Sarah B. Bassing, PhD
@sbassing.bsky.social
Assistant Prof. of Applied Quantitative Ecology, Montana State University | Species interactions, carnivore behavior, wildlife conservation | Camera trap & scat enthusiast | She - her - hers
https://www.bassinglabecology.org/
https://www.bassinglabecology.org/
Aurora borealis over Bozeman! Amazing!
November 12, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Aurora borealis over Bozeman! Amazing!
One last outing this field season with my incoming graduate student. We collected genetic samples from wolf scat and hiked through some beautiful country. Looking forward to the start of the semester and getting this project officially started!
August 16, 2025 at 2:08 PM
One last outing this field season with my incoming graduate student. We collected genetic samples from wolf scat and hiked through some beautiful country. Looking forward to the start of the semester and getting this project officially started!
We then predicted the top den & rendezvous site RSFs across the occupied range of Mexican wolves in AZ & NM. We used K-fold cross validation to assess the predictive capacity of the models. Both were highly predictive, with denning habitat being more predictable then rendezvous site habitat.
June 27, 2025 at 3:59 PM
We then predicted the top den & rendezvous site RSFs across the occupied range of Mexican wolves in AZ & NM. We used K-fold cross validation to assess the predictive capacity of the models. Both were highly predictive, with denning habitat being more predictable then rendezvous site habitat.
Using location data from >330 pup-rearing sites, we built RSFs to test hypotheses about what influences site selection. In a nutshell, features associated w/ physical protection & access to reliable H20 were most important, although the exact variables differed between site types.
June 27, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Using location data from >330 pup-rearing sites, we built RSFs to test hypotheses about what influences site selection. In a nutshell, features associated w/ physical protection & access to reliable H20 were most important, although the exact variables differed between site types.
The gray wolf research group is back in the field this summer, conducting howl surveys & collecting non-invasive genetic samples to study wolves in Idaho. I’m grateful to continue being a part of this long-term study & so excited that my first graduate student is now part of it as well.
June 16, 2025 at 2:29 PM
The gray wolf research group is back in the field this summer, conducting howl surveys & collecting non-invasive genetic samples to study wolves in Idaho. I’m grateful to continue being a part of this long-term study & so excited that my first graduate student is now part of it as well.
Our results suggest habitat & prey influenced predator occurrence more than potential competitors & this was consistent across time scales. Presence of species across multiple trophic levels appeared to influenced mesopredator space use. Last, abundant prey likely facilitated spatial co-existence.
January 31, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Our results suggest habitat & prey influenced predator occurrence more than potential competitors & this was consistent across time scales. Presence of species across multiple trophic levels appeared to influenced mesopredator space use. Last, abundant prey likely facilitated spatial co-existence.
3. Predators were often detected sooner following the detection of another predator in areas with higher prey relative abundance (especially white-tailed deer).
January 31, 2025 at 6:10 PM
3. Predators were often detected sooner following the detection of another predator in areas with higher prey relative abundance (especially white-tailed deer).
2. Mesopredators (bobcats & coyotes) were more likely to occur together over longer timescales (weeks to months). They were also more likely to be detected in areas after an apex predator (mtn lions & wolves) was recently detected.
January 31, 2025 at 6:10 PM
2. Mesopredators (bobcats & coyotes) were more likely to occur together over longer timescales (weeks to months). They were also more likely to be detected in areas after an apex predator (mtn lions & wolves) was recently detected.
We found a couple of cool things:
1. Habitat features influenced occupancy at the seasonal time scale and most predator occupancy was unrelated to the presence of other predators.
1. Habitat features influenced occupancy at the seasonal time scale and most predator occupancy was unrelated to the presence of other predators.
January 31, 2025 at 6:10 PM
We found a couple of cool things:
1. Habitat features influenced occupancy at the seasonal time scale and most predator occupancy was unrelated to the presence of other predators.
1. Habitat features influenced occupancy at the seasonal time scale and most predator occupancy was unrelated to the presence of other predators.
We used 750 #cameratraps and multi-species occupancy models to first model co-occupancy at a 2.5 month time scale (July - mid Sept). Then we looked at co-detection on a 1 week time scale. Last, we looked at wait times between detections of different predators at the hourly to days time scale.
January 31, 2025 at 6:10 PM
We used 750 #cameratraps and multi-species occupancy models to first model co-occupancy at a 2.5 month time scale (July - mid Sept). Then we looked at co-detection on a 1 week time scale. Last, we looked at wait times between detections of different predators at the hourly to days time scale.
First day as an Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Ecology at Montana State University. This still doesn’t feel real but I’m excited to be here!
January 7, 2025 at 10:46 PM
First day as an Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Ecology at Montana State University. This still doesn’t feel real but I’m excited to be here!
Anybody know of any current or recent Long-billed Curlew studies? I spotted this banded and transmittered curlew at Drake’s Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore, CA yesterday and am curious about it. 🧪🌎
December 22, 2024 at 12:51 AM
Anybody know of any current or recent Long-billed Curlew studies? I spotted this banded and transmittered curlew at Drake’s Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore, CA yesterday and am curious about it. 🧪🌎
This work was part of the WAPredatorPreyProject. Huge thank you to my coauthors L. Satterfield, T. Ganz, M. DeVivo, B. Kertson, T. Roussin, A. Wirsing, & B. Gardner, and to the many wonderful project collaborators and field techs who helped bring this study together.
DM me if you want a copy!
DM me if you want a copy!
October 30, 2024 at 12:57 PM
This work was part of the WAPredatorPreyProject. Huge thank you to my coauthors L. Satterfield, T. Ganz, M. DeVivo, B. Kertson, T. Roussin, A. Wirsing, & B. Gardner, and to the many wonderful project collaborators and field techs who helped bring this study together.
DM me if you want a copy!
DM me if you want a copy!
Although we don’t know what behaviors these changes in movement correlate to w/o auxiliary data, our study shows that predators & prey adjust their movements in response to habitats associated with one another, which may ultimately influence encounter & predation rates.
October 30, 2024 at 12:42 PM
Although we don’t know what behaviors these changes in movement correlate to w/o auxiliary data, our study shows that predators & prey adjust their movements in response to habitats associated with one another, which may ultimately influence encounter & predation rates.
Both predators and prey also adjusted their movements based on different landscape features, such as snow and roads. Most notably, ungulates consistently slowed down and moved more randomly in more rugged terrain (TRI), likely because it is more difficult to move through.
October 30, 2024 at 12:40 PM
Both predators and prey also adjusted their movements based on different landscape features, such as snow and roads. Most notably, ungulates consistently slowed down and moved more randomly in more rugged terrain (TRI), likely because it is more difficult to move through.
And wolves & cougars tended to adjust their movement behaviors based on the type of prey they were most likely to encounter (i.e., in habitats selected by a particular prey species) instead of based on their own style of hunting.
October 30, 2024 at 12:38 PM
And wolves & cougars tended to adjust their movement behaviors based on the type of prey they were most likely to encounter (i.e., in habitats selected by a particular prey species) instead of based on their own style of hunting.
Instead, deer & elk generally slowed down & moved more randomly in response to areas selected by large predators, regardless of the predator hunting mode, possibly to assess the level of immediate risk (e.g., increasing vigilance in areas associated w/ long-term risk).
October 30, 2024 at 12:35 PM
Instead, deer & elk generally slowed down & moved more randomly in response to areas selected by large predators, regardless of the predator hunting mode, possibly to assess the level of immediate risk (e.g., increasing vigilance in areas associated w/ long-term risk).
We found that a broad temporal scales (4-hr GPS fix interval) movement behaviors did change as predators & prey encountered habitats selected by their prey & predators, respectively, but that these changes weren’t clearly related to hunting strategy (stalking vs coursing).
October 30, 2024 at 12:34 PM
We found that a broad temporal scales (4-hr GPS fix interval) movement behaviors did change as predators & prey encountered habitats selected by their prey & predators, respectively, but that these changes weren’t clearly related to hunting strategy (stalking vs coursing).
We expected predators would adjust movements based on their own hunting strategies (e.g., stalking predator would slow down & move more randomly in areas associated with prey) and prey would adjust movements to counter a predator’s hunting strategy & movement behaviors.
October 30, 2024 at 12:32 PM
We expected predators would adjust movements based on their own hunting strategies (e.g., stalking predator would slow down & move more randomly in areas associated with prey) and prey would adjust movements to counter a predator’s hunting strategy & movement behaviors.
Had a ton of fun at the 2024 joint Idaho TWS - Washington TWS - NW PARC conference. Lots of great talks and cool research. Great to have a little University of Washington representation at the meeting too! @trganz.bsky.social
March 30, 2024 at 4:46 PM
Had a ton of fun at the 2024 joint Idaho TWS - Washington TWS - NW PARC conference. Lots of great talks and cool research. Great to have a little University of Washington representation at the meeting too! @trganz.bsky.social
Ermahgerd! I saw a river otter while riding my bike to work this morning and I watched a great-horned owl eye a group of mallards Saturday evening. All along one little stretch of creek near my house!
December 18, 2023 at 8:47 PM
Ermahgerd! I saw a river otter while riding my bike to work this morning and I watched a great-horned owl eye a group of mallards Saturday evening. All along one little stretch of creek near my house!
I gave a guest lecture about competitive interactions yesterday and had way too much fun coming up for these cheesy Twilight-themed examples of exploitation vs interference competition. Not sure if the students found it as funny as I did but I enjoyed myself. #Ecology #WildifeScience #TeamJacob
October 13, 2023 at 2:21 PM
I gave a guest lecture about competitive interactions yesterday and had way too much fun coming up for these cheesy Twilight-themed examples of exploitation vs interference competition. Not sure if the students found it as funny as I did but I enjoyed myself. #Ecology #WildifeScience #TeamJacob
Not a bad way to end the work week #HappyFriday
October 7, 2023 at 12:32 AM
Not a bad way to end the work week #HappyFriday