Job Title:  Senior Researcher
Primary Affiliation: Department of Watershed Sciences
Secondary Affiliation: Ecogeomorphology & Topographic Analysis Lab

education

  • 1999 MS. Environmental Science, Bard College
  • Master’s Thesis: Using Historic Research, Remote Sensing and GIS to Investigate Vegetation Change Related to Land Use in a Rangeland Ecosystem
  • 1996 BS. Environmental Studies, Cum Laude, Utah State University​​

research

  • Using and developing innovative GIS and remote sensing techniques to investigate ecosystem degradation
  • Riparian area condition and recovery potential assessment
  • Partnering with beaver for watershed restoration 
  • Investigating climate change induced disturbance: high-elevation ecosystems
  • Using and developing innovative detailed topographic mapping techniques
  • Spatial modeling and mapping of ecogeomorphic characteristics of watersheds​

bio

Wally Macfarlane, is a veteran geospatial professional with 18 years of experience developing and using innovative GIS, photogrammetry and remote sensing techniques to assess climate and land-use induced environmental change. Within his highly productive career Wally’s skills have been instrumental in over 75 different natural resource related projects for federal, state, municipal and NGO organizations and agencies worldwide.

projects

scholarly contributions

Peer Reviewed Publications
  • Macfarlane, W.W., J.T. Gilbert, M.L. Jensen, J. D. Gilbert, N. Hough-Snee, P.A. McHugh, J.M. Wheaton, and S.N. Bennett 2016. Riparian vegetation as an indicator of riparian condition: detecting departures from historic condition across the North American West. Journal of Environmental Management. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479716308489
  • Gilbert, J.T, W.W Macfarlane, M.L. and J.M. Wheaton. 2016. V-BET: A GIS tool for delineating valley bottoms across entire drainage networks. Computers and Geosciences. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0098300416301935
  • Macfarlane, W.W., C.M McGinty, B.G. Laub and S.J. Gifford. 2016. High resolution riparian vegetation mapping to prioritize conservation and restoration in an impaired desert river.  Restoration Ecology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/rec.12425
  • Macfarlane, W.W., J.M. Wheaton,  N. Bouwes, M. L. Jensen, J. T. Gilbert, N. Hough-Snee, and J. A. Shivik. 2015. Modeling the capacity of riverscapes to support dam-building beaver. Geomorphology.  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169555X15302166
  • Budy, P., M.M. Conner, N.L. Salant and W.W. Macfarlane. 2015. Occupancy-Based Assessment of Regional Vulnerability of Endemic Desert Fishes: A Template for Conservation Actions. Conservation Biology 29 (4) 1142-1152. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.12513/full
  • Macfarlane, W.W., Logan, J. A., and W.R. Kern. 2013. An aerial survey assessment of mountain pine beetle-caused whitebark pine mortality in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Ecological Applications.23:421–437.http://www.esajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1890/11-1982.1
  • Logan, J. A., W.W. Macfarlane, and L. Willcox. 2010. Whitebark pine vulnerability to climate-driven mountain pine beetle disturbance in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Ecological Applications. 20:895—902. http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/09-0655.
  • Logan, J.A., W.W. Macfarlane, and L. Willcox 2009. Effective monitoring as a basis for adaptive management: a case history of mountain pine beetle in Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem whitebark pine. iForest 2: 19-22 [online: 2009-01-21] URL: http://www.sisef.it/iforest/show.php?id=477
  • In revision. Laub, B., P. Budy, G.P., Thiede and W.W. Macfarlane. Evaluating the Conservation Potential of Tributaries for Native Fish in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Submitted to: Fisheries
  • In review. Macfarlane, W.W., J.T. Gilbert, M.L., N. Hough-Snee, C. Saunders , C.W. Hafen, and J.M. Wheaton. What is the condition of floodplain riparian areas of the western U.S.? Identifying impaired floodplain ecosystems using the Riparian Condition Assessment tool (RCA). Submitted to: Environmental Management.
  • In prep. Macfarlane, W.W., J.M. Wheaton,  N. Bouwes, M. L. Jensen, J. T. Gilbert, N. Hough-Snee, and J. A. Shivik. A spatially-explicit beaver-human conflict management model. 
  • For submission to: 
  • Environmental Management. 
  • In prep. Macfarlane, W.W., J.M. Wheaton,  and N. Hough-Snee. Managing  beaver in urban settings. 
  • For submission to: 
  • Journal of Wildlife Management.
Presentations & Posters
  • Invited Poster: Macfarlane, W.W., Wheaton JM. 2016. Modeling the Capacity of Riverscapes to Support Beaver Dams. Binghampton Geomorphology Symposium, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO. 
  • Poster: Macfarlane, W.W., J.T. Gilbert, Martha L. Jensen, J.D. Gilbert, N. Hough-Snee, P.A. McHugh, J. M. Wheaton, S.N. Bennett. 2016. Riparian vegetation as an indicator of riparian condition: detecting departures from historic condition across the North American West, Restoring the West Annual Symposium. Logan, UT.
  • Invited plenary: Macfarlane, WW, and JM Wheaton 2014. Modeling the Capacity of Riverscapes to Support Dam-Building Beaver: Utah Statewide Implementation. Restoring the West Conference. Utah State University, Logan, Utah. Oral presentation.
  • Poster: Jensen M.L. W. W., Macfarlane and J.M. Wheaton. 2014. Filling an Important Data Gap: Valley Bottom Mapping, Riparian Condition Assessment and Geomorphic River Classification for the Colorado Plateau Ecoregion Restoring the West Conference. Utah State University, Logan, Utah.
  • Macfarlane, WW, Phaedra Budy, Gary Thiede and Brian Laub. 2014 Western Division Annual meeting Looking beyond the mainstem: conservation and restoration of endangered and sensitive Colorado River fishes. The meeting was held in Mazatlan, Mexico. Oral presentation.
  • Macfarlane, WW, JM Wheaton and S Bangen 2013. Fish habitat assessment and monitoring: Imagery and topographic techniques Utah Chapter AFS Annual Meeting was held at Lake Powell. The meeting was held in Lake Powell Resort at Wahweap. Oral presentation.
  • Macfarlane, WW, Scott, M.L., D.W. Perkins, and J.M. Wheaton, 2013. Hypothesis driven, multi-scalar monitoring protocol development: big, canyon-bound rivers, Tamarisk Coalition River Crossings: Linking River Communities Research Conference and Workshop Grand Junction, CO. Oral presentation.
  • Plenary speaker: Macfarlane, WW, and JM Wheaton 2013. Modeling the Capacity of Riverscapes to Support Dam-Building Beaver, River Restoration Northwest Symposium 2013. Stevenson, WA.
  • Poster: Macfarlane, WW, and JM Wheaton  2012. Modeling the Capacity of Riverscapes to Support Dam-Building Beaver, AGU Fall Meeting 2012. American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA. 
  • Invited Workshop: Wheaton JM, Bailey P, and Macfarlane W.W. 2012. Geomorphic Change Detection Workshop for US Army Corps of Engineers. Kansas City, MO.
  • Invited seminar: Graduate Degree Program in Forest Ecology, Fall 2011, University of Montana
  • Invited workshop presentation: Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation workshop,  Fall 2011, Cody, Wyoming.
  • 10th Biennial Scientific Conference on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: Questioning Greater Yellowstone’s Future: Climate, Land Use, and Invasive Species October 11–13, 2010. Poster: Whitebark pine vulnerability to climate driven mountain pine beetle disturbance in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
  • Global Change and the World's Mountains, Perth II-Five Years Later, Perth, Scotland September 26-30, 2010. Oral presentation: An assessment of mountain pine beetle-caused mortality of whitebark pine forests of mountain areas of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
  • 2010 Annual Ecological Society of America Meeting, August 1-6 2010. Oral presentation: Climatic threshold dynamics and unprecedented mountain pine beetle outbreaks in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
  • “High-Five" Symposium, The Future of High-Elevation Five-Needle White Pines in Western North America, June 28 - 30, 2010. Oral presentation: Using the Landscape Assessment System (LAS) to map mountain pine beetle‐caused mortality in whitebark pine, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, 2009. Oral presentation: A tool for restoration: The 2009 Landscape Assessment System (LAS) mountain pine beetle‐caused mortality assessment in whitebark pine, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Oral presentation:Citizen Science: Assessing ecological function in whitebark pine forests impacted by mountain pine beetles.
  • 2010 Western Forest Insect Work Conference, April 5-8, 2010 Oral presentation:Using the Landscape Assessment System (LAS): An Aerial Survey Method for Mapping the Extent and Intensity of Mountain Pine Beetle-caused Tree Mortality
  • Union of International Forest Researchers (IUFRO): Forest Insects and Environmental Change Conference, September 27th - October 2, 2009, Oral presentation: Status of Whitebark Pine Decline in the Greater Yellowstone Using GIS and Remote Sensing
  • 7th North American Forest Ecology Workshop,  June 22 -26, 2009. Oral presentation: Remote Sensing and GIS Landscape Assessment of Whitebark Pine Mortality
  • Macfarlane, W.W., J.A. Logan and L. Willcox 2008. Whitebark Pine Citizen Scientists Project: Poster: A Hands-on Approach to Monitoring Catastrophic Whitebark Pine Loss in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem 2008. 
  • International Development Enterprise (IDE) Rural Prosperity Initiative Project, Kathmandu, Nepal, May 2008. Provided week long GIS and GPS hands-on training, refresher course.
  • International Development Enterprise (IDE) Rural Prosperity Initiative Project,Kathmandu, Nepal, June, 2007. Provided week long GIS and GPS, hands-on training course.
  • International Development Enterprise (IDE) Rural Prosperity Initiative Project,Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Lusaka, Zambia, July, 2007. Provided week long GIS and GPS hands-on training course.
  • Western Wildlands Environmental Threats Assessment Center, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Pacific Northwest Regional Office, Portland, Oregon, August 7-8, 2007 Provided 2-day Training Workshop: GMWest System -- A GIS-based Risk Assessment System for Gypsy Moth Introductions.
  • Macfarlane, W.W., Pederson, J.L., and Petersen, P.A., 2002. Testing the limits of photogrammetry to monitor erosion of archaeological sites in Grand Canyon. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 33, no. 6, p. 134.
Reports
  • Shahverdian S, Macfarlane W.W. and Wheaton J.M. 2016. MEMO: Westerly Creek Beaver Dam Capacity Assessment: Developing Realistic Expectations for Beaver Dam Activity. Prepared for Muller Engineering Company, Anabranch Solutions, Logan, UT, 24 pp. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309762206_MEMO_Westerly_Creek_Beaver_Dam_Capacity_Assessment_Developing_Realistic_Expectations_for_Beaver_Dam_Activity
  • Macfarlane W.W., Wheaton J.M., and Jensen, M.L. 2014. The Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool: A Decision Support & Planning Tool for Utah. Ecogeomorphology and Topographic Analysis Lab, Utah State University, Prepared for Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Logan, Utah, 142 pp.
  • Wheaton JM and Macfarlane WW. 2014. The Utah Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool: A Decision Support & Planning Tool – Manager Brief, Ecogeomorphology and Topographic Analysis Lab, Utah State University, Prepared for Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Logan, UT, 16 pp. 
  • Macfarlane W.W. and McGinty C.M. 2013. Fine Scale Riparian Vegetation Mapping: Lower San Rafael River, Utah. Fish Ecology Lab and RS/GIS Laboratory, Utah State University, Prepared for Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Logan, Utah, 52 pp.
  • Macfarlane W.W. and Wheaton J.M. 2013. Modeling the Capacity of Riverscapes to Support Dam-Building Beaver - Case Study: Escalante River Watershed, Final Report Prepared for Grand Canyon Trust and the Walton Family Foundation, Logan, UT, 79 pp. 
  • Macfarlane W.W, W.R. Kern, D.J. Mattson and J.A. Logan. 2013. Pilot Study: Gauging the impact of whitebark pine mortality on occurrence of Clark’s nutcracker, red squirrel, black bear and grizzly bear. Ecogeomorphology and Topographic Analysis Laboratory, Utah State University, Prepared for Natural Resources Defense Council, Logan, Utah, p. 23.
  • Macfarlane, W.W, J. A. Logan, and W.R. Kern 2010. Using the Landscape Assessment System (LAS) to Assess Mountain Pine Beetle-Caused Mortality of Whitebark Pine, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, 2009: Project Report 2010. http://docs.nrdc.org/land/files/lan_10072101a.pdf 
  • Bentz, B. J. (ed, co-organizer), J. A. Logan (co-organizer), J. MacMahon (facilitator) and W.W. Macfarlane (GIS support). 2009. Bark Beetle Outbreaks in Western North America: Causes and Consequences. Bark Beetle Symposium, Snowbird, UT, Nov 2005. University of Utah Press. http://www.usu.edu/beetle/pubs_2000.htm
  • Pederson, J.L., Petersen, P.A., Macfarlane, W.W., Gonzales, M.F. and Kohl, K., 2003. Mitigation,Monitoring and Geomorphology Related to Gully Erosion of Cultural Sites in Grand Canyon. Report to the U.S. Geological Survey, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, 241 p.
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