-81.	February 2006
Quist, M. C., M. R. Bower, and W. A. Hubert. 2007. Infection by a black spot-causing species of Uvulifer and associated opercular alterations in fishes from a high-desert stream in Wyoming. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 78:129-136.	December 2007
Quist, M. C., M. R. Bower, and W. A. Hubert. 2006. Summer food habits and trophic overlap of roundtail chub and creek chub in Muddy Creek, Wyoming. Southwestern Naturalist 51:22-27.	February 2006
Quist, M. C., M. R. Bower, and W. A. Hubert. 2006. Summer food habits and trophic overlap of roundtail chub and creek chub in Muddy Creek, Wyoming. Southwestern Naturalist 51:22-27.	February 2006
Quist, M. C., M. R. Bower, and W. A. Hubert. 2006. Summer food habits and trophic overlap of roundtail chub and creek chub in Muddy Creek, Wyoming. Southwestern Naturalist 51:22-27.	March 2006
Quist, M. C., M. R. Bower, W. A. Hubert, T. L. Parchman, and D. B. McDonald. 2009. Morphometric and meristic differences of bluehead sucker, flannelmouth sucker, white sucker, and their hubrids: tools for the management of native species in the Upper Colorado River basin. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 29:460-467.	March 2009
Quist, M. C., M. R. Bower, W. A. Hubert and F. J. Rahel. 2006. Spatial patterns of fish assemblage structure in a tributary system of the Upper Colorado River system. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 21:673-680.	August 2006
Quist, M. C., K. G. Gerow, M. R. Bower, and W. A. Hubert. 2006. Random versus fixed-site sampling when monitoring relative abundance of fishes in headwater streams of the Upper Colorado River basin. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 26:1011-1019.	October 2006
Quist, M. C., F. J. Rahel, and W. A. Hubert. 2005. Hierarchial faunal filters: an approach to assessing effects of habitat and nonnative species on native fishes. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 14:24-39.	February 2005
Price, A.N., M.A. Zimmer, A.J. Bergstrom, A.J. Burgin, E.C. Seybold, C.A. Krabbenhoft, S. Zipper, M.H. Busch, W.K. Dodds, A.W. Walters, J.S. Rogosch, R. Stubbington, R.H. Walker, J.C. Stegen, T. Datry, M.L. Messager, J.D. Olden, S. Godsey, M. Shanafield, D.A. Lytle, R.M. Burrows, K.E. Kaiser, G.H. Allen, M.C. Mims, J.D. Tonkin, M. Bogan, J. Hammond, K.S. Boersma, A.N. Myers-Pigg, A.G. DelVecchia, D.C. Allen, S. Yu, A. Ward, 2024. Biogeochemical and community ecology responses to the wetting of non-perennial streams. Nature Water 2: 815-826. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-024-00298-3	September 2024
Patton, T. M., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. 1998. Ichthyofauna in streams of the Missouri River drainage, Wyoming. Prairie Naturalist 30:9-22.	March 1998
Patton, T. M., W. A. Hubert, F. J. Rahel, and K. G. Gerow. 2000. Effort needed to estimate species richness in small streams on the Great Plains in Wyoming. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. 20:394-398.	May 2000
Patton, T. M., F. J. Rahel, and W. A. Hubert. 1998. Using historical data to assess changes in Wyoming's fish fauna. Conservation Biology 12:1120-1128.	December 1998
Parrish, Tierny L., Wayne A. Hubert, Stanley H. Anderson, Michael J. Pucherelli, and Warren Mangus. 2001. Distributions of roosting sandhill cranes as identified by aerial thermography. Prairie Naturalist 33:93-100.	October 2001
Pantel, J., D. Pendleton, A. Walters, and L. Rogers. 2014. Linking environmental variability to population and community dynamics. p. 119-131. In P.F. Kemp [ed.], Eco-DAS IX Symposium Proceedings. ASLO. [doi: 10.4319/ecodas.2014.978-0-9845591-3-8.119]	December 2014
Ortega, A.C., Dwinnell, S.P.H., LaSharr, T.N., Jakopak, R.P., Denryter, K., Huggler, K., Hayes, M., Aikens, E.O., Verzuh, T., May, A., Kauffman, M.J., and Monteith, K.L. (2020). Effectiveness of Partial Sedation to Reduce Stress in Captured Mule Deer. Journal of Wildlife Management, 84: 1445–1456. https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.21929. \| Abstract	July 2020	Information garnered from the capture and handling of free-ranging animals helps advance understanding of wildlife ecology and can aid in decisions on wildlife management. Unfortunately, animals may experience increased levels of stress, injuries, and death resulting from captures (e.g., exertional myopathy, trauma). Partial sedation is a technique proposed to alleviate stress in animals during capture, yet efficacy of partial sedation for reducing stress and promoting survival post-capture remains unclear. We evaluated the effects of partial sedation on physiological, biochemical, and behavioral indicators of acute stress and probability of survival post-capture for mule deer (<i>Odocoileus hemionus</i>) that were captured via helicopter net-gunning in the eastern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Wyoming, USA. We administered 10–30 mg of midazolam and 15 mg of azaperone intramuscularly (IM) to 32 mule deer in 2016 and 53 mule deer in 2017, and maintained a control group (captured but not sedated) of 38 mule deer in 2016 and 54 mule deer in 2017. To evaluate indicators of acute stress, we measured heart rate, blood-oxygen saturation, body temperature, respiration rate, and levels of serum cortisol. We recorded number of kicks and vocalizations of deer during handling and evaluated behavior during release. We also measured levels of fecal glucocorticoids as an indicator of baseline stress. Midazolam and azaperone did not reduce physiological, biochemical, or behavioral indicators of acute stress or influence probability of survival post-capture. Mule deer that were administered midazolam and azaperone, however, were more likely to hesitate, stumble or fall, and walk during release compared with individuals in the control group, which were more likely to trot, stot, or run without stumbling or falling. Our findings suggest that midazolam (10–30 mg IM) and azaperone (15 mg IM) may not yield physiological or demographic benefits for captured mule deer as previously assumed and may pose adverse effects that can complicate safety for captured animals, including drug-induced lethargy. Although we failed to find efficacy of midazolam and azaperone as a method for reducing stress in captured mule deer, the efficacy of midazolam and azaperone or other combinations of partial sedatives in reducing stress may depend on the dose of tranquilizer, study animal, capture setting, and how stress is defined.
Ortega etal. Expenditure of energy in a large herbivore is non-linear over winter	April 2023
Ortega et al. Migrating mule deer compensate en route for phenological mismatches	April 2023
Ortega et al. A test of the frost wave hypothesis in a temperate ungulate	January 2024
Oates, B. et al. Antipredator response diminishes during periods of resource deficit for a large herbivore.	March 2019
Oates and others. Spatially explicit demography reveals disparate influences of resource limitation and predation on population growth of a large herbivore	December 2021
Nunez, T. et al. A statistical framework for modeling migration corridors	September 2022
Noonan, M.J., and many others. Which home range estimator should I use? An analysis of autocorrelation and bias in home range estimation. for Ecological Monographs	November 2018
Noonan et al. Body-size-dependent underestimation of mammalian area requirements.	May 2020
Niall G. Clancy, Jonathan A. McFarland, Megan G. Ahern, Annika W. Walters. 2024. Functional turnover and fish-community trends over 130 years in a prairie watershed. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. https://doi.org/10.1002/tafs.10479	August 2024
Newkirk, B.M., E.R. Larson, A.D. Walker, and A.W. Walters. 2023. Winners and losers over a half century of change in crayfish communities of Wyoming, U.S.A. Freshwater Science 42(2): 146-160. https://doi.org/10.1086/725318	June 2023
Nelson, A.A., and others. Native prey distribution and migration mediates wolf predation on domestic livestock in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem	June 2016
Nelson, A.A., M.J. Kauffman (and others). 2012. Elk migration patterns and human activity influence wolf habitat selection in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Ecological Applications 22:2293–2307.	December 2012
Mumme et al. (In Review) Wherever I may roam – Human activity alters movements of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and elk (Cervus canadensis) across two continents. Global Change Biology \| Abstract	June 2023	Human activity and associated landscape modifications alter the movements of animals with consequences for populations and ecosystems worldwide. Species performing long-distance movements are thought to be particularly sensitive to human impact. Despite the increasing anthropogenic pressure, it remains challenging to understand and predict animals‘ responses to human activity. Here we address this knowledge gap using 1,206 Global Positioning System (GPS) movement trajectories of 815 individuals from 14 red deer (<i>Cervus elaphus</i>) and 14 elk (<i>Cervus canadensis</i>) populations spanning wide environmental gradients, namely the latitudinal range from the Alps to Scandinavia in Europe, and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) in North America. We measured individual-level movements relative to the environmental context, or ‘movement expression’, using the standardized metric ‘Intensity of Use’, reflecting both the directionality and extent of movements. We expected movement expression to be affected by resource (NDVI) predictability and topography, but those factors to be superseded by human impact. Red deer and elk movement expression varied along a continuum, from highly segmented trajectories over relatively small areas (high Intensity of Use), to directed transitions through restricted corridors (low Intensity of Use). Human activity (Human Footprint Index: HFI) was the strongest driver of movement expression, with a steep increase in Intensity of Use as HFI increased, but only until a threshold was reached. After exceeding this level of impact, the Intensity of Use remained unchanged. These results indicate the overall sensitivity of <i>Cervus</i> movement expression to human activity and suggest a limitation to plastic responses under high human pressure, despite the species also occurring in human-dominated landscapes. Our work represents the first comparison of metric-based movement expression across widely distributed populations of a deer genus, contributing to the understanding and prediction of animals‘ responses to human activity.
Mullner, S. A., and W. A. Hubert. 2005. Low summer water temperatures influence occurrence of naturalized salmonids across a mountain watershed. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 25:1034-1040.	July 2005
Mullner, S. A., W. A. Hubert, and T. A. Wesche. 2000. Visually estimating substrate composition at potential spawning sites for trout in mountain streams. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 15:199-207.	September 2000
Mullner, S. A., W. A. Hubert, and T. A. Wesche. 2000. Snorkeling as an alternative to depletion electrofishing for estimating abundance and length-class frequencies of trout in small streams:response to comment. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 20:839-840.	October 2000
Mullner, S. A., W. A. Hubert, and T. A. Wesche. 1998. Snorkeling as an alternative to depletion electrofishing for estimating the abundance and length frequencies of trout in small streams. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 18:947-953.	September 1998
Morrison, T. A., Merkle, J. A., Hopcraft, J. G. C., Aikens, E. O., Beck, J. L., Boone, R. B., Courtemanch, A. B., Dwinnell, S. P., Fairbanks, W. S., Griffith, B., Middleton, A.D., Monteith, K.L., Oates, B., Riotte‐Lambert, L., Sawyer, H., Smith, K. T., Stabach, J. A., Taylor, K. T., and Kauffman, M. J. (2021). Drivers of site fidelity in ungulates. Journal of animal ecology, 90(4), 955-966. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13425. \| Abstract	April 2021	While the tendency to return to previously visited locations—termed ‘site fidelity’—is common in animals, the cause of this behaviour is not well understood. One hypothesis is that site fidelity is shaped by an animal's environment, such that animals living in landscapes with predictable resources have stronger site fidelity. Site fidelity may also be conditional on the success of animals’ recent visits to that location, and it may become stronger with age as the animal accumulates experience in their landscape. Finally, differences between species, such as the way memory shapes site attractiveness, may interact with environmental drivers to modulate the strength of site fidelity. We compared inter-year site fidelity in 669 individuals across eight ungulate species fitted with GPS collars and occupying a range of environmental conditions in North America and Africa. We used a distance-based index of site fidelity and tested hypothesized drivers of site fidelity using linear mixed effects models, while accounting for variation in annual range size. Mule deer <i>Odocoileus hemionus</i> and moose <i>Alces alces</i> exhibited relatively strong site fidelity, while wildebeest <i>Connochaetes taurinus</i> and barren-ground caribou <i>Rangifer tarandus granti</i> had relatively weak fidelity. Site fidelity was strongest in predictable landscapes where vegetative greening occurred at regular intervals over time (i.e. high temporal contingency). Species differed in their response to spatial heterogeneity in greenness (i.e. spatial constancy). Site fidelity varied seasonally in some species, but remained constant over time in others. Elk employed a ‘win-stay, lose-switch’ strategy, in which successful resource tracking in the springtime resulted in strong site fidelity the following spring. Site fidelity did not vary with age in any species tested. Our results provide support for the environmental hypothesis, particularly that regularity in vegetative phenology shapes the strength of site fidelity at the inter-annual scale. Large unexplained differences in site fidelity suggest that other factors, possibly species-specific differences in attraction to known sites, contribute to variation in the expression of this behaviour. Understanding drivers of variation in site fidelity across groups of organisms living in different environments provides important behavioural context for predicting how animals will respond to environmental change.
Monteith, K.L., R.W. Klaver, K.R. Hersey, A.A. Holland, T.P. Thomas, and M.J. Kauffman. 2015. Effects of climate and plant phenology on recruitment of moose at the southern extent of their range. Oecologia 178-1137-1148. \| Abstract	March 2015	Climate plays a fundamental role in limiting the range of a species, is a key factor in the dynamics of large herbivores, and is thought to be involved in declines of moose populations in recent decades. We examined effects of climate and growing-season phenology on recruitment (8–9 months old) of young Shiras moose (Alces alces shirasi) over three decades, from 18 herds, across a large geographic area encompassing much of the southern extent of their range. Recruitment declined in 8 of 18 herds during 1980–2009, whereas others did not exhibit a temporal trend (none showed a positive trend). During those three decades, seasonal temperatures increased, spring–summer precipitation decreased, and spring occurred earlier, became shorter in duration, and green-up occurred faster. Recruitment was influenced negatively by warm temperatures during the year before young were born, but only for herds with declining recruitment. Dry spring–summers of the previous year and rapid rates of spring green-up in the year of birth had similar negative influences across declining and stable herds. Those patterns indicate both direct (yeart) and delayed (yeart−1) effects of weather and plant phenology on recruitment of young, which we hypothesize was mediated through effects on maternal nutritional condition. Suppressed nutrition could have been induced by (1) increased thermoregulatory costs associated with warming temperatures and (2) shortened duration of availability of high-quality forage in spring. Progressive reductions in net energetic gain for species that are sensitive to climate may continue to hamper individual fitness and population dynamics.
Monteith, K.L., M.M. Hayes, M.J. Kauffman, H.E. Copeland, and H. Sawyer. Functional attributes of ungulate migration: landscape features facilitate movement and access to forage. Ecological Applications	October 2018
Modde, T., R. J. Jeric, W. A. Hubert, and R. D. Gipson. 1997. Estimating the impacts of reservoir elevation changes on kokanee emergence in Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Wyoming-Utah. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 17:470-473.	June 1997
Middleton, A.D., T.A. Morrison, J.K. Fortin, C.T. Robbins, K.M. Proffitt, P.J. White, D.E. McWhirter, T.M. Koel, D.G. Brimeyer, W.S. Fairbanks, and M.J. Kauffman. 2013. Grizzly bear predation links the loss of native trout to the demography of migratory elk in Yellowstone. Proc R Soc B 280: 20130870.	May 2013
Middleton, A.D., M.J. Kauffman, D.E. McWhirter, M.D. Jimenez, J.G. Cook, R.C. Cook, S.E. Albeke, H. Sawyer, and P.J. White. 2013. Linking anti-predator behavior to prey demography reveals limited risk effects of an actively hunting large carnivore. Ecology Letters 16:1023-1030.	December 2013
Middleton, A.D., M.J. Kauffman, D.E. McWhirter, J.G. Cook, R.C. Cook, A.A. Nelson, M.D. Jimenez, and R.W. Klaver. 2013. Animal migration amid shifting patterns of phenology and predation: lessons from a Yellowstone elk herd. Ecology 94:1245-1256.	December 2013
Middleton and others. Green-wave surfing influences fitness in a large migratory herbivore	July 2018
Middleton and others. Conserving ungulate migrations requires transboundary science, policy, and management	December 2019
Meyer, J. S., D. F. Woodward, J. N. Goldstein, A. M. Farag, and W. A. Hubert. 1998. Relationships between boron concentrations and trout in the Firehole River, Wyoming, USA. Biological Trace Element Research 66:167-184.	June 1998
Messager, M.L., J. D. Olden, J.D. Tonkin, R. Stubbington, J.S. Rogosch, M.H. Busch, C.J. Little, A.W. Walters, C.L. Atkinson, M. Shanafield, S. Yu, K. Boersma, D.A. Lytle, R.H. Walker, R.M. Burrows, and T. Datry. 2023. A metasystem approach to designing environmental flows. BioScience biad067, https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biad067 \| Abstract	September 2023	Accelerating the design and implementation of environmental flows (e-flows) is essential to curb the rapid, ongoing loss of freshwater biodiversity and the benefits it provides to people. However, the effectiveness of e-flow programs may be limited by a singular focus on ensuring adequate flow conditions at local sites, which overlooks the role of other ecological processes. Recent advances in metasystem ecology have shown that biodiversity patterns and ecosystem functions across river networks result from the interplay of local (environmental filtering and biotic interactions) and regional (dispersal) processes. No guidelines currently exist to account for these processes in designing e-flows. We address this gap, providing a step-by-step operational framework of how e-flows can be designed to conserve or restore metasystem dynamics. Our recommendations are relevant to diverse regulatory contexts and can improve e-flow outcomes even in basins with limited in situ data.
Merkle, J.A., Monteith, K.L., Aikens, E.O., Hayes, M.M., Hersey, K.R., Middleton, A.D., Oates, B.A., Sawyer, H., Scurlock, B.M. and Kauffman, M.J. (2016). Large herbivores surf waves of green-up in spring. *Proceedings of the Royal Society B*, 283:20160456. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.0456. \| Abstract	December 2016	The green wave hypothesis (GWH) states that migrating animals should track or ‘surf’ high-quality forage at the leading edge of spring green-up. To index such high-quality forage, recent work proposed the instantaneous rate of green-up (IRG), i.e. rate of change in the normalized difference vegetation index over time. Despite this important advancement, no study has tested the assumption that herbivores select habitat patches at peak IRG. We evaluated this assumption using step selection functions parametrized with movement data during the green-up period from two populations each of bighorn sheep, mule deer, elk, moose and bison, totalling 463 individuals monitored 1–3 years from 2004 to 2014. Accounting for variables that typically influence habitat selection for each species, we found seven of 10 populations selected patches exhibiting high IRG—supporting the GWH. Nonetheless, large herbivores selected for the leading edge, trailing edge and crest of the IRG wave, indicating that other mechanisms (e.g. ruminant physiology) or measurement error inherent with satellite data affect selection for IRG. Our evaluation indicates that IRG is a useful tool for linking herbivore movement with plant phenology, paving the way for significant advancements in understanding how animals track resource quality that varies both spatially and temporally.
Merkle, J. et al. Spatial memory shapes migration and its benefits: evidence from a large herbivore	November 2019
Merkle, J. et al. Migration Mapper: Identifying movement corridors and seasonal ranges for large mammal conservation	September 2022
Merkle, J. A., Abrahms, B., J. B. Armstrong, H. Sawyer, D. P. Costa, and A. D. Chalfoun. Site fidelity as a maladaptive behavior in the Anthropocene. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. \| Abstract	January 2022	Site fidelity, or returning to previously visited locations, is a behavior observed across taxa and ecosystems. By developing familiarity with a particular location, site fidelity provides a range of benefits and is advantageous in stable or predictable environments. Yet, the Anthropocene is characterized by rates of environmental change that outpace the evolutionary history of extant taxa. Such change can drive site fidelity to become maladaptive. Here we outline the theoretical underpinnings for maladaptive site fidelity and synthesize empirical research supporting its occurrence. We examine maladaptive site fidelity in the context of a related concept, ecological traps, whereby organisms exhibit maladaptive behavior in habitat selection. We discuss adaptive mechanisms that may enable species with site fidelity to persist in the Anthropocene. With ongoing environmental change, researchers and practitioners should expect fidelity-induced ecological traps to become relatively common, and initiate projects to identify, understand, and conserve this widespread and ecologically important behavior.
Merkle et al. Conserving habitat for migratory ungulates: how wide is a migration corridor?	July 2023
McKinstry, M. C., W. A. Hubert, and S. H. Anderson. 2004. Wetland and riparian areas of the Intermountain West habitat and management. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas.	June 2004
McDonald, D. B., T. L. Parchman, M. R. Bower, W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. 2008. An introduced and a native vertebrate hybridize to form a genetic bridge to a second native species. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105:10842-10847.	August 2008
Marwitz, T. D., and W. A. Hubert. 1997. Trends in relative weight of walleye stocks in Wyoming reservoirs. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 17:44-53.	June 1997
Maron, J.L., and M.J. Kauffman. 2006. Habitat-specific impacts of multiple consumers on plant population dynamics. Ecology 87:113-124.	September 2006
Mark A. Kirk, Bryan M. Maitland, Brian T. Hickerson, Annika W. Walters, and Frank J. Rahel. 2022. Climatic drivers and ecological impacts of a rapid range expansion by non-native smallmouth bass in a Wyoming river. Biological Invasions https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-021-02724-z \| Abstract	January 2022	Smallmouth bass (<i>Micropterus dolomieu</i>) are an invasive fish species that have experienced widespread range expansions in recent decades and can have deleterious effects on native fish communities. Rapidly assessing their invasions will aid conservation and management actions geared towards controlling their spread and mitigating their impacts. Smallmouth bass have recently experienced a rapid upstream expansion in a Great Plains river (Laramie River, Wyoming, USA), which provided an opportunity to determine the drivers and impacts of this expansion by using a modified before-after, control-impact (BACI) design. Our objectives were to determine whether climatic drivers were responsible for this range expansion and subsequent effects of the expansion on native fish communities. Smallmouth bass abundance in a local reservoir spiked following a climatically extreme wet year, with statistically extreme amounts of spring-time and June precipitation creating high discharge events that coincided with the upstream expansion. Unlike previous studies highlighting the invasive nature of smallmouth bass, the modified BACI analysis revealed no declines in species richness induced by the expansion. However, there was evidence that native small-bodied minnow species (family <i>Cyprinidae</i>) declined in relative abundance and that community-level and species-level trophic niches were compressed for invaded sites. Our findings provide important insight into how climatic extremes can prompt biological invasions and how some invasions may not produce immediate negative effects on community diversity.
Mandeville, E.G.*, A.W. Walters, B.J. Nordberg, K.Higgins, J.C. Burkhardt, and C.E. Wagner. 2019. Genomic outcomes of trout hybridization vary with stocking history. Molecular Ecology 28: 3738-3755 doi.org/10.1111/mec.15175	July 2019
Mandeville, C.P.*, F. Rahel, L.S. Patterson, and A.W. Walters. 2019. Applying threshold analysis to identify stream fish thermal guilds for water temperature regulation. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 148(4): 739-754. doi.org/10.1002/tafs.10169	July 2019
Mahoney, A. C., and A. D. Chalfoun. 2016. Reproductive success of Horned Lark and McCown’s Longspur in relation to wind energy infrastructure. Condor-Ornithological Applications 118:360-375 (Invited-special renewable energy issue).	April 2016
Magruder, A.C., G.M. Barrile, S. Siddons, J. Walrath, and A.W. Walters. Early view. Seasonal movements between mainstem and tributaries may facilitate the persistence of Roundtail Chub and Flannelmouth Sucker within an altered stream system. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society* doi.org/10.1002/tafs.10489	July 2024
Lionberger, P. S., and W. A. Hubert. Introduced species and abiotic factors affect longitudinal variation in small fish assemblages in the Wind River watershed, Wyoming. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 22:287-295.	June 2007
Lindstrom, J. W., and W. A. Hubert. 2004. Mink predation on radio-tagged trout during winter in a low-gradient reach of a mountain stream, Wyoming. Western North American Naturalist 64:551-553.	November 2004
Lindstrom, J. W., and W. A. Hubert. 2004. Ice processes affect habitat use and movements of adult cutthroat trout and brook trout in a Wyoming foothills stream. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 24:1331-1342.	October 2004
Levine et al. Estimating nutritional condition across its full range for moose.	February 2023
Lester, N. P., P. E. Bailey, and W. A. Hubert. 2009. Coldwater fish in small standing waters. Pages 85-96 in S. A. bonar, W. Hubert, and D. W. Willis, editors. Standard Sampling Methods for North American Freshwater Fishes. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland.	August 2009
Leah H. Yandow, Anna D. Chalfoun, and Daniel F. Doak. Climate tolerances and habitat requirements jointly shape the elevational distribution of the American Pika (Ochotona princeps). Diversity and Distributions 10(8).	August 2015
LeCheminant A.G., G.M. Barrile, S.E. Albeke, A.W. Walters. 2021. Movement dynamics and survival of stocked Colorado River cutthroat trout Oncohynchus clarkii pleuriticus. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 10.1002/tafs.10322	September 2021
Lamont et al. Multi-Scale Habitat Selection of Elk in Response to Beetle-Killed Forest	February 2019
LaVoie, W. J., IV, and W. A. Hubert. 1997. Late summer and fall use of stream margins by young-of-year brown trout in a high-elevation stream. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 12:291-302.	June 1997
LaSharr et al. Evaluating Risks Associated with Animal Capture and Handling for Individual-Based and Long-Term Research	November 2022
Kuhn, K. M., W. A. Hubert, K. Johnson, D. Oberlie, and D. Dufek. 2008. Habitat use and movement patterns by adult saugers from fall to summer in an unimpounded small-river system. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 28:360-367	May 2008
Kruse, C. G., and W. A. Hubert. 2000. Status of Yellowstone cutthroat trout in Wyoming waters. N. Amer. J. Fish. Manage. 20:692-704.	August 2000
Kruse, C. G., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. 2001. An assessment of headwater isolation as a conservation strategy for cutthroat trout in the Absaroka Mountains in Wyoming. Northwest Science 75:1-11.	January 2001
Kruse, C. G., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. 1998. Single-pass electrofishing predicts trout abundance in mountain streams with sparse habitat. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 18:940-946.	September 1998
Kruse, C. G., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. 1997. Using otoliths and scales to describe age and growth of Yellowstone cutthroat trout in a high-elevation stream system, Wyoming. Northwest Science 71:30-38.	March 1997
Kruse, C. G., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. 1997. Geomorphic influences on the distribution of Yellowstone cutthroat trout inthe Absaroka Mountains, Wyoming. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 126:418-427.	August 1997
Krueger, K. L., and W. A. Hubert. 1997. Assessment of lentic burbot populations in the Big Horn/Wind River drainage, Wyoming. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 12:453-463.	June 1997
Krueger, K. L., W. A. Hubert, and R. M. Price. 1998. Tandem-set fyke nets for sampling benthic fishes in lakes. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 18:154-160.	June 1998
Kramer, G. E., and A. D. Chalfoun. 2012. Growth rate and relocation movements of Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) nestlings in relation to age. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 124:793-797.	December 2012
Korfanta, N.M., W.D. Newmark, and M.J. Kauffman. 2012. Long-term demographic consequences of habitat fragmentation to a tropical understory bird community. Ecology 93:2548–2559.	December 2012
Kohler, C. C., and W. A. Hubert, editors. 1999. Inland fisheries management in North America, 2nd edition. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland.	January 1999
Kohl, M. et al. Diel predator activity drives a dynamic landscape of fear. Ecological Monographs	June 2018
Keinath etal. A global analysis of species sensitivity to habitat disturbance	December 2017
Kauffman, M.J., and E.S. Jules. 2006. Understanding spatial heterogeneity is necessary for predicting invasion: host size and environment influence susceptibility to a non-native pathogen. Ecological Applications 16:166-175.	September 2006
Kauffman, M.J., J. Brodie, and E.S. Jules. 2013. Are wolves saving Yellowstone’s aspen? A landscape-level test of a behaviorally mediated trophic cascade: reply. Ecology 94:1425-1431.	December 2013
Kauffman, M.J., J. Brodie, and E.S. Jules. 2010. Are wolves saving Yellowstone’s aspen? A landscape-level test of a behaviorally mediated trophic cascade. Ecology 91:2742-2755.	September 2010
Kauffman, M.J. and others. Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States. USGS Scientific Investigations Report	October 2020
Kauffman, M.J. and others. Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 3. USGS Scientific Investigations Report	December 2022
Kauffman, M.J. and others. Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 2. USGS Scientific Investigations Report	April 2022
Kauffman, M. J., and J. L. Maron. 2006. Consumers limit the abundance and dynamics of a perennial shrub with a seed bank. American Naturalist 168:454-470.	October 2006
Kauffman, M. J., N. Varley, D. W. Smith, D. Stahler, D. MacNulty, and M. S. Boyce. 2007. Landscape heterogeneity shapes predation in a newly restored predator-prey system. Ecology Letters 10:690?700.	August 2007
Kauffman, M. J., Cagnacci, F., Chamaillé-Jammes, S., Hebblewhite, M., Hopcraft, J. G. C., Merkle, J. A., et. al. (2021). Mapping out a future for ungulate migrations. Science, 372(6542), 566-569. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abf0998.	May 2021
Kauffman, M. J., Aikens, E. O., Esmaeili, S., Kaczensky, P., Middleton, A., Monteith, K. L., Morrison, T., Mueller, T., Sawyer, H., and Goheen, J. R. (2021). Causes, consequences, and conservation of ungulate migration. *Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics*, 52, 453-78. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012021011516. \| Abstract	October 2021	Our understanding of ungulate migration is advancing rapidly due to innovations in modern animal tracking. Herein, we review and synthesize nearly seven decades of work on migration and other long-distance movements of wild ungulates. Although it has long been appreciated that ungulates migrate to enhance access to forage, recent contributions demonstrate that their movements are fine tuned to dynamic landscapes where forage, snow, and drought change seasonally. Researchers are beginning to understand how ungulates navigate migrations, with the emerging view that animals blend gradient tracking with spatial memory, some of which is socially learned. Although migration often promotes abundant populations—with broad effects on ecosystems—many migrations around the world have been lost or are currently threatened by habitat fragmentation, climate change, and barriers to movement. Fortunately, new efforts that use empirical tracking data to map migrations in detail are facilitating effective conservation measures to maintain ungulate migration.
Kauffman, M. J, M. A. Sanjayan, J. Lowenstein, A. Nelson, R. M. Jeo and K. R. Crooks. 2007. Using remote photography methods and analyses to assess the conservation value of rangelands for Namibian carnivores. Oryx 41:70-78.	January 2007
Kauffman et al. Wild Migrations: Atlas of Wyoming's Ungulates	October 2018
Kauffman et al. Mule deer migration. for forthcoming book on mule deer.	January 2023
Jules, et al. Host heterogeneity influences the impact of a disease invasion on populations of a foundation tree species	September 2014
Joyce, M. P., and W. A. Hubert. 2004. Spawning ecology of finespotted Snake River cutthroat trout in spring streams of the Salt River Valley, Wyoming. Western North American Naturalist 64:78-85.	March 2004
Joyce, M. P., and W. A. Hubert. 2003. Snorkeling as an alternative to depletion electrofishing for assessing cutthroat trout and brown trout in stream pools. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 18:215-222.	June 2003
Jones, J. and others. Winter feeding alters migration of elk in western Wyoming	October 2014
Jesmer, BR, JR Goheen, KL Monteith, and MJ Kauffman. State-dependent foraging alters endocrine-energy relationships in a free-ranging large herbivore	December 2017
Jesmer, B.R. et al. Life-history theory provides a framework for detecting resource limitation: a test of the Nutritional Buffer Hypothesis. for Ecological Application	December 2021
Jesmer, B. R., Merkle, J. A., Goheen, J. R., Aikens, E. O., Beck, J. L., Courtemanch, A. B., Hurley, M.A., McWhirter, D.E., Miyasaki, H.M., Monteith, K.L., and Kauffman, M. J. (2018). Is ungulate migration culturally transmitted? Evidence of social learning from translocated animals. Science, 361(6406), 1023-1025. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat0985. \| Abstract	October 2018	Ungulate migrations are assumed to stem from learning and cultural transmission of information regarding seasonal distribution of forage, but this hypothesis has not been tested empirically. We compared the migratory propensities of bighorn sheep and moose translocated into novel habitats with those of historical populations that had persisted for hundreds of years. Whereas individuals from historical populations were largely migratory, translocated individuals initially were not. After multiple decades, however, translocated populations gained knowledge about surfing green waves of forage (tracking plant phenology) and increased their propensity to migrate. Our findings indicate that learning and cultural transmission are the primary mechanisms by which ungulate migrations evolve. Loss of migration will therefore expunge generations of knowledge about the locations of high-quality forage and likely suppress population abundance.
Jesmer et al. A test of the niche variation hypothesis in a ruminant herbivore.	September 2020
Jachowski et al. Integrating physiological stress into the movement ecology of migratory ungulates: a spatial analysis with mule deer.	June 2018
Isaak, D. J., and W. A. Hubert. 2004. Nonlinear response of trout abundance to summer stream temperatures across a thermally diverse montane landscape. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 133:1254-1259.	October 2004
Isaak, D. J., and W. A. Hubert. 2001. A hypothesis about factors that affect maximum summer stream temperatures across montane landscapes. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 37:351-366.	October 2001
Isaak, D. J., and W. A. Hubert. 2000. Are trout populations affected by reach-scale stream slope? Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 57:468-477.	January 2000
Isaak, D. J., and W. A. Hubert. 1999. Predicting the effects of Myxobolus cerebralis across a fifth-order Rocky Mountain watershed. Pages 149-154 in Proceedings of the Whirling Disease Symposium: Research and Management Perspectives. Whirling Disease Foundation, Bozeman, Montana.	December 1999
Isaak, D. J., and W. A. Hubert. 1999. Catalyzing the transition from student to scientist--a model for graduate research training. BioScience 49:321-326.	June 1999
Isaak, D. J., and W. A. Hubert. 1997. Integrating new technologies into fisheries science: the application of geographic information systems. Fisheries 22(1):6-10.	May 1997
Isaak, D. J., W. A. Hubert, and K. L. Krueger. 1999. Accuracy and precision of water surface slopes estimated in the field and from maps. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 19:141-148.	June 1999
Irwin, E. R., and W. A. Hubert. 1999. Biology and management of ictalurids: a summary of the proceedings of the international catfish symposium. Pp. 495-502 in E. R. Irwin, W. A. Hubert, C. F. Rabini, H. L. Schramm, Jr., and T. Coon (eds. ). Catfish 2000: Proceedings of the International Ictalurid Symposium. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD.	January 2000
Ibanez-Alamo, J.D., R. D. Magrath, J. C. Oteyza, A. D. Chalfoun, T. M. Haff, K. A. Schmidt, R. L. Thomson, and T. E. Martin. Nest predation research: Recent findings and future perspectives. Journal of Ornithology DOI 10.1007/s10336-015-1207-4.	April 2015
Hyatt, M. W., and W. A. Hubert. 2001. Statistical properties of relative weight distributions of four salmonid species and their sampling implications. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 21:666-670.	May 2001
Hyatt, M. W., and W. A. Hubert. 2001. Proposed standard-weight equation for brook trout. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 21:253-254.	May 2001
Hyatt, M. W., and W. A. Hubert. 2001. Proposed standard-weight (Ws) equation and length-categorization standards for brown trout (Salmo trutta) in lentic habitats. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 16:53-56.	May 2001
Hyatt, M. W., and W. A. Hubert. 2000. Proposed standard-weight (Ws) equations for kokanee, golden trout and bull trout. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 15:559-563.	November 2000
Hubert, W. A., and M. P. Joyce. 2005. Habitat associations of age-0 cutthraot trout in a spring stream improved for adult salmonids. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 20:277-286.	June 2005
Hubert, W. A., and M. C. Fabrizio. 2007. Relative abundance and catch per unit effort. Pages 279-325 In C. Guy and M. Brown, editors. Analysis and interpretation of freshwater fisheries data. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland.	September 2007
Hubert, W. A., and K. M. Gordon. 2007. Great Plains fishes declining or threatened with extirpation in Montana, Wyoming, or Colorado. Pages 3-14 in M. J. Brouder and J. A. Scheurer, editors. Status, distribution, and conservation of native freshwater fishes of western North America: a symposium proceedings. American Fisheries Society Symposium 53, Bethesda, Maryland.	June 2007
Hubert, W. A., and E. P. Bergersen. 1998. Define the purpose of habitat analysis and avoid the activity trap. Fisheries 23(5):20-21.	May 1998
Hubert, W. A., W. J. LaVoie IV, and L. D. DeBray. 1997. Aquatic macroinvertebrates in young beaver ponds on a small prairie stream, Wyoming. Intermountain Journal of Sciences 3:11-16.	January 1997
Hubert, W. A., S. H. Anderson, and J. M. Lawrence. 1997. Bird abundance and diversity relative to habitat features of Laramie Plains lakes, Wyoming. Intermountain Journal of Sciences 3:73-81.	June 1997
Hubert, W. A., M. P. Joyce, R. Gipson, D. Zafft, D. Money, D. Hawk, and B. Taro. 2002. Whirling disease among Snake River cutthroat trout in two spring streams in Wyoming. Pages 181-193 in J. L. Bartholomew and J. . Wilson, editors. Whirling disease: Reviews and current topics. American Fisheries Society Symposium 29.	June 2002
Hubert, W. A., D. Dufek, J. Deromedi, K. Johnson, S. Roth, and D. Skates. 2008. Burbot in the Wind River drainage of Wyoming: Knowledge of stocks and management issues. Pages 187-199 in Burbot: Ecology, Management, and Culture. American Fisheries Society, Symposium 59, Bethesda, Maryland.	February 2008
Hubert, W. A., C. A. Pru, and T. A. Wesche. 2000. Spatial and temporal variation in physical habitat conditions of low-gradient reaches of Rocky Mountain streams during fall and winter. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 15:219-228.	January 2000
Hubert, W. A. 2004. Ecological processes of riverine wetland habitats. Pages 52-73 in M. C. McKinstry, W. A. Hubert, and S. H. Anderson, editors. Wetland and riparian areas of the Intermountain West ecology and management. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas.	June 2004
Hubert, W. A. 2004. Applications of resource selection functions in fisheries science. Pages 77-85 in S. Huzurbazar, editor. Resource selection methods and applications. Omnipress, Madison, Wisconsin.	April 2004
Hubert, W. A. 2002. Book review. Inland fisheries ecology and management. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 131:1005-1006.	February 2002
Hubert, W. A. 1999. Standards for assessment of age and growth data for channel catfish. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 14:313-326.	June 1999
Hubert, W. A. 1999. Biology and management of channel catfish. Pp. 3-22 in E. R. Irwin, W. A. Hubert, C. F. Rabini, H. L. Schramm, Jr., and T. Coon (eds. ). Catfish 2000: Proceedings of the International Ictalurid Symposium. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD.	November 1999
Hubbard, K. A., and A. D. Chalfoun. 2012. An experimental evaluation of potential scavenger effects on snake road mortality detections. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 7:150-156.	September 2012
Hubbard, K. A., A. D. Chalfoun, and K. G. Gerow. 2016. The relative influence of road characteristics and habitat on adjacent lizard populations in arid shrublands; Journal of Herpetology 50:29-36.	January 2016
Hightower, J. N., J. D. Carlisle, and A. D. Chalfoun. 2018. Nest Mortality of Sagebrush Songbirds Following a Severe Hailstorm. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 130:561-567.	June 2018
Hickerson, B.T., Maitland, .M., and Walters, A.W. 2019. Effects of multiple nonnative predatory fish on an imperiled cyprinid, Hornyhead Chub (Nocomis biguttatus). Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 148: 1132-1145 doi.org/10.1002/tafs.10203	October 2019
Hickerson, B.T. and Walters, A.W. 2019. Evaluation of potential translocation sites for an imperiled cyprinid, Hornyhead Chub Nocomis biguttatus. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. 39:205-218. doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10261.	January 2019
Hethcoat, M. G., and Anna D. Chalfoun. 2015. Energy development and avian nest survival in Wyoming, USA: a test of a common disturbance index. Biological Conservation 184:327-334.	February 2015
Hethcoat, M. G., and A. D. Chalfoun. 2015.Toward a mechanistic understanding of human-induced rapid environmental change: A case study linking energy development, nest predation, and predators. Journal of Applied Ecology.	July 2015
Hebdon, J. L., and W. A. Hubert. 2001. Drifting invertebrate composition, densities, and biomass from fall through winter in three Wyoming tailwaters. Intermountain Journal of Sciences 7:49-56.	October 2001
Hebdon, J. L., and W. A. Hubert. 2001. Body condition and stomach contents of subadult trout during fall and winter in three Wyoming tailwaters. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 21:897-903.	October 2001
Harris, N. C, M. J. Kauffman, L. S. Mills. 2008. Ungulate population demography and dynamics from age ratios. Journal of Wildlife Management 72:1143-1151.	July 2008
Hall, L.E., and A. D. Chalfoun. 2018. What to eat in a warming world: Do increased temperatures necessitate hazardous duty pay? Oecologia 186:73-84.	January 2018
Hall, L. E., and A. D. Chalfoun. 2019. Behavioural plasticity modulates temperature-related constraints on foraging time for a montane mammal. Journal of Animal Ecology 88:363-375.	November 2018
Hall, L. E., A. D. Chalfoun, E. A. Beever, and A. E. Loosen. 2016. Microrefuges and the occurrence of thermal specialists: Implications for wildlife persistence amidst changing temperatures. Climate Change Responses 3:1-12.	October 2016
Gsell, A.S., Scharfenberger, U., D. Özkundakci, A.W. Walters, L. Hansson, P. Nõges, P.C. Reid, D.E. Schindler, E. van Donk, V. Dakos, R. Adrian. 2016. Early-warning signals foreshadow regime shifts in natural aquatic ecosystems. PNAS 113 (50) E8089-E8095doi: 10.1073/pnas.1608242113	November 2016
Gryska, A. D., and W. A. Hubert. 1997. Observations on the reproduction, sources of mortality, and diet of the Kendall Warm Springs dace. Great Basin Naturalist 57:338-342.	June 1997
Gryska, A. D., W. A. Hubert, and K. G. Gerow. 1998. Relative abundance and lengths of Kendall Warm Springs dace captured from different habitats in a specially designed trap. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 127:309-315.	June 1998
Gryska, A. D., W. A. Hubert, and K. G. Gerow. 1997. Use of power analysis in developing monitoring protocols for the endangered Kendall Warm Springs dace. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 17:1005-1009.	June 1997
Goldstein, J. N., W. A. Hubert, D. F. Woodward, A. M. Farag, and J. S. Meyer. 2001. Naturalized salmonid populations occur in the presence of elevated trace element concentrations and temperatures in the Firehole River, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA.	October 2001
Godwin, B.L., S.E. Albeke, H.L. Bergman, A.W. Walters, and M. Ben-David. 2015. Density of river otters (Lontra canadensis) in relation to energy development in the Green River Basin, Wyoming. Science of the Total Environment 532: 780-790.	July 2015
Girard, C.E. and A.W. Walters. 2018. Evaluating relationships between fishes and habitat in streams affected by oil and natural gas development. Fisheries Management and Ecology 25: 366-379. doi.org/10.1111/fme.12303	September 2018
Gigliotti, L. C., M. P. Atwood, E. K. Cole, A. Courtemanch, S. Dewey, J. A. Gude, M. Hurley, M. Kauffman, K. Kroetz, B. Leonard, D. MacNulty, E. Maichak, D. McWhirter, T. W. Mong, K. Proffitt, B. Scurlock, D. Stahler, and A. D. Middleton. 2023. Multi-level avoidance thresholds of residential and agricultural land use for elk across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Journal of Applied Ecology 60(6): 1089-1099.	June 2023
Gigliotti et al. Wildlife migrations highlight importance of both private lands and protected areas in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem	November 2022
Gerow, K. G., W. A. Hubert, and R. C. Anderson-Sprecher. 2004. An alternative approach to detection of length-related biases in standard weith equations. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 24:903-910.	August 2004
Gerow, K. G., R. C. Anderson-Sprecher, and W. A. Hubert. 2005. A new method to compute standard weight equations that reduces length-related bias. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 25:1288-1300.	September 2005
Gerow, K. G., R. C. Anderson-Sprecher, and W. A. Hubert. 2005. A new method to compute standard weight equations that reduces length related bias. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 25:1288-1300.	October 2005
Geremia, C. et al. Reply to Joseph M. Craine: Bison redefine what it means to move to find food. for PNAS	April 2020
Geremia et al. Yellowstone bison engineer the green wave.	November 2019
Freeman, MC, KR Bestgen, D Carlisle, EA Frimpong, NR Franssen, KB Gido, ER Irwin, Y Kanno, C Luce, SK McKay, MC Mims, JD Olden, NL Poff, DL Propst, L Rack, AH Roy, E Stowe, A Walters, and SJ Wenger. 2022. Towards improved understanding of streamflow effects on freshwater fishes. Fisheries 47:290-298. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsh.10731 \| Download \| Publisher Website	March 2022
Fennell, J.M., W.C. Rosenthal, C.E. Wagner, J.C. Burckhardt, and A.W. Walters. 2022. Temporal segregation in spawning between native Yellowstone cutthroat trout and introduced rainbow trout. Ecology of Freshwater Fish. http://doi.org/10.1111/eff.12672	June 2022
Evan Booher and Annika Walters. Identifying translocation sites for a climate relict population of Finescale Dace (Chrosomus neogaeus). Transactions of the American Fisheries Society \| Abstract	March 2022	Native freshwater fishes are increasingly imperiled by biological invasions, habitat loss, and rapid alteration of hydroclimatic regimes. Translocation is a management strategy which addresses these threats by seeking to establish additional extant populations for species of conservation concern. Finescale Dace <i>Chrosomus neogaeus</i> populations in the Great Plains may benefit from translocation as they exhibit a climate relict natural history that has led to a disjunct distribution and minimal dispersal opportunities. We assessed the translocation suitability of sites for Finescale Dace in the Belle Fourche Basin using a multi-model approach. We used multivariate analyses (MVA) to evaluate dissimilarity in fish occurrence and habitat between sites with and without Finescale Dace in contemporary surveys from 2018 – 2019 (<i>n </i>= 68). We further evaluated the intrinsic potential (IP) for sites to support Finescale Dace using predicted probability of occurrence values from species distribution models (SDM) fit with basin-wide fish occurrence surveys from 2008 – 2019 (<i>n </i>= 124) and spatially continuous environmental variables including forecasted stream temperature scenarios. Sites with Finescale Dace tended to occur close to lentic waterbodies, contain emergent vegetation cover, and did not exhibit large overlap in species-space with either native or nonnative species. Predicted probability of Finescale Dace occurrence exhibited non-linear relationships to mean August stream temperature, channel slope, and baseflow index. The amount of suitable habitat (i.e., high IP scores) declined with forecasted stream warming scenarios. We ranked potential translocation sites based on: distance measures from occupied sites in the 1) habitat MVA, 2) fish community MVA, and 3) extracted IP scores for current and future warming scenarios. Our highest ranked translocation sites provide a basis for management actions aimed at safeguarding an at-risk climate relict fish population into the future and our approach may be transferable to other wild animal populations with restricted distributions.
Entrekin, S., K.O. Maloney, K. Kapo, A.W. Walters, M. Evans-White, K. Klemov. 2015. Stream vulnerability to widespread and emergent stressors: a focus on unconventional oil and gas. PLoS ONE 10(9): e0137416. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0137416	September 2015
Elliott, A. G., S. H. Anderson, and W. A. Hubert. 1997. Mammal use of shortgrass prairie and associated riparian habitat in Wyoming. Intermountain Journal of Sciences 3:117-124.	June 1997
Edmunds et al. Chronic Wasting Disease Drives Population Decline of White-Tailed Deer	August 2016
Dwinnell, S. et al. Short-term responses to a human-altered landscape do not affect fat dynamics of a migratory ungulate. for Functional Ecology	December 2021
Do Bark-Beetle Affected Forests Provide Elk a Refuge to Elude Hunters?	January 2020
Devivo et al. Endemic Chronic Wasting Disease Causes Mule Deer Population Decline in Wyoming	October 2017
Datry, T., A. Truchy, J.D. Olden, M.H. Busch, R. Stubbington, W.K. Dodds, S. Zipper, S. Yu, M.L. Messager, J. Tonkin, K. Kaiser, J. Hammond, E.K. Moody, R.M. Burrows, R. Sarremejane, A. DelVecchia, M.L. Fork, C.J. Little, R.H. Walker, A.W. Walters, D. Allen. 2022. Causes, responses, and implications of anthropogenic versus natural flow intermittence in river networks. BioScience 73(1): 9-22. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biac098 .	December 2022
Dare, M. R., and W. A. Hubert. 2003. Use of similar habitat by cutthroat trout and brown trout in a regulated river during winter. Northwest Science 77:36-45.	March 2003
Dare, M. R., and W. A. Hubert. 2001. Influence of stream flow on hydrogen sulfide concentrations and distributions of two trout species in a Rocky Mountain tailwater. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 21:971-975.	November 2001
Dare, M. R., and W. A. Hubert. 2000. Precision and interpretation of data collected using a new measurement technique for microhabitat features at fish locations determined by radio telemetry. Journal of Freshwater Ecology. 15:29-38.	January 2000
Dare, M. R., W. A. Hubert, and K. G. Gerow. 2002. Changes in habita availability and habitat use and movements by two trout species in response to declining discharge in a regulated river during winter. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 22:917-928	March 2002
Danner, E. M., M. J. Kauffman, and R. L. Brownell. 2006. Industrial whaling in the North Pacific Ocean 1952-1978: spatial patterns of harvest and decline. Pages 134-144 in J. A Estes, D. P. DeMaster, D. F. Doak, T. M. Williams, and R. L. Brownell, editors. Whales, Whaling and Ocean Ecosystems. University of California Press, Berkely, CA.	January 2007
Covington, J. S., and W. A. Hubert. 2003. Trout population responses to restoration of stream flows. Environmental Management 31:135-146.	March 2003
Covington, J. S., and W. A. Hubert. 2000. Relations between on-site and aerial measurements of streamside features and cover for trout in alluvial valley streams in Wyoming. N. Amer. J. Fish. Manage. 20:627-633.	January 2000
Courtemanch et al. Alternative foraging strategies enable a mountain ungulate to persist after migration loss.	June 2017
Copeland, H. and others. Conserving migratory mule deer through the umbrella of sage-grouse	October 2014
Connell, L. C., L. M. Porensky, A. D. Chalfoun, and J. D. Scasta. 2019.Black-tailed prairie dog (Sciuridae: Cynomys ludovicianus) metapopulation response to novel sourced conspecific signals Animal Behaviour 150:189-199.	April 2019
Compton, R. I., W. A. Hubert, F. J. Rahel, M. C. Quist, and M. R. Bower. 2008. Influences of fragmentation on populations of native warmwater fishes in a Colorado River basin headwater stream system, Wyoming. North American Journal of Fisheries Management.	December 2008
Combrink, L.L., W.C. Rosenthal, L.J. Boyle, J.A. Rick, A.C. Krist, A.W. Walters, and C.E. Wagner. 2023. Parallel shifts in trout feeding morphology suggest rapid adaptation to alpine lake environments. Evolution 77(7): 1522-1538. https://doi.org/10.1093/evolut/qpad059	July 2023
Ciepiela, L.R., and A.W. Walters. 2019. Quantifying ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr temporal stability and spatial heterogeneity for use in tracking fish movement. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 76(6): 928-936. doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2018-0124	April 2019
Ciepiela, L.R. and A.W. Walters. 2019. Life-history variation of two inland salmonids revealed through otolith microchemistry analysis. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 76(11):1971-1981 doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2018-0087.	October 2019
Christianson, D., R.W. Klaver, A. Middleton, and M. Kauffman. 2013. Confounded winter and spring phenoclimatology on large herbivore ranges. Landscape Ecology 28:427–437.	January 2013
Chalfoun, A. D., and K. Schmidt. 2012. Adaptive breeding-habitat selection: Is it for the birds?Auk (invited Perspectives in Ornithology article) 129:1-11.	October 2012
Chalfoun, A. D., Tracey N. Johnson, and Jill Shaffer. Rangeland Songbirds. In Rangeland Wildlife Ecology & Conservation. Editors L. McNew, D. Dahlgren, and J. Beck. \| Abstract	September 2023	Songbirds that occur across the diverse types of North American rangelands constitute many families within the Order Passeriformes, and hundreds of species. Most are declining, and many are considered potential indicator species for rangeland ecosystems. We synthesized information on the natural and life history, habitat requirements, conservation status, and responses to management of songbirds associated with North American grasslands and sagebrush steppe, two of the most geographically extensive types of rangelands. We provide a more targeted examination of the habitat associations and management considerations for two focal species, the grassland-obligate grasshopper sparrow (<i>Ammodramus savannarum</i>) and sagebrush-obligate Brewer’s sparrow (<i>Spizella breweri</i>). Grassland- and sagebrush-obligate species rely on expansive stands of grasslands and sagebrush, respectively, and we discuss how key ecological processes and rangeland management approaches—grazing, fire, and mechanical treatments—influence rangeland songbirds. Rangeland management practices can affect breeding songbirds considerably, primarily through the resultant structure and composition of vegetation, which influences the availability of preferred nesting substrates, refugia from predators, and foraging success. Optimal management strategies to limit negative consequences to rangeland songbirds will depend on the target species and local topoedaphic and climatic conditions. The maintenance of large, contiguous patches of native habitats and restoration of previously degraded areas will help facilitate the population persistence of rangeland-associated songbirds. Maintaining structural heterogeneity of habitats within landscapes, moreover, can facilitate local species diversity. Information pertaining to periods outside of the nesting stage is severely lacking for most species, which is concerning because effective management necessitates understanding of threats and limiting factors across the full annual life cycle. Moreover, information on disease effects and prevalence, the effects of a changing climate, and how both may interact with management strategies, also comprise key gaps in knowledge.
Chalfoun, A. D. Responses of vertebrate wildlife to oil and natural gas development: patterns and frontiers. Current Landscape Ecology Reports. \| Abstract	May 2021	<b>Abstract</b><br><b>Purpose of Review: </b><br>I reviewed the recent literature (2014–2019) focused on the responses of avian, mammalian and herpetofaunal species to oil and natural gas development, a widespread and still-expanding land use worldwide. My primary goals were to determine whether generalities in species’ responses to development have emerged, and summarize remaining gaps in knowledge. To do so, I evaluated the directionality of a wide variety of responses in relation to taxon, location, development type, development metric, habitat type, and spatiotemporal aspects.<br><b>Recent Findings:</b><br>Studies (N = 70) were restricted to the U.S. and Canada, and taxonomically biased towards birds and mammals. Longer studies, but not those incorporating multiple spatial scales, had a higher probability of detecting significant responses. Negative responses of all types were present in relatively low frequencies across all taxa, locations, development types, and development metrics, but were context-dependent. The same species often displayed distinct responses across studies or development metrics. <br><b>Summary:</b><br>The state of knowledge about wildlife responses to oil and natural gas development has developed considerably, though many biases and gaps remain. Studies outside of North America and that focus on herpetofauna are lacking. Tests of mechanistic hypotheses for effects, long-term studies, assessment of response thresholds, and experimental designs that isolate the effects of different stimuli associated with development, remain critical. Moreover, tests of the efficacy of habitat mitigation efforts have been rare. Finally, investigations of the demographic effects of development across the full annual cycle were absent for non-game species, and are critical for the estimation of population-level effects.
Ceradini, J., and A. Chalfoun. 2017. When perception reflects reality: Non-native grass invasion alters small mammal risk landscapes and survival. Ecology and Evolution.	January 2017
Ceradini, J. and A. Chalfoun. Species' traits help predict small mammal responses to habitat homogenization by cheatgrass invasion. Ecological Applications.	July 2017
Carlisle, J.D., A. D. Chalfoun, K. T. Smith, and J. L. Beck. 2018. Non-target effects of habitat manipulation for Greater Sage-Grouse on songbirds: implications for the umbrella species concept. Condor: Ornithological Applications 120:439-455.	May 2018
Carlisle, J. D., and A. D. Chalfoun. 2020. The abundance of Greater Sage-Grouse as a proxy for the abundance of sagebrush-associated songbirds in Wyoming, USA. Avian Conservation and Ecology. 15(2):16. https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-01702-150216 \| Abstract	December 2020	Surrogate-species concepts are prevalent in animal conservation. Such strategies advocate for conservation by proxy, wherein one species is used to represent other taxa to obtain a conservation objective. The efficacy of such approaches has been rarely assessed empirically, but is predicated on concordance between the surrogate and sympatric taxa in distribution, abundance, and ecological requirements. Our objective was to identify whether the abundance of a high-profile umbrella species (Greater Sage-Grouse, <i>Centrocercus urophasianus</i>, hereafter sage-grouse) was associated with the abundance of six other members of the avian community for which it is presumed to be a surrogate, including three sagebrush-obligate and three sagebrush-associated songbird species. We predicted that sage-grouse abundance would align most closely with the breeding abundance of other sagebrush-obligate birds. We used two different indices of sage-grouse abundance for comparisons: field-collected counts of fecal pellets (primarily indexing abundance in the nonbreeding season) and a spatially explicit index of breeding population size. Neither index of sage-grouse abundance was consistently predictive of co-occurring songbird abundance, with one species more abundant (Horned Lark [<i>Eremophila alpestris</i>]) and one species less abundant (Vesper Sparrow [<i>Pooecetes gramineus</i>]) where sage-grouse pellet counts were higher, and no relationship evident between songbird abundance and the spatially explicit sage-grouse population index. Ours is one of few assessments of the efficacy of sage-grouse as a surrogate species to consider abundance, and not habitat overlap alone. We suggest that the utility of sage-grouse as a surrogate species likely varies across spatial scales. Within the scale examined here (10–15 ha sites), however, indices of sage-grouse abundance were unreliable proxies for the abundance of six declining songbird species.
Carlisle, J. D., L. E. Sanders, A. D. Chalfoun, and K. G. Gerow. Raptor nest-site use in relation to the proximity of coalbed methane development. Animal Biodiversity and Conservation.	January 2018
Carlisle, J. D., K. T. Smith, J. L. Beck, M. A. Murphy, and A. D. Chalfoun. 2023. Beyond overlap: Considering habitat preference and fitness outcomes in the umbrella species concept. Animal Conservation. DOI10.1111/acv.12899. \| Abstract	September 2023	Umbrella species and other surrogate-species approaches to conservation provide an appealing framework to extend the reach of conservation efforts beyond single species. For the umbrella species concept to be effective, populations of multiple species of concern must persist in areas protected on behalf of the umbrella species. Most assessments of the concept, however, focus exclusively on geographic overlap among umbrella and background species, and not measures that affect population persistence (e.g., habitat quality or fitness). We quantified the congruence between the habitat preferences and nesting success of a high-profile umbrella species (greater sage-grouse, <i>Centrocercus urophasianus</i>, hereafter “sage-grouse”), and three sympatric species of declining songbirds (Brewer’s sparrow [<i>Spizella breweri</i>], sage thasher [<i>Oreoscoptes montanus</i>], and vesper sparrow [<i>Pooecetes gramineus</i>]) in central Wyoming, USA during 2012 – 2013. We used machine-learning methods to create data-driven predictions of sage-grouse nest-site selection and nest survival probabilities by modeling field-collected sage-grouse data relative to habitat attributes. We then used field-collected songbird data to assess whether high-quality sites for songbirds aligned with those of sage-grouse. The types of nest sites selected by songbirds did not coincide with sage-grouse nesting preferences, with the exception that Brewer’s sparrows preferred similar nest sites to sage-grouse in 2012. Moreover, the areas that produced higher rates of songbird nest survival were unrelated to those for sage-grouse. Our findings suggest that management actions at local scales that prioritize sage-grouse nesting habitat will not necessarily enhance the reproductive success of sagebrush-associated songbirds. Measures implemented to conserve sage-grouse and other purported umbrella species at broad spatial scales likely overlap the distribution of many species, however, broad-scale overlap may not translate to fine-scale conservation benefit beyond the umbrella species itself. The maintenance of microhabitat heterogeneity important for a diversity of species of concern will be critical for a more-holistic application of the umbrella species concept.
Carlisle, J. D., D. R. Stewart, and A. D. Chalfoun. An intertebrate ecosystem engineer likely covered under the umbrella of sage-grouse conservation. Western North American Naturalist.	December 2017
Carlisle, J. D., D. A. Keinath, S. E. Albeke, and A. D. Chalfoun. 2018. Identifying Holes in the Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Umbrella. Journal of Wildlife Management 82:948-957.	July 2018
Carlin, M., and A. D. Chalfoun. Temporal dynamics of sagebrush songbird abundance in relation to energy development. Biological Conservation. \| Abstract	April 2021	Spatial aspects of wildlife responses to human-induced habitat change have been examined frequently, yet the temporal dynamics of responses remain less understood. We tested alternative hypotheses for how the abundance of a suite of declining songbirds in relation to energy development changed over time. We conducted point counts at two natural gas fields during two periods spanning a decade (2008–2009 and 2018–2019), and compared the abundance of sagebrush songbirds across a gradient of surface disturbance between study periods (trend-by-time). We also assessed changes in the abundance of birds between study periods relative to additional development that had occurred (trend-over-time). We predicted that abundance responses to surface disturbance would be more negative during the second period, regardless of additional disturbance that had occurred, because of previously observed inverse relationships between surface disturbance and nest survival at our sites. Contrary to our predictions, abundance responses attenuated by the second time period for two of three species, Brewer’s sparrow and sage thrasher (the latter at one energy field only). Sagebrush sparrow abundance, however, consistently decreased with surface disturbance within and between periods. Sage thrasher abundance consistently decreased with surface disturbance at one of the gas fields, and the probability of colonization by thrashers between study periods was lower where additional surface disturbance had occurred. Our results highlight the importance of revisiting wildlife responses to anthropogenic habitat changes over time, to clarify the severity and longevity of effects.
Carlin, M. and A. D. Chalfoun. 2023. Congruence among multiple indices of habitat preference for species facing human-induced rapid environmental change: a case study using the Brewer’s sparrow. Ecological Solutions and Evidence 3: e12175. \| Abstract	October 2022	Accurate evaluations of habitat preference are key to understanding optimal conditions for wildlife survival and reproduction. Habitat selection, however, is usually evaluated using a single index of preference, and congruence among multiple, relevant indices of preference is examined rarely. We assessed the concordance between patterns of habitat preference using three different indices of breeding site preference in a migratory songbird. Specifically, we compared the chronology of territorial establishment, pair formation, and reproductive initiation of the Brewer’s sparrow (<i>Spizella brewerii</i>), along a gradient of surface disturbance associated with natural gas development in Wyoming, USA during 2019. We expected all three indices to demonstrate a preference for breeding sites with less surface disturbance, where reproductive success is known to be higher. By contrast, however, preferences were consistently invariant with respect to surface disturbance across all indices. If the pattern of suboptimal selection of breeding sites that we identified is generalizable across other populations of migratory birds affected by energy development, the resultant lower fitness in those areas may exacerbate population declines. Our results suggest that traditional, single-index approaches to the study of habitat selection, if chosen carefully, may provide adequate inference on habitat preferences. The simultaneous examination of multiple indices of preference across a diversity of systems, however, would help clarify the contexts under which preference metrics could become decoupled.
Burckhardt, J. C., and W. A. Hubert. 2005. Evidence of relationships between Tubifex habitat and myxobolus cerebralis across a mountain watershed. Intermountain Journal of Sciences 11:45-57.	September 2005
Brunger-Lipsey, T. S., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. 2005. Relationships of elevation, channel slope, and stream width to occurrences of native fishes at the Great Plains-RockyMountain interface. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 20:695-705.	November 2005
Brodie, J., H. Johnson, M. Mitchell, P. Zager, K. Proffitt, M. Hebblewhite, M. Kauffman, B. Johnson, J. Bissonette, C. Bishop, J. Gude, J. Herbert, K. Hersey, M. Hurley, P.M. Lukacs, S. McCorquodale, E. McIntire, J. Nowak, H. Sawyer, D. Smith, and P.J. White. 2013. Relative influence of human harvest, carnivores, and weather on adult female elk survival across western North America. Journal of Applied Ecology 50:295–305.	March 2013
Brittany J. Nordberg, Elizabeth G. Mandeville, Annika W. Walters, Jason C. Burckhardt, and Catherine E. Wagner. 2021. Historical data illustrate the complex effects of stocking in Cutthroat Trout populations. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 10.1002/nafm.10593	February 2021
Bower, M. R., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. 2008. Habitat features affect bluehead suckers, flannelmouth suckers, and roundtail chub across a headwater tributary system in the Colorado River basin. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 23:347-357.	September 2008
Booher, E. and A.W. Walters. 2021 Biotic and abiotic determinants of finescale dace distribution at the southern edge of their range. Diversity and Distributions 10.1111/ddi.13227	January 2021
Bonar, S. A., and W. A. Hubert. 2002. Standard sampling of inland fish: benefits, challenges, and a call for action. Fisheries 27(3):10-16.	March 2002
Bonar, S. A., W. A. Hubert, and D. W. Willis. 2009. The North American Freshwater Fish Standard Sampling Project: improving fisheries communications. Fisheries 34:340-344.	July 2009
Bonar, S. A., W. A. Hubert, D. W. Willis. 2009. Standard Methods for Sampling North American Freshwater Fishes. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. 459 pp.	August 2009
Bidder et al. Forage senescence and disease influence elk pregnancy across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. for Ecosphere	December 2023
Barrineau, C. A., W. A. Hubert, P. D. Dey, and T. C. Annear. 2005. Winter ice processes and pool habitat associated with two types of constructed instream structures. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 25:1022-1033.	July 2005
Barrile, G.M., A.W. Walters, M. Webster, and A.D. Chalfoun. 2021. Informed breeding dispersal following stochastic changes to patch quality in a pond-breeding amphibian. Journal of Animal Ecology 10.1111/1365-2656.13503 \| Abstract	April 2021	1. The unidirectional movement of animals between breeding locations (i.e., breeding dispersal) has profound implications for the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of spatially structured populations. In spatiotemporally variable environments, individuals are expected to adjust their dispersal decisions in accordance with fitness prospects in a given breeding patch.<br>2. A paucity of empirical work limits our understanding of the ability of animals to depart from low quality breeding patches and settle in high quality breeding patches (i.e., adaptive breeding dispersal). We examined the capacity of individuals to respond to stochastic changes in habitat quality via adaptive breeding dispersal in a pond-breeding amphibian.<br>3. We conducted a five-year (2015–2019) capture-recapture study of boreal toads <i>Anaxyrus boreas boreas</i> (<i>n</i> = 1100) that breed in beaver ponds in western Wyoming, USA. During early spring of 2017, an extreme flooding event destroyed several beaver dams and resulted in the loss of breeding habitat. We used multi-state models to investigate how temporal changes in pond characteristics influenced breeding dispersal and determined whether movement decisions were adaptive with respect to prospects for reproductive fitness.<br>4. Boreal toads exhibited adaptive breeding dispersal; individuals more often departed from low quality breeding ponds (without successful metamorphosis) and settled in high quality breeding ponds (with successful metamorphosis). Movement decisions were associated with pond characteristics altered as a result of beaver dam destruction, including decreases in pond depth and increased emergent vegetation. Individuals were more likely to depart from shallow ponds with high vegetation cover and settle in deep ponds with low vegetation cover. Similarly, the probability of metamorphosis was greater in deep ponds with low vegetation cover, suggesting boreal toads may use pond depth and vegetation cover as cues to assess the fitness prospects of a breeding patch and adjust movement decisions accordingly.<br>5. We demonstrate that stochastic variability in environmental conditions and habitat quality can underpin dispersal behavior in amphibians. Our study highlights the mechanistic linkages between habitat change, movement behavior, and reproductive success, which is critical to our understanding of how wild animals respond to rapid environmental change.
Barrile, G.M., A.D. Chalfoun, A.W. Walters. 2021. Infection status as the basis for habitat choices in a wild amphibian. American Naturalist 197: 128-137. https://doi.org/10.1086/711927 \| Abstract	January 2021	Animals challenged with disease may select speciﬁchabitat conditions that help prevent or reduce infection. Whereas preinfection avoidance of habitats with a high risk of disease expo- sure has been documented in both captive and free-ranging animals, evidence of switching habitats after infection to support the clearing of the infection is limited to laboratory experiments. The extent to which wild animals proximately modify habitat choices in response to infection status thus remains unclear. We investigated preinfection behavioral avoidance and postinfection habitat switching using wild, radio-tracked boreal toads (Anaxyrus boreas boreas) in a population challenged with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a pathogenic fungus responsible for a catastrophic panzootic affecting hundreds of amphibian species worldwide. Boreal toads did not preemptively avoid microhabitats with conditions conducive to Bd growth. Infected individuals, however, selected warmer, more open habitats, which were associated with elevated body temperature and the subsequent clear- ing of infection. Our results suggest that disease can comprise an im- portant selective pressure on animal habitat and space use. Habitat selection models, therefore, may be greatly improved by including variables that quantify infection risk and/or the infection status ofindividuals through time.<br><br><br>
Barrile, G.M., A.D. Chalfoun, A.W. Walters. 2021. Infection status as the basis for habitat choices in a wild amphibian. American Naturalist 197: 128-137. https://doi.org/10.1086/711927 \| Abstract	January 2021	Animals challenged with disease may select speciﬁchabitat conditions that help prevent or reduce infection. Whereas preinfection avoidance of habitats with a high risk of disease expo- sure has been documented in both captive and free-ranging animals, evidence of switching habitats after infection to support the clearing of the infection is limited to laboratory experiments. The extent to which wild animals proximately modify habitat choices in response to infection status thus remains unclear. We investigated preinfection behavioral avoidance and postinfection habitat switching using wild, radio-tracked boreal toads (Anaxyrus boreas boreas) in a population challenged with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a pathogenic fungus responsible for a catastrophic panzootic affecting hundreds of amphibian species worldwide. Boreal toads did not preemptively avoid microhabitats with conditions conducive to Bd growth. Infected individuals, however, selected warmer, more open habitats, which were associated with elevated body temperature and the subsequent clear- ing of infection. Our results suggest that disease can comprise an im- portant selective pressure on animal habitat and space use. Habitat selection models, therefore, may be greatly improved by including variables that quantify infection risk and/or the infection status ofindividuals through time.
Barrile, G.M., A. D. Chalfoun, and A.W. Walters. 2021 Livestock grazing, climatic variation, and breeding phenology jointly shape disease dynamics and survival in a wild amphibian. Biological Conservation 261: 109247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109247 \| Abstract	July 2021	Wildlife responses to infectious disease can be influenced by environmental stressors that alter host-pathogen dynamics. We investigated how livestock grazing, climatic variation, and breeding phenology influence disease prevalence and annual survival in boreal toad (Anaxyrus boreas boreas) populations challenged with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a fungal pathogen implicated in global amphibian declines. We conducted a five-year (2015–2019) capture-recapture study of boreal toads (n = 1301) inhabiting pastures grazed by cattle in western Wyoming, USA. We employed structural equation models to determine whether the effects of climatic variation on Bd prevalence were direct or mediated through effects on breeding phenology and multi-state models to explore the interplay of grazing, weather, and Bd infection on adult survival. Higher winter snowpack was linked with shorter spring breeding seasons, which were associated with lower Bd prevalence. Boreal toads infected with Bd suffered increased mortality, but only at relatively cool temperatures. Although cattle grazing created warmer microclimates, likely by reducing vegetation cover, grazing-induced habitat changes did not scale up to influence adult survival. Our results suggest that boreal toads in cooler environments face increased risk of disease-induced mortality, possibly because infected individuals are not able to elevate body temperature to reduce or clear infection. More generally, we demonstrate that host-pathogen dynamics can be shaped jointly by independent and interactive effects of livestock grazing, breeding season length, and climatic variation. Future investigations of wildlife responses to disease therefore may benefit from considering anthropogenic land use and climatic regimes, including the effect of weather on host phenology.
Barrile, G. M., Walters, A. W., and Chalfoun, A. D. 2022. Stage-specific environmental correlates of reproductive success in Boreal Toads (Anaxyrus boreas boreas). Journal of Herpetology, 56(1), 34–44. https://doi.org/10.1670/21-023 \| Abstract	March 2022	Compensatory recruitment can facilitate the persistence of populations experiencing high adult mortality. Because early life-stages of many taxa, including amphibians, are difficult to mark and recapture, sources of variation in survival at these stages often are unknown, which creates barriers to improving in<i> </i>situ recruitment rates. We leveraged count data and open N-mixture models to examine the environmental factors associated with the hatching of egg clutches, tadpole survival, and probability of metamorphosis in Boreal Toads (<i>Anaxyrus boreas boreas</i>) that inhabit pastures leased for cattle grazing in western Wyoming, USA. We conducted weekly surveys and measured a suite of environmental variables at 20 breeding ponds during May–September 2018. The hatching of egg clutches was most strongly related to pond surface area, as clutches often desiccated at smaller ponds. Weekly tadpole survival was lowest in ponds with a high abundance of aquatic predators. Predation did not preclude metamorphosis, however, which was more strongly associated with higher dissolved oxygen and vegetation cover. Cattle grazing reduced vegetation cover in and around breeding ponds, which resulted in lower levels of dissolved oxygen. Grazing-induced habitat changes therefore likely negatively influenced tadpole metamorphosis both via indirect effects on dissolved oxygen, and direct effects on vegetation cover, which also serves as feeding sites and escape cover from predators and reduces exposure to UV radiation. We demonstrate that the success of three critical phases in early life-stage development (egg hatching, tadpole survival, metamorphosis) was associated with different environmental factors. The inclusion of stage-specific responses in demographic analyses is therefore critical for a thorough understanding of what limits populations.
Barrile, G. M., Walters, A. W., and Chalfoun, A. D. 2022. Stage-specific environmental correlates of reproductive success in Boreal Toads (Anaxyrus boreas boreas). Journal of Herpetology, 56(1), 34–44. https://doi.org/10.1670/21-023 \| Abstract	March 2022	Compensatory recruitment can facilitate the persistence of populations experiencing high adult mortality. Because early life-stages of many taxa, including amphibians, are difficult to mark and recapture, sources of variation in survival at these stages often are unknown, which creates barriers to improving in<i> </i>situ recruitment rates. We leveraged count data and open N-mixture models to examine the environmental factors associated with the hatching of egg clutches, tadpole survival, and probability of metamorphosis in Boreal Toads (<i>Anaxyrus boreas boreas</i>) that inhabit pastures leased for cattle grazing in western Wyoming, USA. We conducted weekly surveys and measured a suite of environmental variables at 20 breeding ponds during May–September 2018. The hatching of egg clutches was most strongly related to pond surface area, as clutches often desiccated at smaller ponds. Weekly tadpole survival was lowest in ponds with a high abundance of aquatic predators. Predation did not preclude metamorphosis, however, which was more strongly associated with higher dissolved oxygen and vegetation cover. Cattle grazing reduced vegetation cover in and around breeding ponds, which resulted in lower levels of dissolved oxygen. Grazing-induced habitat changes therefore likely negatively influenced tadpole metamorphosis both via indirect effects on dissolved oxygen, and direct effects on vegetation cover, which also serves as feeding sites and escape cover from predators and reduces exposure to UV radiation. We demonstrate that the success of three critical phases in early life-stage development (egg hatching, tadpole survival, metamorphosis) was associated with different environmental factors. The inclusion of stage-specific responses in demographic analyses is therefore critical for a thorough understanding of what limits populations.
Barrile, G. M.*, Chalfoun, A. D, Estes-Zumpf, W., and Walters, A. W. 2022. Wildfire influences individual growth and breeding dispersal, but not survival and recruitment in a montane amphibian. Ecosphere, 13(8), e4212. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4212	September 2022
Barclay, J. H., N. M. Korfanta, M. J. Kauffman. 2011. Long-Term Population Dynamics of a Managed Burrowing Owl Colony. The Journal of Wildlife Management 75(6):1295-1306. \| Download	February 2011
Baldock, J.R., R. Al-Chokhachy, T.E. Walsworth, and A. Walters. 2023. Redd superimposition mediates the accuracy, precision, and significance of redd counts for cutthroat trout. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2022-0267	January 2023
Baldock, J.R., R. Al-Chokhachy, M.R. Campbell, and A.W. Walters. 2023. Timing of reproduction underlies fitness trade-offs for a salmonid fish. Oikos e10184 https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.10184	September 2023
Bailey, P. E., and W. A. Hubert. 2003. Factors associated with stocked cutthroat trout populations in high-mountain lakes. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 23:611-618.	September 2003
Armstrong, J.B., G.T. Takimoto, D.E. Schindler, M.M. Hayes, and M.J. Kauffman. Phenological diversity and resource waves: landscape-level constraints and opportunities in consumer-resource interactions	December 2016
Annear, T. C., W. A. Hubert, D. G. Simpkins, and J. L. Hebdon. 2002. Behavioural and physiological response of trout to winter habitat in tailwaters in Wyoming, USA. Hydrological Processes 16:915-925.	May 2002
Amadio, C. J., W. A. Hubert, K. Johnson, D. Oberlie, and D. Dufek. 2006. Abundance of adult saugers across the Wind River watershed, Wyoming. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 26: 156-162.	February 2006
Amadio, C. J., W. A. Hubert, K. Johnson, D. Oberlie, and D. Dufek. 2005. Factors affecting the occurrence of saugers in small, high-elevation rivers near the western edge of the species' natural distribution. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 134:160-171.	February 2005
Ali, AH, MJ Kauffman, A Raja, A Kibara, J King, D Mallon, C Musyoki and J Goheen. Demographic drivers of a refugee species: large-scale experiments guide strategies for reintroductions of hirola antelope	March 2018
Alford, S.L. and A.W. Walters. 2021. Rapid colonisation post-displacement contributes to native fish resilience. Ecology of Freshwater Fish. DOI: 10.1111/eff.12634	September 2021
Aikens, E.O., Wyckoff, T.B., Sawyer, H., and Kauffman, M.J. (2022). Industrial energy development decouples ungulate migration from the green wave. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 6(11):1733-1741. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-022-01887-9. \| Abstract	November 2022	The ability to freely move across the landscape to track the emergence of nutritious spring green-up (termed ‘green wave surfing’) is key to the foraging strategy of migratory ungulates. Across the vast landscapes traversed by many migratory herds, habitats are being altered by development with unknown consequences for surfing. Using a unique long-term tracking dataset, we found that when energy development occurs within mule deer (<i>Odocoileus hemionus</i>) migration corridors, migrating animals become decoupled from the green wave. During the early phases of a coalbed natural gas development, deer synchronized their movements with peak green-up. But faced with increasing disturbance as development expanded, deer altered their movements by holding up at the edge of the gas field and letting the green wave pass them by. Development often modified only a small portion of the migration corridor but had far-reaching effects on behaviour before and after migrating deer encountered it, thus reducing surfing along the entire route by 38.65% over the 14-year study period. Our study suggests that industrial development within migratory corridors can change the behaviour of migrating ungulates and diminish the benefits of migration. Such disruptions to migratory behaviour present a common mechanism whereby corridors become unprofitable and could ultimately be lost on highly developed landscapes.
Aikens, E.O., Mysterud, A., Merkle, J.A., Cagnacci, F., Rivrud, I.M., Hebblewhite, M., et. al. (2020). Wave-like patterns of plant phenology determine ungulate movement tactics. *Current Biology*, 30(17): 3444–3449.e4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.032. \| Abstract	September 2020	Animals exhibit a diversity of movement tactics. Tracking resources that change across space and time is predicted to be a fundamental driver of animal movement. For example, some migratory ungulates (i.e., hooved mammals) closely track the progression of highly nutritious plant green-up, a phenomenon called “green-wave surfing”. Yet general principles describing how the dynamic nature of resources determine movement tactics are lacking. We tested an emerging theory that predicts surfing and the existence of migratory behavior will be favored in environments where green-up is fleeting and moves sequentially across large landscapes (i.e., wave-like green-up). Landscapes exhibiting wave-like patterns of green-up facilitated surfing and explained the existence of migratory behavior across 61 populations of four ungulate species on two continents (n = 1,696 individuals). At the species level, foraging benefits were equivalent between tactics, suggesting that each movement tactic is fine-tuned to local patterns of plant phenology. For decades, ecologists have sought to understand how animals move to select habitat, commonly defining habitat as a set of static patches. Our findings indicate that animal movement tactics emerge as a function of the flux of resources across space and time, underscoring the need to redefine habitat to include its dynamic attributes. As global habitats continue to be modified by anthropogenic disturbance and climate change, our synthesis provides a generalizable framework to understand how animal movement will be influenced by altered patterns of resource phenology.
Aikens, E.O., Monteith, K.L., Merkle, J.A., Dwinnell, S.P., Fralick, G.L., and Kauffman, M. J. (2020). Drought reshuffles plant phenology and reduces the foraging benefit of green‐wave surfing for a migratory ungulate. Global Change Biology, 26(8), 4215-4225. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15169. \| Abstract	June 2020	To increase resource gain, many herbivores pace their migration with the flush of nutritious plant green-up that progresses across the landscape (termed “green-wave surfing”). Despite concerns about the effects of climate change on migratory species and the critical role of plant phenology in mediating the ability of ungulates to surf, little is known about how drought shapes the green wave and influences the foraging benefits of migration. With a 19 year dataset on drought and plant phenology across 99 unique migratory routes of mule deer (<i>Odocoileus hemionus</i>) in western Wyoming, United States, we show that drought shortened the duration of spring green-up by approximately twofold (2.5 weeks) and resulted in less sequential green-up along migratory routes. We investigated the possibility that some routes were buffered from the effects of drought (i.e., routes that maintained long green-up duration irrespective of drought intensity). We found no evidence of drought-buffered routes. Instead, routes with the longest green-up in non-drought years also were the most affected by drought. Despite phenological changes along the migratory route, mule deer closely followed drought-altered green waves during migration. Migrating deer did not experience a trophic mismatch with the green wave during drought. Instead, the shorter window of green-up caused by drought reduced the opportunity to accumulate forage resources during rapid spring migrations. Our work highlights the synchronization of phenological events as an important mechanism by which climate change can negatively affect migratory species by reducing the temporal availability of key food resources. For migratory herbivores, climate change poses a new and growing threat by altering resource phenology and diminishing the foraging benefit of migration.
Aikens, E. and others. Migratory tactic structures while resource allocation refines timing of birth for a large herbivore. for Ecology	June 2021
Aikens E.O., Kauffman M.J., Merkle J.A., Dwinnell S.P.H., Fralick G.L., and Monteith K.L. (2017). The greenscape shapes surfing of resource waves in a large migratory herbivore. Ecology Letters, 20(6): 741-750. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ele.12772. \| Abstract	June 2017	The Green Wave Hypothesis posits that herbivore migration manifests in response to waves of spring green-up (i.e. green-wave surfing). Nonetheless, empirical support for the Green Wave Hypothesis is mixed, and a framework for understanding variation in surfing is lacking. In a population of migratory mule deer (<i>Odocoileus hemionus</i>), 31% surfed plant phenology in spring as well as a theoretically perfect surfer, and 98% surfed better than random. Green-wave surfing varied among individuals and was unrelated to age or energetic state. Instead, the greenscape, which we define as the order, rate and duration of green-up along migratory routes, was the primary factor influencing surfing. Our results indicate that migratory routes are more than a link between seasonal ranges, and they provide an important, but often overlooked, foraging habitat. In addition, the spatiotemporal configuration of forage resources that propagate along migratory routes shape animal movement and presumably, energy gains during migration.
Abrahms, B., Aikens, E. O., Armstrong, J. B., Deacy, W. W., Kauffman, M. J., and Merkle, J. A. (2021). Emerging perspectives on resource tracking and animal movement ecology. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 36(4), 308-320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2020.10.018. \| Abstract	November 2020	Resource tracking, where animals increase energy gain by moving to track phenological variation in resources across space, is emerging as a fundamental attribute of animal movement ecology. However, a theoretical framework to understand when and where resource tracking should occur, and how resource tracking should lead to emergent ecological patterns, is lacking. We present a framework that unites concepts from optimal foraging theory and landscape ecology, which can be used to generate and test predictions on how resource dynamics shape animal movement across taxa, systems, and scales. Consideration of the interplay between animal movement and resource dynamics not only advances ecological understanding but can also guide biodiversity conservation in an era of global change.
Scherr, T. M. and A. D. Chalfoun. Taming the temperature: Do sagebrush songbirds modulate microclimate via nest-site selection? Ornithology. \| Abstract	February 2022	Developing a better understanding of species responses to temperature change via behavior, and the factors affecting the extent of behavioral responses, is a critical and timely endeavor given the rapid pace at which the climate is changing. Young of altricial songbirds are particularly sensitive to temperature, and parents may modulate temperatures at nests via selection of nest sites, albeit to a largely unknown extent. We examined whether sagebrush-obligate songbirds that reproduce within an open ecosystem with wide temperature fluctuations and span a range of body sizes, selected nest sites on the basis of temperature. We further investigated whether predation risk and ambient conditions modulated temperature-based choices. We placed temperature loggers at nest sites and in unused but available niches and shrubs along a known predation-risk gradient and used nearby weather stations to determine ambient temperatures. Brewer’s Sparrows and Sagebrush Sparrows, the two smaller-bodied birds, selected nest sites that were warmer and less variable relative to available sites, whereas Sage Thrashers generally did not select nest sites on the basis of temperature. Both Brewer’s Sparrows and Sage Thrashers increased selection for cooler nest sites relative to available sites with increased ambient temperatures during the prospecting period. None of the three species altered nest-site selection with respect to temperature in response to ambient temperature variability or our index of nest predation risk. The microhabitat characteristics that most influenced temperatures at nests varied across species. Our results suggest that songbirds can modulate temperatures at nests to some extent, and such responses can vary depending on the conditions experienced prior to nest initiation. Responses varied across species, however, likely reflecting different physiological tolerances. The extent to which breeding birds will be able to continue to proximately influence temperature via nest site choices likely will depend on the extent and rate of future climatic shifts.

Presentations

Presentations	Presentation Date
Covill, T., Journey, M.L., Journey, Holian, F., Combrink, L., Krist, A., Wanger, C.E., and A. Walters. 2024. Factors influencing growth of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus virginalis bouvieri) in historic and stocked alpine lakes. American Fisheries Society Meeting 2024.	February 2024	We aim to understand the influence of physical and biological lake properties on growth of stocked and naturally reproducing trout in alpine lakes. This work represents a first step in increasing our understanding of differences in size at age for Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout in stocked lakes in the Wind River Range, WY.
z. Underwood, A. Walters, E. Gardunio, P. Gerrity, E. Mandeville, C. Saudners, and J. Skorupski. 2015. Comparison of Burbot Population Dynamics Across Adjacent Native and Invaded Ranges. AFS annual meeting, Portland, OR.	August 2015	Few comparisons have been made of population demographics or fish habitat relationships between native and invasive populations. Insight into what is driving population dynamics of burbot within their native and introduced range could help inform management - both control in the introduced range and conservation in the native range.
Zachary Underwood, Elizabeth Mandeville, Annika Walters, Joe Deromedi, Paul Gerrity, Mike Mazur, and Kevin Johnson. 2015. The effects of water development on the genetic structure of burbot in the upper Wind River Basin, Wyoming. CO/WY American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting. Fort Collins, CO.	February 2015	Burbot are a native species of management concern and an important game fish. This study examines the genetic structure of populations within the Wind River Drainage which will aid fisheries managers in their conservation of this important species.
Z. Underwood, E. Mandevills, A. Walters, J. Deromedi, P. Gerrity, and K. Johnson. The Effects of Water Development on the Population Connectivity of Burbot in the Upper Wind River Basin, Wyoming. AFS Annual Meeting, Portland, OR.	August 2015	Regional declines in abundance of burbot have been observed, spurring increased conservation efforts. Our findings will aid fisheries managers in the conservation of burbot within this region, and within other regions affected by water development.
Yandow, L.H., A.D. Chalfoun and D.F. Doak. 2011. What are the critical habitat and climate elements for the American pika (Ochotona princeps) in the face of climate change? 18th Annual Meeting, The Wildlife Society, Waikoloa, Hawaii, 5-10 November 2011.	November 2011
Yandow, L.H., A.D. Chalfoun and D.F. Doak. 2011. Delineating limiting habitat features as potential climate proxies for the American pika (Ochotona princeps). Annual Meeting, The Wyoming Chapter of the Wildlife Society, Jackson, Wyoming, 6-9 December 2011.	December 2011
Wyckoff, T.B., M.J. Kauffman and S.E. Albeke. 2011. Evaluating the influence of development on ungulate migrations. 18th Annual Meeting, The Wildlife Society, Waikoloa, Hawaii, 5-10 November 2011.	November 2011
Wyckoff, T.B., M.J. Kauffman and S.E. Albeke. 2011. Evaluating the Influence of Development on Ungulate Migrations. Annual Meeting, The Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Jackson, Wyoming, 6-9 December 2011.	December 2011
Wyckoff, T., M. Kauffman, S. Albeke, and H. Sawyer. 2014. EVALUATING THE INFLUENCE OF DEVELOPMENT ON MULE DEER MIGRATIONS	August 2014	Energy development is expanding across the West with unknown consequences for migratory ungulates. This study evaluates how the behavior of migrating mule deer is influenced by human development occurring within their migration routes.
Williams, C., K. Gauthier, S. Bertalot, T. Blechinger, A. Walters, S, Collins, and W. Fetzer. Long-term monitoring of environmental changes using zooplankton. Association of the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography annual meeting, Madison, WI, USA.	June 2024	Freshwater lake ecosystems provide necessary services to humans and animals such as drinking water, irrigation, recreational opportunities, and habitat. However, human activities are greatly degrading aquatic ecosystems and monitoring programs are needed to identify and assess long term changes
William Rosenthal, John Fennell, Elizabeth Mandeville, Jason Burckhardt, Annika Walters, and Catherine Wagner. 2023. Hybridization decreases native Cutthroat Trout reproductive fitness. Coastwide Salmonid Genetics Meeting	June 2023	Examining the action of natural selection in wild populations presents many challenges, but also sheds light on important ecological and evolutionary processes. We characterized several components of relative fitness in hybridizing populations of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout and Rainbow Trout in an effort to better understand the prolonged persistence of both parental species despite predictions of extirpation.
William Rosenthal, Ashleigh Pilkerton, Elizabeth Mandeville, Joe Skorupski, Paul Gerrity, Annika Walters and Catherine Wagner. 2020. Sauger Population Structure and Hybridization with Introduced Walleye. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2020.	February 2020	Sauger <i>Sander canadensis</i> are a species of greatest conservation need in Wyoming due to habitat fragmentation, competition with non-native fish, and the potential loss of genetic integrity through co-occurrence and hybridization with Walleye <i>Sander vitreus</i>. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of hybridization between these species is pertinent for the conservation of native Sauger populations
William Rosenthal, Annika Walters, and Catherine Wagner. Disentangling the genetic legacy of fish stocking in Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society 2024	September 2024	Fish have been stocked in countless water bodies across North America for over a century, which has resulted in homogenization of fish faunas across the continent, introgression between closely-related species, and displacement of native species. The effects and impacts of this supplementation on population conservation status and evolution are not well understood.
William Rosenthal, Annika Walters, and Catherine Wagner. 2023. Evaluating the evolutionary effects of fish stocking in an imperiled trout. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society.	August 2023	Fish stocking practices include supplementing wild populations of native fish species for recreational or conservation purposes. The effects and impacts of this supplementation on population conservation status and evolution are not well understood, and could have significant consequences on population adaptive potential in the face of climate change.
William Rosenthal W., J. Fennell, A. Walters, and C. Wagner. 2020. Evaluating Causes of Reproductive Isolation in Hybridizing Trout. American Fisheries Society virtual annual meeting.	September 2020	Hybridization with introduced Rainbow Trout (<i>Oncorhynchus mykiss</i>) is a substantial threat to genetically pure populations of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout (<i>O. clarkii bouvieri</i>). Our results will aid Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout conservation by identifying how the impacts of hybridization with Rainbow Trout might be mitigated.
Wilhite, J., W. Hubert, and M. Smith. Spatial distributions and habitat associations of warmwater fishes in the Bighorn River, Wyoming. Annual Meeting, Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Cheyenne, Wyoming, March 8, 1006.	March 2006
Wilhite, J. W., and W. A. Hubert. Channel changes in the Bighorn River of Wyoming since construction of Boysen Dam: Implications for native fishes. Annual Meeting, American Fisheries Society, San Francisco, California, September 6, 2007.	September 2007
Wilhite, J. W., W. A. Hubert, and E. J. Rodemaker. Channel changes in the Bighorn River of Wyoming since regulation by Boysen Dam: Implications for native fishes. Annual Meeting, Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Ft. Collins, Colorado, February 28, 2007.	February 2007
Wilhite, J. W. Hubert, and M. Smith. Spatial distributions and habitat associations of warmwater fishes in the Bighorn River, Wyoming. Annual Meeting, Western Division, American Fisheries Society, Bozeman, Montana, May 18, 2006.	May 2006
Whittle, E., I. Abernethy, and A. D. Chalfoun. 2019. Maternity roost site selection by northern long-eared bats in the Black Hills of Wyoming. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Sheridan, WY.	November 2019	Bat populations in North America are in decline due to habitat loss and degradation, interactions with wind turbines, and emerging disease. We tracked pregnant and lactating female northern long-eared bats (a threatened species) back to day roosts in the Black Hills National Forest to identify key attributes of maternal roost sites for managers.
Whittle, E., I. Abernethy, and A. Chalfoun. 2022. Evidence of context-dependent habitat selection by northern long-eared bats. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society annual meeting, Jackson, WY.	April 2022	The threatened northern long-eared bat faces stressors range-wide associated with habitat change and disease. Our objectives were to 1) characterize maternity roosts of northern long-eared bats in the Black Hills, and 2) assess whether roost preferences are influenced by weather conditions and reproductive status.
Whittle, E., I. Abernathy, and A. Chalfoun. 2023. SELECTION, PHENOLOGY, AND INTER-ANNUAL USE OF MATERNITY ROOSTS BY NORTHERN LONG-EARED BATS IN THE BLACK HILLS. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Laramie, WY.	April 2023	We characterized the habitat selection of endangered northern long-eared bats (<i>Myotis septentrionalis)</i> in northeast Wyoming, with implications for forest management practices.
Webster, M., G. Barrile, A. Walters, and A. Chalfoun. 2020. ‘Dude! Where’s my pond?!' Evaluating the role of beaver activity in pond persistence over time. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2020.	February 2020	Beaver fundamentally modify stream morphology and hydrology by creating ponds and wetlands that serve as critical breeding habitat for a plethora of species. Over time, as fluctuations in pond quality and loss of pond habitat occurs, population persistence for species reliant on such habitat is dependent on the creation of new beaver ponds.
Walters, A.W., and C. Girard. 2013. The effects of energy development on habitat quality and fish communities in southwestern Wyoming. Society for Freshwater Science annual meeting.	May 2013	This research addresses an important knowledge gap: the effects of energy development on fish communities. There is substantial interest in this topic as evidenced by the fact that this is an invited presentation for a symposium.
Walters, A.W., Z. Hooley-Underwood, and E.G. Mandeville. 2018. Evaluating the influence of dams and diversions on Burbot movement in the Wind River Drainage, Wyoming using genetic, isotopic, and field data. Western Division of American Fisheries Society, Anchorage, Alaska.	May 2018	Burbot (Lota lota) populations are declining with dams and water diversions thought to be a major threat. This research used a multi-scale approach to increase our inferential abilities and mechanistic understanding of Burbot movement patterns between natural and managed systems.
Walters, A.W., T. Copeland, and D.A. Venditti. The density dilemma: limitations on juvenile production in threatened salmon populations. Western Division American Fisheries Society Meeting. Boise, Idaho.	April 2013	Addresses an important issue, density dependence, in a threatened fish population.
Walters, A.W., M.A.G. Sagrario, and D. Schindler. 2012. “When is spring green-up? Interaction of species phenology and community composition” Ecological Society of America annual meeting, Portland, OR.	August 2012
Walters, A.W., K.K. Bartz, and M.M.McClure. 2011. Analysis of instream flow issues and climate change impacts for juvenile salmon in the Lemhi River, Idaho. American Fisheries Society annual meeting, Seattle, WA.	September 2011
Walters, A.W., D. M. Holzer, J. R. Faulkner, C. D. Warren, P. D. Murphy, and M.M. McClure. 2012. “ Quantifying cumulative entrainment effects for Chinook salmon in a heavily irrigated watershed” American Fisheries Society Western Division meeting, Jackson, WY.	March 2012
Walters, A.W. and C. Girard. 2014. Differential vulnerability of fish to energy development. Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Portland, OR.	May 2014	Energy development is increasing throughout the US and we do not understand the effect of this for native fish communities. This project addresses differential vulnerability of fish to energy development.
Walters, A.W. and C. Girard. 2013. Energy development, habitat quality, and native fish communities in southwestern Wyoming. American Fisheries Society annual meeting, Little Rock, AR, September 2013.	September 2013	Energy development is a pressing national concern. This study looks at the effects that surface disturbance associated with energy development may have for stream habitat quality and fish communities.
Walters, A.W. 2016. The role of context dependency in understanding the effects of low flow events on fish. SFS annual meeting, Sacramento, CA.	May 2016	The natural hydrology of streams and rivers has been extensively altered. Awareness of these sources of context dependency that drive variation in fish response to low flow events can help managers interpret and explain data, predict vulnerability of fish communities, and prioritize appropriate management actions.
Walters, A.W. 2016. The role of context dependency in understanding the effects of low flow events on fish. AFS annual meeting, Kansas City, MO.	August 2016	Low flow events are increasingly common. Awareness of the sources of context dependency can help managers interpret and explain data, predict vulnerability of fish communities, and prioritize appropriate management actions.
Walters, A.W. 2012. “Fisheries research at the Wyoming cooperative research unit” Wyoming Game and Fish Habitat meeting, Laramie, WY.	May 2012
Walters, A.W. 2012 “Aquatic ecosystems and the bark beetle epidemic” Vertebrate responses to bark beetles symposium, Laramie, WY.	May 2012
Walters, A.W. 2011 Future of fisheries research at the Wyoming Cooperative Research Unit. Wyoming Game and Fish fish supervisors meeting, Lander, WY.	November 2011
Walters, A., R. Walker, and S. Alford. 2018. Evaluating the resiliency of fish populations to stochastic disturbances. WY-TWS and WLCI Joint Meeting, Laramie, WY.	November 2018	Stream ecosystems are subject to frequent natural and anthropogenic disturbance events including floods, droughts, contaminant spills, and riparian habitat loss. A better understanding of species’ ability to recolonize sites following disturbance will provide insight into the persistence of fish species in these streams which have been highly affected by disturbance events (e.g. oil and product water spills, low flow events, re-routing of stream channels, and road and pipeline building).
Walters, A., N. Carr, K. Sherrill, and J. Wesner. What insight can the Wyoming Basin Rapid Ecoregional Assessment provide for fisheries and aquatic habitat management in Wyoming? CO/WY American Fisheries Society Meeting, Laramie, WY.	March 2014	The REAs are an important tool for managers to prioritize restoration and conservation efforts. This informational talk will provide managers with insight into how they might be able to use the products from the WY Basin REA.
Walters, A., J. Baldock, E. Rieger, and N. Clancy, R. Sando, R. McShane, and J. Lund. 2024. Co-produced research to understand climate change effects and adaptive capacity of native stream fishes. American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2024.	September 2024	Climate change is affecting stream fish populations through shifts in temperature and flow regimes. Engaging with fisheries managers and other cooperators to co-produce research questions may provide further insight into fish adaptive capacity in the face of climate change.
Walters, A., A. Magruder, G. Barrile, S. Siddons, and J. Walrath. 2024. Seasonal movements between mainstem and tributaries may facilitate the persistence of Roundtail Chub and Flannelmouth Sucker within an altered stream system. Desert Fishes Council Meeting, Grand Junction, CO,	November 2024	Linking movement behaviors to life history characteristics can allow more targeted management applications for declining native fish populations. We identified seasonal movement patterns of Roundtail Chub, <i>Gila robusta,</i> and Flannelmouth Sucker, <i>Catostomus latipinnis</i>, two understudied species that currently occupy only a portion of their historical range in the Colorado River Basin.
Walters, A. and Ciepiela, L. R. 2019. Fitness consequences of life-history variation in spawning migrations of two inland salmonids. Society for Freshwater Science Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah.	May 2019	Knowing where fish reside, their movement patterns, and the habitats associated with their growth and reproduction is fundamental to the successful conservation of desired species.
Walters, A. and Ciepiela, L. R. 2019. Fitness consequences of life-history variation in spawning migrations of two inland salmonids. Joint American Fisheries Society and Wildlife Society Meeting.	October 2019	Knowing where fish reside, their movement patterns, and the habitats associated with their growth and reproduction is fundamental to the successful conservation of desired species.
Walters, A. and C. Girard. 2015. The effects if oil and gas development for aquatic habitats. Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative/ The Wildlife Society Meeting, Lander WY.	December 2015	Improved understanding of the effects of oil and gas development on aquatic habitats will allow more explicit management and mitigation recommendations for the protection of these habitats and the communities that depend on them.
Walters AW, Rosenthal WC, Fennell JM, Mandeville EG, and Wagner CE. 2023. Temporal segregation in spawn timing and increased reproductive fitness allow persistence of nonhybridised Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout. Advances in the Population Ecology of Stream-Dwelling Salmonids VI.	May 2023	Hybridisation with introduced taxa threatens the persistence of native salmonid species. Mechanistic studies of reproductive isolation provide insight into the variable hybridisation outcomes observed amongst salmonids and can help inform management of threatened salmonids.
Walters A., Collins S., Williams D., Baldock J., Lund J., Fetzer W. 2024. Anticipating Climate Transitions in Wyoming (WyACT): Aquatic and Fisheries Research. CO/WY Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2024.	February 2024	WyACT funded research will help improve our ability to identify and quantify risks and predict ecological consequences of shifting climate conditions in aquatic ecosystems.
Walker, R.H., C.E. Girard, S.A. Alford, and A.W. Walters. 2019. Surface disturbance intensifies the effect of low flows on stream fishes. Society for Freshwater Science annual meeting.	May 2019	Development of flow-ecology relationships in a multiple-stressor framework can highlight management needs for stream fishes, and provides a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying flow-ecology relationships
Walker, R.H. and Walters, A.W. 2018. It takes two to tango: interactive effects of hydrology and energy development on fish abundance. Colorado-Wyoming American Fisheries Society, Laramie, Wyoming.	February 2018	While most research has focused on single stressor effects, it is becoming increasingly apparent that many ecosystems are affected by multiple stressors, and their interactions can have varying effects on ecological change. This research assesses how hydrology and energy development interact to affect fish populations.
Walker, R., and A. Walters. 2018. Mechanisms Underlying Ecological Responses to Surface Disturbance in Headwater Streams. WY-TWS and WLCI Joint Meeting, Laramie, WY.	November 2018	Anthropogenic surface disturbance (SD) can alter habitat, water quality, and food availability in freshwater ecosystems with repercussions for the distribution of species. Continued identification of the mechanistic pathways underlying patterns in consumer populations will aid managers in better understanding consumer-resource dynamics resulting from anthropogenic disturbances.
Walker, R., C. Girard, and A. Walters. 2016. Does oil and natural gas development and hydrology interact to affect fish populations. SFS meeting, Sacramento, CA.	May 2016	Managers and ecologists are under increased pressure to understand how stressors, natural or anthropogenic, interact to affect environmental change. Oil and natural gas devopment and hydrological variability are two important stressors.
Walker, R., C. Girard, and A. Walters. 2016. Does oil and natural gas development and hydrology interact to affect fish populations. CO/WY AFS meeting, Laramie, WY.	March 2016	Managers and ecologists are under increased pressure to understand how stressors, natural or anthropogenic, interact to affect environmental change. Oil and natural gas devopment and hydrological variability are two important stressors.
Walker, R., C. Girard, and A. Walters. 2015. Does oil and natural gas development and hydrology interact to affect fish population dynamics? Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative/ The Wildlife Society Meeting, Lander WY.	December 2015	Managers and ecologists are under increased pressure to quantify and understand how stressors, natural or anthropogenic, interact to affect environmental and ecological change. The objective of this study is to examine the potential interaction between oil and natural gas development and natural annual variation in hydrology on fish population dynamics.
Walker, R. and A. Walters. 2015. Population dynamics of three fishes in relation to energy development in headwater streams of the Wyoming Range. Society for Freshwater Science annual meeting, Milwaukee, WI.	May 2015	Our understanding of how oil and natural gas development can affect aquatic ecosystems is limited. A better understanding of how energy development and hydrology interact to affect fish population dynamics can help guide management of native fish species.
Wagler, B., L. Sanders, and A. Chalfoun. 2017. Do reclaimed areas within natural gas fields augment deer mouse fitness and abundance? Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Jackson, WY, 5-7 December, 2017.	December 2017	Previous work in the lab revealed significantly higher nest predation rates for declining sagebrush songbirds near reclaimed areas in Wyoming natural gas fields. The main nest predators were deer mice and the current study investigated why mice may be more abundant near reclaimed areas.
W. Rosenthal, J. Fennell, A. Walters, and C. Wagner. 2021 Fitness effects in hybridizing trout. American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2021.	November 2021	In hybridizing populations, natural selection may be an important determinant of the eventual outcome of hybridization. We characterized several components of relative fitness in hybridizing populations of Yellowstone cutthroat trout and rainbow trout in an effort to better understand the prolonged persistence of both parental species despite predictions of extirpation.
Vartanian, J. M., and M. J. Kauffman. 2007. Evaluating the influence of bottom-up and top-down control of Shiras moose demography in the Jackson Herd Unit. Wyoming Game and Fish Moose Working Group Meeting (via video link). Wyoming. November 2007.	November 2007
Vartanian, J. M., and M. J. Kauffman. Evaluating landscape-level variation in habitat quality: Can moose correct for variation in habitat quality via diet selection. 17th Annual Conference, The Wildlife Society, Snowbird, Utah. 2-6 October 2010.	October 2010
Vartanian, J. M., and M. J. Kauffman. 2009. Habitat condition, diet, and nutrition quality of forage: Implications for a declining moose population. Annual meeting, The Wildlife Society, Wyoming Chapter, Cody, Wyoming, 3-5 November 2009.	November 2009
Vartanian, J. M., M. J. Kauffman, B.W. Hess, and S. A. Kilpatrick. Evaluating variation in seasonal habitat quality for a declining moose population in northwest Wyoming. The 46th Annual North American Moose Conference and Workshop. Jackson, Wyoming 5/2011	May 2011
Vartanian, J. M., M. J. Kauffman, B. W. Hess. 2011. Evaluating variation in seasonal habitat quality for a declning moose population in northwest Wyoming. 18th Annual Conference, The Wildlife Society, Waikoloa, Hawaii, 5-10 November 2011.	November 2011
Vartanian, J. M., M. J. Kauffman. 2010. Habitat condition, diet, and nutrition quality of forage: Implications for a declining moose population in Northwest Wyoming. 90th Annual Meeting, The American Society of Mammologists, Laramie, Wyoming, 11-15 June 2010.	June 2010
Underwood, Z.E., E.G. Mandeville, and A.W. Walters. The effects of water development on the genetic structure of North American bubot populations. International Congress on the Biology of Fish. Edinburgh, Scotland.	August 2014	Burbot are declining in the Wind/ Bighorn River system. One of the concerns is entrainment in irrigation canals and this project provides insight into that concern.
Underwood, Z, and A. Walters. 2014. Burbot movement and entrainment pathways in the upper Wind River drainage CO/WY American Fisheries Society Meeting, Laramie, WY.	March 2014	Burbot are a native fish which is declining in abundance. This research addresses one potential reason for the decline - entrainment in irrigation canals.
Tiemann, A. and Walters, A. 2022. Evaluating movement patterns of Roundtail Chub and Flannelmouth Sucker in the Blacks Fork Subdrainage. Colorado/Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Laramie, Wyoming.	March 2022	Native fish populations have declined at an alarming rate due to anthropogenic changes to riverine habitat. Movement behaviour has rarely been documented in imperiled native fish populations. As movement is a key adaptive response to changing environments, understanding movement patterns is critical to conserving native fish.
Tiemann, A. and Walters, A. 2021. Evaluating movement patterns of Roundtail Chub and Flannelmouth Sucker in the Blacks Fork Subdrainage. Colorado/Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Laramie, Wyoming.	February 2021	Native fish populations have declined at an alarming rate due to anthropogenic changes to riverine habitat. Movement behaviour has rarely been documented in imperiled native fish populations. As movement is a key adaptive response to changing environments, understanding movement patterns is critical to conserving native fish.
Tiemann, A. and Walters, A. 2021. Evaluating movement patterns of Roundtail Chub and Flannelmouth Sucker in the Blacks Fork Subbasin. Western Division of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Utah.	May 2021	Native fish populations have declined at an alarming rate due to anthropogenic changes to riverine habitat. Movement behaviour has rarely been documented in imperiled native fish populations. As movement is a key adaptive response to changing environments, understanding movement patterns is critical to conserving native fish.
Tiemann, A. and Walters, A. 2020. Evaluating movement patterns of Roundtail Chub and Flannelmouth Sucker in the Blacks Fork Subdrainage. Colorado/Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Laramie, Wyoming.	February 2020	Native fish populations have declined at an alarming rate due to anthropogenic changes to riverine habitat. Movement is a key adaptive response to changing environments, so understanding movement patterns is critical to conserving native fish.
T Datry, D Allen, G Allen, A Burgin, M Busch, R Burrows, A DelVecchia, W Doods, M Fork, J Hammond, K Kaiser, C Little, M Messager, M Mims, E Moody, J olden, R Sarremejane, R Stubbington, J Tonkin, A Truchy, R Walker, A Walters, S Yu, S Zipper. 2022. Comparison of human-induced and naturally intermittent rivers: science, management, and policy implications.	May 2022	Here ,we explore whether human-induced and natural intermittence have different effects on biodiversity, ecological functions and ecosystem services in river networks and review the implications in terms of science, management and policy.
Sweet, D., and W. Hubert. Movements and habitat associations of native and introduced catostomids in a tributary system of the Colorado River: implications for restoration of natives. 29th Annual Recover Program Researchers Meeting, Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program, Moab, Utah.	January 2008
Sweet, D., and W. Hubert. Movements and habitat associations of native and introduced catostomids in a tributary system of the Colorado River: Implications for restoration of the natives. Annual Meeting of the Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Cheyenne, Wyoming.	March 2008
Sweet, D., and W. Hubert. Movements and habitat associations of native and introduced catostomids in a tributary system of the Colorado River: Implications for restoration of natives. Annual Meeting of the Western Division, American Fisheries Society, Portland, Oregon.	May 2008
Sweet, D., and W. Hubert. Movement and habitat associations of native and introduced catostomids in the Big Sandy River of Wyoming. Annual meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Ottawa, Canada.	August 2008
Sweet, D., and W. Hubert. Age, grwoth, and length structure of native and introduced catostomids in two Colorado River headwater systems, Wyoming. Annual Meeting, American Fisheries Society, San Francisco, California, September 4, 2007.	September 2007
Sweet, D., and W. Hubert. Age, growth, and length structure of native and introduced catostomids in the Big Sandy and Little Sandy Rivers, Wyoming. Annual Meeting, Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Ft. Collins, Colorado, February 28, 2007	February 2007
Stewart, D., Z. Underwood, A. Walters, and F. Rahel. 2016. Are native fish management areas efficient conservation surrogates for amphibians, mussels, and reptiles? CO/WY AFS meeting, Laramie, WY.	March 2016	Native fish management areas are a new promising conservation tool.
Smith, M., W. Hubert, and F. Barrows. The effect of diet composition on growth and reproductive efficiency of Yellowstone cutthroat trout broodfish.	March 2003
Smith, M. A., and W. A. Hubert. Effects of rapidly changing temperatures on the short-term survival of juvenile rainbow trout. Joint meeting of the Idaho and Bonneville chapters, American Fisheries Society, Pocatello, Idaho.	March 2002
Smith, M. A., and W. A. Hubert. 2002. Effects of rapidly changing temperatures on short-term survival of juvenile rainbow trout. Annual meeting Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Laramie, Wyoming.	February 2002
Smith, M. A. The effect of diet composition on growth and reproductive efficiency of Yellowstone cutthroat trout broodfish. Annual meeting, American Fisheries Society, Quebec, Canada.	August 2003
Simpkins, D., and W. Hubert. Factors affecting the overwinter survival of stocked rainbow trout and cutthroat trout in Wyoming tailwaters with recommendations for management and research. Joint meeting of the Colorado-Wyoming and Bonneville chapters, American Fisheries Society, Grand Junction, Colorado.	March 2003
Simpkins, D., W. Hubert, and C. Martinez del Rio. July 2000. Effects of starvation, water temperature and secondary stressors on the health and survival of juvenile rainbow trout. Western Division American Fisheries Society, Telluride, Colorado.	July 2000
Simpkins, D. G., and W. A. Hubert. Factors affecting the overwinter survival of stocked trout in Wyoming tailwaters with management and research recommendations. Annual meeting, American Fisheries Society, Quebec, Canada.	August 2003
Simpkins, D. G., W. A. Hubert, and C. Martinez del Rio. Factors affecting the condition and overwinter survival of juvenile trout in tailwaters: Are fish starving to death? Annual meeting of the Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Laramie, Wyoming.	February 2002
Simpkins, D. G., W. A. Hubert, and C. Martinez del Rio. Do condition indices reflect physiological status of fish? Annual Meeting, American Fisheries Society, Phoenix, Arizona.	August 2001
Simpkins, D. G., W. A. Hubert, and C. Martinez del Rio. Do body condition indices relect physiological helath of fish? Great Lakes Fish Commission Fish Health Workshop, Ann Arbor, Michigan.	March 2001
Simpkins, D. G., W. A. Hubert, and C. Martinez del Rio. Do body condition indices reflect physiological health of fish? Great Lakes Fish Commission Fish Health Workshop, Ann Arbor, Michigan.	March 2001
Simpkins, D. G., W. A. Hubert, and C. Martinez del Rio. Do body condition indices reflect physiological health of fish? Annual Meeting, Michigan Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Roscommon, Michigan.	March 2001
Simpkins, D. G., W. A. Hubert, and C. Martinez del Rio. August 2000. Effects of starvation, winter temperature and secondary stressors on the health and survival of juvenile rainbow trout. American Fisheries Society, St. Louis, Missouri.	August 2000
Simpkins, D. G., J. L. Hebdon, M. R. Dare, and W. A. Hubert. Factors influencing overwinter survival of juvenile trout in Wyoming tailwaters. Annual Meeting, Michigan Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Roscommon, Michigan.	March 2001
Shertzer, E., and A. Chalfoun. Sagebrush songbird demography across the full annual cycle and carryover effects of breeding habitat changes. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society annual meeting, Jackson, WY.	April 2022	Songbird research has focused historically on the breeding season, leaving large gaps in knowledge about potential limiting factors to population growth during other life stages.We aim to address these gaps in three declining songbird species that breed in North American sagebrush steppe; the Brewer’s sparrow (Spizella breweri), sagebrush sparrow (Artemisiospiza nevadensis), and sage thrasher (Oreoscoptes montanus) by tracking individuals across the full annual cycle.
Shertzer, E., and A. Chalfoun. 2024. The influence of carryover effects on juvenile cause-specific mortality in sagebrush songbirds. Joint Meeting of the WLCI and Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Cody, WY.	April 2024	We presented how traits of nestling sagebrush songbirds influence survival during the vulnerable post-fledging period. Student won best doctoral oral presentation. Won best doctoral student presentation award.
Shertzer, E., and A. Chalfoun. 2024. The influence of carryover effects on cause-specific mortality during the post-fledgling period of sagebrush-obligate songbirds. Gordon Research Conference, Predator-Prey, Ventura, CA.	January 2024	We present results focused on how nestling traits (size and mass) carry over to influence predation risk in a subsequent (post-fledging) period.
Shertzer, E., and A. Chalfoun. 2023. CARRYOVER EFFECTS AND MORTALITY DURING THE POST-FLEDGING PERIOD OF SAGEBRUSH SONGBIRDS. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Laramie, WY.	April 2023	The post-fledging period of most songbird species remains unstudied, yet, when quantified, juvenile mortality can be high. We identified the rates, causes, and factors influencing post-fledging mortality in three Species of Greatest Conservation Need that breed within the sagebrush steppe of Wyoming; the Brewer’s sparrow (<i>Spizella breweri</i>), sagebrush sparrow (<i>Artemisiospiza nevadensis</i>), and sage thrasher (<i>Oreoscoptes montanus).</i>
Shertzer, E. and A. Chalfoun. 2024. Cause-specific mortality of sagebrush songbirds during the post-fledging period. American Ornithological Society Annual Meeting, Estes Park, CO.	October 2024	The research focused on cause-specific mortality of sagebrush-obligate songbirds during the understudied and vulnerable post-fledging period.
Senecal, A., and W. Hubert. Modeling habitat availability in a Great Plains river system to assess the effects of energy development-related flow augmentation. Annual Meeting, Western Division, American Fisheries Society, Albuquerque, New Mexico.	May 2009
Senecal, A., A. Walters, and W. Hubert. 2016. Reconciling the temporal scales of data collection and population-level change: the Powder River’s “native invaders”. CO/WY AFS meeting, Laramie, WY.	March 2016	Examining historical shifts in species assemblages can help us understand current and future threats.
Senecal, A. C., and W. A. Hubert. Variation in physical habitat features and small fish assemblages during summer months in the Powder River, Wyoming: Preliminary findings. Annual Meeting of the Great Plains Fishery Workers Association, Sheridan, Wyoming.	January 2008
Senecal, A. C., and W. A. Hubert. How pristine is the fish community of the Powder River, the "last remnant" of the Great Plains river system? Annual Meeting, Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Fort Collins, Colorado.	February 2009
Scott, M., T. Wesche, and W. Hubert. Riverside life below dams: cottonwoods, flows and fish. Symposium, North Platte River Closeups, University of Wyoming Casper Center, Casper, Wyoming.	October 2000
Schwanke, C. J., and W. A. Hubert. Abundance and movements of the rainbow trout spawning population in the Naknek River, southwest Alaska. Annual meeting Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Laramie, Wyoming.	February 2002
Schwanke, C. J., and W. A. Hubert. Abundance and movements of the rainbow trout spawning population in the Naknek River, Southwest Alaska. Joint Meeting, Idaho and Bonneville chapters, American Fisheries Society, Pocatello, Idaho.	March 2002
Schoenborn, E., and A. Chalfoun. 2024. Novel Predation Risk and Habitat Selection Behaviors in Altered Landscapes. Gordon Research Conference, Predator-Prey, Ventura, CA.	January 2024	We present on-going work focused on the outcomes of Loggerhead Shrike (a declining species) nesting in the vicinity of natural gas development.
Schoenborn, E., and A. Chalfoun. 2024. Maladaptive habitat selection in altered landscapes. Joint Meeting of the WLCI and Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Cody, WY.	April 2024	We presented preliminary results of the nesting consequences of declining loggerhead shrikes nesting within a landscape influenced by natural gas development.
Schoenborn, E., and A. Chalfoun. 2023. FITNESS OUTCOMES OF HABITAT SELECTION STRATEGIES IN LANDSCAPES RESHAPED BY HUMANS. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Laramie, WY.	April 2023	Loggerhead Shrikes (<i>Lanius ludovicianus</i>) nesting in sagebrush steppe habitats disturbed by natural gas extraction are uniquely suited to investigating habitat selection in an altered risk-reward landscape because they stand to benefit from the increased perch availability offered by infrastructure for foraging yet are likely to experience increased nest predation rates from subsidized corvid populations.
Schoenborn, E. and A. Chalfoun. 2024. Habitat Selection Strategies in Novel Risk-Reward Landscapes. American Ornithological Society Annual Meeting, Estes Park, CO.	October 2024	This presentation will focus on the outcomes of declining Loggerhead Shrike use of sagebrush habitats within areas used for natural gas development.
Scherr, Tayler, and Anna Chalfoun. 2018. Taming the temperature: Do birds select nest sites that modulate microclimatic variation? American Ornithological Society Annual Meeting, Tucson, AZ.	April 2018	Nest site selection is a critical choice that can influence reproductive fitness outcomes. Whereas the role of predation risk in influencing nest site selection has been well explored, the extent to which birds select nest sites on the basis of microclimatic variation remains unclear.
Scherr, T., and A. Chalfoun. 2017. The effects of multiple forms of habitat change on songbird nest site selection and reproductive success. Wyoming State Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Jackson, WY, 5-7 December, 2017.	December 2017	We are investigating the additive and/or interactive effects of physical habitat change due to energy development and climatic variation on nesting decisions and success of three species of declining sagebrush songbirds.
Scherr, T., and A. Chalfoun. 2018. Taming the temperature: Evaluating the extent to which sagebrush songbirds can buffer microclimate with nest site selection. WY-TWS Joint Meeting, Laramie, WY.	November 2018	Climatic regimes are changing at an unprecedented pace, and species inhabiting high-elevation, arid environments such as the sagebrush steppe are expected to experience some of the strongest effects. The extent to which wildlife can modulate key microclimates, such as those at reproductive sites, however, remains largely unknown.
Scherr, T. M., and A. D. Chalfoun. 2019. Understanding the effects of nest-site temperature on songbird reproductive fitness and parental care. Annual meeting of the American Ornithological Society, Anchorage, AK.	June 2019	Weather patterns are changing at an unprecedented pace and may affect the fitness and behavior of birds individually, additively, or synergistically with other forms of environmental change. We investigated how temperature at the nest site affects reproductive fitness metrics and parental behavior of three sagebrush-obligate songbirds along a gradient of habitat loss associated with energy development in western Wyoming, USA.
Sawyer, H.S., M.J. Kauffman, R. Nielson, and J. Horne. 2009. Identifying and prioritizing ungulate migration routes for landscape-level conservation. 2009 Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative Worshop, Laramie, Wyoming 12-14 May 2009.	May 2009
Sawyer, H.S., M.J. Kauffman, R. Nielson, and J. Horne. 2008. Identifying and prioritizing ungulate migration routes for conservation. Annual Meeting, The Wildlife Society, Wyoming Chapter, Sheridan, Wyoming, 19-21 November 2008.	November 2008
Sawyer, H.S., M.J. Kauffman, R. Nielson, and J. Horne. 2008. Identifying and prioritizing ungulate migration routes for conservation. 15th Annual Conference, Wildlife Society, Miami, Florida, 8-12 November 2008.	November 2008
Sandsers, L., A. Chalfoun, and M. Kenney. 2017. Sagebrush songbirds mitigate nest predation risk via parental care behaviors. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Jackson, WY, 5-7 December, 2017.	December 2017	The extent to which nesting songbirds can reduce predation risk via parental care behaviors at the nest remains unclear. We examined attentiveness during the incubation and nestling stages for Brewer's sparrows and sage thrashers and the resulting nesting outcomes.
Sanderson, T., and W. A. Hubert. Habitat diversity and access to tributaries are important to adult Snake River cutthroat trout residing in the Salt River, Wyoming. Annual Meeting, Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Ft. Collins, Colorado, February 28, 2007.	February 2007
Sanderson, T. B., and W. A. Hubert. Assessment of gaseous CO2 and Aqui-S as anesthetics for use when surgically implanting radio transmitters in trout. Annual Meeting, Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Cheyenne, Wyoming, March 8, 2006.	March 2006
Sanders, Lindsey, and Anna Chalfoun. 2015. Mechanisms underlying increased songbird nest predation rates with natural gas development. WLCI and Wyoming TWS joint meeting, Lander, WY 1-3 December, 2015.	December 2015	This poster will present an update on our research focused on why natural gas fields may augment local rodent assemblages. Rodents are the main predators on nests of three declining sagebrush songbird species in western WY.
Sanders, Lindsey and Anna Chalfoun. 2016. Is a mesopredator release underlying increased songbird nest predation near natural gas development? Annual Meeting of the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Cody, Wyoming.	November 2016	We investigated the mechanisms underlying increased songbird nest predation in natural gas fields in western Wyoming. Mesopredator release was rejected as an hypothesis.
Sanders, Lindsey E., and Anna D. Chalfoun. 2017. What is sustaining higher nest predator abundance within natural gas fields? Joint Meeting of the American Ornithological Society and Society of Canadian Ornithologists, East Lansing, MI, USA.	August 2017	Understanding the mechanisms underlying the effects of human-induced habitat change on wildlife is key for effective conservation and management. We tested alternative hypotheses for increased avian nest predator abundance near natural gas fields in Wyoming, USA.
Sanders, L., and A. Chalfoun. 2018. Sagebrush songbird responses to density and proximity of energy development. WY-TWS and WLCI Joint Meeting, Laramie, WY.	November 2018	In the western US, the majority of development is occurring within sagebrush dominated landscapes, which has generated concern for the Species of Greatest Conservation Need that rely on sagebrush habitats. Here, we aimed to determine the most influential component of energy development (well pads, roads, reclaimed areas, or open areas) for the nesting success of sagebrush-obligate songbirds.
Sanders, L., and A. Chalfoun. 2017. What is sustaining higher nest predator abundance within natural gas fields? Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Jackson, WY, 5-7 December, 2017.	December 2017	We explore alternative hypotheses for why the most common nest predator of three species of declining songbirds increases in abundance within natural gas fields. Understanding mechanisms underlying altered predator-prey dynamics in anthropogenic environments is key for effective mitigation regimes
Sanders, L. E., L. E. Hall, and A. D. Chalfoun. 2019. Warming temperatures lengthen breeding seasons, but lower productivity for a sagebrush-obligate songbird. Annual meeting of the American Ornithological Society, Anchorage, AK.	June 2019	Weather patterns are increasingly being altered by contemporary climate change, with temperate regions regularly experiencing more temperature extremes and storm events. Understanding of how avian species are affected by climatic changes under different contexts, however, is still in its infancy.
Sam Sillen, William Fetzer, Annika Walters, Matt Ross, Lindsay Patterson, Michael Thomas, Sarah Collins. 2021. Harmful cyanobacterial bloom (HCB) dynamics in Wyoming reservoirs. Society of Freshwater Sciences Annual Meeting 2021.	May 2021	Harmful cyanobacterial blooms (HCBs) are a growing concern among resource managers due to detrimental effects to ecosystem function, recreation, and drinking water sources. This project will increase understanding of historical trends in HCBs and their drivers in Wyoming, helping to inform management actions that address their frequency and intensity.
Sadler, I., L. Tronstad, A. Walters, and T. Koel. 2024. Identifying baseline patterns in nutrient concentrations and algal biomass in Yellowstone Lake. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2024.	February 2024	Yellowstone Lake is the last stronghold of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout (<i>Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri</i>), but their population drastically declined following the invasion of Lake Trout (<i>Salvelinus namaycush</i>).Our primary objective is to assess the degree to which Lake Trout suppression methods alter water quality, nutrient dynamics, and primary productivity.
Sadler, I., L. Tronstad, A. Walters, and T. Koel. 2023. Do methods to suppress invasive lake trout alter Yellowstone Lake nutrient dynamics? Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2023.	March 2023	The introduction and spread of invasive species to ecosystems is a severe threat to native species, biodiversity, and ecosystem processes across aquatic ecosystems. Non-native fish introductions are likely the greatest cause of native species declines, and managers are seeking new ways to suppress these non-native species.
Ruthven, J. and A. Walters. 2022. Getting a pulse on invasive Brook Stickleback in Wyoming: distribution, habitat drivers, and overlap with native fishes in the North Platte River drainage. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2022.	March 2022	A deeper understanding of Brook Stickleback’s distribution, habitat drivers, and overlap with native fishes will help guide more effective management of the species in Wyoming. Specifically, it will help managers direct funding and personnel resources to sites where management efforts would have the greatest positive effect, ultimately enhancing efforts to conserve populations of imperiled fishes.
Ruthven, J. and A. Walters. 2021. Looking at the big picture: evaluating the landscape-level distributional drivers of Brook Stickleback in the North Platte River Drainage, Wyoming. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2021.	February 2021	Determining the landscape-level habitat drivers of Brook Stickleback will provide a deeper understanding necessary for informing future management strategies of the species in Wyoming. Further, it will provide managers with information necessary to protect and enhance native fish populations that may be threatened by Brook Stickleback.
Ruthven, J. and A. Walters. 2020. Evaluating the effects of Brook Stickleback on native nongame fishes in the Bighorn and North Platte Drainages, Wyoming. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2020.	February 2020	Understanding how native nongame fishes are potentially affected by Brook Stickleback through the mechanisms of predation and competition will help to inform management strategies and preserve native fish diversity in Wyoming.
Rosenthal W., Walters, A., and Wagner, C. 2024. Detecting the effects of natural and anthropogenic fish movement on Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout evolutionary history. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Laramie, Wyoming	February 2024	Stocking fish has been a commonplace management strategy in North America for over a hundred years and has expanded the range of many common sport fishes beyond their natural extent. Fish stocking has also been implemented to supplement extant native fish populations, but the effects of this stocking on resident populations has been little explored.
Rosenthal W., Fennell, J., Walters, A., Wagner, C., Mandeville, E., and Burckhardt, J. 2019. Effects of hybridization on fitness in Oncorhynchus of the North Fork Shoshone River drainage. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Fort Collins, Colorado	February 2019	Hybridization between rainbow and cutthroat trout is a substantial and widespread threat to the maintenance of natural cutthroat trout genetic diversity. This work can provide managers with more information on how the outcome of rainbow trout and cutthroat trout hybridization may change depending on the genetic background of the populations in question.
Rieger, E., N. Clancy, and A. Walters. 2024. Understanding fish sensitivity to stream intermittency. The Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society 2024 Conference.	April 2024	Understanding how different fish communities respond to stream intermittency will become critical in the face of climate change and human alteration. This study will help to understand what levels of stream intermittency different communities and individual species can withstand and will aid in predictions of habitat availability.
Rieger, E., N. Clancy, and A. Walters. 2024. Understanding fish sensitivity to stream intermittency. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2024.	February 2024	Understanding how different fish communities respond to stream intermittency will become critical in the face of climate change and human alteration. This study will help to understand what levels of stream intermittency different communities and individual species can withstand and will aid in predictions of habitat availability.
Rieger, E., N. Clancy, and A. Walters. 2024. Understanding fish sensitivity to stream intermittency in prairie streams. American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2024.	September 2024	Understanding how different fish communities respond to stream intermittency will become critical in the face of climate change and human alteration. This study will help to understand what levels of stream intermittency different communities and individual species can withstand and will aid in predictions of habitat availability and drought refuge.
Rieger, E. and A. Walters. 2023. Understanding the Sensitivity of Prairie Fish to Stream Intermittency in Wyoming. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2023.	March 2023	Understanding how native prairie fish respond to stream intermittency and fragmentation will become critical in the face of climate change and human alteration. This study will help to understand what levels of stream intermittency different species can withstand and aid in future predictions of habitat availability.
Richard Walker, Geoff D. Smith and Annika Walters. 2017. Physiological responses of fishes to stressors associated with oil and natural gas development. Western Division American Fisheries Society	May 2017	Stressors, like increased conductivity and temperature, threaten the homeostasis of individuals and may cause changes from the cellular up to the population level. Very little is known on the stress physiology of non-game fishes that dominate most North American freshwater assemblages.
Richard Walker, Geoff D. Smith and Annika Walters. 2017. Physiological responses of fishes to stressors associated with oil and natural gas development. CO/WY AFS meeting.	June 2017	Stressors, like increased conductivity and temperature, threaten the homeostasis of individuals and may cause changes from the cellular up to the population level. Very little is known on the stress physiology of non-game fishes that dominate most North American freshwater assemblages.
Richard Walker, Geoff D. Smith and Annika Walters. 2017. Physiological responses of fishes to stressors associated with oil and natural gas development. CO/WY AFS meeting.	February 2017	Stressors, like increased conductivity and temperature, threaten the homeostasis of individuals and may cause changes from the cellular up to the population level. Very little is known on the stress physiology of non-game fishes that dominate most North American freshwater assemblages.
Rhiannon Jakopak, Embere Hall, Anna Chalfoun. 2015. Understanding the architecture of overwinter food caches in a montane mammal. Joint meeting of the WLCI and Wyoming TWS, Lander, WY, 1-3 December 2015.	December 2015	This is the first investigation of the structure of American pika haypiles, and potential factors influencing haypile attributes. Haypiles are critical for pika overwinter survival.
Rhea, D. T., W. A. Hubert, R. S. Gangl, and R. A. Whaley. Effects of seasonal patterns of nearshore and offshore trout distributions on hydroacoustic density estimates. Annual Meeting of the Western Division of the American Fisheries Society, Salt Lake City, Utah.	March 2004
Rhea, A., and A. D. Chalfoun. 2019. An experimental evaluation of the effects of a synanthropic rodent on the nesting productivity of sagebrush songbirds. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Sheridan, WY.	November 2019	Predation is the primary cause of nest failure for most songbird species, yet studies that experimentally manipulate predator populations to evaluate their relative effect on avian productivity are rare. We investigated whether the nest predation of sagebrush-obligate songbirds (Brewer's sparrow, Spizella breweri; sagebrush sparrow, Artemisiospiza nevadensis; sage thrasher, Oreoscoptes montanus) by deer mice is additive or compensatory, via a deer mouse removal experiment and concomitant nest s
Rhea, A., and A. Chalfoun. 2018. An experimental evaluation of the effects of a synanthropic rodent on the nesting productivity of sagebrush songbirds. WY-TWS Joint Meeting, Laramie, WY.	November 2018	Predation is the primary cause of nest failure for most songbird species, yet studies that experimentally manipulate predator populations to evaluate their relative effect on avian productivity are rare. The results of our experiment will yield valuable insights on the aggregate effects of synanthropic predators on sensitive bird species, and whether removal of primary nest predators could be a viable management practice to increase the nesting productivity of sagebrush songbirds within energy
Rediscovering Big Game Migrations	April 2015	This talk, for a public audience, describes our discovery of several different big game migrations and ecological aspects of their movements. This talk will also describe some of the most pressing challenges to the conservation of ungulate migration routes in Wyoming and some of the work being done to address them.
R. Walker and A.W. Walters. 2015. Population dynamics of three fishes in relation to energy development in headwater streams of the Wyoming Range. CO/WY American Fisheries Society Meeting. Fort Collins, CO.	February 2015	Energy development is an important potential stressor for fish populations and can interact with other stressors such as drought. This study examines how energy development and hydrology can affect the population dynamics of three fish species.
Quist, M.C., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. Effects of impoundments on Physiochemical habitat and turbid-river cyprinids in the Missouri River drainage of Wyoming. Annual meeting, American Fisheries Society, Quebec, Canada.	August 2003
Quist, M., W. Hubert, and F. Rahel. Effects of impoundments on physio-chemical habitat and turbid-river cyprinids in the Missouri River drainage of Wyoming. Joint meeting of the Colorado-Wyoming and Bonneville chapters, American Fisheries Society, Grand Junction, Colorado.	March 2003
Quist, M., W. Hubert, and F. Rahel. Assessing the effects of habitat and nonnative species on native fishes using hierarchial faunal filters. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Sociery, Madison, Wisconsin.	August 2004
Quist, M. C., and W. A. Hubert. Management issues associated with plains streams in Wyoming: past, present, and future. Annual meeting, American Fisheries Society, Anchorage, Alaska.	September 2005
Quist, M. C., and W. A. Hubert. Ecological, social, and economic issues related to bioinvasive species and preservation of cutthroat trout in the western United States. Wild Trout VIII Symposium. Old Faithful Lodge, Yellowstone National Park.	September 2004
Quist, M. C., and W. A. Hubert. Bioinvasive salmonids and the preservation of cutthroat trout: ecological, social, and economic issues. Annual Meeting of the Western Division of the American Fisheries Society, Salt Lake City, Utah.	March 2004
Quist, M. C., and W. A. Hubert. A process-driven approach for assessing warmwater streams in Wyoming. Annual meeting, American Fisheries Society, Quebec, Canada.	August 2003
Quist, M. C., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. Warmwater stream assessment in Wyoming: a process-driven approach. Annual Meeting of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.	February 2004
Quist, M. C., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. Hierarchial faunal filters: An approach for assessing the effects of habitat and nonnative species on native fishes. Annual Meeting of the Colorado/Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Ft. Collins, Colorado.	March 2005
Quist, M. C., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. A process-driven approach for assessing warmwater streams in Wyoming. Joint meeting of the Colorado-Wyoming and Bonneville chapters, American Fisheries Society, Grand Junction, Colorado.	March 2003
Quist, M. C., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. A process-driven approach for assessing warmwater streams in Wyoming. 64th Annual Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference, Kansas City, Kansas.	December 2003
Quist, M. C., M. R. Bower, and W. A. Hubert. Summer food habits and trophic overlap of roundtail chub and creek chubs. Annual Meeting of the Colorado/Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Ft. Collins, Colorado.	March 2005
Quist, M. C., M. R. Bower, and W. A. Hubert. Summer food habitas and trophic overlap of roundtail chub and creek chub. Annual meeting, American Fisheries Society, Anchorage, Alaska.	September 2005
Quist, M. C., K. G. Gerow, M. R. Bower, and W. A. Hubert. Sample size requirements for monitoring fishes in Muddy Creek, Upper Colorado River basin. Annual Meeting of the Colorado/Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Ft. Collins, Colorado.	March 2005
Quist, M. C., F. J. Rahel, and W. A. Hubert. Hierarchial faunal filters: An approach for assessing the effects of habitat and nonnative fishes on native fishes. 64th Annual Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference, Kansas City, Kansas.	December 2003
Pilkerton, A., T. Knowles, S. Sillen, W. Fetzer, A. Walters, S. Collins. 2023. Exploring Zooplankton Community Response To Harmful Algal Blooms In The Intermountain West, USA. Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography 2023.	June 2023	This research enhances our understanding of the effects of harmful algal blooms (HABs) on zooplankton community dynamics. Our work will help ecologists characterize the effects of HABs across multiple trophic levels and lake trophic states to better understand how environmental perturbations influence ecosystem services.
Pilkerton, A., S. Sillen, W. Fetzer, S. Collins, A. Walters. 2024. Response of Zooplankton Communities to Harmful Algal Blooms. CO/WY American Fisheries Society Meeting 2024.	February 2024	<b>: </b>This research enhances our understanding of the effects of harmful algal blooms (HABs) on zooplankton community dynamics. We explore the relationship between bloom onset and zooplankton species diversity to explore the ecosystem-wide implications of HABs. Our work will help ecologists characterize the effects of HABs across multiple trophic levels to better understand how environmental perturbations influence ecosystem services.
Pilkerton, A., A. Walters, F.Rahel, and L. Patterson. 2020. Sediment and Fisheries: Quantify Impacts of Sediment Releases from Willwood Dam. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2020.	February 2020	Managing sediment accumulation behind dams is a critical challenge in Wyoming. This research will better our understanding of effective metrics for monitoring sediment releases from dams and mitigating downstream impacts on fisheries, biological systems and fluvial processes.
Pilkerton, A., A. Walters, F. Rahel, and L. Patterson. 2023. Updating Newcombe and Jensen’s Quantitative Assessment of Risk and Impact between Suspended Sediment and Fish. CO/WY American Fisheries Society Meeting 2023.	March 2023	This research enhances our understanding of the effects of suspended sediment on fishes. We provide empirical equations to help managers assess the sensitivity of fishes to varying suspended sediment concentrations. Our work will help natural resource management agencies make informed decisions and set regulatory thresholds to help ensure the amount and timing of sediment releases are reflective of ecological requirements.
Pilkerton, A., A. Walters, F. Rahel, and L. Patterson. 2022. Understanding the biological impacts of sediment flushing flows on spawning habitat: A case study of Willwood Dam, WY. Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting 2022.	May 2022	This research enhances our understanding of effective metrics and real-time models for monitoring sediment releases from dams and mitigating downstream impacts on fisheries, biological systems and fluvial processes. It will equip managers and stakeholders with site-specific knowledge to best protect and maintain downstream fisheries and other aquatic life in the Shoshone River, while also allowing the Willwood Irrigation District to deliver water to its users.
Pilkerton, A., A. Walters, F. Rahel, and L. Patterson. 2022. Understanding the biological impacts of sediment flushing flows on spawning habitat: A case study of Willwood Dam, WY. Co WY AFS Meeting 2022.	March 2022	This research enhances our understanding of effective metrics and real-time models for monitoring sediment releases from dams and mitigating downstream impacts on fisheries, biological systems and fluvial processes. It will equip managers and stakeholders with site-specific knowledge to best protect and maintain downstream fisheries and other aquatic life in the Shoshone River, while also allowing the Willwood Irrigation District to deliver water to its users.
Pilkerton, A., A. Walters, F. Rahel, and L. Patterson. 2021. Modeling Surrogate Metrics for Fine Sediment Deposition Impacts in Suitable Salmonid Spawning Habitat. Society of Freshwater Sciences Annual Meeting 2021.	May 2021	This research enhances our understanding of effective metrics for monitoring sediment releases from dams and mitigating downstream impacts on fisheries, biological systems and fluvial processes. It will equip managers and stakeholders with site specific knowledge to best protect and maintain downstream fisheries and other aquatic life in the Shoshone River, while also allowing the Willwood Irrigation District to deliver water to its users.
Pilkerton, A., A. Walters, F. Rahel, and L. Patterson. 2021. Modeling Surrogate Metrics for Fine Sediment Deposition Impacts in Suitable Salmonid Spawning Habitat, Willwood Dam, WY. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2021.	February 2021	This research enhances our understanding of effective metrics for monitoring sediment releases from dams and mitigating downstream impacts on fisheries, biological systems and fluvial processes. It will equip managers and stakeholders with site specific knowledge to best protect and maintain downstream fisheries and other aquatic life in the Shoshone River, while also allowing the Willwood Irrigation District to deliver water to its users.
Peterson, C., F. Rahel, and A. Walters. 2016. Division of thermal communities in Wyoming streams into management clusters. CO/WY AFS meeting, Laramie, WY.	March 2016	Surface water thermal regimes are highly vulnerable to anthropogenic influence. As a result it is important to have good information to establish management standards in order to maintain thermal conditions suitable for aquatic life.
Peterson, C., F. Rahel, and A. Walters. 2016. Division of Wyoming stream thermal communities into management clusters. ALSO annual meeting, Santa Fe, NM.	June 2016	Temperature is a significant determinant of aquatic community composition and having appropriate thermal guidelines is essential for effective management.
Peterson, C., F. Rahel, and A. Walters. 2015. An evaluation of thermal criteria in Wyoming surface water quality standards. Society for Freshwater Science annual meeting, Milwaukee, WI.	May 2015	Temperature is an important driver of fish distribution. An improved understanding of Wyoming fish species’ thermal requirements will allow for better management of Wyoming surface waters.
Peterson, C., F. Rahel, and A. Walters. 2015. An evaluation of thermal criteria in Wyoming surface water quality standards. CO/WY AFS meeting, Fort Collins, CO.	February 2015	Temperature is an important driver of fish distribution. An improved understanding of Wyoming fish species’ thermal requirements will allow for better management of Wyoming surface waters.
Ortega, A.C., Burke, P. and Kauffman, M.J. 2017. Understanding the maintenance of partial migration: a test of the fitness-balancing hypothesis with mule deer in south-central Wyoming. TWS 24th Annual Conference, Albuquerque, NM.	September 2017	Many migratory species exhibit partial migration; however, the mechanisms driving partial migration have been unclear and understudied. Testing the fitness-balancing hypothesis in mule deer will be an important step in understanding the factors maintaining variability in migration behavior and will aid in future conservation and management efforts.
Oates, B.A., J.R. Goheen, M.J. Kauffman, G.L. Fralich, and K.L. Monteith. 2014. COMPARATIVE DEMOGRAPHY OF TWO MOOSE POPULATIONS WITH CONTRASTING PREDATOR DENSITIES	August 2014	The influence of newly expanding wolves and grizzly bears on moose population performance is unclear. This study compares the demography of two adjacent moose herds that vary widely in their exposure to these large predators.
Nuñez, T., M. Hurley, J. Fattebert, J. Merkle, A. Ortega, H. Sawyer, T. Graves, M. Kauffman. 2020. Predicting migration corridors: using maximum likelihood to fit corridor models to movement data. 27^th Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society. Louisville, KY, Sept. 27 – Oct. 1, 2020	September 2020	Conserving migratory populations requires knowing the location and environmental drivers of migratory corridors. This work presents a new method that finds statistical relationships between corridor routes and their environmental drivers, and allows for their prediction.
Nuñez, T., M. Hurley, J. Fattebert, J. Merkle, A. Ortega, H. Sawyer, M. Kauffman. 2020. Predicting migration corridors: using maximum likelihood to fit corridor models to movement data. 2020 North America Congress for Conservation Biology. Denver, Colorado, July 26-31, 2020.	July 2020	This study developed a new method to predict the routes of migrating ungulates based on GPS collar data. The results will assist wildlife managers in conserving ungulate migration routes.
Niall Clancy, Nolan Weatherby, Elizabeth Rieger, and Annika Walters. 2025. The influence of beaver dams on prairie stream fishes. Great Plains Fisheries Workers Association Meeting, Fort Collins, CO.	January 2025	Beaver are an important ecosystem engineer but their effects are less researched in prairie streams. We find beaver dams increase native fish abundance, but increase functional groups in proportion to what is already present in a stream.
Newkirk, B., Walters A., and E. Larson. 2021. A survey of current distributions for Wyoming crayfishes. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of The American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2021.	February 2021	Knowing the distribution of crayfish species is important as there are many crayfish species threatened with extinction worldwide. Our study discusses the current distribution of Wyoming crayfish populations and compares them to previous crayfish distribution studies in the state. These results document changes to Wyoming’s crayfish species distribution which may have management implications.
Nelson, A., M.J. Kauffman, and M. Jimenez. 2008. Identifying the drivers of wolf-livestock conflicts in the Absaroka Mountains. Annual Meeting, The Wildlife Society, Wyoming Chapter, Sheridan, Wyoming, 19-21 Novermber 2008.	November 2008
Nelson, A. A., M. J. Kauffman, A. Middleton, D. McWhirter, M. Jimenez, K. Gerow. 2011. Spatial characteristics of wolf depredation sites in northwest Wyoming: a comparison between areas with migratory and resident elk. 18th Annual Conference, The Wildlife Society, Waikoloa, Hawaii, 5-10 November 2011.	November 2011
N. Clancy, J. McFarland, M. Ahern, and A. Walters. 2024. Fish community trends over 130 years in the Powder River Basin. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2024.	February 2024	The 600 km Powder River of eastern Montana and Wyoming is one of the best remaining examples of a natural prairie river, however, like many Great Plains streams, long-term monitoring is limited. We suggest that both collation of data from disparate studies, and resampling of even a limited number of historical fish collection locations, can greatly aid in identifying potential declines and functional turnover of fishes in systems where monitoring efforts are limited.
N. Clancy, D. Isaak, B. Maitland, P. Budy, and A. Walters. 2023. Thermal refuges for climate vulnerable fishes in Wyoming. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2023.	March 2023	Stream warming is greatly affecting a large number of fishes, but most studies have focused on economically-valuable, cold-water species. While many warmwater fishes are expected to fare better in response to stream warming, increasing in abundance and distribution, that does not preclude other members of the guild from declining when stream temperatures exceed their thermal tolerances.
Mullner, S. A., W. A. Hubert, and T. A. Wesche. August 2000. Integrating a watershed-scale inventory for describing physical habitat and trout population information using geographic information system depiction. American Fisheries Society, St. Louis, Missouri.	August 2000
Mullner, S. A., W. A. Hubert, E. A. Felbeck, and T. A. Wesche. August 2000. Quantitative relations of roads and grazing to suspended sediments and salmonids spawning habitat quality in a fourth-order Rocky Mountain watershed. American Fisheries Society, St. Louis, Missouri.	August 2000
Morrison, T.A. and M.J. Kauffman. 2011. A quantitative evaluation of survey methods to model, monitor and manage mule deer populations. Annual Meeting, The Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Jackson, Wyoming, 6-9 December 2011.	December 2011
Morrison, T., B. Lanka, M. Kauffman. 2012. Modeling harvested ungulate populations: Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s transition from POP-II to Colorado’s Spreadsheet model. Central Mountains and Plains Section of The Wildlife Society Meeting, Manan, North Dakota, 11-13 September 2012.	September 2012
Morrison, T. A., A. D. Middleton, M. J. Kauffman, D. McWhirter. 2012. Heading for a cliff: Can dramatic declines in elk recruitment alter age structure and future population performance? 97th Annual Meeting, Ecological Society of America, Portland, Oregon, 5-10 August 2012.	August 2012
Moore, M. J., Coulter, A. A., Golcher-Benavides, J., Rahel, F. J., Walters, A. W., Brewer, S. K., Wildhaber, M. L. 2024. A synthesis of the characteristics and drivers of introduced fishes in prairie streams: Can we manage harmful introduced fishes in these dynamic environments? Oral Presentation at the Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.	January 2024	In this paper we synthesize the state of knowledge of introduced fishes and their effects to fish communities in prairie streams, which have been historically overlooked ecosystems. This research can help guide future risk assessment, introduced fish suppression, and native fish conservation in prairie streams. This research is a product of the Prairie Fishes and Streams Collaborative Working Group, comprising scientists from multiple state, federal, and academic institutions.
Monteith, K.L., S.A. Kilpatrick and M.J. Kauffman. 2011. Calf recruitment of Shiras moose in Wyoming: effects of climate? 46th North American Moose Conference and Workshop, Jackson, Wyoming, 23-16 May 2011.	May 2011
Monteith, K.L. and M.J. Kauffman. 2012. Calf recruitment of Shiras moose: effects of climate and plant phenology? 92nd Annual Meeting, American Society of Mammalogists, Reno, Nevada, 22-26 June 2012.	June 2012
Middleton, A.D., M.J. Kauffman, D.E. McWhirter, M.D. Jimenez, J.G. Cook, R.C. Cook, and A.A. Nelson. 2010. Do predators influence the condition and reproduction of their prey? Annual Meeting of the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society. Lander, WY, 16-19 November 2010.	November 2010
Middleton, A.D., M.J. Kauffman, D.E. McWhirter, J.G. Cook, R.C. Cook, A.A. Nelson, M.D. Jimenez, and R.W. Klaver. Large carnivore recovery and severe drought reduce the benefits of migration for a Yellowstone elk herd. Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists, Laramie, WY, 11-15 June 2010.	June 2010
Middleton, A.D., M.J. Kauffman, D.E. McWhirter, J.G. Cook, R.C. Cook, A.A. Nelson, M.D. Jimenez, and R.W. Klaver. Large carnivore recovery and long-term drought reduce the benefits of migration for a Yellowstone elk herd. Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Pittsburgh, PA, 1-6 August 2010.	August 2010
Middleton, A., M.J. Kauffman, D. McWhirter, and M. Jimenez. 2008. Absaroka elk ecology project: a research update. Annual Meeting, The Wildlife Society, Wyoming Chapter, Sheridan, Wyoming, 19-21 November 2008.	November 2008
Middleton, A., M. J. Kauffman, D. E. McWhirter, J. G. Cook, R. C. Cook, M. D. Jimenez, A. A. Nelson. 2011. Evaluating the nonconsumptive effects of predation among large mammals: Wolves and elk in Greater Yellowstone. 18th Annual Conference, The Wildlife Society, Waikoloa, Hawaii, 5-10 November 2011.	November 2011
Middleton, A. D., M. J. Kauffman, D. E. McWhirter, M. D. Jimenez, R. C. Cook, J. G. Cook, H. Sawyer, S. E. Albeke. 2012. Spatial and temporal context limit the effect of wolves on elk behavior and physiology. 97th Annual Meeting, Ecological Society of America, Portland, Oregon, 5-10 August, 2012.	August 2012
Michael Hague, Anna D. Chalfoun, Scott Sillett. 2015. Habitat use, predation risk, and resource availability: Fitness trade-offs in an island endemic. Joint WLCI and Wyoming TWS meeting, Lander, WY, 1-3 December 2015.	December 2015	The Island scrub-jay is an endangered species inhabiting the Channel Islands in CA. Understanding of the interactions between breeding habitat selection, predators, and resource availability is still in its infancy.
Merkle, J.A., and Kauffman, M.J. 2017. Sustaining ungulate migrations: new tools to identify and conserve corridors across multiple-use landscapes. 24th Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society, Albuquerque, New Mexico.	September 2017	Recent research is highlighting the importance of migratory corridors as critical habitat for migratory ungulates, yet the vast landscapes that these animals require make conserving and managing migration difficult. In this talk, we 1) describe the foraging benefits of migration, 2) outline how to categorize and map migration corridors so they are useful to managers, and 3) describe how migration corridors have been integrated into Wyoming’s vital habitat designation program.
Merkle, J.A., Sawyer, H., and Kauffman, M.J. 2017. Memory shapes mammalian migration and its benefits. Gordon Research Conference: Movement Ecology of Animals, March 2017, Ventura, CA.	March 2017	Many people have pondered how migrating large animals can successfully travel hundreds of kilometers to the same distant seasonal ranges year after year. Our study provides strong evidence that memory is the template by which these animals carry out such remarkable journeys and the basis by which they enhance the quality of their migration routes.
McMartin, D., A. Pilkerton, A. Walters, and S. M. Collins. 2023. What’s for dinner? Understanding small-bodied fish isotopic niche variability with respect to fish sex and length. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2023.	March 2023	Quantifying isotopic niches variation among small bodied fish communities will provide a better understanding of resource and habitat use with respect to life history stage, sex and fish length. This work has important implications for understanding fish resource and habitat use in small reservoirs in Wyoming and can help inform the development of management strategies to protect habitat and resources important for species of greatest conservation need.
McDonald, D. B., M. Bower, W. Hubert, and F. Rahel. Genetic bridges between introduced and native suckers in Wyoming. Annual Meeting, Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Cheyenne, Wyoming, March 7, 2006.	March 2006
Mathis L. Messager, Julian D. Olden, Jonathan Tonkin, Rachel Stubbington, Jane S. Rogosch, Michelle H. Busch, Chelsea J. Little, Annika W. Walters, Carla L. Atkinson, Margaret Shanafield, Songyan Yu, Kate Boersma, Dave Lytle, Richard H. Walker, Ryan M. Burrows, Thibault Datry. 2023. A metasystem approach to designing environmental flows. Symposium for European Freshwater Science.	June 2023	Accelerating the design and implementation of environmental flows (e-flows) is essential to curb the rapid, ongoing loss of freshwater biodiversity and the benefits it provides to people. Our recommendations are relevant to diverse regulatory contexts and can improve e-flow outcomes even in basins with limited in situ data.
Mandeville, EG, AW Walters, and CE Wagner, 2019. Fine-scale genetic patterns in Yellowstone cutthroat x rainbow trout hybrids in the North Fork Shoshone River, Wyoming. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2019.	February 2019	Hybridization represents a porosity of genetic boundaries between species, and we now know that hybridization dynamics can vary substantially across locations where a pair of species come into contact. Our results have implications for the fate of hybrid individuals, and in turn for the long-term effects of hybridization on native trout in Wyoming.
Mandeville, E.G., C.E. Wagner, J.C. Burckhardt, and A.W. Walters. 2018. Variable hybridization outcomes in Yellowstone cutthroat x rainbow trout: genomic consequences and ecological correlates of hybridization. Colorado/Wyoming Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Laramie, WY.	February 2018	Hybridization with non-native species can pose a threat to native fishes, but hybridization outcomes are difficult to predict. We quantified genomic outcomes of hybridization at 27 locations where native Yellowstone cutthroat trout come into contact with introduced rainbow trout, and investigated relationships between hybridization outcomes and environmental variables.
Mandeville, E.G., A.W. Walters, J.C. Burckhardt, and C.E. Wagner. 2018. Genomic consequences and ecological correlates of variable hybridization outcomes in Yellowstone cutthroat x rainbow trout. Annual Evolution Meeting, Montepelier, France.	August 2018	When species hybridize following a species introduction or anthropogenic disturbance, hybridization becomes an important conservation concern. We quantified variation in hybridization among 27 streams where Yellowstone cutthroat trout come into contact with introduced rainbow trout in the North Fork Shoshone River basin (Wyoming, USA) using genomic data.
Mandeville, E.G., A.W. Walters, B.J. Nordberg, J.C. Burckhardt, and C.E. Wagner. 2018. History of fish stocking drives variable hybridization outcomes in Yellowstone cutthroat x rainbow trout. Ecological Society of America. New Orleans, Lousiana.	August 2018	Hybridization with non-native species can pose a threat to native fishes, but hybridization outcomes are difficult to predict. We quantified genomic outcomes of hybridization at 27 locations where native Yellowstone cutthroat trout come into contact with introduced rainbow trout, and investigated relationships between hybridization outcomes and environmental variables.
Mandeville, E., A. Walters, and C. Wagner. 2020. Locus-specific Introgression Reveals Hybridization Dynamics of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout and Rainbow Trout. American Fisheries Society virtual annual meeting.	September 2020	We now know that hybridization dynamics can vary substantially across locations where a pair of related species come into contact. Our results suggest that ancestry skews more strongly towards rainbow trout in a number of genomic regions, and that unusual patterns of introgression might be associated with sex-determining regions of the genome.
Mahoney, A., A. D. Chalfoun. 2011. Effects of Wind Energy Development on Nesting Grassland Birds. 18th Annual Conference, The Wildlife Society, Waikoloa, Hawaii, 5-10 November 2011.	November 2011
Macy Kenney, Lindsey Sanders, and Anna Chalfoun. 2016. Persnickety parents: How parental care behavior affects songbird nest success. Annual Meeting of the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society.	November 2016	Parental care behavior of nesting birds can influence the probability of nest predation. We investigated whether the incubation rhythms of sage thrasher parents influenced nest predation rates.
M.E.Breiner, A.W. Walters, and A.D. Chalfoun. 2024. Microhabitat preferences of a declining amphibian in relation to infection status and diel period. The Wyoming Chapter of the Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Cody, WY.	April 2024	Our work will enhance the limited understanding of proximate behavioral responses to disease by organisms in the wild across contexts. In addition, our inclusion of nocturnal habitat preferences will ensure that habitat prioritization regimes consider all potentially limiting temporal windows.
Liz Mandeville, Catherine E. Wagner, and Annika Walters. 2017. Hybridization between Yellowstone cutthroat trout and rainbow trout in the North Fork Shoshone river. CO/WY AFS meeting	February 2017	Native Yellowstone cutthroat trout and rainbow trout are known to hybridize, but the extent and spatial variability of hybridization has not yet been well characterized using genetic data, although morphological analyses suggest substantial hybridization and introgression.
Lipsey, T. S. B., and W. A. Hubert. Predicting native fish distributions in the North Platte River drainage of Wyoming. Annual Meeting, Colorado/Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Cheyenne, Wyoming.	March 2001
Lionberger, P., and W. Hubert. Longitudinal variation in the small fish assemblage in the Wind River watershed, Wyoming. Annual Meeting of the Colorado/Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Ft. Collins, Colorado.	March 2005
Lionberger, P., and W. Hubert. Evidence of sauger movements from a reservoir nursery to a riverine habitat as adults based on otolith chemistry. Annual Meeting, American Fisheries Society, Lake Placid, New York, September 11, 2006.	September 2006
Lionberger, P. S., and W. A. Hubert. Longitudinal variation in small fish assemblages through the Wind River watershed and into Boysen Reservoir, Wyoming. Annual Meeting, Western Division, American Fisheries Society, Bozeman, Montana, May 17, 2006.	May 2006
Lionberger, P. S., and W. A. Hubert. Longitudinal variation in small fish assemblages through the Wind River watershed and into Boysen Reservoir, Wyoming. Annual Meeting, Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Cheyenne, Wyoming, March 7-8, 2006	March 2006
Lionberger, P. S., W. A. Hubert, and R. Hannigan. Evidence of sauger movements from a reservoir nursery to a riverine habitat as adults based on otolith chemistry. Annual Meeting, Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Cheyenne, Wyoming, March 8, 2006.	March 2006
Lindsy Ciepiela and Annika Walters. 2017. Estimating salmonid movement dynamics in the Upper North Platte River using otolith microchemistry. Western AFS meeting.	May 2017	As natural and anthropogenic disturbances increase in magnitude and frequency the ability of populations to rebound from disturbance will be critical to their overall success and longevity. Our research provides evidence that within-population diversity, particularly behavioral diversity related to movement and life history strategies, may be an important mechanism underlying resilient riverine fisheries.
Lindsy Ciepiela and Annika Walters. 2017. Estimating salmonid movement dynamics in the Upper North Platte River using otolith microchemistry. CO/WY AFS meeting.	February 2017	As natural and anthropogenic disturbances increase in magnitude and frequency the ability of populations to rebound from disturbance will be critical to their overall success and longevity. Our research provides evidence that within-population diversity, particularly behavioral diversity related to movement and life history strategies, may be an important mechanism underlying resilient riverine fisheries.
Lindstrom, J., and W. Hubert. Habitat selection and movements of adult cutthroat trout and brook trout from fall through winter in a low-gradient Rocky Mountain stream. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Madison, Wisconsin.	August 2004
Lindstrom, J. W., and W. A. Hubert. Fall-through-winter habitat selection and movements of adult trout in a foothills stream. Annual Meeting of the Western Division of the American Fisheries Society, Salt Lake City, Utah.	March 2004
LeCheminant, A. and A. Walters. 2016. Movement dynamics and survival of hatchery-reared Colorado River cutthroat trout post-stocking. CO/WY AFS meeting, Laramie, WY.	March 2016	Colorado River cutthroat trout have experienced significant declines. An understanding of what is driving lack of establishment is important for conservation efforts.
Layfield, J., B. Bedrosian, A. Chalfoun, R. Domenech, S. Lewis, B. Smith, and J. Merkle. 2024. Factors modulating habitat selection near roads by golden eagles during winter in Wyoming. American Ornithological Society Annual Meeting, Estes Park, CO.	October 2024	The work focuses on the factors (intrinsic to individuals and external in the environment) modulating over-wintering Golden Eagle use of major roadways where they are at risk of collisions.
Layfield, J., B. Bedrosian, A. Chalfoun, R. Domenech, S. Lewis, B. Smith, and J. Merkle. 2023. Does experience modulate use of risky landscape elements? Road-use in relation to age by wintering golden eagles in Wyoming. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Laramie, WY.	April 2023	Opportunistic foraging on roadkill can provide energetic benefits for wildlife, yet increase mortality risk from motor-vehicle collisions. We quantified individual home ranges and examined how intrinsic factors (age and sex) influenced the use of roadways by golden eagles wintering in Wyoming.
Layfield, J., B. Bedrosian, A. Chalfoun, R. Domenech, S. Lewis, B. Smith and J. Merkle. 2024. Factors modulating habitat selection near roads by golden eagles during winter in Wyoming. Joint Meeting of the WLCI and Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Cody, WY.	April 2024	We present work focused on the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence the extent to which Golden Eagles wintering in WY utilize roadways which can influence collision risk.
Layfield, J., A. Chalfoun, B. Bedrosian, and J. Merkle. Habitat selection and space use of migratory golden eagles in Wyoming during winter. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society annual meeting, Jackson, WY.	April 2022	Wyoming is home to some of largest concentrations of wintering golden eagles and wind energy potential in the country. With global energy demands and new development on the rise, understanding the extent to which migratory golden eagles use risky landscape elements, including energy-associated infrastructure, powerlines, and major roads, is critical and timely.
Laske, S., F. Rahel, and W. Hubert. habitat use and overlap of roundtail chub and lake trout in two glacial lakes, Wyoming. Annual Meeting, Western Division, American Fisheries Society, Albuquerque, New Mexico.	May 2009
Laske, S., F. Rahel, and W. Hubert. Habitat use of roundtail chub and interactions with lake trout in two glacial lakes near Pinedale, Wyoming. Annual Meeting, Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Fort Collins, Colorado.	February 2009
Kuhn, K., and W. Hubert. Seasonal movements and habitat use by adult saugers in the Little Wind River drainage, Wyoming. Annual Meeting, American Fisheries Society, Lake Placid, New York, September 11, 2006.	September 2006
Kuhn, K. M., and W. A. Hubert. Fall through winter movements and habitat associations of adult sauger in the Wind River drainage, Wyoming. Annual Meeting of the Colorado/Wyoming hapter, American Fisheries Society, Ft. Collins, Colorado.	March 2005
Kuhn, K. M., W. A. Hubert, K. Johnson, D. Oberlie, and D. Dufek. Seasonal movements and habitat use of adult saugers in the Little Wind River drainage, Wyoming. Annual Meeting, Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Cheyenne, Wyoming, March 8, 2006.	March 2006
Krist, A., K. Wagner, and A. Walters. 2018. Using ecological stoichiometry and fish presence to predict the zooplankton community structure in Wyoming alpine lakes. Society for Freshwater Science, Detroit, MI.	May 2018	Biodiversity is controlled by both biotic and abiotic factors, and the balance and number of these controls remains a key question in understanding ecological community assembly. We are using this natural and human-caused “experiment” to study the top-down and bottom-up controls on ecological community assembly in alpine lake ecosystems.
Kramer, G., A. D. Chalfoun. 2011. Nestling Growth Rates and Nest Movements of Common Nighthawks in Grand Teton National Park. 18th Annual Conference, The Wildlife Society, Waikoloa, Hawaii, 5-10 November 2011.	November 2011
Korfanta, N.M., M.J. Kauffman, and D.B. McDonald. Demography and conservation of understory bird communities in a highly fragmented Afromontane forest. Cheyenne Audubon Society, Cheyenne, Wyoming.	April 2008
Kilpatrick, S., M. Zornes, D. Brimeyer, G. Fralick, and M.J. Kauffman. 2009. Regional decline of Wyoming moose populations: a statewide synthesis of trend counts, calf production, harvest, and climate drivers. 44th Annual Conference and Workshop, North American Moose Conference, Pocatello, Idaho, 14-17 June 2009.	June 2009
Keinath, D., and M.J. Kauffman. Assessment of Wildlife Vulnerability to Energy Development. Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative Comprehensive Assessment Workshop, Fort Collins, Colorado.	March 2008
Kauffman, M.K., 2011. Moose migrations track phenology on summer range: implications for trophic mismatch. 46th Annual Meeting, North American Moose Conference and Workshop, Jackson, WY, 23-26 May 2011.	May 2011
Kauffman, M.J., H. Sawyer, M. Valdez, and J. Randall. 2024. Mule Deer: Red Desert, Wyoming, (USA). Global Initiative on Ungulate Migration, editors. Atlas of Ungulate Migration. Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals.	September 2024	This is a migration fact sheet that will be published by the Global Initiative on Ungulate Migration, implemented under the UN Convention on Migratory Species. The fact sheet provides overview information about a mule deer migration that has previously been mapped and made available by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Kauffman, M., S. Albeke, M. Atallah, F. Cagnacci, S. Chamaille-Jammes, J. Fugate, I. Freeman, J. Gage, M. Hebblewhite, G. Hopcraft, W. Kirkpatrick, J. Merkle, J. Merson, T. Mueller, S. Mumme, A. Mysterud, C. Nobbe, W. Peters, E. Steiner, A. Steingisser, editors. 2024. Atlas of Ungulate Migration. Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. https://www.cms.int/gium This is a webpage that will be embedded into the CMS webpage.	September 2024	The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) and the Global Initiative on Ungulate Migration (GIUM) is launching the world’s first living Atlas of Ungulate Migrations. The online atlas – which is non-interpretive science work of an international team of over 80 scientists – provides detailed maps and fact sheets revealing some of the world’s most iconic migrations and makes map files freely available to governments, conservationists and the public.
Kauffman, M. J., J. F. Brodie. 2011. Foraging under predation risk: Influence of landscape and seasonality mediate foraging by Yellowstone elk. 18th Annual Conference, The Wildlife Society, Waikoloa, Hawaii, 5-10 November 2011.	November 2011
Kauffman, M. J., 2006. Foraging and its influence on plant populations are not controlled by predation risk gradients in a large mammal predator-prey system. 91st Annual Meeting, Ecological Society of America, Memphis, Tennessee, 6-11 August 2006.	August 2006
Kauffman, M. J. 2012. Moose migrations track summer range phenology: Implications for trophic mismatch. 97th Annual Meeting, Ecological Society of America, Portland, Oregon, 5-10 August 2012.	August 2012
Kauffman et al. A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO MAP UNGULATE MIGRATIONS AND ADVANCE THEIR CONSERVATION ACROSS THE WESTERN UNITED STATES	November 2022	This presentation will describe work and progress of the Corridor Mapping Team, which we established to conduct ungulate corridor mapping with western states as called for under Secretarial Order 3362.
Joyce, M. P., and W. A. Hubert. Determination of factors affecting natural recruitment of Snake River cutthroat trout in spring streams tributary to the Salt River. Annual Meeting, Colorado/Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Cheyenne, Wyoming.	March 2001
Journey, M.L., Krist, A., Wagner, C.E., and A. Walters. 2024. Ecology of high alpine lakes in the Wind River Range, WY in an era of climate change. CO/WY American Fisheries Society Meeting 2024.	February 2024	This research adds to the limited body of knowledge of alpine lake ecology in the Wyoming. Alpine lakes are historically understudied due to the effort and logistical constraints of long-term monitoring in difficult to access environments. Additionally, this work will provide valuable information on the potential impacts of climate change on a valuable ecological and recreational resource.
Journey, M.L., Krist, A., Wagner, C.E., and A. Walters. 2024. Ecology of high alpine lakes in the Wind River Range, WY in an era of climate change. American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2024.	September 2024	This research adds to the limited body of knowledge of alpine lake ecology in the Wyoming. Alpine lakes are historically understudied due to the effort and logistical constraints of long-term monitoring in difficult to access environments. Additionally, this work will provide valuable information on the potential impacts of climate change on a valuable ecological and recreational resource.
Joseph Ceradini and Anna Chalfoun. 2015. Using species' traits to predict small mammal responses to habitat alteration by invasive plants. Joint WLCI and Wyoming TWS meeting, Lander, WY, 1-3 December, 2015.	December 2015	Non-native grass invasion is a conservation challenge in western North America, and can influence wildlife communities. Our work thoroughly examines the relationship between extent of cheatgrass invasion on small mammal communities.
Jordan Von Eggers, Amy Krist, Catherine Wagner, Annika Walters, Bryan Shuman. 2020. Using eDNA in lake sediment cores to study fish introduction and environmental stressors on alpine lakes in Wyoming. AGU Fall Meeting (virtual)	December 2020	<b>Despite their remote nature, alpine ecosystems are particularly susceptible to nutrient deposition and invasion. This work highlights the potential to use a multi-proxy approach (DNA in sediment cores) to evaluate how a diverse set of human activities transformed even remote wilderness areas.</b>
Jones, J.D., M.J. Kauffman, B. Surlock, R.C. Cook and J.G. Cook. 2011. Influence of winter supplemental feeding on summer foraging behavior of elk in western Wyoming. 18th Annual Meeting, The Wildlife Society, Waikoloa, Hawaii, 5-10 November 2011.	November 2011
Jones, J.D. and M.J. Kauffman. 2011. Influence of winter supplemental feeding on summer foraging behavior of elk (Cervus elaphus) in west-central Wyoming. Annual Meeting, The Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Jackson, Wyoming, 6-9 December 2011.	December 2011
Jones, J.D. and M.J. Kauffman. 2011. Influence of nutritional condition on migration, habitat selection and foraging ecology of elk in western Wyoming. Meeting of the University of Wyoming Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Laramie, Wyoming, 3 March 2011.	March 2011
Jones, J.D. and M.J. Kauffman. 2010. Influence of winter supplemental feeding on elk ecology in the southern brucellosis endemic area of Wyoming. The Wyoming State Leadership Team Meeting of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Casper, Wyoming, 21 January 2012.	January 2012
Jones, J.D. and M.J. Kauffman. 2010. Influence of nutritional condition on migration, habitat selection and foraging ecology of elk in western Wyoming. 17th Annual Meeting, The Wildlife Society, Snowbird, Utah, 2-6 October 2010.	October 2010
Jones, J., M.J. Kauffman, B. Scurlock and P.C. Cross. 2012. Influence of winter supplemental feeding on elk migration in west-central Wyoming. 19th Annual Meeting, The Wildlife Society, Portland, Oregon, 13-18 October 2012.	October 2012
Jones, J. D. and M. J. Kauffman. 2010. Influence of nutritional condition on migration, habitat selection and foraging ecology of elk in western Wyoming. Annual Meeting, The Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Lander, Wyoming, 16-19 November 2010.	November 2010
Jones, D., and A. Chalfoun. 2024. Ectoparasite infection influences post-fledgling survival and predation risk for declining sagebrush songbirds. Gordon Research Conference, Predator-Prey, Ventura, CA.	January 2024	We discuss how the prevalence of an avian parasite during one stage (nestling period) can subsequently influence predation risk in the next (post-fledging).
Jones, D., and A. Chalfoun. 2024. Nest parasites reduce post-fledging survival for declining sagebrush songbirds. Joint Meeting of the WLCI and Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Cody, WY.	April 2024	We highlighted the importance of considering how parasitism interacts with other stressors to influence the fitness of host species of concern (sagebrush-obligate songbirds). Won best Master's student talk award.
Jones, D., and A. Chalfoun. 2023. PATTERNS AND DETERMINANTS OF ECTOPARASITE INFECTIONS IN THE NESTS OF SAGEBRUSH SONGBIRDS. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Laramie, WY.	April 2023	We examined nestlings of three sagebrush-obligate songbird species for parasites during four years within plots spanning a gradient of natural gas development intensity. We tested for the effects of weather, habitat disturbance, and nest density on parasite prevalence.
Jones, D., and A. Chalfoun. 2022. Infection rates and effects of ectoparasites on declining sagebrush songbirds. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society annual meeting, Jackson, WY.	April 2022	The effects of blowfly parasitism on nestling condition and fledgling survival of many songbirds, remains unknown. Moreover, understanding the environmental conditions leading to higher parasite prevalence will be important for risk assessments and potential mitigation strategies.
Jones, D. and A. Chalfoun. 2024. Prevalence and effects of a common nest parasite on declining sagebrush songbirds. American Ornithological Society Annual Meeting, Estes Park, CO.	October 2024	The work examined the fitness consequences (post-fledging survival) of bird blowfly larvae (a common avian parasite) on declining sagebrush songbirds.
Jesmer, B.R., Goheen, J.R., Monteith, K.L, and M.J. Kauffman. 2014. LINKING HABITAT AND NUTRITION WITH POPULATION PERFORMANCE IN MOOSE	August 2014	Moose populations have been declining across the Rocky Mountains and it has been unclear what role habitat condition plays. This study asks if moose calf production is a function of the level of browsing experienced by key forage plants.
Jason D. Carlisle, Anna D. Chalfoun , Douglas A. Keinath Shannon E. Albeke. 2015. Do sage-grouse core areas protect non-game wildlife of concern? Joint WLCI and Wyoming TWS meeting, Lander, WY 1-3 December, 2015.	December 2015	This presentation will highlight the results of a comprehensive spatial analysis of the overlap of the greater sage-grouse core area strategy in Wyoming with the modeled suitable habitat for non-game sagebrush wildlife species of concern. The aim is to quantitatively assess which species and types of species are most protected by the umbrella of sage-grouse management.
Jason Carlisle, Anna Chalfoun, Kurt Smith, Jeffrey Beck. 2016. The non-target effects of sage-grouse habitat treatments on sagebrush-associated songbirds. Annual Meeting of the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Cody, Wyoming.	November 2016	The greater sage-grouse is assumed to be an umbrella species for the conservation and management of co-occurring non-game wildlife species of concern, yet the effects of habitat treatments geared towards grouse on other species are unknown. We evaluated the effects of experimental sagebrush mowing and herbicide treatments on the abundance and nest success of co-occurring songbirds.
Isaak, D., and W. Hubert. July 2000. Functioning of montane landscapes to produce stream habitats: hypothesis tests based on spatially explicit path analysis. Western Division American Fisheries Society, Telluride, Colorado.	July 2000
Isaak, D. J., and W. A. Hubert. August 2000. The role of GIS in exploratory spatial data analysis and the development of spatially explicit regression models. American Fisheries Society, St. Louis, Missouri.	August 2000
Hubert, W., and M. Quist. Ecosystem, social, and economic consequences of extirpations of cutthroat trout by invasive species in the Rocky Mountains: Implications for future conservation. Conference on Bioinvasions, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, June5-6, 2003.	June 2003
Hubert, W., R. Compton, D. Banks, and D. Sweet. Management problems to be confronted in preservation of bluehead suckers and flannelmouth suckers in small, headwater streams in Wyoming. Annual Meeting, Colorado-Wyoming, Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Fort Collins, Colorado.	February 2009
Hubert, W., D. Banks, R. Compton, and D. Sweet. Management problems to be confronted in preservation of bluehead suckers and flannelmouth suckers in small, headwater streams in Wyoming. Annual Meeting, Western Division, American Fisheries Society, Albuquerque, New Mexico.	May 2009
Hubert, W. Cooperative Unit Update: Ongoing and recently completed fisheries research. Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Fish Division, Thermopolis, Wyoming.	January 2003
Hubert, W. Application of resource selection functions in fisheries science. First International Conference Resource Selection by Animals, Laramie, Wyoming.	January 2003
Hubert, W. A., and K. M. Gordon. Natural and anthropogenic factors contribute to declines of western Great Plains fishes. Annual Meeting of the Western Division of the American Fisheries Society, Salt Lake City, Utah.	March 2004
Hubert, W. A., R. I. Compton, M. R. Bower, M. C. Quist, F. R. Rahel, D. B. McDonald, and T. L. Parchman. A summary of 2002-2007 research on bluehead suckers, flannelmouth suckers, and roundtail chubs in upper Muddy Creek, Carbon County, Wyoming. 29th Annual Recovery Program Researchers Meeting, Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program, Moab, Utah	January 2008
Hubert, W. A., M. P. Joyce, R. Gipson, D. Zafft, D. Money, D. Hawk, and B. Taro. Whriling disease among Snake River cutthroat trout in two spring streams in Wyoming. 7th Annual Whirling Disease Symposium, Salt Lake City, Utah.	February 2003
Hubert, W. A., K. R. Gelwicks, D. Zafft, and R. Gipson. Synthesis of research and management issues regarding fine-spotted sutthroat trout in the Salt River drainage, Wyoming. Annual Meeting of the Western Division of the American Fisheries Society, Salt Lake City, Utah.	March 2004
Hubert, W. A., D. G. Simpkins, J. L. Hebdon, and M. R. Dare. April 2000. Factors influencing over-winter survival of juvenile trout in Wyoming tailwaters. Ecology and Management of Tailwaters in the United States, Lake Powell, Arizona.	April 2000
Hubert, W. A., D. Dufek, J. Deromedi, K. Johnson, S. Roth, and D. Skates. Burbot in the Wind River drainage of Wyoming. Annual meeting, American Fisheries Society, Anchorage, Alaska.	September 2005
Hubert, W. A. Changing paradigms for fisheries management: Implications for educators and managers. Joint meeting of the Idaho and Bonneville chapters, American Fisheries Society, Pocatello, Idaho.	February 2002
Hubert, W. A. Information gaps regarding aquatic resources and oil and gas development in the West. Responsible Energy Development Symposium, Jackson Lake Lodge, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.	May 2008
Hubert, W. A. Fisheries research on the Great Plains of Wyoming: A 25-year history of research by the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Annual Meeting of the Great Plains Fishery Workers Association, Sheridan, Wyoming.	January 2008
Hickerson, B., T. Robinson, and A. Walters. 2019. Evaluation of potential translocation sites for native fish: a case study. Arizona/New Mexico AFS meeting.	February 2019	Native fishes of the Western United States have generally experienced distributional declines over the last century and many species are in need of conservation efforts. Translocation of native fish to unoccupied habitat is one of the most commonly proposed conservation actions and is a foundational component of most species recovery plans.
Hickerson, B. and Walters, A. 2017. Effects of non-native predatory fish on hornyhead chub in the Laramie River. Western Division of the American Fisheries Society Student Colloquium, McCall, Idaho.	November 2017	Hornyhead Chub are a species of greatest conservation need in Wyoming and a major threat to the persistence of Hornyhead Chub populations is the presence of non-native predatory fish (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout and Smallmouth Bass). This research assesses the effect of these predators.
Hickerson, B. and A. Walters. 2018. Effects of non-native predatory fish on hornyhead chub in the Laramie River. Colorado Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Laramie, Wyoming.	February 2018	Hornyhead Chub are a species of greatest conservation need in Wyoming and a major threat to the persistence of Hornyhead Chub populations is the presence of non-native predatory fish (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout and Smallmouth Bass). This research assesses the effect of these predators.
Hickerson, B. and A. Walters. 2016. Locating Potential Reintroduction and Refugia Sites for Hornyhead Chub using GIS. CO/WY AFS meeting, Laramie, WY.	March 2016	Glacial relict Hornyhead Chub (Nocomis biguttatus) populations are greatly restricted in distribution so determining potential reintroduction and refugia sites is important.
Heyward, J.E. and A.D. Chalfoun. 2011. An asssessment of spatiotemporal refugia for wildlife during the mountain pine beetle epidemic. Annual Meeting, The Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Jackson, Wyoming, 6-9 December 2011.	December 2011
Heyward, J.E. and A.D. Chalfoun. 2011. An assessment of spatiotemporal refugia for coniferous non-game wildlife during the mountain pine beetle epidemic. 18th Annual Meeting, The Wildlife Society, Waikoloa, Hawaii, 5-10 November 2011. (Won best MS student research-in-progress poster award)	November 2011
Hethcoat, M.G. and A.D. Chalfoun. 2011. Mechanisms underlying increased songbird nest predation in natural gas fields. 18th Annual Meeting, The Wildlife Society, Waikoloa, Hawaii, 5-10 November 2011.	November 2011
Hethcoat, M.G. and A.D. Chalfoun. 2011. Increased nest predation and energy development; understanding the mechanisms. Annual Meeting, The Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Jackson, Wyoming, 6-9 December 2011.	December 2011
Hall, L., and A. Chalfoun. 2018. Effects of temperature and precipitation on the reproductive investment and output of sagebrush songbirds. WY-TWS and WLCI Joint Meeting, Laramie, WY.	November 2018	As warming temperatures continue to manifest, efforts to understand and quantify species' vulnerability to changing climate dynamics will be enhanced by considering the influence of climate-related stressors, including thermoregulatory risk, during key life-history periods. Using Brewer's sparrows (Spizella breweri), Sagebrush sparrows (Artemisiospiza nevadensis) and Sage thrashers (Oreoscoptes montanus) as models, we addressed the extent to which climate variation influenced reproductive inve
Hall, L., and A. Chalfoun. 2017. Behavioral plasticity buffers temperature constraints on foraging time for a montane mammal. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Jackson, WY, 5-7 December, 2017.	December 2017	The extent to which endothermic animals living in extreme environments proximately modify behaviors to reduce physiological stress remains unclear. We examined the plasticity in foraging behaviors of American pikas in the alpine across temperature gradients.
Gura, K., G. Liston, A. Reinking, B. Bedrosian, K. Elder, and A. Chalfoun. 2024. Locked-pasture snow conditions modulate movement behavior and fitness by a facultative migrant, the Great Gray Owl. Gordon Research Conference, Predator-Prey, Ventura, CA.	January 2024	We present work showing that movement and habitat choices of Great-Gray Owls in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are modulated by snow and ice crust conditions.
Gura, K., B. Bedrosian, and A. Chalfoun. 2022. Variation in habitat selection across multiple spatiotemporal scales by great gray owls (Strix nebulosa). Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Jackson, WY.	April 2022	Habitat selection can differ across spatial and temporal scales, in response to varying selective pressures. Studies that explicitly incorporate multiple relevant spatiotemporal scales therefore strengthen understanding of important resources for a species. We quantified the resource selection of Great Gray Owls across multiple spatial (home range and within-home-range) and temporal (breeding and non-breeding seasons; day and night) scales in western Wyoming,
Gura, K., B. Bedrosian, S. Patla, and A. Chalfoun. 2019. Great Gray Owl Habitat Selection and Home Range Characteristics During the Breeding Season. Annual meeting of the American Ornithological Society, Anchorage, AK.	June 2019	Natural- and human-induced habitat change is increasing across landscapes, with largely unknown consequences for under-studied raptor species. Identifying the breeding-season home range size and resource requirements of such species is critical for the development of effective conservation strategies.
Gura, K., A. Chalfoun, B. Bedrosian, and S. Patla. 2018. Great gray owl habitat selection and home range characteristics during the breeding season. WY-TWS and WLCI Joint Meeting, Laramie, WY.	November 2018	Identifying the home range size and resource requirements of breeding Great Gray Owls is critical for the development of effective conservation strategies for this state-sensitive species, especially in the face of declining productivity and changing forest habitat. We are evaluating the habitat parameters that influence Great Gray Owl territory selection and reproductive success.
Gura, K. B. Bedrosian, S. Patla, and A. D. Chalfoun. 2019. Great gray owl habitat selection and home range characteristics during the breeding season. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Sheridan, WY.	November 2019	Great Gray Owls (Strix nebulosa) are associated with older-aged, boreal forest habitats, and studies conducted outside of the Rocky Mountains suggest that they respond negatively to the loss of key habitat elements. We quantified breeding-season home-range attributes and habitat selection of adult Great Gray Owls across multiple spatial (home-range and within-home-range level) and temporal (nesting and post-fledging; day versus night) scales in western Wyoming, USA.
Gura, K, G. Liston, A. Reinking, B. Bedrosian, K. Elder, and A. Chalfoun. 2023. Using novel snow data to understand wildlife movement responses to limiting winter conditions. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Laramie, WY.	April 2023	Movement is a key mechanism by which animals respond adaptively to environmental change. However, the contexts under which different movement strategies are employed are poorly understood. We evaluated whether limiting winter conditions influence proximate habitat choices and/or broader dispersal movements by Great Gray Owls.
Guernsey, N., K. Lohse, T. Bower, M. Kauffman and J. Goheen. 2012. Sexual segregation of Shiras moose in Wyoming: habitat selection and ecosystem dynamics. 92nd Annual Meeting, American Society of Mammalogists, Reno, Nevada, 22-26 June 2012.	June 2012
Goldstein, J., W. Hubert, D. Woodward, A. Farag, and J. Meyer. July 2000. Differences in embryonic temperature tolerance affect the distributions of rainbow trout and brown trout in the Firehole River, Yellowstone National Park. Western Division American Fisheries Society, Telluride, Colorado.	July 2000
Girard, C.and A.W. Walters. 2012. “Current and future impacts of energy development on the fishes of the Wyoming Range” Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative Science Meeting.	April 2012
Girard, C.and A.W. Walters. 2012 “Current and future impacts of energy development on the fishes of the Wyoming Range” American Fisheries Society Western Division meeting, Jackson, WY.	March 2012
Girard, C., and A.Walters. 2014. The Dry Piney Study: Energy development effects to native fish communities along the Wyoming Range. CO/WY American Fisheries Society Meeting, Laramie, WY.	March 2014	Presents research examining effects of energy development for fish. This is an important and understudied topic with implications for fish maagement.
Girard, C., A. Walters. 2014. The Dry Piney study: Energy development effects to native fish communities along the Wyoming Range. Western American Fisheries Society meeting, Mazatlan, Mexico.	April 2014	This research is one of the few field projects that examines how oil and natural gas affects native fish communities in Wyoming. Carlin Girard was invited to present this research in a special session on energy development at the meeting.
Girard, C. and A.W. Walters. 2013. The Wyoming Range Fish Project: the impacts of energy development on native fish. CO/WY AFS annual meeting, Fort Collins, CO, February 25-27, 2013.	February 2013	Research is addressing the effects of energy development on native fish communities. Energy development is an important anthropogenic disturbance for this region.
Gerow, K., R. Anderson-Sprecher, and W. Hubert. A new method to compute standard weitht equations that reduces length-related bias. Annual meeting, American Fisheries Society, Anchorage, Alaska.	September 2005
Gerow, K., R. Anderson-Sprecher, and W. A. Hubert. A new method to compute standard weight equations that reduces length-related bias. Annual Meeting, Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Cheyenne, Wyoming, March 8, 2006.	March 2006
Gauthier, K., J. Baldock, A. Walters. Accounting for groundwater in daily spatial stream temperature models: implications for native cold water fish. Association of the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography annual meeting, Madison, WI, USA.	June 2024	Thermal regimes fundamentally dictate the habitability of aquatic ecosystems for biota, and can vary at fine spatial and temporal scales. Our results can be used to explore how groundwater mediates annual expansion and contraction of trout thermal habitat.
Gabe Barrile, Anna D. Chalfoun, Annika Walters. 2015. Boreal toad habitat selection and survival in relation to grazing intensity and disease prevalence. Joint WLCI and Wyoming TWS meeting, Lander, WY, 1-3 December, 2015.	December 2015	Amphibian populations are declining worldwide, often due to multiple stressors. We are investigating potential synergistic effects of habitat change due to grazing and disease.
Gabe Barrile, Anna Chalfoun, Annika Walters. 2016. Boreal toad habitat selection and survival in relation to grazing intensity and disease prevalence. . Annual Meeting of the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society. Cody, Wyoming.	November 2016	Boreal toads are declining in parts of their range. We investigated the independent and interactive effects of habitat changes due to cattle grazing and disease on boreal toads in western Wyoming.
Fisher, W., and W. Hubert. 2009. American Fisheries Society's past, present and future efforts towards promoting demographic diversity. Annual Meeting, American Fisheries Society, Nashville, Tennessee, 30 August - 3 September 2009.	September 2009
Fennell, J., Walters, A., and Wagner, C. 2021. Exploring mechanisms underlying the persistence of Yellowstone cutthroat trout despite hybridization in the North Fork Shoshone River drainage. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2021.	February 2021	Understanding the mechanisms of reproductive isolation that exist between Yellowstone cutthroat trout and rainbow trout in the North Fork Shoshone River drainage will inform management decisions in systems where these two species exist in sympatry.
Fennell, J., Walters, A., and Wagner, C. 2019. Exploring mechanisms underlying the persistence of Yellowstone cutthroat trout despite hybridization in the North Fork Shoshone River drainage. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2019.	February 2020	Understanding the mechanisms of reproductive isolation that exist between Yellowstone cutthroat trout and rainbow trout in the North Fork Shoshone River drainage will inform management decisions in systems where these two species exist in sympatry.
Fennel, J, E. Mandeville, W. Rosenthal, C. Wagner and A. Walters. 2019. Exploring mechanisms underlying the persistence of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout despite hybridization in the North Fork Shoshone River drainage. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2019.	February 2019	The Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout is a species of greatest conservation need in Wyoming. This information will help inform management decisions in systems where Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout and Rainbow Trout exist sympatric to one another.
Embere Hall, Anna Chalfoun, Erik Beever, Annie Loosen. 2015. Microrefugia in a warming world: Critical resource or simple perk? Joint WLCI and Wyoming TWS meeting, Lander, WY 1-3 December, 2015.	December 2015	The American pika inhabits alpine environments in the intermountain west which are experiencing warmer temperatures and altered snowpack conditions. The extent to which pikas may exploit microrefugia from unfavorable weather conditions to promote persistence is largely an open question.
Embere Hall and Anna Chalfoun. 2016. What to eat in a warming world: Altering forage preferences may buffer climate stress. Annual Meeting of the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Cody, Wyoming.	November 2016	Alpine wildlife species may be particularly susceptible to warming climate, however, how animals may alter foraging preferences and behaviors to buffer such effects is unclear. We investigated these questions in the American pika in western Wyoming.
David G Williams, Corrine N. Knapp, Bryan N Shuman, Bart Geerts, Brent E Ewers, Sarah K Konrad, Shannon Edward Albeke, Todd Cherry, Sarah M Collins, William Fetzer, Clare Gunshenan, Jeff Hamerlinck, Shay Howlin, Kristiana Hansen, Martha Inouye, Mary Keller, Jacki Klancher, Kristen Landerville, Nichole Lumadue, Fabian Nippgen, Kristen Nasman, Ginger B Paige, Tarissa Spoonhunter, Kyle Trumble and Annika Walters. Anticipating Climate Transitions in Wyoming (WyACT). A Trans-disciplinary Approach for Addressing Climate-driven Changes to Water Availability in America's Headwaters Region. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2022	December 2022	Water resources in the Rocky Mountain region are under significant threat from climate change. We will use this framework to improve representation of social, economic, ecological and hydrological interactions and processes in integrated models.
Dare, M., W. Hubert, and T. Wesche. July 2000. Consequences of variable discharge for habitat availability and habitat use by two species of trout in a Wyoming tailwater during winter. Western Division American Fisheries Society, Telluride, Colorado.	July 2000
Dare, M. R., W. A. Hubert, and J. S. Meyer. The influence of discharge on hydrogen slufide concentrations and distributions of two trout species in a regulated river. Annual Meeting, Colorado/Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Cheyenne, Wyoming.	March 2001
D.R. Stewart, A.W. Walters, and F.J. Rahel. 2015. Conservation of native Wyoming fishes through identification and implementation of native fish management areas. CO/WY American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting. Fort Collins, CO.	February 2015	Priority management areas are a promising tool for fisheries conservation. This study suggests priority management areas for eastern Wyoming streams and provides insight into the best approaches for determining areas.
Courtemanch, A., M.J. Kauffman. 2008. Seasonal resource selection, movement, and human disturbance of bighorn sheep in the Teton Range. Annual Meeting, The Wildlife Society, Wyoming Chapter, Sheridan, Wyoming, 19-21 Novermber 2008.	November 2008
Courtemanch, A., M. J. Kauffman. 2011. Winter habitat selection strategies of a formerly migratory bighorn sheep population in the Teton Range, northwest Wyoming. 18th Annual Conference, The Wildlife Society, Waikoloa, Hawaii, 5-10 November 2011.	November 2011
Cook, N., W. Hubert, and F. Rahel. Status of anthropogenically-isolated populations of colorado River cutthroat trout in the upper North Fork Little Snake River drainage. Annual Meeting, Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Fort Collins, Colorado.	February 2009
Cook, N., F. Rahel, and W. Hubert. Status of anthropogenically-isolated populations of Colorado River cutthroat trout in the upper North Fork Little Snake River drainage. Annual Meeting of the Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Cheyenne, Wyoming.	March 2008
Cook, K., L. Tronstad, and A. D. Chalfoun. 2019. Wood frog habitat selection and quality in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Sheridan, WY.	November 2019	The wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) is a glacial relict species in Wyoming that is listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need due to lack of information about habitat associations and disease status. We will radio-track up to 50 wood frogs in the Bighorn Mountains from breeding sites to hibernacula during the summers of 2020 and 2021 to quantify habitat preferences at multiple scales and across multiple life stages (breeding, summer foraging, and over-wintering), and test for signs of
Cook, K., L. Tronstad, and A. Chalfoun. 2022. Habitat selection of an isolated population of the wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) in Wyoming. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society annual meeting, Jackson, WY.	April 2022	The wood frog is listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Wyoming due to a lack of information about key habitat requirements and response to disease (chytridiomycosis). We are addressing knowledge gaps by identifying habitat characteristics selected by adult wood frogs across multiple seasonal stages (breeding, foraging, overwintering), spatial scales (microsite and pond level), and with variation in disease status.
Cook, K., L. Tronstad, and A. Chalfoun. 2020. Wood Frog Habitat Selection and Quality in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming. Annual Meeting of the Colorado Partners in Reptile and Amphibian Conservation. Longmont, CO.	February 2020	The wood frog (<i>Lithobates sylvaticus</i>) is a glacial relict species in Wyoming, found only within the Medicine Bow National Forest and the Bighorn Mountains, for which very little information exists on key habitat requirements. Our study will provide valuable information about the habitat needs of, and disease threats to, wood frogs in Wyoming, and the efficacy of a novel approach to identifying suitable breeding habitat for amphibian species of concern.
Cook, K., L. Tronstad, and A. Chalfoun. 2020. Habitat Selection of a Relictual Amphibian Population Threatened by Disease. Annual meeting of the Colorado/Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Laramie, WY.	February 2020	Amphibians, in particular, have experienced catastrophic population declines and extirpations worldwide from habitat change and pathogens such as the chytrid fungus. Understanding the habitat requirements and prevalence of disease in understudied populations is therefore essential for effective management and species’ persistence.
Compton, R., W. Hubert, F. Rahel, M. Quist, and M. Bower. Riverscape fragmentation affects native fishes in a Colorado River basin headwater stream system, Wyoming. Annual Meeting, American Fisheries Society, San Francisco, California, September 4, 2007.	September 2007
Compton, R., W. Hubert, F. Rahel, M. Quist, and M. Bower. Influence of instream structures on the management and conservation of native fishes in the Muddy Creek watershed, Wyoming. Annual Meeting, American Fisheries Society, Lake Placid, New York, September 11, 2006.	September 2006
Compton, R., W. Hubert, F. Rahel, M. Quist, and M. Bower. Examining population fragmentation among native Colorado River Basin fishes with the aid of PIT tag technology. Annual Meeting of the Western Division, American Fisheries Society, Portland, Oregon.	May 2008
Compton, R. I., W. Hubert, F. Rahel, M. Quist, and M. Bower. Influence of human-made instream structures on the management and conservation of three native Colorado River basin fishes in the Muddy Creek watershed, Wyoming. Annual Meeting, Western Division, American Fisheries Society, Bozeman, Montana, May 18, 2006.	May 2006
Compton, R. I., W. Hubert, F. Rahel, M. Quist, and M. Bower. Influence of human-made instream structures on the management and conservation of three native Colorado River basin fishes in the Muddy Creek watershed, Wyoming. Annual Meeting, Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Cheyenne, Wyoming, March 7, 2006.	March 2006
Compton, R. I., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. Influence of human-made instream structures on the management and conservation of three native Colorado River Basin fishes in the Muddy Creek watershed, Wyoming. 27th Annual Recovery Program Researchers Meeting, Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Species in the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins, Moab, Utah, January 18, 2006.	January 2006
Compton, R. I., W. A. Hubert, F. J. Rahel, M. C. Quist, and M. R. Bower. Population fragmentation affects native fishes in a Colorado River basin headwater stream system, Wyoming. Annual Meeting, Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Ft. Collins, Colorado, February 28, 2007.	February 2007
Collins, S., W. Fetzer, K. Gauthier, A. Walters, M. Ross, S. Sillen, 2023, Lake productivity trends and harmful algal blooms in the high-elevation Western United States. AGU annual meeting.	December 2023	While most research on eutrophication has been conducted in human-dominated watersheds, HABs have recently been reported in relatively undisturbed lakes in the high-elevation Western United States, suggesting that blooms can occur in unexpected settings and may be occurring more frequently.
Clancy, NG, Issak, DJ, Budy, P, and Walters AW. 2022. Vulnerability of warm-, cool-, & cold-water fishes to stream warming Colorado/Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Laramie, Wyoming, February 23 - March 3, 2022.	March 2022	Climate-induced temperature changes are less frequently considered with regards to cool-, and especially warm-water species. While future declines in species abundance and distribution are likely to depend on dispersal abilities, co-occurring species, and stream drying, this work demonstrates that vulnerability to stream warming is not limited to cold-water fishes.
Clancy, N.G., A.W. Walters, B.K. Peoples, F.J. Rahel, J. Lyons, N.E. Mandrak, P.E. Budy, and W.F. Cross. 2024. Functional importance and practical conservation of nongame freshwater fishes. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society 2024.	September 2024	Nongame fishes have historically been overlooked by fisheries management due to their lesser economic value compared to sportfishes. Limited funding continues to hamper their inclusion in current management. We provide a summary of their functional importance and highlight practical means of incorporating them into current conservation actions.
Clancy, N.G, D.J. Isaak, P. Budy, A.W. Walters. 2022. Vulnerability of warm-, cool-, & cold-water fishes to stream warming. Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Grand Rapids, Michigan, May 14-20. Oral Presentation.	May 2022	Significant declines in many cold-water species have been attributed to stream warming. While future declines in species abundance and distribution are likely to depend on dispersal abilities, co-occurring species, and stream drying, this work demonstrates that vulnerability to stream warming is not limited to cold-water fishes.
Clancy, N.G, D.J. Isaak, B. Maitland, P. Budy, A.W. Walters. 2022. Thermal refuges for climate vulnerable fishes in Montana. Montana AFS meeting.	February 2023	Stream warming is greatly affecting a large number of fishes, but most studies have focused on economically-valuable, cold-water species. While many warmwater fishes are expected to fare better in response to stream warming, increasing in abundance and distribution, that does not preclude other members of the guild from declining when stream temperatures exceed their thermal tolerances.
Clancy, N., E. Rieger, R. McShane, and A. Walters. 2023. Identifying potential climate-change refugia for fishes in the face of warming, drying, barriers, and invasive species. Western Division American Fisheries Society meeting.	May 2023	Climate-change refugia are areas where climate-vulnerable fishes will be able to persist despite declines in other parts of their range. We present a basin-scale approach to identify climate-change refugia that accounts for multiple variables including temperature, streamflow intermittency, invasive species, and barriers and integrates the system-specific knowledge of local biologists.
Ciepiela, L. and A. Walters. 2016. Estimating spatial heterogeneity and temporal stability of strontium isotope signatures for use in tracking fish movements. National AFS meeting.Kansas City.	August 2016	Over the last decade techniques for analyzing environmental chemical and isotopic signatures in otoliths have transformed the way researchers are able to track fish movement. There is a need to understand the temporal stability of isotopic signatures and develop a cost effective tool to estimate the spatial heterogeneity of isotopic signatures across watersheds prior to study initiation.
Ciepiela, L. and A. Walters. 2016. Estimating spatial heterogeneity and temporal stability of strontium isotope signatures for use in tracking fish movements. CO/WY AFS meeting. Laramie, WY.	March 2016	Strontium stable isotopes are a useful tool for assessing fish movement, but there is a need to better understand the temporal stability of isotopic signatures and develop a cost effective tool to estimate the spatial heterogeneity of isotopic signatures across watersheds prior to study initiation.
Ciepiela, L. R. and Walters, A. 2019. Quantifying ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr temporal stability and spatial heterogeneity for use in tracking fish movement. 2019 Oregon Chapter of the American Fisheries Society 55th Annual Meeting, Bend, Oregon.	March 2019	Knowing where fish reside, their migration routes and the habitats associated with their growth and reproduction is fundamental to the successful conservation of desired species and the eradication of undesired species. Our research presents an innovative technique for improving inferred fish movement when using otolith microchemistry to track fish movements.
Ciepiela, L. R. and Walters, A. 2018. Quantifying ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr temporal stability and spatial heterogeneity for use in tracking fish movement. Colorado/Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, Laramie, Wyoming.	February 2018	Knowing where fish reside, their migration routes and the habitats associated with their growth and reproduction is fundamental to the successful conservation of desired species and the eradication of undesired species. Our research presents an innovative technique for improving inferred fish movement when using otolith microchemistry to track fish movements.
Chalfoun, Anna, Lindsey Sanders, and Tayler Scherr. 2018. Thy neighbors matter: An experimental test of the prey site partitioning hypothesis. American Ornithological Society Annual Meeting, Tucson, AZ.	April 2018	Selection of safe reproductive sites is critical for the successful production of offspring. Whereas within-species factors such as microhabitat selection can clearly influence nest predation risk, whether neighborhood effects such as the distribution and attributes of conspecific and/or heterospecific nests influence nest survival, however, remains a largely open question.
Chalfoun, Anna D., Matthew G. Hethcoat, and Lindsey E. Sanders. 2017. Natural gas fields as ecological traps for nesting birds. Joint Meeting of the American Ornithological Society and Society of Canadian Ornithologists, East Lansing, MI, USA.	August 2017	Ecological traps can arise when contemporary, human-induced habitat change decouples habitat preferences with historic fitness outcomes. We investigated whether natural gas fields in Wyoming, USA were functioning as ecological traps for nesting sagebrush songbirds.
Chalfoun, A.,D., L. E. Sanders, and L. E. Hall. 2024. GOLDILOCKS EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION ON SAGEBRUSH SONGBIRD REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS. American Ornithological Society Annual Meeting, Estes Park, CO.	October 2024	This is an invited talk in a sagebrush bird symposium and focuses on the influence of temperature on sagebrush-obligate songbird demography.
Chalfoun, A., M. Hethcoat, and L. Sanders. 2024. SPATIOTEMPORAL VARIATION IN SAGEBRUSH SONGBIRD DEMOGRAPHY ACROSS HABITAT AND DISTURBANCE GRADIENTS. American Ornithological Society Annual Meeting, Estes Park, CO.	October 2024	This is an invited talk for a sagebrush birds symposium and focuses on a summary of The WY Coop Unit's sagebrush songbird body of work.
Chalfoun, A., M. Hethcoat, and L. Sanders. 2017. Natural gas fields as ecological traps for nesting birds. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Jackson, WY, 5-7 December, 2017.	December 2017	Ecological traps can arise when contemporary, human-induced habitat change decouples habitat preferences with historic fitness outcomes. We investigated the extent to which natural gas fields may be functioning as ecological traps for declining sagebrush songbirds.
Chalfoun, A., M. Gilbert, M. Hethcoat, L. Sanders, and T. Scherr. 2018. Are natural gas fields for the birds? An update on WLCI songbird research. WY-TWS and WLCI Joint Conference, Laramie, Wyoming.	November 2018	The talk will provide an update of progress and results obtained from the WLCI songbird project which began in 2008. The project has focused on responses of sagebrush songbirds to natural gas development within the WLCI area and the underlying mechanisms.
Chalfoun, A., L. Sanders, and M. Hethcoat. 2022. Increased abundance of a synanthropic nest predator generates an ecological trap in an altered landscape. Gordon Research Conference, Predator-Prey Interactions, Lucca Italy.	October 2022	Altered predator-prey dynamics within disturbed landscapes can result in ecological traps in which evolved habitat preferences no longer confer fitness advantages. The severity and longevity of ecological traps therefore has profound implications for population growth, yet necessitates longer-term studies to delineate, which have been rare.
Chalfoun, A., L. Sanders, and L. E. Hall. 2024. The utility of long-term ecological data: A case study focused on the WLCI Songbird Project. Joint Meeting of the WLCI and Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Cody, WY.	April 2024	The presentation focused on an update of the long-term WLCI-supported sagebrush songbird research in western WY from 2008 - 2023.
Chalfoun, A. D., Sanders, L. E., Scherr, T. M., and M. G. Hethcoat. 2019. Songbirds of the sagebrush sea: declines and mechanisms. American Ornithological Society Annual Meeting, Anchorage, AK.	June 2019	This is an invited talk for the "Understanding and Addressing the Collapse of the North American Avifauna" symposium. The talk will discuss some of the mechanisms underlying declines of sagebrush songbirds.
Chalfoun, A. D., K. Schmidt. 2011. Adaptive nest site selection: Is it for the birds?. 18th Annual Conference, The Wildlife Society, Waikoloa, Hawaii, 5-10 November 2011.	November 2011
Chalfoun, A. 2024. Sagebrush-associated songbirds in the GYE: Conservation challenges and insights. 16th Biennial Scientific Conference on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Big Sky, MT.	September 2024	The presentation will summarize the work of WY Coop Unit's long-term and on-going research on sagebrush songbird demography in western WY.
Carlisle, Jason D., Anna D. Chalfoun, Douglas A. Keinath, Kurt T. Smith, Jeffrey L. Beck, Melanie A. Murphy, Shannon E. Albeke. 2017. The Greater Sage-Grouse as a conservation surrogate: Where are the holes in the umbrella? Joint Meeting of the American Ornithological Society and Society of Canadian Ornithologists, East Lansing, MI, USA.	August 2017	Conservation practitioners have been hopeful that the Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) serves as an effective conservation surrogate for other species of concern in the sagebrush biome. Our comprehensive analysis suggests that broad-scale habitat protections for sage-grouse can benefit many other wildlife species that inhabit sagebrush habitats, but the effectiveness of the sage-grouse "umbrella" breaks down at finer spatial scales.
Carlisle, J.D. and A.D. Chalfoun. 2011. Greater sage-grouse: potential umbrella species for non-game wildlife species of concern? 18th Annual Meeting, The Wildlife Society, Waikoloa, Hawaii, 5-10 November 2011. (Won best PhD student research-in-progress poster award)	November 2011
Carlisle, J.D. and A.D. Chalfoun. 2011. Greater sage-grouse: potential umbrella species for non-game wildlife species of concern? Annual Meeting, The Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Jackson, Wyoming, 6-9 December 2011.	December 2011
Carlisle, J., L. Hall, A. Chalfoun, K. Carr, and L. Sanders. 2017. Sage Thrashers raise the roof: Does an augmented nest structure conceal the nest from predators, or improve its microclimate? Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Jackson, WY, 5-7 December, 2017.	December 2017	The extent to which birds can modulate risks of nest failure via nest modifications is rarely documented. We tested alternative hypotheses for why sage thrashers, a sagebrush songbird, build roof structures in addition to the primary nest cup.
Carlin, M., and A. Chalfoun. 2018. Status of songbird species within western Wyoming gas fields following another decade of development. WY-TWS and WLCI Joint Meeting, Laramie, WY.	November 2018	Habitat alteration related to natural resource extraction in the western U.S. is a still-growing challenge for the management of sensitive species of wildlife. By resurveying avian points spanning a gradient of development and originally sampled during the 2008-2009 breeding seasons, we will determine (1) the population status of birds following another decade of development, and (2) whether patterns of abundance and diversity in relation to development remain the same, have relaxed, or have wo
Carlin, M., A. D. Chalfoun. 2019. Long-term responses of sagebrush songbirds to energy development. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Sheridan, WY.	November 2019	Rapid and widespread habitat changes associated with energy extraction and development have occurred within sagebrush shrublands across Wyoming. We resurveyed 140 point counts originally surveyed a decade previous, to determine whether sagebrush songbird abundance across a natural gas development gradient have remained, stablized, or worsened.
Carl Brown and Anna Chalfoun. 2016. Temporal changes in snow and tundra use by an alpine-obligate passerine. 2016. Annual Meeting of the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Cody, Wyoming.	November 2016	Alpine wildlife may be particularly susceptible to changing climatic regimes, particularly with respect to snowpack. We are investigating the abundance and habitat selection of an alpine-obligate passerine, the black rosy-finch which is one of the least studied birds in North America.
Carl Brown and Anna Chalfoun. 2015. Distribution of an alpine-obligate passerine in relation to habitat and snowpack. Joint WLCI and Wyoming TWS meeting, Lander, WY, 1-3 December, 2015.	December 2015	The black rosy-finch is one of the most understudied birds in North America. A denizen of the alpine during the breeding season, we are investigating distributional patterns in relation to key habitat variables including the presence of snowpack.
CONSERVING MIGRATORY MULE DEER THROUGH THE UMBRELLA OF SAGE-GROUSE	August 2014	Much time and effort is going into conserving habitat for sage grouse. This study evaluates the extent to which sage grouse protections in Wyoming also protect mule deer migration routes.
C. Webb, L. Combrink, A. Pilkerton, L. Schultz, D. Rhea, and A. Walters. Modeling Influence of Temperature on Colorado River Cutthroat Trout Distribution in the Upper Green River Drainage. 151st American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, 2021.	November 2021	This research enhances our understanding of temperature on the distribution of Colorado River Cutthroat Trout (CRC) and the role of temperature metrics in identifying CRC thermal regimes. It will equip managers with valuable information on the survivability, presence, and thermal tolerance limits of CRC in Wyoming and support further research across the native range of CRC.
Burckhardt, J. C., W. A. Hubert, R. Gipson, D. Zafft, K. Gelwicks, D. Hawk, and D. Money. The effects of habitat features on the distribution of Myxobolus cerebralis and occurrence of whirling disease among age-0 salmonids in the Salt River drainage, Wyoming-Idaho. Annual meeting Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Laramie, Wyoming.	February 2002
Burckhardt, J. C., W. A. Hubert, R. Gipson, D. Zafft, K. Gelwicks, D. Hawk, and D. Money. The effects of habitat features on the distribution of Myxobolus cerebralis and occurrence of whirling disease among age-0 salmonids in the Salt River drainage, Wyoming-Idaho. 8th Annual Whirling disease Symposium, Denver, Colorado.	February 2002
Burckhardt, J. C., W. A. Hubert, R. Gipson, D. Zafft, K. Gelwicks, D. Hawk, and D. Money. The effects of habitat features on the distribution of Myxobolus cerebralis and occurrence of whirling disease among age-0 salmonids in the Salt River drainage, Wyoming-Idaho. 8th Annual Whirling Disease Symposium, Denver, Colorado.	February 2002
Burckhardt, J. C., W. A. Hubert, R. Gipson, D. Zafft, K. Gelwicks, D. Hawk, and D. Money. The effects of habitat features on the distribution of Myxobolus cerebralis and occurrence of whirling disease among age-0 salmonids in the Salt Rive drainage, Wyoming-Idaho. Joint meeting of the Idaho and Bonneville chapters, American Fisheries Society, Pocatello, Idaho.	February 2002
Bruckhardt, J. C., W. A. Hubert, R. Gipson, D. Zafft, K. Gelwicks, D. Hawk, and D. Money. The effects of habitat features on the distribution of Myxobolus cerebralis and occurrence of whirling disease among age-0 salmonids in the Salt River drainage, Wyoming-Idaho. Annual Meeting, Colorado/Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Cheyenne, Wyoming.	March 2001
Browne, M., E. Donadio, and A. Chalfoun. 2024. Disentangling the effects of trophic cascades by top predators on the reproductive success of birds in the Argentinian Patagonia. Joint Meeting of the WLCI and Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Cody, WY.	April 2024	We highlight future work that will focus on the effects of puma repatriation in the Argentinian Patagonia on songbird reproductive rates.
Brown, C., and A. Chalfoun. 2018. Temporal changes in snow and tundra use by an alpine-obligate passerine. WY-TWS and WLCI Joint Meeting, Laramie, WY.	November 2018	We investigated the use of alpine habitat types by the Black Rosy-Finch (Leucosticte atrata) across breeding stages (pre-nesting, nesting, and post-fledging). This alpine breeding obligate is Wyoming’s highest nesting songbird, and one of the least studied species in North America.
Brown, C., and A. Chalfoun. 2017. Temporal changes in snow and tundra use by an alpine-obligate passerine. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Jackson, WY, 5-7 December, 2017.	December 2017	We are investigating the habitat use at multiple spatial scales for an alpine-obligate songbird in Wyoming. Improved information about the habitat needs for this species will be critical for the assessment of its conservation status.
Brittany Wagler, Lindsey Sanders, and Anna Chalfoun. 2016. Do reclaimed areas within natural gas fields augment small mammal body condition and abundance? Annual Meeting of the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Cody, Wyoming.	November 2016	Previous work in our lab demonstrated that rodents were more abundant surrounding natural gas wells which elevated nest predation rates of songbird species of concern. Here, we tested whether rodents may be benefitting from reclaimed areas surrounding well pads.
Brian Hickerson and Annika Walters. 2017. Evaluation of Potential Reintroduction Sites for Hornyhead Chub. Western AFS meeting	May 2017	Hornyhead Chub are a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Wyoming where they are restricted to 26 kilometers of stream habitat in two rivers. Because of this severely restricted distribution there is interest in establishing new Hornyhead Chub populations through translocation.
Brian Hickerson and Annika Walters. 2017. Evaluation of Potential Reintroduction Sites for Hornyhead Chub. CO/WY AFS meeting	February 2017	Hornyhead Chub are a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Wyoming where they are restricted to 26 kilometers of stream habitat in two rivers. Because of this severely restricted distribution there is interest in establishing new Hornyhead Chub populations through translocation.
Breiner, M., A. Walters, and A. Chalfoun. 2023. Investigating the influence of breeding habitat and disease on a declining population of Boreal Toads. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2023.	March 2023	Exploring multiple causative factors contributing to declines is pertinent for amphibian conservation. For our work, we will investigate the effects of breeding habitat and disease in a declining population of boreal toads in western Wyoming. Findings of this research will aid in the conservation of boreal toads through providing information on habitat requirements and the ability of individuals to cope with disease.
Breiner, M., A. Walters, W. Estes-Zumpf, and A. Chalfoun. 2023. Independent and interactive effects of habitat and disease on a declining amphibian. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Laramie, WY.	April 2023	Exploring multiple causative factors contributing to declines is pertinent for amphibian conservation. For our work, we investigated the effects of breeding habitat and disease in a declining population of boreal toads in western Wyoming. Findings of this research will aid in the conservation of boreal toads through providing information on habitat requirements and the ability of individuals to cope with disease.
Breiner, M., A. Chalfoun, and A. Walters. 2024. Investigation of Boreal Toad habitat use in western Wyoming. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2024.	February 2024	Identifying the contributors to boreal toad declines is needed throughout their range due to variation in population responses to environmental stressors and disease. Our investigation into the effects of breeding habitat and disease on a boreal toad population of concern will clarify critical habitat attributes for management and the ability of individuals to cope with disease.
Bower, M. R., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. Factors affecting conservation strategies for roundtail chub, flannelmouth sucker, and bluehead sucker in an isolated headwater watershed in Wyoming. Annual Meeting of the Desert Fishes Council, Tucson, Arizona.	November 2004
Booher, E.,A. Walters. 2020. Distribution, habitat use, and evaluation of potential managed translocation sites for Finescale Dace in the Great Plains. Western Division American Fisheries Society Meeting 2020. (cancelled due to covid)	April 2020	Factors that influence the distribution of climate relict fish populations are not well understood and could inform strategies to conserve rare and isolated fish populations. We evaluated basin-specific habitat and fish community associations of Finescale Dace, which can guide management actions aimed at safeguarding this species in Great Plains drainages of Wyoming, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
Booher, E.,A. Walters. 2020. Distribution, habitat use, and evaluation of potential managed translocation sites for Finescale Dace in the Great Plains. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2020.	February 2020	Factors that influence the distribution of climate relict fish populations are not well understood and could inform strategies to conserve rare and isolated fish populations. We evaluated basin-specific habitat and fish community associations of Finescale Dace, which can guide management actions aimed at safeguarding this species in Great Plains drainages of Wyoming, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
Booher, E. and Walters, A. 2018. Classification of habitat suitability for finescale dace in the Belle Fourche - Cheyenne and Niobrara Drainages. Western Division of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Anchorage, Alaska.	May 2018	: Finescale Dace are a recognized species of conservation concern in Wyoming and adjacent states on the Great Plains, where they occur as glacial relict populations. The development of a landscape-level habitat suitability model served as a first step in examination of factors influencing regional distribution of this species and identification of candidate sites for potential managed translocation actions by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Booher, E. and Walters, A. 2018. A landscape model for distribution and habitat suitability of finescale dace in the Belle Fourche - Cheyenne and Niobrara Drainages. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Laramie, Wyoming.	February 2018	Finescale Dace are a recognized species of conservation concern in Wyoming and adjacent states on the Great Plains, where they occur as glacial relict populations. The development of a landscape-level habitat suitability model served as a first step in examination of factors influencing regional distribution of this species and identification of candidate sites for potential managed translocation actions by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Booher, E and A. Walters. 2019. Islanders of the High Plains: finescale dace conservation and management in Wyoming. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2019.	February 2019	Finescale Dace is a species of greatest conservation need in Wyoming and adjacent states on the Great Plains. Modeled species-environment relationships will aid in the evaluation of translocation suitability for present and future study sites and provide insight into important factors that drive persistence of a rare minnow in river systems of the High Plains.
Booher, E and A. Walters. 2019. Islanders of the High Plains: finescale dace conservation and management in Wyoming. American Fisheries Society and the Wildlife Society joint annual conference, Reno, NV.	October 2019	Finescale Dace is a species of greatest conservation need in Wyoming and adjacent states on the Great Plains. Modeled species-environment relationships will aid in the evaluation of translocation suitability for present and future study sites and provide insight into important factors that drive persistence of a rare minnow in river systems of the High Plains.
Bonar, S., W. Hubert, and D. Willis. Standard methods for sampling North American freshwater fishes. Annual meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Ottawa, Canada.	August 2008
Bonar, S., W. Hubert, and D. Willis. Standard methods for sampling North American freshwater fishes. Annual Meeting, Western Division, American Fisheries Society, Albuquerque, New Mexico.	May 2009
Bonar, S., W. Hubert, and D. Willis. Standard methods for sampling North American freshwater fishes. Annual Meeting of the Western Division, American Fisheries Society, Portland, Oregon.	May 2008
Bonar, S. A., W. A. Hubert, and D. W. Willis. 2009. Standard methods for sampling North American freshwater fishes. Annual Meeting of the Western Division of the American Fisheries Society. Albuquerque, New Mexico, May 3-7, 2009.	May 2009
Bonar, S. A., W. A. Hubert, and D. W. Willis. 2009. Standard methods for sampling North American freshwater fishes. 139th Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Nashville, Tennessee. August 30 - September 3, 2009.	August 2009
Bonar, S. A., D. W. Willis, and W. A. Hubert. Standard sampling methods for North American freshwater fishes. Annual meeting, American Fisheries Society, Anchorage, Alaska.	September 2005
Becker, S.A., M.J. Kauffman, and S. Anderson. 2009. Decline of Jackson moose in northwest Wyoming. 44th Annual Conference and Workshop, North American Moose Conference, Pocatello, Idaho, 14-17 June 2009.	June 2009
Beatty, R. J., F. J. Rahel, and W. A. Hubert. Catostomid spawning migrations and late-summer fish assemblages in Muddy Creek, an intermittent watershed in Wyoming. Annual Meeting of the Colorado/Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Ft. Collins, Colorado.	March 2005
Barrineau, C., W. Hubert, P. Dey, and T. Annear. Evaluation of the design of instream habitat structures relative to winter trout habitat in a low-gradient foothills stream in Wyoming. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Madison, Wisconsin.	August 2004
Barrineau, C. E., W. A. Hubert, P. D. Dey, and T. C. Annear. Winter ice processes and habitat for salmonids associated with two types of instream habitat structures. Annual Meeting of the Western Division of the American Fisheries Society, Salt Lake City, Utah.	March 2004
Barrile, G., A.D. Chalfoun, and A. Walters. 2016. Boreal toad habitat selection and survival in relation to grazing intensity and disease prevalence. CO/WY AFS meeting, Laramie, WY.	March 2016	Amphibian populations are declining worldwide, often due to multiple stressors. We are investigating potential synergistic effects of habitat change due to grazing and disease.
Barrile, G., A. Walters, and A. Chalfoun. 2020. Buy high, sell low: an ecological investment strategy for population stability in a wild amphibian. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2020.	February 2020	Our study reveals that adaptive dispersal (i.e., emigration from poor quality breeding sites and settlement in high quality sites) in a dynamic ecosystem can help achieve population stability in an amphibian metapopulation. These results help clarify the mechanistic link between individual movement behavior and population abundance through time.
Barrile, G., A. D. Chalfoun, and A. Walters. 2019. Does habitat disturbance reduce breeding site fidelity of boreal toads in western Wyoming? Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Sheridan, WY.	November 2019	Understanding and predicting how disturbance influences the behavioral strategies of wildlife (e.g., site fidelity versus dispersal) is critical for conservation and management. Our goal in this study is to assess how the breaching of beaver dams (and subsequent draining of ponds) influences breeding site fidelity of boreal toad (Anaxyrus boreas boreas) populations in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in western Wyoming.
Barrile, G., A. Chalfoun, and A. Walters. 2018. Integrating count and capture-recapture data across multiple life-stages to model population dynamics of boreal toads in western Wyoming. WY-TWS and WLCI Joint Meeting, Laramie, WY.	November 2018	Forecasting population responses to natural and anthropogenic stressors is a fundamental challenge for conservation biologists and wildlife managers. Amphibian populations, in particular, pose an additional challenge because various life-stages often rely on different resources, making it difficult to predict the life-stage(s) at which the effects of stressors may manifest.
Barrile, G., A. Chalfoun, and A. Walters. 2018. Habitat use and body temperature influence Boreal Toad disease risk in Western Wyoming. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Laramie, Wyoming.	February 2018	Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), an emerging fungal pathogen primarily affecting amphibians, has caused severe population declines and several extinctions in amphibian populations worldwide. By developing a better understanding of how habitat influences body temperature and ultimately amphibian-Bd interactions, our results will help inform amphibian conservation worldwide.
Barrile, G., A. Chalfoun and A. Walters. 2017. Boreal toad habitat selection in relation to livestock grazing and disease prevalence. Joint Meeting of the CO/WY/UT Chapters of the American Fisheries Society, Grand Junction, CO.	February 2017	Human-induced change is a dominant cause of global amphibian declines, and may interact with other stressors such as disease. We assessed whether grazing and chytrid fungus interact to influence boreal toad movement, habitat selection and survival.
Barrile, G., A. Chalfoun,, and A. Walters. 2017. Habitat use and body temperature influence boreal toad disease risk in western Wyoming. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Jackson, WY, 5-7 December 2017.	December 2017	Emerging infectious diseases pose a significant threat to global amphibian populations and biodiversity. We examined how habitat selection may modulate risk of chytrid infection in boreal toads.
Banks, D., and W. Hubert. Population estimates of native and introduced catostomid species and their hybrids in an isolated headwater tributary to the Green River in Wyoming. Annual Meeting of the Western Division, American Fisheries Society, Portland, Oregon.	May 2008
Banks, D., and W. Hubert. Population estimates of native and introduced catostomid species and their hybrids in an isolated headwater tributary to the Green River in Wyoming. Annual Meeting of the Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Cheyenne, Wyoming.	March 2008
Banks, D., and W. Hubert. Population estimates of native and introduced catostomid species and their hybrids in an isolated headwater tributary to the Green River in Wyoming. 29th Annual Recovery Program Researchers Meeting, Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program, Moab, Utah.	January 2008
Baldock, J., A. Walters, and R. Al-Chokhachy. 2019. Evaluating the use of redd counts in monitoring Snake River Cutthroat in spring-fed tributaries of the upper Snake River watershed. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2019.	February 2019	The sampling error in redd counts associated with redd superimposition constitutes a considerable gap in our understanding that must be addressed if we are to continue to use redd counts to evaluate population status and trends of Snake River cutthroat trout spawning in groundwater-fed tributaries of the upper Snake River watershed.
Baldock, J., A. Walters, T. Walsworth, & R. Al-Chokhachy. 2020. Effects of redd superimposition on observer error structure in redd counts: Implications for long-term monitoring of Snake River cutthroat trout in Wyoming. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2020	February 2020	The sampling error in redd counts associated with redd superimposition constitutes a considerable gap in our understanding that must be addressed if we are to continue to use redd counts to evaluate population status and trends of Snake River cutthroat trout and other salmonid species.
Baldock, J., A. Walters, R. Al-Chokhachy, & M. Campbell. 2020. Effects of conspecific redd superimposition on the spawning success of Yellowstone cutthroat trout in Wyoming. Western Division of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2020. (cancelled due to covid)	April 2020	The effect of redd superimposition of the survival of previously laid eggs and fry must be evaluated in order to fully understand fundamental constraints on population parameters for Yellowstone cutthroat trout in western Wyoming.
Baldock, J., A. Walters, & R. Al-Chokhachy. 2021. Redd superimposition mediates observer error structure in redd counts for Yellowstone Cutthroat trout. Western Division of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2021.	May 2021	The sampling error in redd counts associated with redd superimposition constitutes a considerable gap in our understanding that must be addressed if we are to continue to use redd counts to evaluate population status and trends of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout and other salmonid species.
Baldock JR¹, Walters A², & Al-Chokhachy R³. 2022. Hydrologic controls on growth and production of age-0 Snake River Cutthroat Trout. Co-Wy Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2022.	March 2022	Groundwater input buffers spring-fed streams against seasonal variability in water temperature and discharge such that suitable fish habitat may persist year-round. Our anticipated results will provide a mechanistic understanding of disproportionate contributions of spring-fed streams to metapopulations of cutthroat trout. Further, our results will elucidate the role of spring-fed streams in sustaining trout populations as climate change renders other tributaries unsuitable. <b> </b>
Baldock JR¹ &Walters A². 2024. Climate and dam management interactively drive Yellowstone cutthroat trout productivity across a riverscape. American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2024.	September 2024	Climate change and water management fundamentally alter aquatic ecosystems via changes in streamflow and temperature. Our study provides insight into how climate and water management interactively affect population dynamics of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout. Our results can be used to design dam release schedules with the aim of increasing adaptive capacity under climate change.
Baldock JR, Walters A, Al-Chokhachy R, & Campbell MR. 2022. Spawning behavior mediates reproductive success and population productivity of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout. Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting 2022.	May 2022	The population-level effects of individual competition for suitable spawning habitat constitutes a considerable gap in our understanding of salmonid ecology. Understanding how spawning behavior mediates population dynamics will allow managers and conservationists to focus and refine strategies aimed at ensuring the long-term health of salmonid populations.
Baldock JR, Walters A, Al-Chokhachy R, & Campbell MR. 2021. Spawning behavior mediates reproductive success and population productivity of Snake River Cutthroat Trout. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2020.	February 2021	The population-level effects of individual competition for suitable spawning habitat constitutes a considerable gap in our understanding of salmonid ecology. Understanding how spawning behavior mediates population dynamics will allow managers and conservationists to focus and refine strategies aimed at ensuring the long-term health of salmonid populations.
Baldock JR, Al-Chokhachy R, Campbell MR, & Walters A. 2023. Timing of reproduction generates fitness trade-offs in Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2023.	March 2023	The mechanisms generating and maintaining life history diversity constitute a considerable gap in our understanding of salmonid ecology. Understanding how population-level diversity in the timing of reproduction is maintained provides insight into the adaptive capacity of cutthroat trout to keep pace with climate change.
Baldock JR, Al-Chokhachy R, Campbell MR, & Walters A. 2023. Timing of reproduction generates fitness trade-offs for Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout. Advances in the Population Ecology of Stream-Dwelling Salmonids VI.	May 2023	The mechanisms generating and maintaining life history diversity constitute a considerable gap in our understanding of salmonid ecology. Understanding how population-level diversity in the timing of reproduction is maintained provides insight into the adaptive capacity of cutthroat trout to keep pace with climate change.
Baldock JR, Al-Chokhachy R, &Walters A. 2024. Groundwater structures Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout growth and production across a riverscape. Co-Wy Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2024.	February 2024	Groundwater input buffers mountain streams against seasonal variability in water temperature and discharge such that suitable juvenile fish rearing habitat may persist longer relative to streams in which flow is dominated by snowmelt. Our results provide a mechanistic understanding of how groundwater structures spatiotemporal variation in juvenile trout growth and production across a riverscape in a range-wide species stronghold.
Bailey, P., and W. Hubert. Influence of accessibility by anglers on the dynamics of salmonids in high-mountain lakes. Annual Meeting, Great Plains Fisheries Workers, Sidney, Nebraska.	February 2001
Bailey, P., N. Lester, and W. Hubert. Sampling coldwater fish in small standing waters of North America. Annual meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Ottawa, Canada.	August 2008
Bailey, P. E., and W. A. Hubert. Influence of accessibility by anglers on the dynamics of salmonids in high-mountain lakes. Annual Meeting, Colorado/Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Cheyenne, Wyoming.	March 2001
Bailey, P, and W. Hubert. Influence of accessibility by anglers on the dynamics of salmonids in high-mountain lakes. Annual Meeting, Great Plains Fisheries Workers, Sidney, Nebraska.	February 2001
B Lowrey, M Kauffman, J Begay, S Bergen, K Blecha, S Bundick, JW Cain III, M Cowardin, O Duvuvei, A Ehrhart, B Folt, J Fort, J Gagnon, E Gelzer, E Greenspan, E Hagler, M Hanson, VD Hinojoza-Rood, A Jakes, J Kolek, C McKee, KL McKee, JA Merkle, J Merrell, BA Oates, C Reddell, R Ritson, BM Russo, H Sawyer, C Schroeder, S Sprague, N Tatman, D Whittaker, S Wiechman. 2024. Mapping big game migrations across the western states: science support for management and conservation. The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, 20-24 October, Baltimore, MD, USA.	October 2024	The Corridor Mapping Team (CMT) is a collaboration between USGS and state, tribal, and federal wildlife agencies that has analyzed and mapped 182 ungulate migrations. Results are published annually in a report series; map layers map layers are made available through the ScienceBase data archive of the USGS and an online public map viewer. This science contributes to management approaches that advance how migrations are mapped, managed, and conserved in the American West.
Ashleigh Rhea, Jason Carlisle, Anna Chalfoun. 2016. Variation in nestling size in three species of sagebrush songbirds. Annual Meeting of the Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Cody, Wyoming.	November 2016	The frequency and causes of intra-brood size differences in birds are not well understood, but they likely have consequences on subsequent survival of individuals post-fledging. We used data from a recent study of nesting Brewer's Sparrows (Spizella breweri), Vesper Sparrows (Pooecetes gramineus), and Sage Thrashers (Oreoscoptes montanus) to address three research questions: 1) How common are runts? 2) Does the frequency of runts vary by species? 3) Does brood size correlate with the occurr
Ashleigh Pilkerton, Elizabeth Mandeville, Joe Skorupski, Paul Gerrity, William Rosenthal, Annika Walters, and Catherine Wagner. 2019. Spatiotemporal patterns of hybridization of Walleye and Sauger in the Bighorn and Wind River Sauger Populations. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2019.	February 2019	Sauger Sander Canadensis are a species of greatest conservation need in Wyoming due to habitat fragmentation, competition with non-native fish, and the potential loss of genetic integrity through co-occurrence and hybridization with Walleye Sander vitreus. Understanding the spatial and temporal dynamics of hybridization and life histories of the Bighorn and Wind River Sauger populations will facilitate effective management decisions and provide a broader context for population genetic structure
Annika Walters, Frank Rahel, and Caitlin Peterson. 2017. Which fish species are most vulnerable to warming stream temperatures associated with climate change? Western AFS meeting.	May 2017	One challenge for mitigating and managing climate change is predicting which fish species are most vulnerable to warmer stream temperatures. The vulnerability, or the susceptibility of a species to harm, is a function of both exposure and sensitivity.
Annika Walters, Frank Rahel, and Caitlin Peterson. 2017. Which fish species are most vulnerable to warming stream temperatures associated with climate change? CO/WY AFS meeting.	February 2017	One challenge for mitigating and managing climate change is predicting which fish species are most vulnerable to warmer stream temperatures. The vulnerability, or the susceptibility of a species to harm, is a function of both exposure and sensitivity.
Annika W. Walters, Niall G. Clancy, Thomas P. Archdeacon, Songyan Yu, Jane S. Rogosch, and Elizabeth A. Rieger. 2024. Refuge identification as a climate adaptation strategy to promote fish persistence during drought. Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society / Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative 2024 conference, Cody, Wyoming, USA.	April 2024	Climate change is leading to global increases in extreme events, such as drought, that threaten the persistence of freshwater biodiversity. Identification and management of drought refuges, areas that promote resistance and resilience to drought, will be crucial for preserving and recovering fish biodiversity in the face of climate change.
Anna D. Chalfoun, Matthew G. Hethcoat, Tracey N. Johnson Lindsey E. Sanders. 2015. Mechanisms underlying effects of energy development on wildlife: An update on WLCI songbird research. Joint Wyoming TWS and WLCI meeting, Lander, WY, 1-3 December, 2015.	December 2015	This talk will provide an update of WLCI-supported research focused on mechanistic understanding of effects of natural gas development effects on three declining songbird species.
Amadio, C., and W. Hubert. Distribution, habitat associations, and population dynamics of sauger in the upper Wind River watershed, Wyoming. Joint meeting of the Colorado-Wyoming and Bonneville chapters, American Fisheries Society, Grand Junction, Colorado.	March 2003
Amadio, C., W. A. Hubert, D. Dufek, K. Johnson, D. Oberlie, J. Deromedi, and M. White. Habitat and dynamics of sauger in a high-elevation watershed in Wyoming. Annual meeting, American Fisheries Society, Quebec, Canada.	August 2003
Amadio, C. J., W. A. Hubert, D. Dufek, K. Johnson, and D. Oberlie. Sauger distribution and habitat associations in the Wind River drainage, Wyoming. Annual Meeting of the Western Division of the American Fisheries Society, Salt Lake City, Utah.	March 2004
Alford, S. and Walters, A. Evaluating movement and colonization of fish in the Wyoming Range. American Fisheries Society and the Wildlife Society joint annual conference, Reno, NV.	October 2019	In the headwater streams of the Wyoming Range native fish encounter frequent disturbances. A long-term monitoring study in this region has examined effects of habitat, disturbance, physiological characteristics, and food availability on persistence of native fish. However, factors that affect colonization have not been examined. Understanding how colonization impacts species persistence is crucial to managing these native fish populations.
Alford, S. and Walters, A. 2020. Little Fish Insist to Persist: How colonization and movement dynamics enhance native fish resilience. Colorado and Wyoming American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Laramie, Wyoming.	February 2020	In the headwater streams of the Wyoming Range native fish encounter frequent disturbances. Our goal was to determine short-term colonization capabilities of native fish in the Wyoming Range and evaluate factors affecting fish colonization.
Alford, S. and Walters, A. 2019. Evaluating colonization of fish in the Wyoming Range. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2019.	February 2019	In the headwater streams of the Wyoming Range native fish encounter frequent disturbances. A long-term monitoring study in this region has examined effects of habitat, disturbance, physiological characteristics, and food availability on persistence of native fish. However, factors that affect colonization have not been examined. Understanding how colonization impacts species persistence is crucial to managing these native fish populations.
Alford, S. and Walters, A. 2018. Evaluating factors influencing movement rates of mottled sculpin and mountain sucker in the Wyoming Range. Colorado-Wyoming Subdivision of the American Fisheries Society Student Colloquium, Laramie, Wyoming.	February 2018	In the headwater streams of the Wyoming Range mottled sculpin and mountain sucker encounter frequent disturbances. Highly mobile species are more likely to recover post disturbance than less mobile species. Therefore, understanding factors that affect movement rates of mottled sculpin and mountain sucker are crucial to the preservation of these species.
Alex LeCheminant and Annika Walters. 2017. Movement dynamics and survival of hatchery-reared Colorado River cutthroat trout post-stocking. CO/WY AFS meeting.	February 2017	Colorado River cutthroat trout (CRC) have experienced significant declines in distribution and abundance throughout their native range. Despite successful removal of introduced salmonids and consistent stocking efforts since 2007, establishment and reproduction of hatchery reared CRC in La Barge watershed remains limited to date.
Aikens EO, Kauffman MJ, Merkle JA, Dwinnell SP, Fralick GL, and Monteith KL. 2017. The greenscape shapes surfing of resource waves in a large migratory herbivore. Gordon Research Conference on the Movement Ecology of Animals, Ventura, CA, March 20th, 2017.	March 2017	This work provides evidence that the migration route is critical foraging habitat for migrating mule deer. Additionally, this research provides a methodological framework to quantify the habitat quality of migration routes.
Abrahamse, M., and W. Hubert. Trammel nets for the assessment of burbot stocks in lentic systems: do they provide a reasonable tool? Annual Meeting, Western Division, American Fisheries Society, Albuquerque, New Mexico.	May 2009
Abrahamse, M., and W. Hubert. Trammel nets for the assessment of burbot stocks in lentic systems: do they provide a reasonable tool? Annual Meeting, Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Fort Collins, Colorado.	February 2009
Abrahamse, M., W. Hubert, and J. Deromedi. Relative abundance and structure of burbot populations among lakes and reservoirs of the Wind River drainage, Wyoming using standard sampling methods. Annual Meeting of the Colorado-Wyoming Chapter, American Fisheries Society, Cheyenne, Wyoming.	March 2008
Abrahamse, M., W. A. Hubert, and J. Deromedi. Assessment of relative abundance and structure of burbot populations among lakes and reservoirs of the Wind River drainage, Wyoming using standard sampling methods. Annual Meeting of the Great Plains Fisheries Workers Association, Sheridan, Wyoming.	January 2008
AW Walters, NG Clancy, B Newkirk, R McShane, and C Miller. 2022. Fish drought refuge delineation in intermittent streams. Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting 2022.	May 2022	Identifying and managing for refuges has emerged as an important tool for climate adaptation science and management. Our goal is to synthesize current knowledge on drought refuges for fish and suggest future directions for integrating drought refuges into climate adaptation management and research.
A. Walters, E. Booher, B. Hickerson, and Mark Kirk. 2021. Non-native species as an emerging threat to northern prairie fishes. American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting 2021.	November 2021	Prairie streams are a highly threatened ecosystem due to land use change and hydrologic alteration. We summarize recent studies exploring the role of predation in driving the distribution of native cyprinids in northern prairie streams.
A. Walters and R. Walker. 2017. Context dependent effects of flow on fish. Society for Freshwater Science annual meeting.	June 2017	Creating transferrable flow ecology relationships for fish has proved challenging. We propose that attributes of the flow event, habitat, and fish are the major sources of context dependency that drive variation in fish responses.
A. LeCheminant and A. Walters. 2018. Movement dynamics and survival of hatchery-reared Colorado River cutthroat trout post-stocking. Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Laramie, Wyoming.	February 2018	Colorado River cutthroat trout (CRC), have seen substantial reductions in abundance/geographic distribution within their native range. Increased understanding of factors influencing post-stocking success of CRC is imperative given the current status in addition to the high cost/ labor intensive nature of reintroduction projects.
Niall G. Clancy, Phaedra E. Budy, and Annika. W. Walters. 2024. High climate vulnerability of glacial-relict fishes. The Wyoming Wildlife Society / Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative conference, Cody, Wyoming, USA.	April 2024	Species responses to past climates have been suggested as a means to identify which are vulnerable to anthropogenic climate change. In freshwaters, fish-colonization patterns of formerly glaciated regions can be determined from current distributions, making them an ideal model for comparisons of historical biogeography and climate-change vulnerability.

Theses and Dissertations

Theses and Dissertations	Publication Date
Yandow, Leah H., Delineating Limiting Features of Habitat and Climate of American Pika (Ochotona princeps) Subpopulations in the face of Climate Change, M.S., Department of Zoology and Physiology, May 2012	May 2012
Vartanian, Janess M., Habitat Condition and the Nutritional Quality of Seasonal Forage and Diets: Demographic Implication for a Declining Moose Population in Northwest Wyoming, USA, M.S., Department of Zoology and Physiology, December, 2011.	December 2011
Underwood, Zachary. The movements and population structure of burbot (Lota lota) in the Wind River, Wyoming. M.S. Department of Zoology and Physiology, December 2015.	December 2015
The effect of sage-grouse conservation on wildlife species of concern: implications for the umbrella species concept	May 2017
Sawyer, Hall, Habitat use and migration ecology of mule deer in developing gas fields of western Wyoming, Ph.D., Department of Zoology and Physiology, April 2010.	April 2010
Samantha Alford 2020. Evaluating movement and recolonization dynamics of native fish in the Wyoming Range. M.S., Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming.	May 2020
Ruthven, Jacob S., Evaluating the Effects of Brook Stickleback on Native Nongame Fishes in Wyoming, M.S., Department of Zoology and Physiology, May 2022	May 2022
Richard Walker 2019. Ecological responses to multiple stressors in headwater streams of the Wyoming Range. Ph.D. Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming	May 2019
Population Connectivity and Multi-stage Habitat Selection in a Montane Amphibian	August 2017
Peterson, Caitlin. Development of thermal tiers and regulatory criteria for Wyoming stream fishes. M.S. Department of Zoology and Physiology. May 2017.	May 2017
Nelson, Abigail A., Master of Science, M.S., Department of Zoology and Physilogy, August 2011.	August 2011
Middleton, Arthur Dehon., The Influence of Large Carnivore Recovery and Summer Conditions on the Migratory Elk of Wyoming's Absaroka Mountains, Ph.D., Program in Ecology, August 2012.	August 2012
Mechanistic understanding of the effects of natural gas development on sagebrush-obligate songbird nest predation rates	May 2014
Mechanisms underlying increased nest predation near natural gas development	December 2017
Magruder, Alissa C., Movement patterns of Roundtail Chub and Flannelmouth Sucker in the Blacks Fork Subbasin, M.S., Department of Zoology and Physiology, August 2022.	August 2022
Lindsy Ciepla. 2017. Determining salmonid spawning site fidelity and movement in the Upper North Platte River Drainage, Wyoming using Sr isotopes in otoliths. M.S. Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming	December 2017
Kyle, C. 2024. Evaluating Seasonal Movements of Mule Deer, Elk and Moose Living in a Common Environment. Masters thesis, University of Wyoming.	May 2024
Indirect effects of wind energy development on grassland bird habitat use and reproductive success	May 2015
Hubbard, Kaylan A., The Relative Influence of Adjacent Road Characteristics and Habitat on Lizard Populations in Arid Shrublands, M.S., Department of Zoology and Physiology, December 2011	December 2011
Heyward, Joslin E., An assessment of Spatiotemporal Refugia for Wildlife during a Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic, M.S., Department of Zoology and Physiology, December 2012	December 2012
Girard, Carlin. The effects of oil and natural gas development on water quality, aquatic habitat, and native fish in streams along the Wyoming Range. M.S. Department of Zoology and Physiology, August 2015.	August 2015
Fugate, J. 2024. Origin Stories: Migration, the role of learning and Yellowstone bison. Masters thesis, University of Wyoming.	May 2024
Fennell, John M., Temporal segregation in spawning between Yellowstone cutthroat trout and rainbow trout, M.S., Department of Zoology and Physiology, August, 2021.	August 2021
Evan Booher. 2020. Distribution, habitat use, and evaluation of potential managed translocation sites for Finescale Dace on the High Plains of the Central U.S. M.S. Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming.	May 2020
Carlin, Maxfield A., Decadal abundance and habitat preference of sagebrush songbirds along a gradient of natural gas development. MS. Department of Zoology and Physiology, October 2020.	October 2020
Brown, Carl W., Habitat Associations of Alpine Songbirds Amidst a Changing Climate. MS. Department of Zoology and Physiology, April 2021.	April 2021
Brian Hickerson 2018. Conservation and recovery of Hornyhead Chub. M.S. Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming	May 2018
Behavioral, demographic, and community responses of small mammals to habitat homogenization by cheatgrass	May 2016
Behavioral plasticity and resilience of a montane mammal in a changing climate	May 2017
Becker, S.A. 2008. Habitat selection, condition, and survival of Shiras moose in northwest Wyoming. MS Thesis. Department of Zoology and Physiology. University of Wyoming.	December 2008
Barrile, Gabriel M., Behavioral and demographic responses to environmental change in a pond-breeding amphibian, Ph.D., Program in Ecology, May 2021.	May 2021
Banks, D. T. 2009. Abundance, habitat use, and movements of bluehead suckers, flannelmouth suckers, white suckers, and hybrid catostomids in Little Sandy Creek, a tributary to the Big Sandy River in Wyoming. Master's thesis. University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming.	December 2009
Alex LeCheminant 2019. Movement dynamics and survival of hatchery reared Colorado River Cutthroat Trout post stocking. M.S. Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming	May 2019

Technical Publications

Technical Publications	Publication Date
Zeigenfuss, L.C., Aikens, E., Aldridge, C.L., Anderson, P.J., Assal, T.J., Bowen, Z.H., Chalfoun, A.D., Chong, G.W., Eddy-Miller, C.A., Germaine, S.S., Graves, T., Homer, C.G., Huber, C.C., Johnston, A., Kauffman, M.J., Manier, D.J., McShane, R.R., Miller, K.A., Monroe, A.P., Ortega, A., Walters, A.W., and Wyckoff, T.B., 2019, U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2017 annual report: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018–1188, 57 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20181188	December 2019
Simpkins, D. G., and W. A. Hubert. 2002. Factors affecting the overwinter survival of stocked rainbow trout and cutthroat trout in Wyoming tailwaters with recommendations for management and research. Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Cheyenne, Wyoming. 52 pages.	December 2002
Senecal, A. C ., and W. A. Hubert. 2007. Variation in physical habitat features and small fish assemblages during the summer months in the Powder River, Wyoming.	November 2007
Sawyer, H., and M.J. Kauffman. 2008. Identifying mule deer migration routes in the Atlantic Rim Project Area. Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Laramie, Wyoming 82071. Prepared for the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of Wyoming.	June 2008
Sawyer, H., and M.J. Kauffman. 2008. Identifying mule deer migration routes along the Pinedale Front. Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Laramie, Wyoming 82071. Prepared for the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust.	June 2008
Savell, S. L., K. J. Reddy, T. A. Wesche, Q. D. Skinner, W. A. Hubert, and R. Hall. 1999. Beneficial use reconnaissance monitoring protocols for large rivers and lakes to develop total maximum daily load standards. Report to Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality.	January 2000
Savell, S. L., K. J. Reddy, T. A. Wesche, Q. D. Skinner, W. A. Hubert, R. A. Marston, and R. Hall. 1999. Beneficial use reconnaissance monitoring protocols for large rivers and lakes to develop total maximum load standards. Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Division, Cheyenne, Wyoming. 40 pages.	December 1999
Quist, M. C., and W. A. Hubert. 2004. Wyoming Habitat Assessment Methodology (WHAM) Level I Assessment Manual. Fish Division, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Cheyenne, Wyoming.	June 2004
Quist, M. C., and W. A. Hubert. 2005. Precision of hard structures to estimate age and growth of bluehead suckers, flannelmouth suckers, and roundtail chubs. U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Cheyenne, Wyoming, and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Salt Lake City, Utah. 29pp.	November 2005
Quist, M. C., W. A. Hubert, and F. J. Rahel. 2004. Warmwater stream assessment manual. Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Cheyenne. 182 pages plus forms and appendices.	January 2004
Keinath, D.A., M. J. Kauffman and G.P. Beauvais. 2008. Assessment of Wildlife Vulnerability to Energy Development (AWVED): 2008 Progress Report. September 15, 2008.	September 2008
Keinath, D.A., M. Andersen, and G.P. Beauvais. 2010. Range and modeled distribution of Wyoming’s Species of Greatest Conservation Need. August 20, 2010.	August 2010
Kauffman, M.J., Courtemanch, A.B., and A.B. Rutledge. 2009. Resource selection and group association of translocated bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) in north-central Wyoming: does source herd matter? Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. University of Wyoming.	April 2009
Kauffman, M.J. and others. Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States. USGS Scientific Investigations Report	April 2020
Jackson Moose Project - GTNP 2009 Annual Report	June 2009
Jackson Moose Project - GTNP 2008 Annual Report	June 2008
Isaak, D. J., and W. A. Hubert. 2001. Management issues confronting fish populations in mountain tributaries to the Salt River. Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Fish Division, Cheyenne, Wyoming. 28 pages.	June 2001
Isaak, D. J., W. A. Hubert, and C. R. Berry. 2002. Conservation assessment for lake chub (Couesius plumbeus), mountain sucker (atostomus platyrhynchus), and finescale dace (Phoxinum neogaeus) in the Black Hills National Forest of South Dakota and Wyoming. USDA Forest Service, Black Hills National Forest, Custer, South Dakota. 93 pages.	December 2002
Irwin, E. R., W. A. Hubert, C. F. Rabini, H. L. Schramm, Jr., and T. Coon (eds.). Catfish 2000: Proceedings of the International Ictalurid Symposium. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD.	January 2000
Hubert, W. A., J. C. Burckhardt, R. Gipson, D. Zafft, D. J. Money, and D. A. Hawk. 2002. The effects of landscape features on the distribution of Myxobolus cerebralis and occurrence of whirling disease among age-0 trout in the Salt River drainage, Wyoming-Idaho. Final Report. Whirling Disease Foundation, Bozeman, Montana. 75 pages.	June 2003
Hubert, W. A., J. C. Burckhardt, D. Zafft, K. Gelwicks, D. J. Money, and D. A. Hawk. 2002. The effects of landscape features on the distribution of Myxobolys cerebralis and occurrence of whirling disease among age-0 mountain whitefish in the Salt River drainage, Wyoming-Idaho. Final Report. Whirling Disease Foundation, Bozeman, Montana. 40 pages.	September 2002
Holloran, M. J., R. C. Kaiser, and W. A. Hubert. 2007. Population response of yearling greater sage-grouse to the infrastructure of natural gas fields in southwestern Wyoming. Report to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Cheyenne, Wyoming.	November 2007
Hebdon, J. L., and W. A. Hubert. 1999. 1998 Wyoming anglers survey. Volume II. Angler comments. Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Fish Division, Cheyenne, Wyoming. 59 pages.	September 1999
Hebdon, J. L., and W. A. Hubert. 1999. 1998 Wyoming anglers survey. Volume I. Angler survey. Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Fish Division, Cheyenne, Wyoming. 150 pages.	September 1999
Elk Nutritional Condition Project - 2012 Annual Report	July 2012
Elk Nutritional Condition Project - 2011 Annual Report	January 2011
Elk Nutritional Condition Project - 2010 Annual Report	June 2010
Elk Monitoring Project - 2011 Annual Report	August 2011
Carr, N.B., and Melcher, C.P., eds., 2015, Wyoming Basin Rapid Ecoregional Assessment: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015–1155, 896p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151155.	August 2015
Carr, N.B., Garman, S.L., Walters, Annika, Ray, Andrea, Melcher, C.P., Wesner, J.S., O’Donnell, M.S., Sherrill, K.R., Babel, N.C., and Bowen, Z.H., 2013 Wyoming Basin Rapid Ecoregional Assessment work plan: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2013–1223, 58 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20131223.	December 2013
Bowen, Z.H., Aldridge, CL.., Anderson, P.J., Chong, G.W., Drummond, M.A., Homer, C., Johnson, R.C., Kauffman, M.J., Knick, S.T., Kosovich, J.J., Miller, K.A., Owens, T., Shafer, S., Schenck, C.J., and Sweat, M.J., 2007, U.S. Geological Survey Science Plan for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative: Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 32 p.	July 2007
Bowen, Z.H., Aldridge, C.L., Anderson, P.K., Assal, T., Baer, L.A., Bristol, S., Carr, N.B., Chong, G.W., Diffendorfer, J.E., Fedy, B.C., Garman, S.L., Germaine, S., Grauch, R.I., Homer, C., Manier, D., Kauffman, M.J., Latysh, N., Melcher, C.P., Miller, K.A., Montag, J., Nutt, C.J., Potter, C., Sawyer, H., Smith, D.B., Sweat, M.J., and Wilson, A.B., 2009, U.S. Geological Survey Science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2008 Annual Report: Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Scientific Investigations Report 2009-XXX, 96 p.	December 2009
Bowen, Z.H., Aldridge, C.L., Anderson, P.J., Assal, T.J., Bern, C.R., Biewick, L.R.H., Boughton, G.K., Chalfoun, A.D., Chong, G.W., Dematatis, Marie, Fedy, B.C., Garman, S.L., Germaine, Stephen, Hethcoat, M.G., Homer, Collin, Huber, Collin, Kauffman, M.J., Latysh, Natalie, Manier, Daniel, Melcher, C.P., Miller, K.A., Potter, C.J., Schell, S.L., Sweat, M.J., Walters, Annika, and Wilson, A.B., 2014, U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2013 annual report: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014–1213, 60 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20141213.	October 2014
Bowen, Z.H., Aldridge, C.L., Anderson, P.J., Assal, T.J., Bartos, T.T., Chalfoun, A.D., Chong, G.W., Dematatis, M.K., Eddy-Miller, C.A., Garman, S.L., Germaine, S.S., Homer, C.G., Huber, C.C., Kauffman, M.J., Manier, D.J., Melcher, C.P., Miller, K.A., Norkin, Tamar, Sanders, L.E., Walters, A.W., Wilson, A.B., and Wyckoff, T.B., 2016, U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2015 annual report: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2016–1141, 59 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161141.	September 2016
Bowen, Z.H., Aldridge, C.L., Anderson, P.J., Assal, T.J., Bartos, T.T., Biewick, L.R.H., Boughton, G.K., Chalfoun, A.D., Chong, G.W., Dematatis, M.K., Eddy-Miller, C.A., Garman, S.L., Germaine, S.S., Homer, C.G., Huber, Christopher, Kauffman, M.J., Latysh, Natalie, Manier, D.J., Melcher, C.P., Miller, A.R., Miller, K.A., Olexa, E.M., Schell, S.L., Walters, A.W., Wilson, A.B., and Wyckoff, T.B., 2015, U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2014 annual report: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015–1091, 61 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151091.	July 2015
Bigelow, P. E., and W. A. Hubert. 2008. Predicting lake trout spawning areas in Yellowstone Lake as part of the native Yellowstone cutthroat trout preservation program in Yellowstone National Park. Cooperative Ecosystems Study Unit Contract UWY25-J1580030633. Report to National Park Service, Yellowstone National Park. 88pp.	November 2008
Anderson, P.J., Aldridge, C.L., Alexander, J.S., Assal, T.J., Aulenbach, S., Bowen, Z.H., Chalfoun, A.D., Chong, G.W., Copeland, H., Edmunds, D.R., Germaine, S., Graves, T., Heinrichs, J.A., Homer, C.G., Huber, C.C., Johnston, A., Kauffman, M.J., Manier, D.J., McShan, R.R., Eddy-Miller, C.A., Miller, K.A., Monroe, A.P., O’Donnell, M.S., Ortega, A., Walters, A.W., Wieferich, D., Wyckoff, T.B., and Zeigenfuss, L., 2021, U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2018 annual report: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2021–1067, 33 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20211067.	July 2021
Amadio, C. J., W. A. Hubert, K. Johnson, D. Oberlie, and D. Dufek. In press. Abundance of adult saugers across the Wind River watershed, Wyoming. North American Journal of Fisheries Management.	October 2005
Absaroka Elk Ecology Project - 2010 Annual Report	December 2010
Absaroka Elk Ecology Project - 2008 Annual Report	June 2008
Absaroka Elk Ecology - 2009 Annual Report	December 2009
5. Carleton, SA. 2012. Using biomarkers to determine natal origins of shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus), channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), Yellowstone cutthroat (Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri), and kokanee salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). Final Report to Wyoming Department of Game and Fish.	June 2012
4. Carleton, SA and M Kauffman. 2012. Linking landscape geomorphology and strontium stable isotopes to delineate seasonal range use of Wyoming ungulates. Annual Progress Report to Wyoming Department of Game and Fish.	June 2012
2013 Annual Report - Wyoming Range Mule Deer Study	December 2012
2013 Annual Report - Effects of Wind Energy Development on Breeding Grassland Birds	July 2013
2012 Progress Report - WY Migration Initiative (6.13)	June 2013
2012 Final Report - Elk Survival (Multi-state)	December 2012
2012 Final - Shiras Moose Demography Project	December 2012
2012 Annual Report - Teton Bighorn Sheep Project	December 2012
2012 Annual Report - Sublette Moose Demography and Habitat Use	December 2012
2012 Annual Report - Statewide Moose Habitat Study	December 2013
2012 Annual Report - Shiras Moose Demography Project	December 2012
2012 Annual Report - Migration Corridors and Landscape Connectivity Project	December 2012
2012 Annual Report - Mechanistic Study of Songbird Energy Development Impacts	June 2012
2012 Annual Report - Effects of Wind Energy Development on Breeding Grassland Birds.	July 2012
2012 Annual - The Effectiveness of Sage-Grouse Core Areas as an Umbrella for Non-Game Species	March 2013
2011 Annual Report - Teton Bighorn Sheep Project	December 2011
2011 Annual Report - Shiras Moose Demography	December 2011
2011 Annual Report - Mechanistic Study of Songbird Energy Development Impacts	June 2011
2011 Annual Report - Effects of Wind Energy Development on Breeding Grassland Birds	June 2011
2010 Annual Report - Teton Bighorn Sheep Project	December 2010
2009 Annual Report - Teton Bighorn Sheep Project	March 2009
2009 Annual Report - Mule Deer Migration and Energy Development	November 2009
2008 Annual Report - Teton Bighorn Sheep Project	December 2008
2008 Annual Report - Mule Deer Migrations and Energy Development	December 2008
2007 Annual Report - Teton Bighorn Sheep Project	December 2007
1. Bowen, Z.H., Aikens, E., Aldridge, C.L., Anderson, P.J., Assal, T.J., Chalfoun, A.D., Chong, G.W., Eddy-Miller, C.A., Garman, S.L., Germaine, S.S., Homer, C.G., Johnston, A., Kauffman, M.J., Manier, D.J., Melcher, C.P., Miller, K.A., Walters, A.W., Wheeler, J.D., Wieferich, D., Wilson, A.B., Wyckoff, T.B., and Zeigenfuss, L.C., 2018, U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative—2016 annual report: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018–1048, 49 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20181048.	April 2018

Data or Software Releases

Type	Citation	Publication Date
Data Release	Ruthven, J., and Walters, A., 2023, Isotopic Data for Fishes in Wyoming, USA: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9QDYS21	August 2021
Data Release	Ruthven, J., and Walters, A., 2023, Isotopic Data for Fishes in Wyoming, USA: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9QDYS21	April 2024
Data Release	Ruthven, J., and Walters, A., 2023, Brook Stickleback occurrence and environmental data 2020-2021: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P97IBU2T.	January 2023
Data Release	Ruthven, J., and Walters, A., 2023, Brook Stickleback occurrence and environmental data 2020-2021: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P97IBU2T.	February 2023
Data Release	Pilkerton, A., and Walters, A. 2024. Suspended sediment and hyporheic dissolved oxygen data for the Shoshone River below Willwood Dam 2019-2020: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P1437MTW.	May 2023
Data Release	Pilkerton, A., and Walters, A. 2024. Suspended sediment and hyporheic dissolved oxygen data for the Shoshone River below Willwood Dam 2019-2020: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P1437MTW.	April 2024
Data Release	Newkirk, B., Walters, A., and Larson, E., 2023, Wyoming crayfish assemblages 1969 - 2020: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9FEK4N6.	January 2023
Data Release	Magruder, A., and Walters, A.W., 2024, Roundtail Chub and Flannelmouth Sucker movement data within the Blacks Fork subbasin, Wyoming 2019-2021: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P1CT2CW3.	May 2023
Data Release	Magruder, A., and Walters, A.W., 2024, Roundtail Chub and Flannelmouth Sucker movement data within the Blacks Fork subbasin, Wyoming 2019-2021: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P1CT2CW3.
Data Release	Kauffman, M.J., Lowrey, B., Beck, J., Berg, J., Bergen, S., Berger, J., Cain, J., Dewey, S., Diamond, J., Duvuvuei, O., Fattebert, J., Gagnon, J., Garcia, J., Greenspan, E., Hall, E., Harper, G., Harter, S., Hersey, K., Hnilicka, P., Hurley, M., Knox, L., Lawson, A., Maichak, E., Meacham, J., Merkle, J., Middleton, A., Olson, D., Olson, L., Reddell, C., Robb, B., Rozman, G., Sawyer, H., Schroeder, C., Scurlock, B., Short, J., Sprague, S., Steingisser, A., and Tatman, N., 2022, Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 2: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9TKA3L8.<br><br>
Data Release	Kauffman, M.J., Lowrey, B., Beck, J., Berg, J., Bergen, S., Berger, J., Cain, J., Dewey, S., Diamond, J., Duvuvuei, O., Fattebert, J., Gagnon, J., Garcia, J., Greenspan, E., Hall, E., Harper, G., Harter, S., Hersey, K., Hnilicka, P., Hurley, M., Knox, L., Lawson, A., Maichak, E., Meacham, J., Merkle, J., Middleton, A., Olson, D., Olson, L., Reddell, C., Robb, B., Rozman, G., Sawyer, H., Schroeder, C., Scurlock, B., Short, J., Sprague, S., Steingisser, A., and Tatman, N., 2022, Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States, Volume 2: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9TKA3L8.	April 2022

Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Wyoming
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Wyoming Research Activities

Links

Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Wyoming Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Wyoming Research Activities

Links

Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Wyoming
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources