Article

Kyle Joly - Wildlife Biologist

Kyle Joly and caribou
Kyle Joly with a young caribou during migration.
Kyle Joly
Wildlife Biologist
Arctic I&M Network Caribou Vital Sign Lead
4175 Geist Road
Fairbanks, AK 99709
kyle_joly@nps.gov

Education
PhD University of Alaska Fairbanks in Wildlife Biology 2011
MS Pennsylvania State University in Ecology (Conservation Biology) 1996
BS Syracuse University in Biology (Population Ecology) 1992

Skills and Interest Areas
Ungulate and carnivore ecology; interactions between wildlife and habitat, including the impacts of wildfire; GPS and remote sensing technology; the nexus between research and management

Professional Experience
2008 - present Wildlife Biologist for Gates of the Arctic NPP and Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve and Arctic Network Caribou Vital Sign Lead
2004 - 2008 Wildlife Biologist BLM, Fairbanks, AK
1998 - 2004 Research Wildlife Biologist USGS, Anchorage, AK
1991 - 1998 Biological Technician Alaska, Washington, Colorado

Projects
Caribou, Arctic I&M Network Vital Sign
Caribou
Wolves, Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve
Connecting People to Ecosystems--Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve

Media

Publications

Bowersock, N. R., L. M. Ciarniello, W. W. Deacy, D. C. Heard, K. Joly, C. T. Lamb, W. B. Leacock, B. N. McLellan, G. Mowat, M. S. Sorum, F. T. van Manen, and J. A. Merkle. 2023. A test of the green wave hypothesis in omnivorous brown bears across North America. Ecography :e06549.

Fuchs, B., K. Joly, G. V. Hilderbrand, A. L. Evans, I. Rodushkin, L. S. Mangipane, B. A. Mangipane, D. D. Gustine, A. Zedrosser, L. Brown, and J. M. Arnemo. 2023. Toxic elements in arctic and sub-arctic brown bears: Blood concentrations of As, Cd, Hg and Pb in relation to diet, age, and human footprint. Environmental Research 229: 115952.

Haynes, E., S. Coker, M. J. Yabsley, K. D. Niedrighaus, A. M. Ramey, G. G. Verocai, G. V. Hilderbrand, K. Joly, D. D. Gustine, B. Mangipane, W. B. Leacock, A. P. Crupi, and C. A. Cleveland. 2023. Survey for selected parasites in Alaska brown bears (Ursus arctos). Journal of Wildlife Diseases 59 (1): 186-191. DOI: 10.7589/JWD-D-22-00070.

Sorum, M. S., M. D. Cameron, A. Crupi, G. K. Sage, S. L. Talbot, G. V. Hilderbrand, and K. Joly. 2023. Pronounced brown bear aggregation along anadromous streams in interior Alaska. Wildlife Biology e01057.

Bartsch, A., H. Bergstedt, G. Pointner, X. Muri, K. Rautiainen, L. Leppänen, K. Joly, A. Sokolov, P. Orekhov, D. Ehrich, and E. M. Soininen. 2023. Towards long-term records of rain-on-snow events across the Arctic from satellite data. The Cryosphere 17(2): 889-915.

Cunningham, C. X., G. E. Liston, A. K. Reinking, N. T. Boelman, T. J. Brinkman, K. Joly, M. Hebblewhite, S. Boutin, S. Czetwetynski, L. E. Sielecki, and L. R. Prugh. 2022. Human and animal movements combine with snow to increase moose-vehicle collisions in winter. Environmental Research 17: 125007.

Prichard, A. K., K. Joly, L. S. Parrett, M. D. Cameron, D. A. Hansen, and B. T. Person. 2022. Achieving a representative sample of marked animals: A spatial approach to evaluating post-capture randomization. Wildlife Society Bulletin e1398.

Trujillo, S. M., E. A. McKenney, G. V. Hilderbrand, L. S. Mangipane, M. C. Rogers, K. Joly, D. D. Gustine, J. A. Erlenbach, B. A. Mangipane, and D. J. R. Lafferty. 2022. Correlating gut microbial membership to brown bear health metrics. Scientific Reports 12: 15415.

Joly, K., M. D. Cameron, M. S. Sorum, D. D. Gustine, W. Deacy, and G. V. Hilderbrand. 2022. Factors influencing Arctic brown bear annual home range sizes and limitations of home range analyses. Ursus (33e11): 1-12.

Schmidt, J. H., M. D. Cameron, K. Joly, J. M. Pruszenski, J. H. Reynolds, and M. S. Sorum. 2022. Bayesian spatial modeling of moose count data: Increasing estimator efficiency and exploring ecological hypothesis. The Journal of Wildlife Management : e22220.

Trujillo, S. M., E. A. McKenney, G. V. Hilderbrand, L. S. Mangipane, M. C. Rogers, K. Joly, D. D. Gustine, J. A. Erlenbach, B. A. Mangipane, and D. J. R. Lafferty. 2022. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence on an omnivore's gut microbiome. PLOS ONE 17(4): e0266698.

Palm, E. C., M. J. Suitor, K. Joly, J. D. Herriges, A. P. Kelly, D. Hervieux, K. L. M. Russell, T. W. Bentzen, N. C. Larter, and M. Hebblewhite. 2022. Increasing fire frequency and severity will increase habitat loss for a boreal forest indicator species. Ecological Applications e2549.

Joly, K. 2021. What goes up must come down: The influence of climate on caribou populations. Frontiers for Young Minds 9: 631372.

Joly, K., A. Gunn, S. D. Côté, M. Panzacchi, J. Adamczewski, M. J. Suitor, and E. Gurarie. 2021. Caribou and reindeer migrations in the changing Arctic. Animal Migration 8: 156-167.

Ehlers, L., G. Coulombe, J. Herriges, T. Bentzen, M. Suitor, K. Joly, and M. Hebblewhite. 2021. Critical summer foraging tradeoffs in a subarctic ungulate. Ecology and Evolution 11(24): 17835-17872.

Cameron, M. D., J. M. Eisaguirre, G. A. Breed, K. Joly, and K. Kielland. 2021. Mechanistic movement models identify continuously updated autumn migration cues in Arctic caribou. Movement Ecology 9(54): 12 pp.

Jennewein, J. S., J. U. H. Eitel, K. Joly, R. A. Long, A. J. Maguire, L. A. Vierling, and W. Weygint. 2021. Estimating integrated measures of forage quality for herbivores by fusing optical and structural remote sensing data. Environmental Resource Letters 16: 075006. DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ac09af

Cameron, M. D., K. Joly, and J. Hepler. 2021. New insights from an enduring tool: Using GPS data to detect calving events in Alaskan caribou herds. Alaska Park Science 20(1): 84-87.

Fullman, T. J., R. R. Wilson, K. Joly, D. D. Gustine, P. Leonard, and W. M. Loya. 2021. Mapping potential effects of proposed roads on migratory connectivity for a highly mobile herbivore using circuit theory. Ecological Applications 31(1): e2207.

Fullman, T. J., B. K. Sullender, M. D. Cameron, and K. Joly. 2021. Simulation modeling accounts for uncertainty while quantifying ecological effects of development alternatives. Ecosphere 12(5): e03530.

Joly, K., E. Gurarie, D. A. Hansen, and M. D. Cameron. 2021. Seasonal patterns of spatial fidelity and temporal consistency in the distribution and movements of a migratory ungulate. Ecology and Evolution.

Kauffman, M. J., F. Cagnacci, S. Chamaillé-Jammes, M. Hebblewhite, J. G. C. Hopcraft, J. A. Merkle, T. Mueller, A. Mysterud, W. Peters, …, K. Joly, et al. 2021. Mapping out a future for ungulate migrations. Science 372 (6542): 566-569. doi: 10.1126/science.abf0998.

Mahoney, P. J. K. Joly, B. L. Borg, M. S. Sorum, T. A. Rinaldi, … B. Mangipane, et al. 2020. Denning phenology and reproductive success of wolves in response to climate signals. Environmental Research Letters 15(12): 125001.

Cameron, M. D., K. Joly, G. A. Breed, C. P. H. Mulder, and K. Kielland. 2020. Pronounced fidelity and selection for average conditions of calving area suggestive of spatial memory in a highly migratory ungulate. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 8: e564567.

Davidson, S. C., G. Bohrer, E. Gurarie, S. LaPoint, P. J. Mahoney, ... K. Joly, ... J. P. Lawler, ... B. Mangipane, ... C. L. McIntyre, ... P. A. Owen, ... M. S. Sorum, ... et al. 2020. Ecological insights from three decades of animal movement tracking across a changing Arctic. Science 370(6517): 712-715.

Jennewein, J. S., M. Hebblewhite, P. Mahoney, S. Gilbert, A. J. H. Meddens, N. T. Boelman, K. Joly, K. Jones, K. A. Kellie, S. Brainerd, L. A. Vierling, and J. U. H. Eitel. 2020. Behavioral modifications by a large, northern herbivore to mitigate warming conditions. Movement Ecology 8(39).

Cameron, M. D., G. V. Hilderbrand, K. Joly, J. H. Schmidt, D. D. Gustine, L. S. Mangipane, B. Mangipane, and M. S. Sorum. 2020. Body size plasticity in North American black and brown bears. Ecosphere 11(8): e03235.

Prichard, A. K., L. S. Parrett, E. A. Lenart, J. R. Caikoski, K. Joly, and B. T. Person. 2020. Interchange and overlap among four adjacent Arctic caribou herds. Journal of Wildlife Management 1-15.

Rogers, M. C., G. V. Hilderbrand, D. D. Gustine, K. Joly, W. B. Lealock, B. A. Mangipane, and J. M. Welker. 2020. Splitting hairs: Dietary niche breadth modelling using stable isotope analysis of a sequentially grown tissue. Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10256016.2020.1787404

Mangipane, L. S., D. J. R. Lafferty, K. Joly, M. S. Sorum, M. D. Cameron, J. L. Belant, G. V. Hilderbrand, and D. D. Gustine. 2020. Dietary plasticity and the importance of salmon to brown bear (Ursus arctos) body size and condition in a low Arctic ecosystem. Polar Biology.

Sorum, M. S., K. Joly, M. D. Cameron, D. D. Gustine, and G. V. Hilderbrand. 2020. Salmon sleuths: GPS-collared bears lead researchers to unknown salmon streams in Interior Alaska. Alaska Park Science 19(1): 4-9.

Joly, K., O. Couriot, M. D. Cameron, and E. Gurarie, E. 2020. Behavioral, physiological, demographic, and ecological impacts of hematophagous and endoparasitic insects on an Arctic ungulate. Toxins 12:334. doi:10.3390/toxins12050334

Macander, M. J., E. C. Palm, G. V. Frost, J. D. Herriges, P. R. Nelson, C. Roland, K. L. M. Russell, M. J. Suitor, T. W. Bentzen, K. Joly, S. J. Goetz, and M. Hebblewhite. 2020. Lichen cover mapping for caribou ranges in interior Alaska and Yukon. Environmental Research Letters 15: 055001

E. Gurarie, P. Thompson, A. P. Kelly, N. C. Larter, W. F. Fagan, and K. Joly. 2020. For everything there is a season: Analyzing periodic mortality patterns with the cyclomort R package. Methods in Ecology and Evolution doi:10.1111/2041‐210X.13305.

Gurarie, E., M. Hebblewhite, K. Joly, A. P. Kelly, J. Adamczewski, S. C. Davidson, T. Davison, A. Gunn, M. J. Suitor, W. F. Fagan, and N. Boelman. 2019. Tactical departures and strategic arrivals: Divergent effects of climate and weather on caribou spring migrations. Ecosphere 10(12):e02971. 10.1002/ecs2.2971

Sorum, M. S., K. Joly, and M. D. Cameron. 2019. Use of salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) by brown bears (Ursos arctos) in an Arctic, interior, montane environment. The Canadian Field-Naturalist 133(2):151-155.

Joly, K. .... and others. 2019. Longest terrestrial migrations and movements around the world. Scientific Reports 10.1038/s41598-019-51884-5

Sorum, M. S., K. Joly, A. G. Wells, M. D. Cameron, G. V. Hilderbrand, and D. D. Gustine. 2019. Den-site characteristics and selection by brown bears (Ursus arctos) in the central Brooks Range of Alaska. Ecosphere 10(8): e02822. 10.1002/ecs2.2822

Hilderbrand, G. V., D. D. Gustine, K. Joly, B. Mangipane, W. Leacock, M. D. Cameron, M. S. Sorum, L. S. Mangipane, and J. A. Erlenbach. 2019. Influence of maternal body size, condition, and age on recruitment of four brown bear populations. Ursus 29(2): 111-118.

Baltensperger, A. P. and K. Joly. 2019. Using seasonal landscape models to predict space use and migratory patterns of an arctic ungulate. Movement Ecology 7 (18). DOI: 10.1186/s40462-019-0162-8.

Hilderbrand, G. V., K. Joly, M. S. Sorum, M. D. Cameron, and D. D. Gustine. 2019. Brown bear (Ursus arctos) body size, condition, and productivity in the Arctic, 1977-2016. Polar Biology:1-6.

Ramey, A. M., C. A. Cleveland, G. V. Hilderbrand, K. Joly, D. D. Gustine, B. Mangipane, W. B. Leacock, A. P. Crupi, D. E. Hill, J. P. Dubey, and M. J. Yabsley. 2019. Exposure of Alaska brown bears (Ursus arctos) to bacterial, viral, and parasitic agents varies spatiotemporally and may be influenced by age. Journal of Wildlife Diseases doi: 10.7589/2018-07-173

Joly, K., M. S. Sorum, and M. D. Cameron. 2018. Denning ecology of wolves in east-central Alaska, 1993-2017. Arctic Institute of North America 71(4).Joly, K. and M. D. Cameron. 2018. Early fall and late winter diets of migratory caribou in northwest Alaska. Rangifer 38(1):27-38. DOI 10.7557/2.38.1.4107

Joly, K., M. D. Cameron, and M. S. Sorum. 2018. Aerial survey of Dall’s sheep within Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, July 2018. Natural Resource Report NPS/YUCH/NRR—2018/1701. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado.

Cameron, M. D., K. Joly, G. A. Breed, L.S. Parrett, and K. Kielland. 2018. Movement-based methods to infer parturition events in migratory ungulates. Canadian Journal of Zoology 96:1187-1195. DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2017-0314.

Nelson, P. R., K. Joly, C. A. Roland, and B. McCune. 2018. Evaluating relocation extent versus covariate resolution in habitat selection models across spatiotemporal scales. Ecological Infomatics DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2018.10.001

Oster, K. W., P. S. Barboza, D. D. Gustine, K. Joly, and R. D. Shively. 2018. Mineral constraints on arctic caribou (Rangifer tarandus): A spatial and phenological perspective. Ecosphere 9(3):e02160.

Hilderbrand, G. V., D. D. Gustine, B. Mangipane, K. Joly, W. Leacock, L. Stutzman, J. Erlenbach, M. S. Sorum, M. D. Cameron, J. L. Belant, and T. Cambier. 2018. Body size and lean mass of brown bears across and within four diverse ecosystems. Journal of Zoology 305(1):53-62.

Hilderbrand, G. V., D. D. Gustine, B. Mangipane, K. Joly, W. Leacock, L. Stutzman, J. Erlenbach, M. S. Sorum, M. D. Cameron, J. L. Belant, and T. Cambier. 2018. Phenotypic plasticity across and within brown bear populations in diverse Alaskan ecosystems: Implications for adaptability and resiliency. Polar Biology 41(4):773-780.

Joly, K., J. Rasic, R. Mason, and M. Lukin. 2018. History, purpose, and status of caribou movements in northwest Alaska. Alaska Park Science 17(1):46-51.

Bowen, L., A. K. Miles, S. Waters, D. Gustine, K. Joly, and G. hilderbrand. 2017 Using gene transcription to assess ecological and anthropological sressors in brown bears. EcoHealth 11 pp. DOI 10.1007/s10393-017-1287-0

Joly, K., T. Craig, M. D. Cameron, A. E. Gall, and M. S. Sorum. 2017. Lying in wait: limiting factors on a low-density ungulate population and the latent traits that can facilitate escape from them. Acta Oecologica 85: 174-183.

Fullman, T. J., K. Joly, and A. Ackerman. 2017. Effects of environmental features and sport hunting on caribou migration in northwestern Alaska. Movement Ecology 5 (4): 11 pp. DOI 10.1186/s40462-017-0095-z.

Joly, K. 2017. Caribou: Nomads of the North. Alaska Park Science 16 (1): 55-57.

Joly, K., M. S. Sorum, T. Craig, and E. L. Julianus. 2016. The effects of sex, terrain, wildfire, winter severity, and maternal status on habitat selection by moose in north-central Alaska. Alces 52: 101-115.

Guettabi, M., J. Greenberg, J. Little, and K. Joly. 2016. Evaluating potential economic effects of an industrial road on subsistence in north-central Alaska. Arctic 69 (3): 305-317.

Wilson, R. R., L. S. Parrett, K. Joly, and J. R. Dau. 2016. Effects of roads on individual caribou movements during migration. Biological Conservation 195: 2-8.

Joly, K., T. Craig, M. S. Sorum, J. S. McMillan, and M. A. Spindler. 2015. Variation in fine-scale movements of moose (Alces alces) in the upper Koyukuk river drainage, northcentral Alaska. Alces 51: 97-105.

Joly, K., T. Craig, M. S. Sorum, J. S. McMillan, and M. A. Spindler. 2015. Moose (Alces alces) movement patterns in the upper Koyukuk river drainage, northcentral Alaska. Alces 51: 87-96.

Joly, K., S. K. Wasser, and R. Booth. 2015. Non-invasive assessment of the interrelationships of diet, pregnancy rate, group composition, and physiological and nutritional stress of barren-ground caribou in late winter. PLoS One 10 (6): e0127586. doi:10.1371/journalpone.0127586.

Macander, M. J., C. S. Swingley, K. Joly, and M. Raynolds. 2015. Landsat-based snow persistence map for northwest Alaska. Remote Sensing of Environment 163: 23-31.

Joly, K., S. P. Rabinowitch and J. L. Joly. 2015. Dual management of wildlife in Alaska: making federal practice align with federal mandates. George Wright Forum 32: 18-24.

Wilson, R. R., D. D. Gustine, and K. Joly. 2014. Evaluating potential effects of an industrial road on winter habitat of caribou in north-central Alaska. Arctic 67: 472-482.

Bryant, J. P., K. Joly, F. S. Chapin III, D. L. DeAngelis, and K. Kielland. 2014. Can antibrowsing defense regulate the spread of woody vegetation in arctic tundra? Ecography 37: 204-211.

Horne, J. S., T. Craig, K. Joly, G. W. Stout, M. R. Cebrian, and E. O. Garton. 2014. Population characteristics, space use and habitat selection of two non-migratory caribou herds in central Alaska, 1994 – 2009. Rangifer 34 (1): 1-19.

Wilson, R. R., A. Bartsch, K. Joly, J. H. Reynolds, A. Orlando and W. M. Loya. 2013. Frequency, timing, extent, and size of winter thaw-refreeze events in Alaska 2001-2008 detected by remotely sensed microwave backscatter data. Polar Biology 36: 419-426.

Joly, K. 2012. Sea ice crossing by migrating caribou, Rangifer tarandus, in northwest Alaska. Canadian Field-Naturalist 126 (3): 217-220.

Prichard, A. K., K. Joly, and J. Dau. 2012. Quantifying telemetry collar bias when age is unknown: a simulation study with a long-lived ungulate. Journal of Wildlife Management 76 (7): 1441-1449.

Joly, K., P. A. Duffy, and T. S. Rupp. 2012. Simulating the effects of climate change on fire regimes in Arctic biomes: implications for caribou and moose habitat. Ecosphere 3 (5): 1-18. Article 36 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/ES12-00012.1).

Joly, K. and D. R. Klein. 2011. Complexity of caribou population dynamics in a changing climate. Alaska Park Science 10 (1): 26-31.

Joly, K. 2011. Modeling influences on winter distribution of caribou in northwestern Alaska through use of satellite telemetry. Rangifer Special Issue 19: 75-85.

Joly, K., D. R. Klein, D. L. Verbyla, T. S. Rupp and F. S. Chapin III. 2011. Linkages between large-scale climate patterns and the dynamics of Alaska caribou populations. Ecography 34 (2): 345-352.

Collins, W. B., B. W. Dale, L. G. Adams, D. McElwain, and K. Joly. 2011. Fire, grazing history, lichen abundance, and winter distribution of caribou in Alaska’s taiga. Journal of Wildlife Management 75 (2): 369-377.

Joly, K., F. S. Chapin III, and D. R. Klein. 2010. Winter habitat selection by caribou in relation to lichen abundance, wildfires, grazing and landscape characteristics in northwest Alaska. Écoscience 17 (3): 321-333.

Joly, K., T. S. Rupp, R. R. Jandt, and F. S. Chapin III. 2009. Fire in the range of the Western Arctic Caribou Herd. Alaska Park Science 8 (2): 68-73.

Joly, K., R. R. Jandt, and D. R. Klein. 2009. Decrease of lichens in arctic ecosystems: role of wildfire, caribou and reindeer, competition, and climate change. Polar Research 28 (3): 433-442.

Dale, B. W., L. A. Adams, W. B. Collins, K. Joly, P. Valkenburg, and R. Tobey. 2008. Stochastic and compensatory effects limit persistence of variation in body mass of young caribou. Journal of Mammalogy 89 (5): 1130-1135.

Jandt, R., K. Joly, C. R. Meyers, and C. Racine. 2008. Slow recovery of lichen on burned caribou winter range in Alaska tundra: potential influences of climate warming and other disturbance factors. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 40 (1): 89-95.

Joly, K., M. J. Cole, and R. R. Jandt. 2007. Diets of overwintering caribou, Rangifer tarandus, track decadal changes in arctic tundra vegetation. Canadian Field Naturalist 121 (4): 379-383.

Joly, K., P. Bente, and J. Dau. 2007. Response of overwintering caribou to burned habitat in northwest Alaska. Arctic 60 (4): 401-410.

Joly, K., R. R. Jandt, C. R. Meyers, and M. J. Cole. 2007. Changes in vegetative cover on Western Arctic Herd winter range from 1981-2005: potential effects of grazing and climate change. Rangifer Special Issue 17: 199-207.

Joly, K., C. Nellemann, and I. Vistnes. 2006. A reevaluation of caribou distribution near an oilfield road on Alaska’s North Slope. Wildlife Society Bulletin 34 (3): 866-869.

Rupp, T. S., M. Olson, L. G. Adams, B. W. Dale, K. Joly, J. Henkelman, W. B. Collins, and A. M. Starfield. 2006. Simulating the influences of various fire regimes on caribou winter habitat. Ecological Applications 16 (5): 1730-1743.

Joly, K. 2005. The effects of sampling regime on the analysis of movements of overwintering female caribou in east-central Alaska. Rangifer 25 (2): 67-74.

Joly, K., B. W. Dale, W. B. Collins, and L. G. Adams. 2003. Winter habitat use by female caribou in relation to wildland fires in interior Alaska. Canadian Journal of Zoology 81: 1192-1201.

Joly, K., B. W. Dale, W. B. Collins, and L. G. Adams. 2002. Evaluating the impacts of wildland fires on caribou in interior Alaska. Arctic Research of the United States 16: 63-67.

Joly, K., and W. L. Myers. 2001. Patterns of mammalian species richness and habitat associations in Pennsylvania. Biological Conservation 99 (2): 253-260.

Joly, K. 2000. Orphan caribou, Rangifer tarandus, calves; a re-evaluation of overwinter survival data. Canadian Field-Naturalist 114 (2): 322-323.

Myers, W. L., G. P. Patil, and K. Joly. 1997. Echelon approach to areas of concern in synoptic regional monitoring. Environmental and Ecological Statistics 4 (2): 131-152.

Gates Of The Arctic National Park & Preserve, Yukon - Charley Rivers National Preserve

Last updated: February 20, 2024