
Kevin S. McKelvey
Research Ecologist
800 East Beckwith
Missoula
Montana
United States
59801
Phone: 406-542-4163
Fax: 406-543-2663
Contact Kevin S. McKelvey
Current Research
email: kmckelvey[at]fs.fed.us
The Rangewide Bull Trout eDNA Project
In recent years I have concentrated on developing methods to evaluate status and trends of organisms across broad spatial and temporal domains. For broad-scale evaluation of population description, status, and trends, genetic monitoring techniques hold great promise. Spatially referenced occurrence or abundance can be related to the landscape features; new statistical methods allow variance to be partitioned across multiple scales greatly improving our ability to evaluate habitat quality. If these occurrence data were derived from genetic samples, many additional analyses are possible. By relating pair-wise genetic differences across space we have developed methods to measure population connectivity across complex landscapes. The combination of occurrence data and genetic patterns together provide a rich and cost effective approach to determine population status. We are currently prototyping broad-scale genetic monitoring using native fish samples from across Montana and Idaho. Additionally, we are testing environmental DNA based detection of brook, bull, lake, and westslope cutthroat trout.
Research Interests
My research interests are focused on providing better methods to assess resources across large spatial and temporal domains. For example, the Forest Service manages over 190 million acres. Even spending a single dollar per acre to assess all of the resources --wood, plant and animal species, soild conditions, recreation use--would be too expensive. So, we need to develop methods that produce reliable information for many resources for only pennies per acre. As current methods will not deliver this, we need to use new technologies and statistical methods to develop methods that do. This is my primary interest
Past Research
Simply put, you cannot run a store if you have no idea what is on the shelves. And the store, its shelves, and the customers are relatively stable and don't change much from day to day. For example, if you don't sell a jar of peanut butter, it will be there to be sold tomorrow. Natural resources are, however, in a continual state of change. They grow, die, burn, fly or run away, interact, and adapt. It is therefore much more difficult and if we are to manage our resources intelligently, it is much more important to be able to assess current resource status. Without this, our management will consist of guesswork and our guesses will too frequently wrong. As professional management is fundamentally dependent on resource assessment and monitoring, there are few tasks more important to do well.
Why This Research is Important
My research interests have been varied, but have in common a focus on large scale issues. I began work for the Forest Service building a spatially explicit simulator for the northern spotted owl, a model that allowed detailed modeling of various reserve options and which was eventually used by the state of California, the BLM, and in the President's Forest Plan. I then was leader of the fire modeling sub-group in the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project, and developed the first comprehensive fire history for the Sierra Nevada. This history showed that fire had been stable in its patterns throughout the 20th Century, and was therefore predictable. I then became part of the Lynx Science Team and was the Science lead for the National Lynx Survey, the most extensive DNA-based carnivore survey ever attempted. This survey provided reliable presence absence data Canada lynx for over 50 national forests. 5 national parks, and numerous other areas managed by the BLM and several Tribal Nations. I then was a member of the wolverine science team, and worked with Jeffrey Copeland to define the bioclimatic factors that controlled wolverine range and habitat use across it's northern hemispheric range.
Education
- University of Montana, B.A. History 1984
- University of Montana, M.S. Forestry 1986
- University of Florida, Ph.D. Forest Ecology 1990
Featured Publications & Products
- McKelvey, Kevin S.; Young, Michael K.; Wilcox, Taylor M.; Bingham, Daniel M.; Pilgrim, Kristine L.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2016. Patterns of hybridization among cutthroat trout and rainbow trout in northern Rocky Mountain streams.
- McKelvey, Kevin S.; Copeland, Jeffrey P.; Schwartz, Michael K.; Littell, Jeremy S.; Aubry, Keith B.; Squires, John R.; Parks, Sean A.; Elsner, Marketa M.; Mauger, Guillaume S. 2011. Climate change predicted to shift wolverine distributions, connectivity, and dispersal corridors.
- Dysthe, Joseph C.; Rodgers, Torrey; Franklin, Thomas W.; Carim, Kellie J.; Young, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Mock, Karen E.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2018. Repurposing environmental DNA samples: Detecting the western pearlshell (Margaritifera falcata) as a proof of concept.
- Young, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Pilgrim, Kristine L.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2013. DNA barcoding at riverscape scales: Assessing biodiversity among fishes of the genus Cottus (Teleostei) in northern Rocky Mountain streams.
- McKelvey, Kevin; Young, Michael; Knotek, W. L.; Carim, K. J.; Wilcox, T. M.; Padgett-Stewart, T. M.; Schwartz, Michael. 2016. Sampling large geographic areas for rare species using environmental DNA: A study of bull trout Salvelinus confluentus occupancy in western Montana.
- Schwartz, Michael K.; Copeland, Jeffrey P.; Anderson, Neil J.; Squires, John R.; Inman, Robert M.; Mckelvey, Kevin S.; Pilgrim, Kristy L.; Waits, Lisette P.; Cushman, Samuel A. 2009. Wolverine gene flow across a narrow climatic niche.
- Kendall, Katherine C.; McKelvey, Kevin S. 2008. Chapter 6: Hair collection.
- McKelvey, Kevin S.; Aubry, Keith B.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2008. Using anecdotal occurrence data for rare or elusive species: the illusion of reality and a call for evidentiary standards.
- Schwartz, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S. 2008. Why sampling scheme matters: the effect of sampling scheme on landscape genetic results.
- McKelvey, K.S.; Busse, K.K. 1996. Twentieth-century fire patterns on forest service lands.
Publications
- McKelvey, Kevin S.; Kallstrom, Corey ; Ledbetter, Jeri ; Sada, Donald W.; Pilgrim, Kristine L.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2020. An inventory of springsnails (Pyrgulopsis spp.) in and adjacent to the Spring Mountains, Nevada.
- Mason, Daniel H.; Dysthe, Joseph C.; Franklin, Thomas W.; Williams, Chris L.; Young, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2020. Certain detection of uncertain taxa: eDNA detection of a cryptic mountain sucker (Pantosteus jordani) in the Upper Missouri River, USA.
- Thompson, Daniel B.; McKelvey, Kevin ; van Els, Paul ; Andrew, Gretchen ; Jacoby‑Garrett, Paula ; Glenn, Matt ; Kallstrom, Corey ; Pilgrim, Kristine L.; Opler, Paul A. 2020. Conserve the eco-evolutionary dynamic, not the subspecies: Phenological divergence and gene flow between temporal cohorts of Euphilotes ancilla endemic to southern Nevada.
- Homel, Kristen M.; Franklin, Thomas W.; Carim, Kellie J.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Dysthe, Joseph C.; Young, Michael K. 2020. Detecting spawning of threatened chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta over a large spatial extent using eDNA sampling: Opportunities and considerations for monitoring recovery.
- Carim, K. J.; Bean, N. J.; Connor, J. M.; Baker, W. P.; Jaeger, M. ; Ruggles, M. P.; McKelvey, K. S.; Franklin, T. W.; Young, M. K.; Schwartz, M. K. 2020. Environmental DNA sampling informs fish eradication efforts: Case studies and lessons learned.
- Wilcox, Taylor M.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Young, Michael K.; Engkjer, Cory ; Lance, Richard F.; Lahr, Andrew ; Eby, Lisa A.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2020. Parallel, targeted analysis of environmental samples via high-throughput quantitative PCR.
- Robinson, Anthony T.; Paroz, Yvette M.; Clement, Matthew J.; Franklin, Thomas W.; Dysthe, Joseph C.; Young, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Carim, Kellie J. 2019. Environmental DNA sampling of small-bodied minnows: Performance relative to location, species, and traditional sampling.
- Franklin, Thomas W.; Wilcox, Taylor M.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Greaves, Samuel E.; Dysthe, Joseph C.; Young, Michael K.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2019. Repurposing environmental DNA samples to verify the distribution of Rocky Mountain tailed frogs in the Warm Springs Creek Basin, Montana.
- Steenweg, Robin ; Hebblewhite, Mark ; Whittington, Jesse ; McKelvey, Kevin . 2019. Species-specific differences in detection and occupancy probabilities help drive ability to detect trends in occupancy.
- Kendall, Katherine C.; Graves, Tabitha A.; Royle, J. Andrew; Macleod, Amy C.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Boulanger, John ; Waller, John S. 2019. Using bear rub tree data and spatial capture-recapture models to estimate trend in a brown bear population.
- Franklin, Thomas W.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Golding, Jessie D.; Mason, Daniel H.; Dysthe, Joseph C.; Pilgrim, Kristine L.; Squires, John R.; Aubry, Keith B.; Long, Robert A.; Greaves, Samuel E.; Raley, Catherine M.; Jackson, Scott ; MacKay, Paula ; Lisbon, Joshua ; Sauder, Joel D.; Pruss, Michael T.; Heffington, Don ; Schwartz, Michael K. 2019. Using environmental DNA methods to improve winter surveys for rare carnivores: DNA from snow and improved noninvasive techniques.
- Carim, Kellie J.; Dysthe, Joseph Caleb; McLellan, Holly ; Young, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2019. Using environmental DNA sampling to monitor the invasion of nonnative Esox lucius (northern pike) in the Columbia River basin, USA.
- Franklin, Thomas W.; Dysthe, Joseph C.; Rubenson, Erika S.; Carim, Kellie J.; Olden, Julian D.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Young, Michael K.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2018. A non-invasive sampling method for detecting non-native smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu).
- Dysthe, Joseph C.; Franklin, Thomas W.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Young, Michael K.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2018. An improved environmental DNA assay for bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) based on the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer I.
- Wilcox, Taylor M.; Zarn, Katherine E.; Piggott, Maxine P.; Young, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2018. Capture enrichment of aquatic environmental DNA: A first proof of concept.
- McKelvey, Kevin S.; Buotte, Polly C. 2018. Climate Change and Wildlife in the Northern Rockies Region Chapter 9.
- McKelvey, Kevin S.; Buotte, Polly C. 2018. Effects of climate change on wildlife in the Northern Rockies Chapter 8.
- Wilcox, Taylor M.; Young, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Isaak, Daniel J.; Horan, Dona L.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2018. Fine-scale environmental DNA sampling reveals climate-mediated interactions between native and invasive trout species.
- Franklin, Thomas W.; Dysthe, Joseph C.; Golden, Michael ; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Hossack, Blake R.; Carim, Kellie J.; Tait, Cynthia ; Young, Michael K.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2018. Inferring presence of the western toad (Anaxyrus boreas) species complex using environmental DNA.
- Dysthe, Joseph C.; Carim, Kellie J.; Franklin, Thomas W.; Kikkert, Dave; Young, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2018. Molecular detection of northern leatherside chub (Lepidomeda copei) DNA in environmental samples.
- Golding, Jessie D.; Schwartz, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Squires, John R.; Jackson, Scott D.; Staab, Cara ; Sadak, Rema B. 2018. Multispecies mesocarnivore monitoring: USDA Forest Service multiregional monitoring approach.
- Steenweg, Robin; Hebblewhite, Mark; Whittington, Jesse; Lukacs, Paul; McKelvey, Kevin. 2018. Sampling scales define occupancy and underlying occupancy-abundance relationships in animals.
- Wilcox, T. M.; Carim, K. J.; Young, M. K.; McKelvey, K. S.; Franklin, T. W.; Schwartz, M. K. 2018. The importance of sound methodology in environmental DNA sampling.
- Young, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Jennings, Tara ; Carter, Katie ; Cronn, Richard ; Keeley, Ernest R.; Loxterman, Janet L.; Pilgrim, Kristine L.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2018. The phylogeography of westslope cutthroat trout.
- Mason, Daniel H.; Dysthe, Joseph C.; Franklin, Thomas W.; Skorupski, Joseph A.; Young, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2018. qPCR detection of Sturgeon chub (Macrhybopsis gelida) DNA in environmental samples.
- Carim, Kellie J.; Dysthe, J. Caleb; Young, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2017. A noninvasive tool to assess the distribution of Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) in the Columbia River basin.
- Young, Michael K.; Isaak, Daniel J.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Wilcox, Taylor M.; Campbell, Matthew R.; Corsi, Matthew P.; Horan, Dona ; Schwartz, Michael K. 2017. Ecological segregation moderates a climactic conclusion to trout hybridization.
- Dysthe, Joseph C.; Carim, Kellie J.; Ruggles, Michael; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Young, Michael K.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2017. Environmental DNA assays for the sister taxa aauger (Sander canadensis) and walleye (Sander vitreus).
- Aubry, Keith B.; Raley, Catherine M.; McKelvey, Kevin S. 2017. The importance of data quality for generating reliable distribution models for rare, elusive, and cryptic species.
- Carim, Kellie J.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Young, Michael K.; Wilcox, Taylor M.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2016. A protocol for collecting environmental DNA samples from streams.
- Padgett-Stewart, Ticha M.; Wilcox, Taylor M.; Carim, Kellie J.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Young, Michael K.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2016. An eDNA assay for river otter detection: A tool for surveying a semi-aquatic mammal.
- Carim, K. J.; Dysthe, J. C. S.; Young, Michael; McKelvey, Kevin; Schwartz, Michael. 2016. An environmental DNA assay for detecting Arctic grayling in the upper Missouri River basin, North America.
- Carim, K. J.; Wilcox, T. M.; Anderson, M.; Lawrence, D.; Young, Michael; McKelvey, Kevin; Schwartz, Michael. 2016. An environmental DNA marker for detecting nonnative brown trout (Salmo trutta).
- Buotte, Polly C.; Peterson, David L.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Hicke, Jeffrey A. 2016. Capturing subregional variability in regional-scale climate change vulnerability assessments of natural resources.
- Young, Michael K.; Isaak, Daniel J.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Wilcox, Taylor M.; Bingham, Daniel M.; Pilgrim, Kristine L.; Carim, Kellie J.; Campbell, Matthew R.; Corsi, Matthew P.; Horan, Dona L.; Nagel, David E.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2016. Climate, demography, and zoogeography predict introgression thresholds in salmonid hybrid zones in Rocky Mountain streams.
- Carim, K. J.; Christianson, K. R.; McKelvey, Kevin; Pate, W. M.; Silver, D. B.; Johnson, B. M.; Galloway, B. T.; Young, Michael; Schwartz, Michael. 2016. Environmental DNA marker development with sparse biological information: A case study on opossum shrimp (Mysis diluviana).
- Dysthe, Joseph C.; Carim, Kellie J.; Paroz, Yvette M.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Young, Michael K.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2016. Quantitative PCR assays for detecting loach minnow (Rhinichthys cobitis) and spikedace (Meda fulgida) in the southwestern United States.
- Dilkina, Bistra; Houtman, Rachel; Gomes, Carla P.; Montgomery, Claire A.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Kendall, Katherine; Graves, Tabitha A.; Bernstein, Richard; Schwartz, Michael K. 2016. Trade-offs and efficiencies in optimal budget-constrained multispecies corridor networks.
- Wilcox, Taylor M.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Young, Michael K.; Sepulveda, Adam J.; Shepard, Bradley B.; Jane, Stephen F.; Whiteley, Andrew R.; Lowe, Winsor H.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2016. Understanding environmental DNA detection probabilities: A case study using a stream-dwelling char Salvelinus fontinalis.
- Wilcox, Taylor M.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Young, Michael K.; Lowe, Winsor H.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2015. Environmental DNA particle size distribution from Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis).
- Wade, Alisa A.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2015. Resistance-surface-based wildlife conservation connectivity modeling: Summary of efforts in the United States and guide for practitioners.
- Wilcox, Taylor M.; Carim, Kellie J.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Young, Michael; Schwartz, Michael K. 2015. The dual challenges of generality and specificity when developing environmental DNA markers for species and subspecies of Oncorhynchus.
- McKelvey, Kevin S. 2015. The effects of disturbance and succession on wildlife habitat and animal communities Chapter 11.
- Wilcox, Taylor M.; Schwartz, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Young, Michael K.; Lowe, Winsor H. 2014. A blocking primer increases specificity in environmental DNA detection of bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus).
- Lemoine, Michael; Young, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Eby, Lisa; Pilgrim, Kristine L.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2014. Cottus schitsuumsh, a new species of sculpin (Scorpaeniformes: Cottidae) in the Columbia River basin, Idaho-Montana, USA.
- Jane, Stephen F.; Wilcox, Taylor M.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Young, Michael K.; Schwartz, Michael K.; Lowe, Winsor H.; Letcher, Benjamin H.; Whiteley, Andrew R. 2014. Distance, flow and PCR inhibition: eDNA dynamics in two headwater streams.
- McKelvey, Kevin S.; Aubry, Keith B.; Anderson, Neil J.; Clevenger, Anthony P.; Copeland, Jeffrey P.; Heinemeyer, Kimberley S.; Inman, Robert M.; Squires, John R.; Waller, John S.; Pilgrim, Kristine L.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2014. Recovery of wolverines in the western United States: Recent extirpation and recolonization or range retraction and expansion.
- McKelvey, Kevin S.; Aubry, Keith B.; Anderson, Neil J.; Clevenger, Anthony P.; Copeland, Jeffrey P.; Heinemeyer, Kimberley S.; Inman, Robert M.; Squires, John R.; Waller, John S.; Pilgrim, Kristine L.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2014. Recovery of wolverines in the western United States: recent extirpation and recolonization or range retraction and expansion.
- Vojta, Christina D.; McDonald, Lyman L.; Brewer, C. Kenneth; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Rowland, Mary M; Goldstein, Michael I. 2013. Chapter 3. Planning and design for habitat monitoring.
- DeMeo, Thomas E.; Manning, Mary M.; Rowland, Mary M.; Vojta, Christina D.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Brewer, C. Kenneth; Kennedy, Rebecca S.H.; Maus, Paul A.; Schulz, Bethany; Westfall, James A.; Mersmann, Timothy J. 2013. Chapter 4. Monitoring vegetation composition and structure as habitat attributes.
- Cushman, Samuel A.; Mersmann, Timothy J.; Moisen, Gretchen G.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Vojta, Christina D. 2013. Chapter 5. Using Habitat Models for Habitat Mapping and Monitoring.
- Cushman, Samuel A.; McGarigal, Kevin; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Vojta, Christina D.; Regan, Claudia M. 2013. Chapter 6. Landscape Analysis for Habitat Monitoring.
- McDonald, Lyman L.; Vojta, Christina D.; McKelvey, Kevin S. 2013. Chapter 8. Data Analysis.
- Neel, M. C.; McKelvey, K.; Ryman, N.; Lloyd, M. W.; Short Bull, R.; Allendorf, F. W.; Schwartz, M. K.; Waples, R. S. 2013. Estimation of effective population size in continuously distributed populations: There goes the neighborhood.
- Solem, Stephen J.; Pendleton, Burton K.; Giffen, Casey; Coles-Ritchie, Marc; Ledbetter, Jeri; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Berg, Joy; Menlove, Jim; Woodlief, Carly K.; Boehnke, Luke A. 2013. Final Program Report for 2010-2012: Monitoring and evaluation for conserving biological resources of the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area.
- McKelvey, Kevin S.; Ramirez, Jennifer E.; Pilgrim, Kristine L.; Cushman, Samuel A.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2013. Genetic sampling of Palmer's chipmunks in the Spring Mountains, Nevada.
- Dilkina, Bistra; Lai, Katherine; Le Bras, Ronan; Xue, Yexiang; Gomes, Carla P.; Sabharwal, Ashish; Suter, Jordan; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Schwartz, Michael K.; Montgomery, Claire. 2013. Large landscape conservation-synthetic and real-world datasets.
- Wilcox, Taylor M.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Young, Michael K.; Jane, Stephen F.; Lowe, Winsor H.; Whiteley, Andrew R.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2013. Robust detection of rare species using environmental DNA: The importance of primer specificity.
- Le Bras, Ronan; Dilkina, Bistra; Xue, Yexiang; Gomes, Carla P.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Schwartz, Michael K.; Montgomery, Claire A. 2013. Robust network design for multispecies conservation.
- Solem, Stephen J.; Pendleton, Burton K.; Woldow, Julie A.; Coles-Ritchie, Marc; Ledbetter, Jeri; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Berg, Joy; Gilboy, Amy; Menlove, Jim; Woodlief, Carly K. 2012. 2011 Annual Report: Monitoring and evaluation for conserving biological resources of the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area.
- Campbell, N. R.; Amish, S. J.; Prichard, V. L.; McKelvey, K. M.; Young, M. K.; Schwartz, M. K.; Garza, J. C.; Luikart, G.; Narum, S. R. 2012. Development and evaluation of 200 novel SNP assays for population genetic studies of westslope cutthroat trout and genetic identification of related taxa.
- Parks, Sean A.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2012. Effects of weighting schemes on the identification of wildlife corridors generated with least-cost methods.
- Noon, Barry R.; Bailey, Larissa L.; Sisk, Thomas D.; McKelvey, Kevin S. 2012. Efficient species-level monitoring at the landscape scale.
- Russell, Robin E.; Royle, J. Andrew; Desimone, Richard; Schwartz, Michael K.; Edwards, Victoria L.; Pilgrim, Kristy P.; McKelvey, Kevin S. 2012. Estimating abundance of mountain lions from unstructured spatial sampling.
- Hansen, Michael M.; Olivieri, Isabelle; Waller, Donald M.; Nielsen, Einar E.; Allendorf, F. W.; Schwartz, M. K.; Baker, C. S.; Gregovich, D. P.; Jackson, J. A.; Kendall, K. C.; Laikre, L.; McKelvey, K.; Neel, M. C.; Ryman, N.; Short Bull, R.; Stetz, J. B.; Tallmon, D. A.; Vojta, C. D.; Waples, R. S. 2012. Monitoring adaptive genetic responses to environmental change.
- Solem, Stephen J.; Pendleton, Burton K.; Coles-Ritchie, Marc; Ledbetter, Jeri; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Berg, Joy; Nelson, Kellen; Menlove, James. 2011. 2010 Annual Report: Monitoring and evaluation for conserving biological resources of the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area.
- Lai, Katherine J.; Gomes, Carla P.; Schwartz, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Calkin, David E.; Montgomery, Claire A. 2011. The Steiner Multigraph Problem: Wildlife corridor design for multiple species.
- Short Bull, R. A.; Cushman, Samuel; Mace, R.; Chilton, T.; Kendall, K. C.; Landguth, E. L.; Schwartz, Michael; McKelvey, Kevin; Allendorf, Fred W.; Luikart, G. 2011. Why replication is important in landscape genetics: American black bear in the Rocky Mountains.
- McKelvey, Kevin S.; Lofroth, Eric C.; Copeland, Jeffrey P.; Aubry, Keith B.; Magoun, Audrey J. 2010. Comments on Brodie and Post: Climate-driven declines in wolverine populations: Causal connection or spurious correlation.
- Laikre, Linda; Schwartz, Michael K.; Waples, Robin S.; Ryman, Nils; Allendorf, F. W.; Baker, C. S.; Gregovich, D. P.; Hansen, M. M.; Jackson, J. A.; Kendall, K. C.; McKelvey, K.; Neel, M. C.; Olivieri, I.; Short Bull, R.; Stetz, J. B.; Tallmon, D. A.; Vojta, C. D.; Waller, D. M. 2010. Compromising genetic diversity in the wild: Unmonitored large-scale release of plants and animals.
- Cushman, Samuel A.; McKelvey, Kevin S. 2010. Data on distribution and abundance: Monitoring for research and management Chapter 6.
- Schwartz, Michael K.; Luikart, Gordon; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Cushman, Samuel A. 2010. Landscape genomics: A brief perspective Chapter 9.
- Landguth, E. L.; Cushman, S. A; Schwartz, M. K.; McKelvey, K. S.; Murphy, M.; Luikart, G. 2010. Quantifying the lag time to detect barriers in landscape genetics.
- Copeland, J. P.; McKelvey, K. S.; Aubry, K. B.; Landa, A.; Persson, J.; Inman, R. M.; Krebs, J.; Lofroth, E.; Golden, H.; Squires, J. R.; Magoun, A.; Schwartz, M. K.; Wilmot, J.; Copeland, C. L.; Yates, R. E.; Kojola, I.; May, R. 2010. The bioclimatic envelope of the wolverine (Gulo gulo): do climatic constraints limit its geographic distribution.
- Cushman, Samuel A.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Noon, Barry R.; McGarigal, Kevin. 2010. Use of abundance of one species as a surrogate for abundance of others.
- McKelvey, Kevin S.; Cushman, Samuel A.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2009. Landscape genetics Chapter 17.
- Laikre, Linda; Allendorf, Fred W.; Aroner, Laurel C.; Baker, C. Scott; Gregovich, David P.; Hansen, Michael M.; Jackson, Jennifer A.; Kendall, Katherine C.; Mckelvey, Kevin; Neel, Maile C.; Olivieri, Isabelle; Ryman, Nils; Schwartz, Michael K.; Bull, Ruth Short; Stetz, Jeffrey B.; Tallmon, David A.; Taylor, Barbara L.; Vojta, Christina D.; Waller, Donald M.; Waples, Robin S. 2009. Neglect of genetic diversity in implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
- McKelvey, Kevin S.; Cushman, Samuel A.; Schwartz, Michael K.; Ruggiero, Leonard F. 2009. Wildlife monitoring across multiple spatial scales using grid-based sampling.
- Cushman, Samuel; McKelvey, Kevin; Schwartz, Michael. 2008. Case study 6.1: DNA survey for fisher in northern Idaho.
- Cushman, Samuel A.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Flather, Curtis H.; McGarigal, Kevin. 2008. Do forest community types provide a sufficient basis to evaluate biological diversity.
- Noon, Barry R.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Dickson, Brett G. 2008. Multispecies conservation planning on U. S. federal lands Chapter 3.
- Cushman, Samuel A.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2008. Use of empirically derived source-destination models to map regional conservation corridors.
- McKelvey, Kevin S.; Aubry, Keith B.; Schwartz, Michael K. 2008. Using anecdotal occurrence data for rare or elusive species: The illusion of reality and a call for evidentiary standards.
- McDaniel, Gregory W.; McKelvey, Kevin S. 2007. A cost-effective system for measuring microscale habitat use of small mammals with high precision.
- Schwartz, Michael K.; Pilgrim, Kristine L.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Rivera, Pilar T.; Ruggiero, Leonard F. 2007. DNA markers for identifying individual snowshoe hares using field-collected pellets.
- Aubry, Keith B.; McKelvey Kevin S., Kevin; Copeland Jeffrey P., . 2007. Distribution and broadscale habitat relations of the wolverine in the contiguous United States.
- Schwartz, Michael K.; Aubry, Keith B.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Pilgrim, Kristine L.; Copeland, Jeffrey P.; Squires, John R.; Inman, Robert M.; Wisely, Samantha M.; Ruggiero, Leonard F. 2007. Inferring geographic isolation of wolverines in California using historical DNA.
- Cushman, Samuel A.; McKenzie, Donald; Peterson, David L.; Littell, Jeremy; McKelvey, Kevin S. 2007. Research agenda for integrated landscape modeling.
- Copeland, Jeffrey P.; Peek, James M.; Groves, Craig R.; Melquist, Wayne E.; Mckelvey, Kevin S.; McDaniel, Gregory W.; Long, Clinton D.; Harris, Charles E. 2007. Seasonal habitat associations of the wolverine in central Idaho.
- Ruggiero, Leonard F.; Mckelvey, Kevin S.; Aubry, Keith B.; Copeland, Jeffrey P.; Pletscher, Daniel H.; Hornocker, Maurice G. 2007. Wolverine conservation and management.
- McKelvey, Kevin S.; von Kienast, Jeffrey; Aubry, Keith B.; Koehler, Gary M.; Maletzke, Bejamin T.; Squires, John R.; Lindquist, Edward L.; Loch, Steve; Schwartz, Michael K. 2006. DNA analysis of hair and scat collected along snow tracks to document the presence of Canada Lynx..
- Schwartz, Michael K.; Cushman, Samuel A.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Hayden, Jim; Engkjer, Cory. 2006. Detecting genotyping errors and describing black bear movement in northern Idaho.
- Cushman, Samuel A.; McKelvey, Kevin S. 2006. Developing statistical wildlife habitat relationships for assessing cumulative effects of fuels treatments: Final Report for Joint Fire Science Program Project.
- Cushman, Samuel A.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Hayden, Jim; Schwartz, Michael K. 2006. Gene flow in complex landscapes: Testing multiple hypotheses with causal modeling.
- Ortega, Yvette Katina; McKelvey, Kevin Scot; Six, Diana Lee. 2006. Invasion of an exotic forb impacts reproductive success and site fidelity of a migratory songbird.
- Cushman, Samuel A.; McKenzie, Donald; Peterson, David L.; Littell, Jeremy; McKelvey, Kevin S. 2006. Research agenda for integrated landscape modeling.
- Noon, Barry R.; McKelvey, Kevin S. 2006. The Process of Indicator Selection.
- Vinkey, Ray S.; Schwartz, Michael K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Foresman, Kerry R.; Pilgrim, Kristine L.; Giddings, Brian J.; Lofroth, Eric C. 2006. When reintroductions are augmentations: the genetic legacy of the fisher (Martes pennanti) in Montana.
- Holthausen, Richard; Czaplewski, Raymond L., Ph.D..; DeLorenzo, Don; Hayward, Greg; Kessler, Winifred B.; Manley, Pat; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Powell, Douglas S.; Ruggiero, Leonard F.; Schwartz, Michael K.; Van Horne, Bea; Vojta, Christina D. 2005. Strategies for monitoring terrestrial animals and habitats.
- Squires, John R.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Ruggiero, Leonard F. 2004. A snow-tracking protocol used to delineate local lynx, Lynx canadensis, distributions.
- Ortega, Yvette K.; Pearson, Dean E.; McKelvey, Kevin S. 2004. Effects of biological control agents and exotic plant invasion on deer mouse populations.
- Canton-Thompson, Janie; Ritter, Sharon; Campbell, Dave; Schreck, Julie; Kolb, Peter; Thompson, Brooke; Zuuring, Hans; Watson, Alan; Ortega, Yvette; McKelvey, Kevin; Sutherland, Elaine Kennedy; Jones, Greg. 2002. ECO-Report - Fire recovery in the Bitterroot: "It s a lot of work!".
- Canton-Thompson, Janie; Jones, Greg; Smith, Jane Kapler; Rice, Peter; Harrington, Mick; Sutherland, Elaine Kennedy; McKelvey, Kevin; Ortega, Yvette; McCaughey, Ward; Pfister, Robert; Jones, Greg; Swanson, Larry; Wright, Vita. 2001. ECO-Report - One ranger's experience in summer 2000.
- McKelvey, Kevin S.; Pearson, Dean E. 2001. Population estimation with sparse data: The role of estimators versus indices revisited.
- Pearson, Dean E.; Ortega, Yvette K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Ruggiero, Leonard F. 2001. Small mammal communities and habitat selection in Northern Rocky Mountain bunchgrass: Implications for exotic plant invasions.
- Waters, Jeffrey R.; Zabel, Cynthia J.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Welsh, Hartwell H., Jr. 2001. Vegetation patterns and abundances of amphibians and small mammals along small streams in a northwestern California watershed.
- McKelvey, Kevin S.; Ortega, Yvette K.; Koehler, Gary M.; Aubry, Keith B.; Brittell, J. David. 2000. Canada lynx habitat and topographic use patterns in north central Washington: A reanalysis Chapter 10.
- Buskirk, Steven W.; Ruggiero, Leonard F.; Aubry, Keith B.; Pearson, Dean E.; Squires, John R.; McKelvey, Kevin S. 2000. Comparative ecology of lynx in North America Chapter 14.
- Aubry, Keith B.; Ruggiero, Leonard F.; Squires, John R.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Koehler, Gary M.; Buskirk, Steven W.; Krebs, Charles J. 2000. Conservation of lynx in the United States: A systematic approach to closing critical knowledge gaps Chapter 17.
- McDaniel, Gregory W.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Squires, John R.; Ruggiero, Leonard F. 2000. Efficacy of lures and hair snares to detect lynx.
- McKelvey, Kevin S. 2000. History and distribution of lynx in the contiguous United States Chapter 8.
- McKelvey, Kevin S.; Aubry, Keith B.; Agee, James K.; Buskirk, Steven W.; Ruggiero, Leonard F.; Koehler, Gary M. 2000. Lynx conservation in an ecosystem management context Chapter 15.
- Pearson, Dean E.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Ruggiero, Leonard F. 2000. Non-target effects of an introduced biological control agent on deer mouse ecology.
- Ruggiero, Leonard F.; Aubry, Keith B.; Buskirk, Steven W.; Koehler, Gary M.; Krebs, Charles J.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Squires, John R. 2000. The scientific basis for lynx conservation: Can we get there from here Chapter 18.
- Aubry, Keith B.; Buskirk, Steven W.; Koehler, Gary M.; Krebs, Charles J.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Squires, John R. 2000. The scientific basis for lynx conservation: Qualified insights Chapter 16.
- McKelvey, Kevin S.; Buskirk, Steven W.; Krebs, Charles J. 2000. Theoretical insights into the population viability of lynx Chapter 2.
- Ruggiero, Leonard F.; McKelvey, Kevin S. 2000. Toward a defensible lynx conservation strategy: A framework for planning in the face of uncertainty Chapter 1.
- Canton-Thompson, Janie; Smith, Jane Kapler; Jones, Greg; Brown, Perry J.; Arno, Stephen F.; Daniels, Orville L.; Burk, Dale A.; Hardy, Colin C.; Silvieus, Dave; Pflug, Kristi D.; Winhorst, Bruce; Thompson, Brooke; Ortega, Yvette K.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Thompson, Tom; Pearson, Dean E.; Stewart, Cathy; Sullivan, Janet. 1999. ECO-Report - 1999 Symposium highlights five years of learning.
- Ruggiero, Leonard F.; Aubry, Keith B.; Buskirk, Steven W.; Koehler, Gary M.; Krebs, Charles J.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Squires, John R. 1999. Ecology and conservation of lynx in the United States.
- Noon, Barry R.; McKelvey, Kevin S. 1996. A common framework for conservation planning: Linking individual and metapopulation models Chapter 7.
- McKelvey, K.S.; Skinner, C.N.; Chang, C.; Erman, D.C.; Husari, S.J.; Parsons, D.J.; van Wagtendonk, J.W.; Weatherspoon, C.P. 1996. An overview of fire in the Sierra Nevada.
- Zabel, Cynthia J.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Ward, James P., Jr. 1995. Influence of primary prey on home-range size and habitat-use patterns of northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina).
- Holthausen, Richard S.; Raphael, Martin G.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Forsman, Eric D.; Starkey, Edward E.; Seaman, D. Erran. 1995. The contribution of federal and nonfederal habitat to persistence of the northern spotted owl on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington: report of the reanalysis team..
- McKelvey, K.S.; Noon, B.R.; Lamberson, R.H. 1993. Conservation planning for species occupying fragmented landscapes: the case of the northern spotted owl.
- Verner, Jared; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Noon, Barry R.; Gutierrez, R. J.; Gould, Gordon I. Jr.; Beck, Thomas W. 1992. The California spotted owl: a technical assessment of its current status.
Citations of non US Forest Service Publications
Young, Michael K.; Isaak, Daniel J.; McKelvey, Kevin S.; Schwartz, Michael K.; Carim, Kellie J.; Fredenberg, Wade; Wilcox, Taylor M.; Franklin, Thomas W.; Chandler, Gwynne L.; Nagel, David E.; Parkes-Payne, Sharon L.; Horan, Dona L.; Wollrab, Sherry P. 2017. Species occurrence data from the Range-Wide Bull Trout eDNA Project. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2017-0038.
Schwartz, M. K., Young, M.K., McKelvey, K.S., Isaak, D.J., Nagel, D.E., Franklin, T.W., Greaves, S.E., Dysthe, J.C., Chandler, G.L., Wollrab, S.P., Carim, K.J., Wilcox, T.M., Parkes-Payne, S.L., Horan, D.L. 2018. Species occurrence data from the Aquatic eDNAtlas database. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. DOI Pending.
Research Highlights
Highlight | Title | Year |
![]() RMRS-2016-80 | Designing Cost-effective Biodiversity Corridors A new optimization technique will help conservation biologists choose the most cost-effective ways of connecting isolated populations of rare sp ... | 2016 |
![]() RMRS-2015-13 | Detection and Range Delineation of Bull Trout Using Environmental DNA The bull trout is listed as an endanged species that relies on cold stream environments across the Northwest and is expected to decline with cli ... | 2015 |
![]() RMRS-2016-186 | Headwater Streams are Resistant to Trout Hybridization Hybridization between native and introduced species is noted as an important player in the decline of native species. The potential for hybridiz ... | 2016 |
![]() RMRS-2016-221 | Mapping Climate Refugia to Preserve Cold-water Biodiversity Using Crowd-sourced Databases Climate change is rapidly altering stream and river environments across the western U.S. and may threaten the long-term persistence of populatio ... | 2016 |
![]() RMRS-2019-7 | Rare Carnivore Detections from Environmental DNA in Snow A USDA Forest Service study showed that animal footprints in snow contain enough DNA for species identification, even when the snow was many mon ... | 2019 |
![]() RMRS-2018-90 | The Region 4 — RMRS Science Partner Program: Working to improve management strategies and communication through shared stewardship
In 2016, the Rocky Mountain Research Station launched the Region 4—Rocky Mountain Research Station Science Partner Pilot program. The program' ... | 2018 |
![]() RMRS-2018-77 | The eDNAtlas project: A national map of aquatic biodiversity eDNA sampling provides a low-cost & sensitive method for determining which species occur in water bodies. Rapid adoption of eDNA sampling by man ... | 2018 |