Current Research

My research focuses on three themes: the ecology of amphibians and fishes in headwater stream basins in managed forests; the taxonomic and distribution patterns of the amphibian chytrid fungus; and the conservation biology of amphibians, reptiles, and turtles.

Research Interests

Conservation biology, behavioral ecology, population and community ecology. Effects of forest management practices, landscape designs, and policies on aquatic-dependent organisms. Interaction of climate variation with species' ecology and land management practices. Development of new research paradigms engaging multiple partners.

Past Research

My past studies have explored the reproductive behavioral ecology of frogs and toads.

Why This Research is Important

Over one-third of amphibians and almost 50 percent of turtles are threatened with extinction worldwide, yet we know very little about their general ecology and the main threats that are affecting them. Both taxonomic groups are considered ideal indicators of environmental degradation owing to their reliance on both aquatic and terrestrial habitats and their central position in food webs. Ecological and conservation biology research can aid management decisions regarding these iconic faunal groups, preserving them for generations to come.

Education

• Oregon State University, Department of Zoology, Ph.D. Breeding ecology of amphibians in the Cascade Range of Oregon 1988
• University of California, San Diego, B.A. Major: Biology; Concentration Area: Population Ecology; Minor: Philosophy 1980

Professional Experience

Awards & Recognition

Featured Publications & Products

• Xie, Gisselle Yang; Olson, Deanna H.; Blaustein, Andrew R. 2016. Projecting the global distribution of the emerging amphibian fungal pathogen, batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, based on IPCC climate futures.
• Olson, Deanna H.; Aanensen, David M.; Ronnenberg, Kathryn L.; Powell, Christopher I.; Walker, Susan F.; Bielby, Jon; Garner, Trenton W.J.; Weaver, George; Fisher, Matthew C. 2013. Mapping the global emergence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the amphibian chytrid fungus.
• Searle, C.L.; Gervasi, S.S.; Hua, J.; Hammond, J.I.; Relyea, R.A.; Olson, D.H.; Blaustein, A.R. 2011. Differential host susceptibility to Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, an emerging amphibian pathogen.
• Grant, Evan H Campbell; Muths, Erin; Katz, Rachel A; Canessa, Stefano; Adams, Michael J; Ballard, Jennifer R; Berger, Lee; Briggs, Cheryl J; Coleman, Jeremy TH; Gray, Matthew J; Harris, M Camille; Harris, Reid N; Hossack, Blake; Huyvaert, Kathryn P; Kolby, Jonathan; Lips, Karen R; Lovich, Robert E; McCallum, Hamish I; Mendelson, Joseph R; Nanjappa, Priya; Olson, Deanna H; Powers, Jenny G; Richgels, Katherine LD; Russell, Robin E; Schmidt, Benedikt R; Spitzen-van der Sluijs, Annemarieke; Watry, Mary Kay; Woodhams, Douglas C; White, C LeAnn. 2017. Using decision analysis to support proactive management of emerging infectious wildlife diseases.
• Olson, Deanna H.; Burton, Julia I. 2014. Near-term effects of repeated-thinning with riparian buffers on headwater stream vertebrates and habitats in Oregon, USA.
• Kluber, Matthew R.; Olson, Deanna H.; Puettmann, Klaus J. 2009. Downed wood microclimates and their potential impact on plethodontid salamander habitat in the Oregon Coast Range.
• Olson, Deanna H.; Burnett, Kelly M. 2009. Design and management of linkage areas across headwater drainages to conserve biodiversity in forest ecosystems.
• Shoo, Luke P.; Olson, Deanna H.; McMenamin, Sarah K.; Murray, Kris A.; VanSluys, Monique; Donnelly, Maureen A.; Stratford, Danial; Terhivuo, Juhani; Merino-Viteri, Andres; Herbert, Sarah M.; Bishop, Phillip J.; Corn, Paul Stephen; Dovey, Liz; Griffiths, Richard A.; Lowe, Katrin; Mahony, Michael; McCallum, Hamish; Shuker, Jonathan D.; Simpkins, Clay; Skerratt, Lee F.; Williams, Stephen E.; Hero, Jean-Marc. 2011. Engineering a future for amphibians under climate change.
• Kiester, A. Ross; Olson, Deanna H. 2011. Prime time for turtle conservation.

Publications

• Kantor, Sylvia ; Olson, Dede . 2020. Working together: How science partnerships can help prioritize rare species for conservation.
• Olson, Deanna . 2019. A decade of herpetological disease papers: puzzle pieces of a bigger picture.
• Emel, Sarah L.; Olson, Deanna H.; Knowles, L. Lacey; Storfer, Andrew . 2019. Comparative landscape genetics of two endemic torrent salamander species, Rhyacotriton kezeri and R. variegatus: implications for forest management and species conservation.
• Mims, Meryl C.; Olson, Deanna H.; Pilliod, David S.; Dunham, Jason B. 2019. Considering the hidden threats of climate change: A new approach puts overlooked species on the conservation radar.
• Bradley, Paul W.; Brawner, Michael D.; Raffel, Thomas R.; Rohr, Jason R.; Olson, Deanna H.; Blaustein, Andrew R. 2019. Shifts in temperature influence how Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis infects amphibian larvae.
• Watts, Andrea ; Olson, Dede ; Harris, Reid ; Mandica, Mark . 2019. The deadly amphibian bsal disease: How science-management partnerships are forestalling amphibian biodiversity losses.
• Reeves, Gordon H.; Olson, Deanna H.; Wondzell, Steven M.; Bisson, Peter A.; Gordon, Sean ; Miller, Stephanie A.; Long, Jonathan W.; Furniss, Michael J. 2018. Chapter 7: The aquatic conservation strategy of the northwest forest plan A review of the relevant science after 23 years.
• Works, Aaron J.; Olson, Deanna H. 2018. Diets of two nonnative freshwater turtle species (Trachemys scripta and Pelodiscus sinensis) in Kawai Nui Marsh, Hawaii.
• Blaustein, Andrew ; Urbina, Jenny ; Snyder, Paul ; Reynolds, Emily ; Dang, Trang ; Hoverman, Jason ; Han, Barbara ; Olson, Deanna ; Searle, Catherine ; Hambalek, Natalie . 2018. Effects of emerging infectious diseases on amphibians: A review of experimental studies.
• Gray, Matthew J.; Allender, Matthew C.; Haman, Katherine H.; Harris, Reid N.; Olson, Deanna H. 2018. Facilitating early detection and rapid response: An alert system to combat emerging herpetofaunal diseases.
• Mims, Meryl C.; Olson, Deanna H.; Pilliod, David S.; Dunham, Jason B. 2018. Functional and geographic components of risk for climate sensitive vertebrates in the Pacific Northwest, USA.
• Adams, Michael J.; Harris, Reid N.; Grant, Evan H. C.; Gray, Matthew J.; Camille Hopkins, M. ; Iverson, Samuel A.; Likens, Robert ; Mandica, Mark ; Olson, Deanna H.; Shepack, Alex ; Waddle, Hardin . 2018. Prepublication communication of research results.
• Penaluna, Brooke E.; Olson, Deanna H.; Flitcroft, Rebecca L.; Weber, Matthew A.; Bellmore, J. Ryan; Wondzell, Steven M.; Dunham, Jason B.; Johnson, Sherri L.; Reeves, Gordon H. 2017. Aquatic biodiversity in forests: a weak link in ecosystem services resilience.
• Roon, David; Dunham, Jason; Harvey, Bret; Bellmore, Ryan, J.; Olson, Deanna; Reeves, Gordon. 2017. Evaluating the ecological trade-offs of riparian thinning for headwater stream ecosystems in second-growth redwood forests.
• Gervasi, Stephanie S.; Stephens, Patrick R.; Hua, Jessica; Searle, Catherine L.; Xie, Gisselle Yang; Urbina, Jenny; Olson, Deanna H.; Bancroft, Betsy A.; Weis, Virginia; Hammond, John I.; Relyea, Rick A.; Blaustein, Andrew R.; Lötters, Stefan. 2017. Linking ecology and epidemiology to understand predictors of multi-host responses to an emerging pathogen, the amphibian chytrid fungus.
• Iwanowicz, Deborah D.; Schill, William B.; Olson, Deanna H.; Adams, Michael J.; Densmore, Christine; Cornman, R. Scott; Adams, Cynthia; Figiel, Jr., Chester.; Anderson, Chauncey W.; Blaustein, Andrew R.; Chestnut, Tara. 2017. Potential concerns with analytical methods used for the detection of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans from archived DNA of amphibian swab samples, Oregon, USA.
• Leach, J. A.; Olson, D. H.; Anderson, P. D.; Eskelson, B. N. I. 2017. Spatial and seasonal variability of forested headwater stream temperatures in western Oregon, USA.
• Burton, Julia I.; Olson, Deanna H.; Puettmann, Klaus J. 2016. Effects of riparian buffer width on wood loading in headwater streams after repeated forest thinning.
• Foster, Alex D.; Olson, Deanna H.; Jones, Lawrence L.C. 2015. A review of the biology and conservation of the Cope's giant salamander Dicamptodon copei Nussbaum, 1970 (Amphibia: Caudata: Dicamptodontidae) in the Pacific northwestern region of the USA.
• Gray, Matthew J.; Lewis, James P.; Nanjappa, Priya; Klocke, Blake; Pasmans, Frank; Martel, An; Stephen, Craig; Parra Olea, Gabriela; Smith, Scott A.; Sacerdote-Velat, Allison; Christman, Michelle R.; Williams, Jennifer M.; Olson, Deanna H.; Hogan, Deborah A. 2015. Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans: The North American response and a call for action.
• Olson, Deanna. 2015. Contributor to chapter 1, Amphibian Conservation. In: What works in conservation: 2015.
• Bradley, Paul W.; Gervasi, Stephanie S.; Hua, Jessica; Cothran, Rickey D.; Relyea, Rick A.; Olson, Deanna H.; Blaustein, Andrew R. 2015. Differences in sensitivity to the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis among amphibian populations.
• Mazza, Rhonda; Olson, Deanna (Dede). 2015. Heed the head: buffer benefits along headwater streams.
• Olson, Deanna; Crisafulli, Charlie. 2014. Conservation Assessment for the Van Dyke's Salamander (Plethodon vandykei) Version 1.0.
• Foster, Alex ; Olson, Deanna H. 2014. Conservation assessment for the Cope s Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon copei) Version 1.0.
• Chestnut, Tara; Anderson, Chauncey; Popa, Radu; Blaustein, Andrew R.; Voytek, Mary; Olson, Deanna H.; Kirshtein, Julie. 2014. Heterogeneous occupancy and density estimates of the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in waters of North America.
• Ruzicka, Kenneth J., Jr..; Puettmann, Klaus J.; Olson, Deanna H. 2014. Management of riparian buffers: upslope thinning with downslope impacts.
• Barela, Kimberly L.; Olson, Deanna H. 2014. Mapping the western pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata) and painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) in western North America.
• Olson, Deanna H.; Kluber, Matthew R. 2014. Plethodontid salamander distributions in managed forest headwaters in western Oregon.
• Olson, Deanna H.; Leirness, Jeffery B.; Cunningham, Patrick G.; Ashley Steel, E. 2014. Riparian buffers and forest thinning: Effects on headwater vertebrates 10 years after thinning.
• Olson, Deanna H.; Chestnut, Tara. 2014. Trouble in the aquatic world: how wildlife professionals are battling amphibian declines.
• Burton, Julia I.; Ares, Adrian; Mulford, Sara E.; Olson, Deanna H.; Puettmann, Klaus J. 2013. Above-ground carbon storage, downed wood, and understory plant species richness after thinning in western Oregon.
• Wessell-Kelly, Stephanie J.; Olson, Deanna H. 2013. Community structure of vascular plants, arthropods, amphibians, and mollusks in managed forests of the Pacific Northwest (USA).
• Olson, Deanna H.; Burnett, Kelly M. 2013. Geometry of forest landscape connectivity: pathways for persistence.
• Burton, Julia I.; Olson, Deanna H.; Puettmann, Klaus J. 2013. Headwater stream flow, climate variation, and riparian buffers with thinning in western Oregon.
• Gervasi, Stephanie; Gondhalekar, Carmen; Olson, Deanna H.; Blaustein, Andrew R. 2013. Host identity matters in the amphibian-Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis system: fine-scale patterns of variation in responses to a multi-host pathogen.
• Anderson, Paul D.; Olson, Deanna H.; Ares, Adrian. 2013. Initial riparian down wood dynamics in relation to thinning and buffer width.
• Wessell-Kelly, Stephanie J.; Olson, Deanna H. 2013. Leave islands as refugia for low-mobility species in managed forest mosaics.
• Kluber, Matthew R.; Olson, Deanna H.; Puettmann, Klaus J. 2013. Log and soil temperature profiles in managed headwater sub-basins in the Oregon coast range: implications for wildlife habitat.
• Burton, Julia I.; Ares, Adrian; Olson, Deanna H.; Puettmann, Klaus J. 2013. Management trade-off between aboveground carbon storage and understory plant species richness in temperate forests.
• Kluber, Matthew R.; Olson, Deanna H.; Puettmann, Klaus J. 2013. No effects of thinning with riparian buffers on terrestrial salamanders in headwater forests 5 to 6 years post-harvest in western Oregon.
• Kluber, Matthew R.; Olson, Deanna H. 2013. Plethodontid salamander population ecology in managed forest headwaters in the Oregon coast range.
• Olson, Deanna H. 2013. Riparian buffers and thinning in headwater drainages in western Oregon: aquatic vertebrates and habitats.
• Ruzicka, Kenneth J., Jr..; Olson, Deanna H.; Puettmann, Klaus J. 2013. The intertwining paths of the density managment and riparian buffer study and the Northwest Forest Plan.
• Ares, Adrian; Olson, Deanna H.; Puettmann, Klaus J. 2013. Thinning and riparian buffer configuration effects on down wood abundance in headwater streams in coniferous forests.
• Parks, Noreen; Olson, Deanna H. 2011. Engineering a future for amphibians under a changing climate.
• Paoletti, David J.; Olson, Deanna H.; Blaustein, Andrew R. 2011. Responses of foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii) larvae to an introduced predator.
• Bancroft, Betsy A.; Han, Barbara A.; Searle, Catherine L.; Biga, Lindsay M.; Olson, Deanna H.; Kats, Lee B.; Lawler, Joshua J.; Blaustein, Andrew R. 2011. Species-level correlates of susceptibility to the pathogenic amphibian fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in the United States.
• Oliver, Marie; Burnett, Kelly; Olson, Deanna. 2010. Linked in: connecting riparian areas to support forest biodiversity.
• Thompson, Jonathan; Raphael, Martin; Molina, Randy; Marcot, Bruce; Olson, Deanna. 2008. Conservation of biological diversity: all things considered.

Research Highlights

Highlight	Title	Year
PNW-2011-02	Conservation priorities identified for Northwest amphibians and reptiles At a reptile conservation conference, scientists and natural resource managers synthesized conservation concerns and priorities for 105 species ...	2011
PNW-2017-191	People, Forests, and Change: Lessons from the Pacific Northwest A new book explores the past four decades of change in forest science and management in the Pacific Northwest	2017
PNW-2016-265	Response to Emerging Infectious Amphibian Diseases Forges New Alliances Between Science, Management, and Policy The newly described salamander chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) is rapidly spreading in Europe, killing salamanders as it ...	2016
PNW-2015-73	Scientists Determine Ideal Buffer Width to Sustain Aquatic and Riparian Resources Along Headwater Streams How wide does a riparian buffer need to be to maintain aquatic and riparian habitat in and along forested headwater streams when upland forest t ...	2015
PNW-2013-113	Scientists Link Amphibian Fungus to Increasing Temperature Range Scientists find the odds of fungus occurrence decreased with increasing temperature range at a site, linking disease emergence to climatic consi ...	2013
PNW-2011-13	Strategically linking headwater habitats across ridgelines benefits amphibians and management Federal biologists, land managers, and watershed stewardship councils are interested in this new design that maintains amphibian habitat and whi ...	2011