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Contact Information:

photo of Matthew Johnson
Name:
Johnson, Matthew
Title:
Wildlife Biologist
Discipline(s):
(Not yet specified.)
Research Station:
CPRS
Work Address:
Colorado Plateau Research Station, Northern Arizona University, Box 5614, Flagstaff, AZ 86011
Telephone Number:
(928)523-7764
Email Address:
Matthew.Johnson@nau.edu

Biographical Sketch:

Matthew earned his undergraduate degree in 1983 at Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado studying education and Biology, he earned his Master's degree in 1997 at Northern Arizona University studying avian ecology. Matthew has 12 years of experience studying avian populations and behavior. His Master's research investigated the effects of Brown-headed Cowbird brood parasitism on a Black-throated Sparrow population in the Verde Valley, Arizona. His primary research interests include avian ecology, population studies, and inventory and monitoring of birds. He has conducted numerous research projects throughout the western United States, Mexico, and Central America, as well as in Africa. A considerable proportion of this work has involved conducting surveys of Southwestern Willow Flycatchers, Western Yellow-billed Cuckoos and Mexican Spotted Owls and observing their behavior. In addition, he is co-author of the Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo Natural History Summary and Survey Methodology. Much of his work has been with federal land management agencies, principally the National Park Service. He has contributed to large-scale inventory and population monitoring studies, including the program at Canyonlands National Park and Montezuma Castle National Monument, the Southern Colorado Plateau Network of the Park Service, the Northern Colorado Plateau Network of the Park Service, and the USGS Grand Canyon Research and Monitoring Center. Since 1992, Matthew has been with what is today the USGS Southwest Biological Science Center, Colorado Plateau Field Station on the Northern Arizona University campus in Flagstaff. His recent work has concentrated on studies of bird populations particularly Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Mexican Spotted Owl on the Colorado Plateau and in the adjacent southwestern U.S.

Project List

  • Determine Protected Area Centers for Mexican Spotted Owls at Mesa Verde National Park. Studies in the early 1990's indicate that a small breeding population exists in Mesa Verde's deep sandstone canyons where dense Douglas-fir stands and pinyon-juniper woodlands provide shady cover and foraging habitat. No investigations of the owls have occurred beyond 1996 and no Protected Area Centers (PACs) have been established for these birds in Mesa Verde listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Under the right conditions, Mesa Verde's forests are highly vulnerable to devastating wildfires. Since 1934, Mesa Verde has experienced several large wildfires. Over half of the park has burned between 1989 and 2002, with thousands of acres of Spotted Owl habitat impacted. Preparation for a new Fire Management Plan has begun with ideas for more aggressive treatment of fuels using more prescribed burning and mechanical thinning to create fuel breaks in the park's forests. These activities have the further potential to directly impact the park's small population of these protected birds. In 2004 and 2005 we will locate and map all historical Mexican Spotted Owl observations and nesting records using GIS, map all potential MSO breeding habitat within Mesa Verde NP, conduct current MSO surveys in Mesa Verde and document and map all breeding and non-breeding activity during two breeding seasons. Determine appropriate PACs based on the best available data using guidelines established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the MSO's recovery plan, and recommend a long-term Mexican Spotted Owl monitoring strategy for Mesa Verde NP.
  • Mexican Spotted Owl Surveys at the U.S. Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station and Dry Lake PAC, 2004. In Arizona, the Mexican Spotted Owl is distributed widely in association with forest and steep canyon habitat. The owl was listed as a "threatened species" on April 15, 1993 (See, 58 Fed. Reg. 14248) by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and was placed on the Arizona Game and Fish Department's IIPAM list of sensitive species needing further study. The owl is declining in core sections of its range in Arizona, and the decline may be associated with habitat loss and fragmentation. Surveys for Mexican Spotted Owls at the U.S. Naval Observatory and the Dry Lake Crater began in 1994 when State Land Department personnel first discovered a Mexican Spotted Owl immediately adjacent to the southern Naval Observatory property. Since 1994, surveys have been conducted by the Arizona State Land Department, U.S. Forest Service and United States Geological Survey/Southwest Biological Science Center/Colorado Plateau Field Station. In 2003 and 2004, we will conduct presence/absence protocol surveys for the Mexican Spotted Owl at the U.S. Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station (Observatory) and throughout the Dry Lake PAC, and evaluate habitat quality for Mexican Spotted Owls at the U.S. Naval Observatory.
  • Yellow-billed Cuckoo distribution and abundance, habitat requirements, and breeding ecology in the Salt River valley and Verde Valley watershed. This project is documenting the distribution, abundance, and habitat use of Yellow-billed Cuckoos within the riparian areas of concern: the Roosevelt Lake area (including Tonto Creek) and the Lower San Pedro area (including the Mammoth/Oracle site, the mouth of the San Pedro/Aravaipa Creek inflow, and the Cook's lake site). Additionally, the information gathered during the Yellow-billed Cuckoo surveys can be used as baseline data for continued monitoring of Cuckoo populations and riparian vegetation. This project is conducting comprehensive, repeatable surveys within all potentially suitable habitat types in the areas of concern. This work will contribute to baseline information on Yellow-billed Cuckoo populations within these areas. We are also determining breeding habitat selection and preference within the areas of concern. We will characterize the habitat of occupied areas, and identify habitat requirements on the breeding grounds using both field surveys and GIS analysis.
  • Survey and inventory of Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Mexican Spotted Owl and Black Swift throughout Monticello, UT BLM District. This project is looking at the lack of information regarding the current status and distribution of Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Mexican Spotted Owl and Black Swift populations in southern Utah, and the potential for human-related impacts. Surveys in 2004 are designed to: map existing habitat for each species; document the number of each species in the study area during the breeding season, and determine if each species are territorial and/or breeding or migrants moving through the area; if breeding birds are found, determine breeding habitat and territory characteristics, nesting status and nest placement characteristics; and, develop recommendations for future monitoring and management alternatives.
  • Avian inventory of National Parks in Northern and Southern Colorado Plateau. I am principle investigator overseeing avian inventory of 11 National Parks throughout the northern and southern Colorado Plateau network. Responsibilities include; overseeing and initiation of study design to implement systematic surveys determining the inventory of all land bird species (including raptors and owls) and to ultimately implement a long term monitoring program.
  • Linking breeding and wintering distributions of Southwestern Willow flycatchers with stable Isotopes. I am currently collecting feathers from Southwestern Willow Flycatchers on their breeding grounds that may contain information about where they winter and feathers collected from hatch-year Willow Flycatchers on the winter grounds (prior to molt) may carry a breeding ground signature. Consequently, hydrogen isotope analyses (and possibly carbon and nitrogen as well will make it possible to map breeding season distributions with wintering distributions. We will then couple these patterns with our samples from migrating birds to construct a more detailed picture of annual population's dynamics of Southwestern Willow Flycatchers than has been possible to date.

Publications, Maps, and other Products

  1. Johnson M.J., C. van Riper. Brown-headed Cowbird brood parasitism of the Black-throated Sparrow in the Verde Valley of central Arizona. In press. Journal of Field Ornithology. [Journal Article]
  2. Johnson, M.J., S.L. Durst, C.M. Calvo, L. Stewart, M.K. Sogge, G. Bland, and T. Arundel. 2008. Yellow-billed Cuckoo Distrbution, Abundance, and Habitat Use Along the Lower Colorado River and It's Tributaries, 2007 Annual Report. [Open-File Report]
  3. Johnson, Matthew J., J. A. Holmes, C. Calvo, I. Samuels, S. Krantz, & M. K. Sogge. 2007. Yellow-Billed Cuckoo distribution, abundance, and habitat use along the lower Colorado and tributaries - 2006 Annual Report. Open File Report 2007-1097. USGS. [Open-File Report]
  4. Johnson, M. J., J. A. Holmes, R. Weber. 2006. Yellow-billed Cuckoo distributuion and abundance, habitat use, and breeding ecology in select habitats of the lower Colorado River - 2005 Final Report. USGS. [Technical Report]
  5. Johnson, M. J., J. A. Holmes, R. Weber. 2005. Yellow-billed Cuckoo distribution and abundance, habitat use, and breeding ecology in select habitats of the Roosevelt Habitat Conservation Plan, 2003-2005 - Final Report to Salt River Project. USGS. [Technical Report]
  6. Halterman, M., M. J. Johnson, & J. A. Holmes. 2005. Yellow-billed Cuckoo Survey Methodology and Natural History. USGS. [Technical Report]
  7. Johnson, M. J. 2005. Determining Protective Activity Centers (PAC) for Mexican Spotted Owls at Mesa Verde National Park - Annual Report 17pp. USGS. [Technical Report]
  8. Johnson, M. J. & R. Weber. 2005. Determining the presence of Mexican Spotted Owls at the Naval Observatory and Dry Lak PAC - Bi-annual Report 17pp. USGS. [Technical Report]
  9. Kelly, J., M. J. Johnson, S. Langridge, M. Whitfield. 2005. Linking Willow Flycatcher wintering and breeding sites through the use of stable isotopes - Final Report. USGS. [Technical Report]
  10. Johnson, M. J., J. A. Holmes, M. A. Stuart, & R. Weber. 2004. Yellow-billed Cuckoo distribution in the San Juan River watershed, Utah, from Montezuma Creek to Mexican Hat 2002-2003 - Final Report 23pp. USGS. [Technical Report]
  11. Johnson, M. J., C. van Riper III. 2004. Cowbird brood parasitism of the Black-throated Sparrow in the Verde Valley of central Arizona. Journal of Field Ornithology 75(3):303-311. [Journal Article]
  12. Arundel T., C. Van Riper III, M. Johnson, J. Holmes. 2004. Modeling yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus occidentalis) habitat in Arizona. [Journal Article]
  13. Johnson M., J. Holmes, D. Mattson, L. Thomas, N. Tancreto. 2004. Summary of faunal populations and communities workshop April 6-7, 2004, Northern Arizona University , Flagstaff , Arizona NPS, Southern Colorado Plateau I&M Network. U.S. National Park Service, Southern Colorado Plateau I&M Network, Flagstaff , Arizona . 10pp. [Technical Report]
  14. Johnson M. J ., J. A. Holmes, R. Weber, M. A. Stuart. 2003. 2003 Final Report: Yellow-billed Cuckoo distribution and abundance, habitat requirements, and breeding ecology in the Salt River valley. Annual Report to the Salt River Project, Phoenix , AZ. Southwest Biological Science Center/Colorado Plateau Field Station/Northern Arizona University 23 pp. [Technical Report]
  15. Johnson M.J., J. Holmes, M. Stuart. 2003. Final Report: Northern Colorado Plateau Avian Inventory. Southwest Biological Science Center/Colorado Plateau Field Station/Northern Arizona University. 65 pp. [Technical Report]
  16. Johnson M. J., J. Holmes, M. Stuart. 2003. Annual Report: Yellow-billed Cuckoo distribution and abundance, habitat requirements, and breeding ecology in the Salt River valley and Verde Valley watershed. 25 pp. [Technical Report]
  17. Holmes J. A., M. J. Johnson, C. van Riper III. 2003. Designing an effective avian monitoring program to meet the needs of the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center's Adaptive Management Program. A poster presented at the Colorado River Science Symposium, USGS Southwest Biological Science Center, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Tucson, AZ, October 28-30, 2003. [Poster]
  18. Johnson M.J., M. A. Stuart, J. A. Holmes, M. Barr. 2003. 2001-02 Avian inventory final report for the Northern Colorado Plateau National Parks. Final report to the National Park Service, Northern Colorado Plateau Network, Moab, UT. Southwest Biological Science Center/Colorado Plateau Field Station/Northern Arizona University . March 2003. 103 pp. [Technical Report]
  19. Johnson M. J., C. van Riper III. 2003. Mexican Spotted Owl Surveys at the U.S. Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station and Dry Lake PAC. 24 pp. [Technical Report]
  20. Johnson M. J., C. van Riper, K. Pearson, K. Enos. 2002. Black-throated Sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata). . In: The birds of North America, No.637 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.) The Academy of Natural Sciences; Philadelphia: The American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C. . [Journal Article]
  21. Johnson M.J., J. Holmes. 2002. Final Report: Pipe Spring National Monument Park Avian Inventory. Southwest Biological Science Center/Colorado Plateau Field Station/Northern Arizona University. 52 pp. [Technical Report]
  22. Johnson M. J ., and J. A. Holmes. 2002. Yearly Report, 2002: Population status and habitat requirements of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo in the San Juan River watershed, from Montezuma Creek to Mexican Hat, Utah. Report to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Salt Lake City , UT , and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Salt Lake City UT. 12 April 2002. [Technical Report]
  23. Johnson M. J ., M. A. Stuart, and J. A. Holmes. 2002. Initial Results: 2002 Avian Inventory Report for the Southern Colorado Plateau National Parks. Annual report to the National Park Service, Southern Colorado Plateau Network. Southwest Biological Science Center/Colorado Plateau Field Station/Northern Arizona University . September 5, 2002. 13pp. [Technical Report]
  24. Johnson M.J. 2001. Final Report Southwestern Willow Flycatcher and Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo Surveys along the Colorado and Green Rivers in Canyonland National Park (1999-2001). USGS/BRD, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Colorado Plateau Field Station/Northern Arizona University. 52 pp. [Technical Report]
  25. Drost C., D.J. Mattson, M.J. Johnson, A. Cully, M. Bogan, E. Nowak, T. Persons, J. Spence, K. Thomas, M. Stuart. 2000. Biological inventory of National Park areas on the southern Colorado Plateau. For US National Park Service Southern Colorado Plateau Network. Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit and USGS Colorado Plateau Field Station, Flagstaff , AZ. 209pp. (INVITED technical plan; rated second-best inventory plan nationwide ). [Technical Report]
  26. Johnson M.J. 2000. Final Report: Southwestern Willow Flycatcher surveys conducted along the Colorado River Corridor in Grand Canyon National Park (1998-2000). USGS/BRD, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Colorado Plateau Field Station/Northern Arizona University. 18 pp. [Technical Report]
  27. Sogge M.K., M.J. Johnson. 1998. A checklist of birds of Montezuma Castle and Well National Monuments and Vicinity. Southwest Parks and Monument Association, Tucson, AZ. [Publication Brief]
  28. Sogge M.K., M.J. Johnson. 1998. Montezuma Castle Avian Inventory 1991-1994. USGS/BRD, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Colorado Plateau Field Station/Northern Arizona University. 202 pp. [Technical Report]
  29. Johnson M.J., C. van Riper III. 1998. The Black-throated Sparrow at Montezuma Castle National Monument in the Verde Valley of Central Arizona. USGS/BRD, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Colorado Plateau Field Station/Northern Arizona University. Technical Report Series USGSFRESC/COPL/1998. 45 pp. [Technical Report]
  30. Johnson M.J. 1998. Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Surveys in the Manti-La Sal National Forest (Moab and Monticello Districts) Utah. USGS/BRD, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Colorado Plateau Field Station/Northern Arizona University. 19 pp. [Technical Report]
  31. Johnson M.J., C. O'Brien. 1998. Southwestern Willow Flycatcher and Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo Surveys along the San Juan River, Utah (Four Corners Bridge - Mexican Hat and Clay Hills Crossing). USGS/BRD, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Colorado Plateau Field Station/Northern Arizona University. 45 pp. [Technical Report]
  32. Johnson M.J. 1997. Cowbird brood parasitism of the Black-throated Sparrow in the Verde Valley of central Arizona. Master's thesis, Flagstaff, Arizona, Northern Arizona University. [Thesis/Dissertation]
  33. Johnson M.J., M.K. Sogge. 1997. Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Surveys along portions of the San Juan River, Utah (Montezuma Creek - Mexican Hat and Clay Hills Crossing). Colorado Plateau Field Station/Northern Arizona University. 40 pp. [Technical Report]
  34. Johnson M.J., C. van Riper III. 1996. Brown-headed Cowbird brood parasitism and the effects on the upland bird community at Montezuma Castle National Monument. Southwest Parks and Monuments Association. 23 pp. [Technical Report]
  35. Johnson M.J., M.K. Sogge. 1995. Cowbird concentrations at livestock corrals in Grand Canyon National Park. Pages 275-284 in C. van Riper III, Editor. Proceedings of the Second Biennial Conference on Research in Colorado Plateau National Parks, 25-28 October 1993. National Park Service Transactions and Proceedings Series NPS/NRNAU//NRTP-95/11. [Proceedings]
  36. Johnson M.J., M.K. Sogge. 1995. A checklist of birds of Tuzigoot National Monument and Vicinity. Southwest Parks and Monument Association, Tucson, AZ. [Publication Brief]
  37. Johnson M.J., L.E. Ellison, M.K. Sogge. 1993. Southwestern Willow Flycatcher declines in Grand Canyon National Park. Park Science 13:12-13. [Publication Brief]