L. Scott Mills

Professor: Research and teaching emphasis on population ecology, conservation of fragmented populations, and community-level effects of species loss. 

Awarded Guggenheim Fellowship, 2009
CFC wildlife biology Professor L. Scott Mills has been named a 2009 Guggenheim Fellow by the board of trustees of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
Read more.

         Dr. L. Scott Mills is a Professor in the Wildlife Biology Program in the College of Forestry and Conservation at the University of Montana. His research across normally disparate scientific disciplines has led to key advances in applying ecological science to wildlife conservation, including new insights into how genetic variation affects persistence of wild species, new methods for non-invasive abundance estimation and monitoring of population trend, and direct field measurements of how wildlife respond to climate change and other factors.  His  research species and systems range from marmots and coyotes in Olympic National Park, to endangered bighorn sheep in the California Sierra Nevada, to fruit bats in the Philippines, to snowshoe hares across North America, to snow leopards in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.

            Early in his career at University of Montana, Dr. Mills was awarded one of the most prestigious awards given by National Science Foundation to junior faculty: A Faculty Early Career Development award.   Since then he has published over 85 scientific articles and has given over 100 professional presentations, including testimony to the U.S. Congress on the role of ethics in conservation science.  His recently published  textbook,  Conservation of Wildlife Populations: Demography, Genetics, and Management, is already widely used by students and professionals throughout the world. 

            Dr. Mills has served on invited committees for the National Science Foundation, National Park Service, National Forest Service, the International Whaling Commission and the National Marine Fisheries Service.  He also was a member of the Board of Governors for the Society of Conservation Biology, served on the Western Governor’s Association Policy working group on Climate Change Effects on Wildlife, and was a Contributing author to the North America section of the Nobel-Prize winning report from the 2007 International Panel on Climate Change.  His  research has been covered by media outlets including “The Nature of Things With David Suzuki”, Discovery Channel Canada, National Public Radio, National Geographic, Science News, Science, and a number of popular magazines and newspapers.

PH.D., Biology
University of California, Santa Cruz Ph. D., Biology July 1993
Advisor: Michael Soulé

M.S., Wildlife Ecology
Utah State University, Logan M. S., Wildlife Ecology July 1987
Advisor: Fred Knowlton

B.S., Zoology
North Carolina State University, Raleigh B. S., Zoology May 1983

My primary research are in the area of applied population ecology.  My students and I use population models and genetic tools, coupled with field experiments, to infer population and community-level effects of fragmentation and other human-caused perturbations.

Some of our current projects and study systems include: a) Olympic National Park, where we have documented a steep decline in an endemic marmot species (Olympic marmot)  due to disruption of its metapopulation dynamics with the arrival of invasive coyotes;  b) endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, where we are collecting and applying data on vital rates to model the most efficient management actions; c) drivers of spatial synchrony in snowshoe hares across their range; d) snow leopards and education outreach in Bhutan; e) new methods for prioritizing endangered species recovery actions; e) new tools for monitoring ranging from estimators of trend to novel methods of non-invasive genetic sampling.

I am embarking on a major study on whether snowshoe hares will be able to adapt in place to climate change, as their cryptic coat color becomes increasingly mismatched with the background.  I am also hoping to spend an upcoming sabbatical helping to build capacity for establishing monitoring and risk assessment programs in Bhutan, a remarkable Himalayan country that is modernizing with a strong commitment to conservation.. 

Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow? - The snowshoe hare may become a climate change poster child (VISION - The University of Montana)

Wildlife Population Ecology

Philippine fruit bat work with Tammy Mildenstein (MS and PhD student); 1998-present.
New Zealand collaborative research / teaching exchange.
NSF-supported exchange with Univ. of Porto, Portugal.
Capacity building in Bhutan.
See the 5/6/07 New York Times article on our Program.

BOOKS

Conservation of Wildlife Populations: Demography, Genetics, and Management.  2007. Blackwell Press.  407 pages.
 

JOURNAL ARTICLES:

 Harris, N. C., M. Kauffman, and L. S. Mills. 2008. Inferences about ungulate population dynamics derived from age ratios. Journal of Wildlife Management 72:1143-1151.

 Griffin, S. C., M. L. Taper, R. Hoffman, and L. S. Mills. 2008. The case of the missing marmots: are metapopulation dynamics or range-wide declines responsible?  Biological Conservation 141:1293-1309.

 Griffin, P. C. and L. S. Mills. 2007. Pre-commercial thinning reduces snowshoe hare abundance in the short term. Journal of Wildlife Management 71:559-564.

Griffin, S. C., T. Valois**, M. L. Taper, and L. S. Mills. 2007. The impact of tourism on Olympic marmot behavior and demography. Conservation Biology 21:1070-1081.

 Hard, J.J., Mills, L.S. and Peek, J.M. 2006. Genetic implications of reduced survival of male red deer under harvest. Wildlife Biology 12:349-403.

Griffin, P.C., S. C. *Griffin, C. *Waroquiers, and L. S. Mills.  2005.  Mortality by moonlight: predation risk and the snowshoe hare.  Behavioral Ecology 16:938-944.

Mills, L. S., P. C. *Griffin, K. E. Hodges, K. McKelvery, L. Ruggiero, and T. *Ulizio. 2005.  Pellet count indices compared to mark-recapture estimates for evaluating snowshoe hare density.  Journal of Wildlife Management 69:1053-1062.

Mildenstein, T. L., S. C. Stier, C. E. Nuevo-Diego, and L. S. Mills.  2005.  Habitat selection of endangered and endemic large flying-foxes in Subic Bay, Philippines.  Biological Conservation 126:93-102.

*Schwartz, M. K., and L. S. Mills.  2005.  Gene flow after inbreeding leads to higher survival in deer mice.  Biological Conservation 123:413-420.

*Tallmon, D. A., and L. S. Mills.  2004.  Edge effects and isolation: California red-backed voles revisited.  Conservation Biology 18:1658-1664. 

Leberg, P. L., M. Carloss, L. Dugas, K. L. Pilgrim, L. S. Mills, M. C. Green, and D. S. Scognamillo. 2004.  Recent record of a cougar in Louisiana, with notes on diet, based on analysis of fecal materials.  Southeastern Naturalist 2:653-658.

*Schwartz MK, Mills LS, Ortega Y, Ruggiero L, Allendorf FW. 2003.Landscape Location Affects Genetic Variation of Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis). Molecular Ecology 12:1807-1816.

*Tallmon, D. A., E. S. Jules, N. J. *Radke, and L. S. Mills.  2003. Of mice and men and trillium: cascading effects of forest fragmentation.  Ecological Applications 13:1193-1203.

Bienen, L., P. C. *Griffin, C. M. Gillin, and L. S. Mills.  2003.  Estimating pregnancy rates and litter size in snowshoe hares using ultrasound.  Wildlife Society Bulletin 31:1066-1072.

*Riddle, A. E., K. L. Pilgrim, L. S. Mills, K. S. McKelvey, L. F. Ruggiero.  2003. Identification of mustelids using mitochondrial DNA and non-invasive sampling.  Conservation Genetics. 4:241-243.

*Funk, W.C., and L. S. Mills.  2003. Potential causes of population declines in forest fragments in an Amazonian frog.  Biological Conservation. 111:205-214.

*Hoekman, S. T., L. S. Mills, D. W. Howerter, J. H. Devries, and I. J. Ball.  2002. Sensitivity analysis of the life cycle of mid-continent mallards.  Journal of Wildlife Management.  66:883-900.

Mills, L. S.  2002.  False samples are not the same as blind controls.  Nature 415:471.

McKelvey, K. S., G. W. McDaniel, L. S. Mills, P. C. *Griffin.  2002.  Effects of plot size and shape on pellet density estimates for snowshoe hare.  Wildlife Society Bulletin 30:751-755. 

*Schwartz, M. K., L. S. Mills, K.S. McKelvey, L.F. Ruggiero, and F. W. Allendorf.  2002.  DNA reveals high dispersal synchronizing the population dynamics of Canada lynx.  Nature 415:520-522.

*Biek, R., W. C. *Funk, B. A. *Maxell, and L. S. Mills. 2002.  What is missing in amphibian decline research: Insights from ecological sensitivity analysis. Conservation Biology.  16:728-734. 

*Tallmon, D. A., H. M. *Draheim, L. S. Mills, and F. W. Allendorf. 2002. Insights into recently fragmented vole populations from combined genetic and demographic data.  Molecular Ecology 11:699-709. 

*Biek, R., L. S. Mills, and B. Bury.  2002.  Terrestrial and stream amphibians across clear-cut-forest interfaces in the Siskiyou Mountains, Oregon.  Northwest Science 76:129-140.  NOTE: Biek was an undergraduate Honors student from Germany who worked on this project.

Reed, J. M., L. S. Mills, J. B. Dunning, Jr., E. S. Menges,  K. S. McKelvey, R. Frye, S. R. Beissinger, and M-C Anstett, and P. Miller.  2002.  Emerging issues in population viability analysis.  Invited Paper, Conservation Biology 16:7-19.

Mills, L. S., K. L. Pilgrim, M. K. *Schwartz, and K. McKelvey.  2000.  Identifying lynx and other North American felids based on mtDNA analysis.  Conservation Genetics 1:285-288.

Mills, L. S., D. F. Doak, and M. J. Wisdom.  2000.  Elasticity analysis for conservation decision-making: Reply to Ehrlen et al., Conservation Biology 15:281-283.

Mills, L. S., J. J. *Citta, K. *Lair, M. *Schwartz, D. *Tallmon.  2000. Estimating animal abundance using non-invasive DNA sampling: Promise and Pitfalls.  Ecological Applications 10:283-294.

Wisdom, M. J., L. S. Mills, and D. F. Doak.  2000. Life-stage simulation analysis: estimating vital rate effects on population growth for conservation.  Ecology 81:628-641.

Mills, L. S., D. F. Doak, and M. J. Wisdom.  1999.  The reliability of conservation actions based on sensitivity analysis of matrix models.  Conservation Biology 13:815-829.

Jules, E., E. Frost, D. *Tallmon, and L. S. Mills.  1999.  Ecological consequences of forest fragmentation in the Klamath region.  Natural Areas Journal 19:368-378.

*Citta, J. J., and L. S. Mills.  1999.  What do demographic sensitivity analyses tell us about controlling brown-headed cowbirds?  Studies in Avian Biology 18:121-134.

Soulé, M. E., and L. S. Mills.  1998.  No need to Isolate Genetics.  Science 282:1658-1659.

Wisdom, M. J., and L. S. Mills.  1997.  Using sensitivity analysis to guide population recovery: Prairie chickens as an example.  Journal of Wildlife Management 61:302-312.

Mills, L. S., and F. W. Allendorf.  1996.  The one-migrant-per-generation rule in conservation and management.  Conservation Biology 10:1509-1518.

Morrison, M. L., L. S. Mills, and A. J. Kuenzi.  1996.  Study and management of an isolated, rare population: The Fresno Kangaroo rat.  Wildlife Society Bulletin 24:602-606.

Power, M.E., D. Tilman, J. Estes, B. A. Menge, W. J. Bond, L. S. Mills, G. Daily, J. C. Castilla, J. Lubchenco, and R. T. Paine.  1996.  Challenges in the quest for keystones.  Bioscience 46:609-620.

Mills, L. S., S. G. *Hayes, C. *Baldwin, M. J. *Wisdom, J. *Citta, D. J. *Mattson, and K. *Murphy.  1996.  Factors leading to different viability predictions for a grizzly bear data set.  Conservation Biology 10:863-873.

Mills, L. S.  1995.  Edge effects and isolation: red-backed voles on forest remnants.  Conservation Biology 9:395-403.

Power, M. E., and L. S. Mills.  1995.  The keystone cops meet in Hilo.  Trends in Research in Evolution and Ecology.  10:182-184.

Scott, J. M., T. H. Tear, and L. S. Mills.  1995.  Socioeconomics and the recovery of endangered species: biological assessment in a political world.  Conservation Biology 9:214-216.

Mills, L. S., and P. E. Smouse.  1994.  Demographic consequences of inbreeding in remnant populations.  American Naturalist 144:412-431.

Doak, D., and L. S. Mills.  1994.  A useful role for theory in conservation.  Ecology 75:615-626.

*Clarkson, D. A., and L. S. Mills.  1994.  Ecological factors associated with Hypogeous sporocarps in fragmented forests. Northwest Science 68:259-265.

*Tallmon, D.A., and L. S. Mills.  1994.  Log use and home ranges of California red-backed voles on a forest remnant.  Journal of Mammalogy.  75:97-101.

Mills, L. S., M. S. Soulé, and D. F. Doak.  1993.  The keystone species concept in ecology and conservation.  Bioscience 43:219-224.

Mills, L. S., R. J. Fredrickson, B. B. Moorhead.  1993.  Characteristics of old-growth forests associated with northern spotted owls in Olympic National Park.  Journal of Wildlife Management 57:315-321.

Mills, L. S., and F. F. Knowlton.  1991.  Coyote space use in relation to prey abundance.  Canadian Journal of Zoology 69:1516-1521.

Mills, L. S., and F. F. Knowlton.  1989.  Observer performance in known and blind radio-telemetry accuracy tests.  Journal of Wildlife Management.  52:340-342.

ARTICLES IN BOOKS (AND BOOK REVIEWS IN JOURNALS):

  
• Mills, L. S., J. M. Scott, K. M. Strickler, and S. A. Temple.  2005.  Ecology and management of small populations. Invited Article in Wildlife Techniques Manual.  Wildlife Society. 
  
• Mills, L. S., and M. E. Soulé.  In Press.   A brief history of the role of genetics in conservation.  Invited article (“box”) in Conservation Genetics textbook by F. Allendorf and G. Luikart.
  
• Mills, L. S., M. K. Schwartz, D. A. Tallmon, and K. P. Lair.  2003.  Measuring and interpreting changes in connectivity for mammals in coniferous forests.  Pages 587-613 in C. J. Zabel and R. G. Anthony, editors.  Mammal Community Dynamics: Management and Conservation in the Coniferous Forests of Western North America.  Cambridge University Press, New York, USA.
  
• Griffin, P. C., and L. S. Mills.  2003  “Snowshoe hares in a dynamic managed landscape.”  Pages 438-449 in Editors H. R. Akcakaya, M. A. Burgman, O. Kindvall, C. Wood, P. Sjogren-Gulve, J. Hatfield,   and M. A. McCarthy.  Species Conservation and Management: Case Studies. Oxford University Press.
  
• Mills, L. S., and M. Lindberg.  2002. “Sensitivity Analysis to Evaluate the Consequences of Conservation Actions.”  Pages 338-366 in S. R. Beissinger and D. R. McCullough, editors.  Population Viability Analysis.  University of Chicago Press.
  
• Mills, L. S.  2002.  “Genetics, Demography, and Viability of Fragmented Populations.” (Book Review)  Quarterly Review of Biology 77:222-223.
  
• Mills, L. S., and D. Tallmon. 1999.  “Genetic issues in forest fragmentation.”  Pages 171-184 In Forest Fragmentation: Wildlife and Management Implications. J. Rochelle, L. A. Lehmann, and J. Wisniewski, eds.  Brill Publishers (Netherlands).
  
• Dobson, A., K. Ralls, M. Foster, M. E. Soule, D. Simberloff, D. Doak, J. A. Estes, L. S. Mills, D. Mattson, R. Dirzo, H. Arita, S. Ryan, E. A. Norse, R. F. Noss, and D. Johns.  1999.  “Connectivity: maintaining flows in fragmented landscapes.”  Pages 129-171 In Soulé, M. E. and J. Terborgh, editors.  Continental Conservation: Scientific Foundations of Regional Reserve Networks.  Island Press.
  
• Groom, M., D. B. Jensen, R. L. Knight, S. Gatewood, L. Mills, D. Boyd-Heger, L. S. Mills, and M. E. Soulé.  1999.  “Buffer zones: benefits and dangers of compatible stewardship.”  Pages 191-198 In Soulé, M. E. and J. Terborgh, editors.  Continental Conservation: Scientific Foundations of Regional Reserve Networks.  Island Press.
  
• Mills, L. S.  1997.  “Book Review: Population Management for Survival and Recovery: Analytical Methods and Strategies in Small Population Conservation.”  Journal of Wildlife Management 61:251-252.
  
• Mills, L. S.  1996. “Fragmentation of a natural area: Dynamics of isolation for small mammals on forest remnants.” Pages 199-219 In Wright, G., editor.  National Parks and Protected Areas: Their Role in Environmental Protection.  Blackwell Press.
  
• Mills, L.S.  1996.  “Keystone Species.” in Paehlke, R., editor.  Encyclopedia of Conservation and Environmentalism. Garland Publishing Co., New York. 
  
• Mills, L.S. 1995.  “Keystone Species.”  Pages 381-387 in Encyclopedia of Environmental Biology. Academic Press, Inc.
  
• Mills, L.S.  1994.  “Book Review: Principles of Conservation Biology.”  Northwest Science 68:303-304.
  
• Soulé, M.E., and L. S. Mills.  1992.  “Conservation genetics and conservation biology: a troubled marriage.”  Pages 55-69 in Sandlund, O. T., K. Hindar, and A. H. D. Brown, eds., Conservation of Biodiversity for Sustainable Development.  Scandinavian Univ. Press, Oslo.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS:

  
• Hodges and Mills Yellowstone Science hare article.
  
• Yale, R. and L. S. Mills.  2000.  “Do highways fragment small mammal populations?” Proceedings of the International Conference on Ecology and Transportation.
  
• Mills, L. S. 1996.  “Cheetah extinction: genetics or extrinsic factors?”  Letter to the editor.  Conservation Biology 10:315.
  
• Zager, P., L. S. Mills, W. Wakkinen, and D. Tallmon.  1995.  “Woodland caribou --a conservation dilemma.”  Endangered Species Update.
  
• Mills, L. S.  1995. “The use of population ecology approaches to assess re-introduction of endangered Selkirk Caribou.”  Final report, submitted to: a) Idaho Fish and Game; b) Washington Department of Wildlife.
  
• Mills, L. S.  1995.  “The role of population ecology in guiding wildlife translocations.”  Final report, submitted to U.S. Forest Service, Missoula, MT.
  
• Cassidy, K., E. O. Garton, W. B. Krohn, L. S. Mills, J. M. Scott, and K. Williams.  1994.  “National guidelines for assessment of reliability of GAP vertebrate distributions.”  National Biological Survey.
  
• Mills, L. S.  1994.  “Effects of forest fragmentation on small mammals in Southwest Oregon.”  COPE Report [(Coastal Oregon Productivity Enhancement Program), an educational non-technical publication for forest managers.]  7:6-8. 
  
• Mills, L. S. and M. Morrison.  1993.  “Final Report: Ecology of the Fresno Kangaroo Rat and associated small mammals at NAS Lemoore”.  Prepared for Lemoore Naval Air Station.
  
• Fredrickson, R.J., L.S. Mills, and B.B. Moorhead.  1989.  “Spotted owl surveys in Olympic National Park -- 1988 and 1989.”  Olympic National Park, Port Angeles, WA.
  
• Mills, L.S., R.J. Fredrickson, B.B. Moorhead, and D.U. Sharp. 1988. “Spotted owl distribution along elevation and vegetation gradients in Olympic National Park.”  1988 Progress Report.  Olympic National Park, Port Angeles, WA.