Scott H. Stoleson

• PhD
• Research Wildlife Ecologist at US Forest Service

Non-native insect pests can have significant effects on forest ecosystems. Forest fruit-targeting non-native insect pests may cause extensive damage to fruits, reducing food for fruit-tracking wildlife. Parasitism of forest fruits by spotted wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii, SWD) may put it in competition for fruits with fruit-consuming forest s...

The Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea) is a declining Nearctic–Neotropical migratory songbird of conservation concern. Implementing full annual cycle conservation strategies to facilitate recovery has been difficult because we know little about the migratory period or strength of migratory connectivity between North American breeding and South Am...

Invasion of forest ecosystems by non‐native invasive insect pests (NNIIPs) can alter native animal and plant communities by disrupting species interactions. However, little is known about how fruit‐targeting NNIIPs may alter forest ecosystems. Recently introduced to the western United States, spotted wing Drosophila ( Drosophila suzukii ; SWD) is a...

Forest management planning requires the specification of measurable objectives as desired future conditions at spatial extents ranging from stands to landscapes and temporal extents ranging from a single growing season to several centuries. Effective implementation of forest management requires understanding current conditions and constraints well...

Nest boxes are commonly used for species that utilize tree cavities, including small owls. Boxes were installed in 2011 to facilitate study of Northern Saw-whet Owls in Pennsylvania. We checked the 11 boxes that remained in 2020 after a hiatus of 8 years and found 3 rodent nests, but no evidence of owl usage. Playbacks revealed owls were present at...

The twentieth century confluence of clear-cutting, deer overabundance, and rising nitrogen deposition favored dominance by the shade-intolerant, unpalatable, and nitrogen-demanding black cherry (Prunus serotina) throughout the Allegheny Plateau of the eastern United States. The abundance of this species conferred unique and valuable ecological and...

Significance Parent–offspring conflict has explained a variety of ecological phenomena across animal taxa, but its role in mediating when songbirds fledge remains controversial. Our analysis of nesting and postfledging survival rates within 18 songbird species found that offspring commonly leave safer nesting environments for riskier postfledging o...

For most bird species, little is known about their ecology and survival between fledging and independence despite the potential for post-fledging survival to be a factor limiting population dynamics. Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga cerulea) are a declining migratory species, and full-life-cycle conservation efforts that include the post-fledging perio...

Abstract Background Eastern temperate and boreal forests of North America contain declining populations of several migratory bird species. Breeding season habitat loss and degradation, and lack of structural complexity, have been proposed as potential drivers of declines. Forest management has moved toward balancing multiple age classes to support...

Feather mites are obligatory ectosymbionts of birds that primarily feed on the oily secretions from the uropygial gland. Feather mite abundance varies within and among host species and has various effects on host condition and fitness, but there is little consensus on factors that drive variation of this symbiotic system. We tested hypotheses regar...

Our recent manuscript investigated geolocator-tagging effects on a small migratory warbler. Streby and Kramer (2017) suggest that a year effect may have been masked by our unequal sample sizes between years. They also argue that the difference in return rate between our geolocator-tagged and control birds was likely due to differences in harness st...

Light-level geolocators, miniature devices used for tracking avian migration over the full annual cycle, are being widely deployed on small migratory passerines. However, the effects of carrying geolocators on the breeding biology of songbirds are unclear, and variable species- and guild-specific conclusions have been drawn regarding their effects...

BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. Nest-location and nest-survival of black-chinned hummingbirds in New Mexico: a comparison betwe...

Energy extraction within forest habitat is increasing at a rapid rate throughout eastern North America from the combined presence of conventional oil and gas, shale gas, and wind energy. We examined the effects of conventional oil and gas development on forest habitat including amounts of core and edge forest, the abundance of songbird species and...

Many birds that are experiencing population declines require extensive tracts of mature forest habitat for breeding. Recent work suggests that at least some may shift their habitat use to early-successional areas after nesting but before migration. I used constant-effort mist netting in regenerating clearcuts (4–8 years postcut) and dense mature-fo...

Managing forests to promote biodiversity requires understanding the effects of silvicultural practices on a range of forest species and communities. We evaluated carabid beetle (Coleoptera; Carabidae) responses to operational herbicide and shelterwood seed cut treatments in northern hardwood stands on the Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania, US...

From 1997 through 2008, we studied the nesting habits and nest success of the Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea) along the middle Gila River (1997-2001) and the middle Rio Grande (2000-2008) in New Mexico. A riparian forest of cottonwoods grows along both rivers, but the forest along the Rio Grande is a much more intensively managed ecosystem, with...

Use of herbicides in forestry to direct successional trajectories has raised concerns over possible direct or indirect effects on non-target organisms. We studied the response of forest birds to an operational application of glyphosate and sulfometuron methyl herbicides, using a randomized block design in which half of each 8 ha block received herb...

Shelterwood seed cutting in conjunction with herbicide site preparation has proven effective at regenerating Allegheny hardwood forests, but the long-term impact of this silvicultural system on herbaceous vegetation has not been determined. From 1994 to 2004, we studied the impacts of operational herbicide site preparation using glyphosate plus sul...

Since 1908, U.S. Forest Service Experimental Forests and Ranges have been dedicated to long-term interdisciplinary research on a variety of ecological and management questions. They encompass a wide diversity of life zones and ecoregions, and provide access to research infrastructure, opportunities for controlled manipulations, and integration with...

Communities of species that interact via feeding relationships (food webs) are shaped both by predation and plant quality or productivity1-4. In the classic “top-down” trophic cascade, predator reduction releases herbivore populations, which then exert increased pressure on plants5. Plant density may decrease, or plant community composition may shi...

La revista Colombia Forestal publica manuscritos originales en temáticas del campo forestal y diversos aspectos de los recursos naturales y del medio ambiente, los cuales se discriminan en las categorías de artículo de investigación, de revisión, de reflexión y notas técnicas de acuerdo con lo estipulado por COLCIENCIAS para las publicaciones cient...

Oak (Quercus L.) is an abundant and widely distributed genus in eastern North America. A history of periodic fire, grazing, canopy disturbance and timber harvesting has favored oak’s dominance. But, changes in this regime toward much less fire or complete fire suppression, and selective cutting are causing the successional replacement of oak. High...

Background/Question/Methods Climate models predict increasingly arid conditions in the southwestern United States. These conditions could facilitate replacement of native vegetation by exotic plants that are more tolerant of drought and wildfire. To evaluate effects of these changes on riparian-nesting birds, we examined their breeding biology al...

Background/Question/Methods Concern about declining populations of many songbirds of mature forest interiors has fueled opposition to even-aged management on public lands. However, recent work has documented the presence of such birds in regenerating clearcuts in the post-breeding period, a critical time in avian life cycles. Whether such habitat...

Background/Question/Methods Browsing by mammalian herbivores like white-tailed deer is known to dramatically alter patterns of forest regeneration, but how different levels of top-down pressure cascade back up the food chain over the long-term remains untested. We investigate this question using data from a 30-year study wherein deer density was...

The exotic tree, Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia), has invaded riparian zones throughout much of the western Unites States. Although promoted as a useful species for wildlife because of its abundant edible fruit, evidence for its value to breeding birds remains sparse. We compared relative rates of usage, nest success, and cowbird parasitism...

Background/Question/Methods Overabundance of white-tailed deer can dramatically alter structure and composition of forests, causing both immediate and long-term effects on biological diversity. Although immediate or short-term effects of deer browsing on vegetation and birds are well documented, long-term and indirect effects remain largely specula...

Includes guidelines for using the SILVAH decision-support system to perpetuate oak forests in the Mid-Atlantic region. Six chapters provide information on values of oak forests, inventory methods, key decision variables, decision charts, and silvicultural prescriptions, as well as guidance on fostering young stands. Sample tally sheets and SILVAH c...

Brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater; hereafter “cowbirds”) is an important factor contributing to the endangered status of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus, hereafter “flycatcher”). We report on factors that influence brood parasitism on the flycatcher using seven seasons of nest data (n = 491 nes...

Brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater; hereafter “cowbirds”) is an important factor contributing to the endangered status of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus, hereafter “flycatcher”). We report on factors that influence brood parasitism on the flycatcher using seven seasons of nest data (n = 491 nes...

Long a remote frontier region, northern Mexico (fig. 3.1)—especially the border states, Tamau-lipas, Nuevo León, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Sonora, and Baja California, from east to west—now supports booming human populations and plays a key role in the industrial and agricultural sectors of the country’s economy (INEGI 1993). Patterns of demographic and...

The endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) breeds at numerous sites throughout its range that vary greatly in floristics, vegetation structure, and the extent of human alteration of the habitat. Here we present information on nesting habitat characteristics of Willow Flycatchers in the largest extant population of th...

In 2002 we conducted a forest-wide survey in all suitable riparian habitats on the Gila National Forest to detect presence and abundance of Yellow-billed Cuckoos and to characterize their habitat. We also surveyed areas adjacent to Forest Service lands where cuckoos have historically or recently been detected. Based on data collected in the Cliff-...

To examine whether demographic and life-history traits are correlated with genetic structure, we contrasted mtDNA lineages of individual humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) with sighting and reproductive histories of female humpback whales between 1979 and 1995. Maternal lineage haplotypes were obtained for 323 whales, either from direct seque...

1. We tested experimentally the effects of exposure to high ambient temperatures, for periods of 1–9 days, on the viability of eggs of the green-rumped parrotlet. 2. The hatchability of 534 newly laid parrotlet eggs declined after exposure of 3 or more days. 3. The probability of hatching was not significantly affected by the duration or proportion...

Although the poaching of nestlings for the pet trade is thought to contribute to the decline of many species of parrots, its effects have been pool ly demonstrated We calculated rats of mortality due to nest Poaching in 23 studies of Neotropical parrots, representing 4024 nesting attempts in 21 species and 14 countries We also examined how poaching...

Parent birds may adjust the onset of incubation to minimize periods of high risk of nest failure due to predation (the Nest Failure Hypothesis) or of mortality to adult birds (the Adult Predation Hypothesis). We examine temporal patterns of risk of nest failure and predation on adult females in a population of Green-rumped Parrotlets (Forpus passer...

Parent birds may adjust the onset of incubation to minimize periods of high risk of nest failure due to predation (the Nest Failure Hypothesis) or of mortality to adult birds (the Adult Predation Hypothesis). We examine temporal patterns of risk of nest failure and predation on adult females in a population of Green-rumped Parrotlets (Forpus passer...

The exotic tree, Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia), has invaded riparian zones throughout much of the western Unites States. Al-though promoted as a useful species for wildlife be-cause of its abundant edible fruit, evidence for its value to breeding birds remains sparse. We compared rela-tive rates of usage, nest success, and cowbird parasit-...

Latitudinal variation in avian demography played an important early role in the development of life history theory, especially in the idea of a cost of reproduction. Recent attempts to determine the survivorship of tropical birds with mark-recapture statistics have proved controversial. Here, we use a small neotropical bird, the Green-rumped Parrot...

We found Lucy's Warblers breeding abundantly in mid-elevation broadleaf riparian forests in the lower Gila River valley of southwestern New Mexico. They arrived en masse in the third week of March. Patterns of singing suggested that Lucy's Warblers might raise two broods. Few were heard or seen after late July. Estimated population densities ranged...

Chapter 10: Management Recommendations This chapter was developed over a series of meetings using a group-consensus process. Our recommenda-tions are based on published results, on information compiled in the previous chapters, on expert opinion, and on unpublished data of conservation team mem-bers. This chapter is available as temporary guidance...

Research Needs Until the southwestern willow flycatcher was pro-posed for listing as an endangered species in 1993, it was subject to relatively little scientific scrutiny, in part because it is drab, prone to inhabiting dense, wet thickets, and difficult to identify and observe. Conse-quently, it remained one of the lesser-known of North American...

The endangered southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) is an obligate riparian species that typically nests in willow (Salix spp.) thickets or other dense, shrubby habitats. We report on the first nests in Arizona sycamore (Platanus wrightii) and in a climbing rose vine (Rosa multiflora). Although these nests were located in nov...

rarity, endangerment more likely for spp at northern end of range and for riparian obligate spp

1. We tested experimentally the effects of exposure to high ambient temperatures, for periods of 1-9 days, on the viability of eggs of the green-rumped parrotlet.2. The hatchability of 534 newly laid parrotlet eggs declined after exposure of 3 or more days.3. The probability of hatching was not significantly affected by the duration or proportion o...

A number of hypotheses for hatching asynchrony suggest that the size hi- erarchy among nestlings produced by hatching asynchrony is adaptive and confers benefits to parents. We assessed the costs and benefits of asynchronous hatching in the Green- rumped Parrotlet (Forpus passerinus), a small Neotropical parrot that hatches large clutches very asyn...

A number of hypotheses for hatching asynchrony suggest that the size hierarchy among nestlings produced by hatching asynchrony is adaptive and confers benefits to parents. We assessed the costs and benefits of asynchronous hatching in the Green-rumped Parrotlet (Forpus passerinus), a small Neotropical parrot that hatches large clutches very asynchr...

In most animals, offspring from a reproductive bout usually hatch, emerge, or are born within a relatively short time of each other compared to the time required for their development. Thus, hatching or birthing in most animals is synchronous. This is especially likely to be true for animals with internal fertilization and development, where the bi...

Dietary overlap and competition between frugivorous birds and bats in the Neotropics have been presumed to be low, but comparative data have been lacking. We determined the diets of volant frugivores in an early successional patch of Costa Rican wet forest over a one month period. Ordination of the diet matrix by Reciprocal Averaging revealed that...