NATURAL RESOURCE SPECIALIST (Analyst)

Forest Service
626 E Wisconsin Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53202

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Geospatial Analysis
Forest Ecology/Vegetation Ecology
Landscape Ecology
Aquatic Landscape Ecology
Watershed Integrity/Health/Resources
Community Assembly Theory
Trait-Based Ecology and Biological Assessment
Fish/Macroinvertebrate Ecology
Native Fish Species Conservation
Native/Introduced Fish Species Interactions
Whole Stream/River Ecology
Water Quality
Integrated use of GIS and Remote Sensing with Stream Ecology

EDUCATION

PhD in Fisheries & Wildlife 2009-2014. Department of Fisheries & Wildlife, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
MS in Biology 2006-2007. Division of Biology, College of Arts & Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
BA in Environmental Studies 1999-2001. College of Arts & Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska
BS in Geography 1994-2000. Minor: Biology, College of Arts & Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska

FELLOWSHIP AWARDS AND FUNDING

Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation Scholarship. 2013. $10931, Exchange student at Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria.
Dr. Howard A. Tanner Fisheries Excellence Fellowship. 2011-2012. $2500, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Fellowship, Michigan State University
Red Cedar Fly Fishers Graduate Fellowship in Fisheries Management. 2011. $1000, Red Cedar Fly Fishers, Okemos, Michigan
Robert C. and Betty A. Ball Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Fellowship. 2010-2011. $5000, Michigan State University
Bridge Fellowship. 2009-2010. College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Michigan State University
Summer Recruitment Fellowship. 2009. College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Michigan State University

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY AFFILIATIONS

PRESENTATIONS

[39] Thornbrugh D., T. Hobbs. April 30, 2024. Terrain Analysis with Digital Elevation Models, Red Relief Image Map and Geomorphorns. Eastern Region Ecology Call National Forest Service. (invited presentation)

[38] Thornbrugh D., D. Infante, Y. Tsang. December 7, 2023. Influences of Anthropogenic Stressors on Stream Fish. Eastern Region Aquatics Call National Forest Service. (invited presentation)

[37] Thornbrugh D., D. Infante, Y. Tsang. August 24, 2023. Influences of Anthropogenic Stressors on Stream Fish: Regional Trends of Biodiversity Indices. Session: Rivers: Population Demographics and Distribution. American Fisheries Society 153rd Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan USA. (oral presentation) Video

[36] K. Frerker, G. Nowacki, J Kroll, D Morley, R Toot, R. Risley, E. Engstrom, D. Thornbrugh, K. Steele, J. Barott and C. McQuiston. May 16, 2023. Ecological Mapping and Landtype Association Revision on the Superior National Forest. University of Minnesota 2023 Foresty Webinar Series. (oral presentation)

[35] G. Nowacki, K. Frerker, J Kroll, D Morley, R Toot, R. Risley, E. Engstrom, D. Thornbrugh, K. Steele, J. Barott and C. McQuiston. March 29, 2022. Delineating Landtype Associations for the Superior National Forest and adjacent lands and placement into an Ecological Hierarchy. Superior National Forest Landtype Association Review: Background and Instructions. Forest Service, Superior National Forest, Eastern Region (R9) virtual. (oral presentation)

[34] Thornbrugh D., D. Infante, Y. Tsang. February 15, 2022. Regional trends of biodiversity indices: differences in natural landscapes and anthropogenic land use influences on stream fishes, in State of the science on measures of faunal community health in response to multi-scale stressors Symposium at the 82nd Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference in Des Moines, Iowa USA. (invited oral symposium presentation)

[33] Thornbrugh D. J. August 25, 2020. Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Data Summary for Standing Dead Trees on the Huron-Manistee National Forest, Eastern Region (R9) Monthly Wildlife Call, Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA. (invited oral presentation)

[32] Thornbrugh D. J., S. G. Leibowitz, R. A. Hill, M. H. Weber, Z. C. Johnson A. R. Olsen, J. E. Flotemersch, J. L. Stoddard and D. V Peck. March 07, 2019. A National Map of Watershed Integrity for the Conterminous U.S. USGS – Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, Wisconsin USA. (invited seminar presentation)

[31] Thornbrugh D. J., S. G. Leibowitz, R. A. Hill, M. H. Weber, Z. C. Johnson A. R. Olsen, J. E. Flotemersch, J. L. Stoddard and D. V Peck. June 28, 2018. Mapping Watershed Integrity for the Conterminous United States. NOAA – Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Ann Arbor, Michigan USA. (invited seminar presentation)

[30] Thornbrugh D. J. April 19, 2018. Water quality comparison of two water years at Niobrara National Scenic River. Western South Dakota Hydrology Conference 2018, Rapid City, South Dakota. (poster presentation)

[29] Thornbrugh D. and D. Bender. March 16, 2017. Protocol Implementation Plan for Stream and River Channel Characteristics Monitoring in the Northern Great Plains Network, Monitoring Change in the Physical Habitat of Streams and Rivers. Northern Great Plains Technical Committee and Board of Directors Meeting. (oral presentation)

[28] Thornbrugh D. J. March 15, 2017. Water Quality Monitoring Update for Wadeable Streams and Rivers in the Northern Great Plains Network. Northern Great Plains Technical Committee and Board of Directors Meeting. (oral presentation)

[27] Thornbrugh D. J. May 24, 2017. Aquatic Ecologist Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Division: NPS Fundamentals Training, Spotlight Session. (invited oral presentation)

[26] Thornbrugh D. J., S. Leibowitz, R. Hill, M. Weber, J. Stoddard and J. Flotemersch. May 24, 2016. Mapping Watershed Integrity for the Conterminous United States. Annual Meeting for Society of Freshwater Science (SFS) in Sacramento, California USA. (oral presentation)

[25] Hill R., S. Leibowitz, A. Olsen, D. J. Thornbrugh, E. Fox and M. Weber. August 27, 2015. Variable Selection with Random Forest: Balancing Stability, Performance, and Interpretation in Ecological and Environmental Modeling. Annual Meeting for Society of Freshwater Science (SFS) in Sacramento, California USA. (oral presentation)

[24] Thornbrugh D. J., S. Leibowitz, R. Hill, M. Weber, A. Olsen, J. Stoddard and J. Flotemersch. May 18, 2016. Mapping Watershed Integrity for the Conterminous United States. USEPA, National Health and Environmental Effects research Laboratory (NHEERL) Western Ecology Division (WED) Science Seminar, Corvallis, Oregon (invited oral presentation)

[23] Weber M., R. Debbout, R. Hill, S. Liebowitz, D. J. Thornbrugh, A. Olsen and T. Larsen. Feb. 25, 2016. The Stream Catchment (StreamCat) Dataset. Spatial Data Management group Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon. (oral presentation)

[22] Flotemersch J., S. Leibowitz, R. Hill, J. Stoddard, M. Thoms, R. Tharme and D. J. Thornbrugh. August 27, 2015. A Watershed Integrity Definition and Assessment Approach to Support Strategic Management of Watersheds. Bienneal Symposium of the Internation Society for River Science, La Crosse, Wisconsin USA. (oral presentation)

[21] Thornbrugh D. J., S. G. Leibowitz, R. A. Hill, J. E. Flotemersch, M. Weber and J. L. Stoddard. August 20, 2015. Mapping Watershed Integrity for the Conterminous United States. 145th Annual Meeting of American Fisheries Society (AFS) Portland, Oregon USA. (oral presentation)

[20] Hill R., M. Weber, S. Leibowitz, T. Olsen and D. J. Thornbrugh. May 19, 2015. Mapping the biological condition of USA rivers and streams. Annual Meeting for the Society for Freshwater Science, Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA. (poster presentation)

[19] Weber M., R. Hill, S. Leibowitz, T. Olsen and D. J. Thornbrugh. March 5, 2015. Creating Flexible Basins and Building Stream-Catchment and Lake-Catchment Datasets. EPA GIS Workgroup lightning talk, US EPA NHEERL Western Ecology Division, Corvallis, OR. (interweb seminar presentation)

[18] Thornbrugh, D. J. and D. M. Infante. Dec. 2014. Regional Influences of Landscape Features and Processes on Fluvial Fish Assemblages. USEPA, National Health and Environmental Effects research Laboratory (NHEERL) Western Ecology Division (WED) Science Seminar, Corvallis, Oregon (invited oral presentation)

[17] Thornbrugh, D. J. Nov. 3 2014. Regional Influences of Landscape Features & Processes on Fluvial Fish Assemblages. Doctoral Defense Seminar, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI. (oral presentation)

[16] Thornbrugh, D. J. and D. M. Infante. 2014. Landscape effects on fluvial fish assemblage structure: region-specific response to anthropogenic stressors. Society of Freshwater Science, Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Portland, Oregon (oral presentation)

[15] Thornbrugh, D. J., D. M. Infante, Ashley Moerke and T. O. Brenden. March. 2013. Some like it hot some don’t, stream temperatures and Michigans fishes: Identifying management opportunities. Masters seminar series, Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria. (invited oral presentation)

[14] Krueger, D., D. Infante, K. Wehrly, T. Tsang, W. Daniel, J. Breck, D. J. Thornbrugh, A. Cooper, D. Wieferich, J. Ross, R. Tingley, K. Herreman, A. David. 2012. Landscape ecology principles and practice: An overview of research at Michigan State University and the Institute for Fisheries Research. Shiga University, Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.

[13] Thornbrugh, D. J., D. M. Infante, Ashley Moerke and T. O. Brenden. Dec. 2011. Some like it hot some don’t, stream temperatures and Michigans fishes: Identifying management opportunities in the face of environmental changes. Red Cedar Fly Fishers, Okemos, Michigan. (invited oral presentation)

[12] Thornbrugh, D. J., D. M. Infante, Lizhu Wang, Ashley Moerke and T. O. Brenden. Sept. 2011. Effects of temperature on relationships among Michigans fluvial fish assemblages: Identifying management opportunities in the face of environmental changes. National American Fisheries Society Meeting, Seattle, Washington. (oral presentation)

[11] Thornbrugh, D. J., D. M. Infante and T. O. Brenden. Feb. 2011. Effects of temperature on functional relationships among Michigans fluvial fish assemblages. Graduate Student Organization Research Symposium, Michigan State University (MSU), East Lansing, Michigan. (prospective oral presentation)

[10] Esselman, P., D. M. Infante, L. Wang, W. W. Taylor, A. Cooper, R. Tingley, D. Wieferich, J. Fenner, D. J. Thornbrugh, and J. Ross. Sept. 16, 2010. An assessment of fish habitat condition for United States streams and rivers. National Fish Habitat Action Plan Science and Data Committee Meeting, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

[9] Thornbrugh, D. J. and D. M. Infante. Oct. 2009. “Short Snapper”, Structure of fish assemblages along environmental gradients. The Partnership for Ecosystem Research and Management (PERM) meeting at Michigan State University (MSU). East Lansing, Michigan. (invited oral presentation)

[8] Thornbrugh, D. J. and K. B. Gido. June 2007. Fish dynamics in a Great Plains riverscape: A landscape level approach. Northern American Benthological Society. Columbia, South Carolina. (poster)

[7] Thornbrugh, D. J. and K. B. Gido. May 2007. Fish dynamics in a Great Plains riverscape: A landscape level approach. American Ecological Engineering Society Meeting, Ecological Engineering in the Great Plains Ecosystem, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS. (poster)

[6] Thornbrugh, D. J. and K. B. Gido. March 2007. Fish community dynamics in a Great Plains riverscape. 33rd annual graduate student research forum, Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS. (oral presentation)

[5] Paukert, C. P., J. Eitzmann, J. Fischer, K. Pitts, J. Schloesser, and D. J. Thornbrugh (best professional presentation). January 2007. Fish community and habitat differences in dredges and undredged sites on the Lower Kansas River. KS, NE, IA Tri-State American Fisheries Society Meeting, Council Bluffs, IA.

[4] Thornbrugh, D. J. and K. B. Gido. January 2007. Fish Community Dynamics in a Great Plains Riverscape. Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa Tri-State American Fisheries Society Meeting, Council Bluffs, IA. (oral presentation)

[3] Thornbrugh, D. J. and K. B. Gido. October 2006. Fish Community Dynamics in a Great Plains Riverscape. Great Plains Limnology Conference. Manhattan, KS. (oral presentation)

[2] Gido, K. B., J. Schaefer, J. Falke, D. J. Thornbrugh, T. Strakosh. April 2006. Assembling fish communities in reservoirs. Southwestern Association of Naturalists. Colima, Mexico