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ID: rSPACE: spatially based power analysis for conservation and ecology
rSPACE: spatially based power analysis for conservation and ecology
Type: Article
Subjects: Detection probability
Occupancy estimation
Population monitoring
Population trends
Power analysis
Sampling design
Spatial simulation
Item 

        rSPACE: spatially based power analysis for conservation and ecology    
Type:Article
Subject:Detection probability
Occupancy estimation
Population monitoring
Population trends
Power analysis
Sampling design
Spatial simulation

                    Description:Summary

Power analysis is an important step in designing effective monitoring programs to detect trends in plant or animal populations. Although project goals often focus on detecting changes in population abundance, logistical constraints may require data collection on population indices, such as detection/non-detection data for occupancy estimation.
We describe the open-source R package, rSPACE, for implementing a spatially based power analysis for designing monitoring programs. This method incorporates information on species biology and habitat to parameterize a spatially explicit population simulation. A sampling design can then be implemented to create replicate encounter histories which are subsampled and analysed to estimate the power of the monitoring program to detect changes in population abundance over time, using occupancy as a surrogate.
The proposed method and software are demonstrated with an analysis of wolverine monitoring in a U.S. Northern Rocky Mountain landscape.
The package will be of use to ecologists interested in evaluating objectives and performance of monitoring programs.

 [show more]                

ID: Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Type: 
Subjects: 
Item 

        Ryan Fitzpatrick    

                    Description:Aquatic Research Scientist Eastern Plains Native FishesContact Information
Aquatic Research GroupColorado Parks and Wildlife317 West Prospect RoadFort Collins, CO 80526Phone: (970) 472-4336Email: ryan.fitzpatrick@state.co.us​
Education
​Ph.D. Candidate, Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology – Colorado State University, Present
M.S., Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology – Colorado State University, 2008
B.S., Finance and Management – Iowa State University, 2000​
Areas of Interest/Expertise
My primary research examines plains fish ecology, native species conservation, anthropogenic impacts to streams, fish movement, and otolith microchemistry. However, I am also involved in projects dealing with optimal sampling protocols, endocrine disrupting compounds, irrigation recharge, and fish passage.​
Current or Recent Positions
​Aquatic Research Scientist, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 2011-Present
Aquatic Conservation Biologist, Colorado Division of Wildlife, 2007-2011
Aquatic Technician, Colorado Division of Wildlife, 2006
Research Associate, Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2004-2008
Aquatic Technician, Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2003-2004
Current or Recent Research Projects
​Anthropogenic impacts affect probability of persistence for eastern plains native fishes in Colorado
Flathead chub (Platygobio gracilis) movement in Fountain Creek, Colorado
Spatial and optimal monitoring for plains fishes in Colorado
Endocrine disrupting compounds impact on Colorado’s eastern plains native fishes
Improving rock ramp fishways for small-bodies plains fishes
Training of hatchery reared fish to enhance antipredator behavior and increase  survival
Selected Publications
Adams, C. A., D. L. Winkelman, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2023. Impacts of wastewater treatment plant effluent on the winter thermal regime of two urban South Platte tributaries. Frontiers in Environmental Science 11:457.
Baum, C. M., D. L. Winkelman, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2023. Temperature and winter duration requirements for reproductive success in Johnny Darter Etheostoma nigrum in the South Platte River Basin, Colorado. Freshwater Biology 68(7): 1238-1251.
Fitzpatrick, R. M., D. Longrie, R. Friebertshauser, and P. Foutz. 2023. Evaluation of a prefabricated fish passage structure for Great Plains fishes. Fishes 2023, 8, 403.
Kopack, C. J., E. D. Broder, E. R. Fetherman, R. M. Fitzpatrick, and L. M. Angeloni. 2023. Assessing antipredator behavior and the potential to enhance it in a species of conservation concern. North American Journal of Aquaculture 85:136-145.
Kopack, C. J., E. R. Fetherman, E. D. Broder, R. M. Fitzpatrick, and L. M. Angeloni. 2023. The effects of abiotic enrichment and predator training on the behavior,morphology, and survival of a species of conservation concern. Conservation Science and Practice, e12999.
Swarr, T. R., C. A. Myrick, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2023. Design, construction, and hydraulic evaluation of a model rock ramp fishway. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 43(4): 935-946.
Adams, C. M., D. L. Winkelman, P. A. Schaffer, D. L. Villeneuve, J. E. Cavallin, M. Ellman, K. S. Rodriguez, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2022. Elevated winter stream temperatures below wastewater treatment plants shifts reproductive development of Johnny Darter Etheostoma nigrum: a field and histological approach. Fishes 7:361.
Ciepiela, L. R., R. M. Fitzpatrick, S. T. Lewis, and Y. Kanno. 2021. Behavioral interactions between a native and an invasive fish species in a thermally heterogeneous experimental chamber. Fishes 2021(6):1–13.
Fitzpatrick, R. M., D. L. Winkelman, and B. M. Johnson. 2021. Using isotopic data to evaluate Esox lucius (Linnaeus, 1758) natal origins in a hydrologically complex river basin. Fishes 2021(6):1–14.
Swarr, T. R., C. A. Myrick, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2021. Tag effects in and effects of passive integrated transponder tagging on survival and swimming performance of a small-bodied darter. Journal of Fish Biology 2022:1–10.
Gibson-Reinemer, D. K., F. J. Rahel, S. E. Albeke, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2017. Natural and anthropogenic barriers to climate tracking in river fishes along a mountain-plains transition zone. Diversity and Distributions 7:761-770.
Bestgen, K. R., H. J. Crockett, M. Haworth, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2016. Production of non-adhesive eggs by flathead chub and implications for downstream transport and conservation. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 7(2): 434-443.​
Broms, K. M., M. B. Hooten, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2016. Model selection and assessment for multi-species occupancy models. Ecology 97(7):1759-1770.
Gibson-Reinemer, D. K., F. J. Rahel, S. E. Albeke and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2017. Natural and anthropogenic barriers to climate tracking in river fishes along a mountain-plains transition zone. Diversity and Distributions 23(7):761-770.
Broms, K. M., M. B. Hooten, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2015. Accounting for imperfect detection in Hill numbers for biodiversity studies. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 6:99-108.
Walters, D. M., R. E. Zuellig, H. C. Crockett, J. F. Bruce, P. M. Lukacs, and R. M. Fitzpatrick. 2014. Barriers impede upstream spawning migration of flathead chub. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 143:17-25.
Fitzpatrick, R. M. 2008. Use of otolith elemental signatures in estimating sources of northern pike recruitment in the Yampa River, Colorado. Master’s thesis. Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University. Fort Collins, Colorado [show more]                

ID: Sarcoptic mange
Sarcoptic mange
Type: Fact Sheet
Subjects: Wildlife diseases
Sarcoptic mange
Item 

        Sarcoptic mange    
Type:Fact Sheet
Subject:Wildlife diseases
Sarcoptic mange

                    Description:Fact sheet covering species affected in Colorado, what to look for, cause and transmission, and public health considerations.                

ID: Sarcoptic mange severity is associated with reduced genomic variation and evidence of selection in Yellowstone National Park wolves (Canis lupus)
Sarcoptic mange severity is associated with reduced genomic variation and evidence of selection in Yellowstone National Park wolves (Canis lupus)
Type: Article
Subjects: Ectoparasitism
Infection severity
Mite infestations
Natural selection
RAD-sequencing
Sarcoptic mange
Item 

        Sarcoptic mange severity is associated with reduced genomic variation and evidence of selection in Yellowstone National Park wolves (Canis lupus)    
Type:Article
Subject:Ectoparasitism
Infection severity
Mite infestations
Natural selection
RAD-sequencing
Sarcoptic mange

                    Description:Population genetic theory posits that molecular variation buffers against disease risk. Although this “monoculture effect” is well supported in agricultural settings, its applicability to wildlife populations remains in question. In the present study, we examined the genomics underlying individual-level disease severity and population-level consequences of sarcoptic mange infection in a wild population of canids. Using gray wolves (Canis lupus) reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park (YNP) as our focal system, we leveraged 25 years of observational data and biobanked blood and tissue to genotype 76,859 loci in over 400 wolves. At the individual level, we reported an inverse relationship between host genomic variation and infection severity. We additionally identified 410 loci significantly associated with mange severity, with annotations related to inflammation, immunity, and skin barrier integrity and disorders. We contextualized results within environmental, demographic, and behavioral variables, and confirmed that genetic variation was predictive of infection severity. At the population level, we reported decreased genome-wide variation since the initial gray wolf reintroduction event and identified evidence of selection acting against alleles associated with mange infection severity. We concluded that genomic variation plays an important role in disease severity in YNP wolves. This role scales from individual to population levels, and includes patterns of genome-wide variation in support of the monoculture effect and specific loci associated with the complex mange phenotype. Results yielded system-specific insights, while also highlighting the relevance of genomic analyses to wildlife disease ecology, evolution, and conservation. [show more]                

ID: Saving Colorado's Boreal Toads
Saving Colorado's Boreal Toads
Type: 
Subjects: 
Item 

        Saving Colorado's Boreal Toads    

                    Description:Learn More: https://cpw.state.co.us/learn/Pages/ResearchBorealToad.aspx

The boreal toad is one of Colorado's most endangered amphibians. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is working to restore the small toads through an aggressive reintroduction program. To date, Zimmerman Lake in Larimer County is the only location where the small toads have established a self-sustaining population. Each year, biologists collect toad eggs at Zimmerman Lake, transport them to hatcheries and then restock the boreal tadpoles in key areas across the state. On Aug. 11, 2020, biologists stocked tadpoles into Rocky Mountain National Park in the hope of establishing a new population. CPW is working in collaboration with the National Park Service and other state and federal agencies to re-establish boreal toads across the state. The hope is that some toads will develop a resistance to the chytrid fungus, which is responsible for decimating amphibians throughout North America. Video produced by Jerry Neal/CPW [show more]                

ID: Saving Colorado‘s Greenback Cutthroat Trout with Dr. Kevin Rogers
Saving Colorado‘s Greenback Cutthroat Trout with Dr. Kevin Rogers
Type: Sound
Subjects: Greenback Cutthroat Trout 
Colorado’s Eastern Slope
Conservation
Management
Item 

        Saving Colorado‘s Greenback Cutthroat Trout with Dr. Kevin Rogers    
Type:Sound
Subject:Greenback Cutthroat Trout 
Colorado’s Eastern Slope
Conservation
Management

                    Description:Co-host Anders Halverson talks with Dr. Kevin Rogers about efforts to save the Greenback Cutthroat Trout on Colorado’s Eastern Slope. Think of it as story the producers of CSI Miami would write, if they were fortunate enough to be fisheries biologists. There’s extinction (or maybe not?). There’s resurrection (twice!). Just when you think you have it figured out, another clue from a dusty library or a PCR machine sends you off in an entirely different direction. And of course, it ends on a cliffhanger. [show more]                

ID: Science Application Highlights
Science Application Highlights
Type: 
Subjects: 
Item 

        Science Application Highlights    

                    Description:Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has an in-house science program that has served the agency for over seven decades. CPW research scientists investigate high-priority information needs, and develop and refine many of the tools and practices our agency uses to conserve and manage Colorado’s fish, wildlife, and park resources for current and future generations. The annual Science Application Highlights briefly describes a few examples of CPW’s science activities and their application to management during the previous year. [show more]                

ID: Scientific solutions for fisheries management
Scientific solutions for fisheries management
Type: 
Subjects: Aquatic research
Fisheries management
Item 

        Scientific solutions for fisheries management    
Subject:Aquatic research
Fisheries management

                    Description:An overview of the  Aquatic Research Section and how the researchers use a science-based approach to their work                

ID: Scuba divers can help stop aquatic hitchhikers
Scuba divers can help stop aquatic hitchhikers
Type: Brochure
Subjects: Aquatic nuisance species
ANS
Scuba apparatus
Scuba diving
Item 

        Scuba divers can help stop aquatic hitchhikers    
Type:Brochure
Subject:Aquatic nuisance species
ANS
Scuba apparatus
Scuba diving

                    Description:Divers can unintentionally spread freshwater aquatic nuisance species (ANS) such as the zebra or quagga mussel, New Zealand Mudsnail (NZMS), Eurasian watermilfoil, spiny water flea, or Asian clam from one body of water to another on their scuba diving gear. Some ANS larvae are invisible to the naked eye and can survive hours to weeks on wet scuba gear or in water inside equipment. By adhering to the following guidelines, you can help prevent the spread of ANS when you scuba dive.

Print copy, CPW Library: FILE Scu [show more]                

ID: Sharing the same slope: behavioral responses of a threatened mesocarnivore to motorized and nonmotorized winter recreation
Sharing the same slope: behavioral responses of a threatened mesocarnivore to motorized and nonmotorized winter recreation
Type: Article
Subjects: Anthropogenic disturbance
Canada lynx
Ski resorts
Snowmobiles
Space use
Winter recreation
Item 

        Sharing the same slope: behavioral responses of a threatened mesocarnivore to motorized and nonmotorized winter recreation    
Type:Article
Subject:Anthropogenic disturbance
Canada lynx
Ski resorts
Snowmobiles
Space use
Winter recreation

                    Description:Winter recreation is a widely popular activity and is expected to increase due to changes in recreation technology and human population growth. Wildlife are frequently negatively impacted by winter recreation, however, through displacement from habitat, alteration of activity patterns, or changes in movement behavior. We studied impacts of dispersed and developed winter recreation on Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) at their southwestern range periphery in Colorado, USA. We used GPS collars to track movements of 18 adult lynx over 4 years, coupled with GPS devices that logged 2,839 unique recreation tracks to provide a detailed spatial estimate of recreation intensity. We assessed changes in lynx spatial and temporal patterns in response to motorized and nonmotorized recreation, as well as differences in movement rate and path tortuosity. We found that lynx decreased their movement rate in areas with high-intensity back-country skiing and snowmobiling, and adjusted their temporal patterns so that they were more active at night in areas with high-intensity recreation. We did not find consistent evidence of spatial avoidance of recreation: lynx exhibited some avoidance of areas with motorized recreation, but selected areas in close proximity to nonmotorized recreation trails. Lynx appeared to avoid high-intensity developed ski resorts, however, especially when recreation was most intense. We conclude that lynx in our study areas did not exhibit strong negative responses to dispersed recreation, but instead altered their behavior and temporal patterns in a nuanced response to recreation, perhaps to decrease direct interactions with recreationists. However, based on observed avoidance of developed recreation, there may be a threshold of human disturbance above which lynx cannot coexist with winter recreation. [show more]                