Division of Biological Sciences

This Division contributes expertise, technical assistance and scientific approaches to resource problems across the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Our focus is in providing robust, defensible and transparent scientific information and assistance to the National Wildlife Refuge System. 

Read a scientific review describing the status and plight of large terrestrial mammals that migrate(d) in aggregations, world-wide.

Listen to the NPR interview covering this migration issue, with The Wildlife Conservation Society and The National Zoo.

Personnel:
		Steve Cullinan - Supervisor
		Patrick Donnelley - GIS / Remote Sensing FWS Projects: Fire ecology
		Kathy Granillo - Regional Biologist (on detail through 9/09)
		Grant Harris - Wildlife Biologist (Conservation Goals Coordinator) FWS Projects: Artificial wildlife drinkers, climate change, desert bighorn sheep, masked bobwhite, waterfowl
		David Lindsey - Physical Scientist FWS Projects: Masked bobwhite
		Kari McGuire - GIS / Remote Sensing FWS Projects: Climate change

Project Descriptions:

Artificial wildlife drinkers: Evaluating use of artificial wildlife drinkers by southwestern wildlife (occupancy and density) to optimize how managers present water for target species (location and timing). With Sevilleta and Kofa NWR and cooperative with Small Cat Conservation Alliance.

Climate change: With warming climates generating  biodiversity changes, the FWS needs better information on identifying where problem areas are, what species will be most affected, and when problems are likely to occur at Refuge scales, to better anticipate and plan for biodiversity changes. This project quantifies and maps geographical spatial changes (shifts) and rates of changes of vegetation in target ecosystems, models changes with precipitation and temperature data responsible for these changes, uses models to forecast environmental changes over the next 50 - 250 years, and maps the future distributions of biodiversity that these ecosystems contain. With USGS, NatureServe, Duke,  Rutgers and Texas Tech Universities.

Desert bighorn sheep: Combining habitat and population assays to evaluate the causes desert bighorn sheep declines at Kofa NWR.  Comparative answers between demographic and habitat approaches advance our understanding of causes of the herd decline (predation/habitat) and improve managers’ abilities to improve herd numbers. Cooperation with Arizona Game and Fish.

Fire ecology: Quantifying effects of prescribed fire on vegetation response (type/amount) at San Andres NWR. Evaluating how fire management synergizes with the natural fire regime across the landscape, and how vegetation response from fire equates to habitats favored by desert bighorn sheep. With Fire Management, New Mexico Natural Heritage, USGS and White Sands Missile Range.

Masked bobwhite: Predict, evaluate and describe the existence of remaining habitats and populations of masked bobwhites across its’ historic range (south-central AZ through Sonora, Mexico). Predictions guide searches for other wild populations, and identify location/amount of remaining habitat suitable for reintroductions.  With U. Maryland and USDA Remote Sensing App. Center.

Waterfowl: Quantifying and evaluating trends in waterfowl numbers, timing, and spatial use of National Wildlife Refuges across the Central Flyway:  Encompasses count data from 60 refuges spanning the Texas Gulf through North Dakota (~20 years). Goals include 1) Quantifying species and population trends of birds across refuges over time, and evaluating changes/numbers in refuges within a flyway-wide context 2) Examining changes in arrival/departure chronology. This work puts USFWS in better position to evaluate causal mechanisms such as habitat loss and climate change that may generate such changes in waterfowl numbers, timing or spatial patterns of use, and then plan appropriate management responses. Collaboration with Migratory Birds and Oklahoma State.

Staff Biographies
		Grant Harris Office Telephone:  505-248-6817 E-mail:  grant_harris@fws.gov PhD Duke University, Durham NC (2004) Wildlife Biologist: Chugach National Forest, Anchorage AK (2004 - 2008) FWS Projects: Artificial wildlife drinkers, climate change, desert bighorn sheep, masked bobwhite, waterfowl Publications: Alves, M.A.S., S.L. Pimm, A. Storni, M. Raposo, M.deL. Brooke, G. Harris, A. Foster & C.N. Jenkins. (in press). Birds, Montane forest, State of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil. Check List. Harris, G., Thirgood, S., Hopcraft, G., Cromsigt, J. P.G.M. and J. Berger. 2009. Global decline in aggregated migrations of large terrestrial mammals. Endangered Species Research 7: 55 - 76. Alves, M.A.S., Pimm, S.L., Storni, A., Raposo, M., Brook, M. de L., Harris, G., Foster, A., and C.N. Jenkins. 2008. Mapping and exploring the distribution of the Vulnerable grey-winged cotinga Tijuca condita. Oryx 42: 562 – 566 Harris, G.M., Russell, G.J., van Aarde, R. J., and S. L. Pimm. 2008. Rules of habitat use by elephants Loxodonta africana in southern Africa: insights for regional management. Oryx 42: 66 – 75. Harris, G. and S. L. Pimm. 2008. Range size and extinction risk in forest birds. Conservation Biology 22: 163 - 171. * Publication featured in Nature 449: 950 (2007). Harris, G.M., Jenkins, C.N. and S.L. Pimm. 2005. Refining biodiversity conservation priorities. Conservation Biology 19: 1957 – 1968. Harris, G. M., and S.L. Pimm. 2004. Bird species' tolerance of secondary forest habitats and its effects on extinction. Conservation Biology 18: 1607 – 1616. * Publication featured in Nature 432: 967 (2004). Shrader, A.M., Mosojane, S., Harris, G., Ferreira, S., Pimm, S.L. and R.J. van Aarde. 2003. Elephant survey at Seronga, Botswana. Report compiled for the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks.