About

Nathan Hostetter is an Assistant Professor and Assistant Unit Leader at the NC Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit within the Department of Applied Ecology at NC State University. He holds a PhD in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology from NC State University, earned in 2016. His research integrates movement, population, and landscape ecology to study how environmental processes and anthropogenic stressors influence population dynamics. He employs a combination of field studies, ecological theory, and robust statistical and mathematical modeling methods to directly inform management decisions. His work spans a broad range of species, including mammals, birds, fish, and reptiles, across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, with a focus on population ecology, quantitative ecology, demographic modeling, and endangered species research.

Research topics

• Ecology
• Computer Science
• Biology
• Environmental resource management
• Statistics
• Geography
• Mathematics
• Environmental science

Selected publications

• Factors influencing occupancy and patch dynamics of an endangered frog, the coquí llanero (Eleutherodactylus juanariveroi) in a coastal freshwater wetland

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2026-01-01

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Increasing density from population recovery does not explain elevated partial brood loss in a threatened cooperative breeder

  Ornithological applications · 2026-01-30

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Partial brood loss in Dryobates borealis (Red-cockaded Woodpecker), a federally threatened cooperative breeder in the USA, was not associated with increases in population density. Across three populations—Sandhills, North Carolina; Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; and Eglin Air Force Base, Florida—we documented no support for density-dependent effects on either early or late partial brood loss. Using long-term nest monitoring data, we evaluated multiple metrics of group size and group density in relation to brood loss at early (egg-to-nestling up to 6–10 days when banded) and late (banding-to-fledgling up to 38–40 days) stages. Reproductive outcomes did not vary with density within populations, indicating that the recent rise in partial brood loss, particularly late in the nestling period, was not driven by increasing density. While both density and partial brood loss have increased over time, these trends appear to be decoupled, highlighting the need to investigate other potential drivers of partial brood loss. Cooperative breeding can buffer reproductive output from density-related pressures through shared parental care, but as densities increase due to conservation-driven population recovery, cooperative breeders may face new or shifting constraints. Variation in reproductive outcomes may be more closely tied to site-specific factors or density-independent pressures such as weather, predation, or habitat quality. As D. borealis populations continue to grow under ongoing recovery efforts, understanding the mechanisms behind partial brood loss remains critical for refining conservation strategies. Our results add to growing evidence that density-dependent effects on reproduction are not universal; increasing density, though a conservation success, does not necessarily lead to reduced productivity or increased brood loss.

  PublisherDOI

• Integrating fecal DNA and telemetry to estimate wildlife densities in anthropogenic landscapes

  Wildlife Society Bulletin · 2026-01-27

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Density estimation is central to wildlife management efforts but can be challenging in anthropogenically‐dominated landscapes due to small parcel sizes, access restrictions, and limited green space. Reliable density estimates are especially important for managing white‐tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ), whose high abundance in urbanized areas increases the need for accurate population assessments to guide management and reduce negative human–wildlife interactions. Herein, we evaluated (a) the use of a plot‐based spatial capture‐recapture sampling design to estimate deer density in developed landscapes and (b) if integrating telemetry data improved the precision or biological inferences of density estimates. We conducted fecal sampling at 2 study areas reflecting different characteristics of the urbanization gradient in Durham and eastern Orange counties, North Carolina: (1) rural (i.e., forested, large parcels) and (2) suburban (i.e., small parcels, limited continuous access, diversity of landscape features). We collected 223 fecal samples during a 3‐week sampling period in July and September 2022, resulting in 157 individual deer detected (112 F:45 M). Rural densities were estimated at 54 deer/km 2 (95% CI = 35–84) and suburban densities at 75 deer/km 2 (95% CI = 48–117). Integrating telemetry data allowed estimation of sex‐specific space use and densities, which were not possible from fecal data alone; however, precision of total density estimates was similar across integrated and fecal‐only analyses. Overall, our results highlighted key trade‐offs inherent to plot‐based spatial capture‐recapture in suburban landscapes, most notably low recapture rates, accessibility challenges to maintain optimal trap spacing, and the importance of considering auxiliary data streams as part of the study design.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Preferential sampling can bias estimates of population growth rate using N-mixture models: guidance for monitoring programs

  Wildlife Research · 2026-01-03

  article

  Context Species monitoring programs are essential for assessing population status and informing management decisions. N-mixture models have become a widely used tool for estimating population growth rates (λ) from passive monitoring data, such as counts from camera traps or sonar surveys, because they account for imperfect detection and are applicable to common data types in fisheries and wildlife studies. Aims Our objective was to evaluate how site selection strategies and the proportion of sites sampled influence the accuracy and precision of λ estimates in single-season and dynamic N-mixture models. We were particularly interested in whether preferential sampling – the common practice of focusing monitoring efforts on sites known or presumed to have higher densities – could bias estimates of λ when using these modeling approaches. Methods We simulated count data from populations with spatially varying growth rates that led to increasing, stable, or decreasing overall growth, under scenarios of high or low detection probability. These data were analyzed using single-season and dynamic N-mixture models, with different sampling designs, including random and preferential site selection, and varying the proportion of sites sampled. Key results Precision of λ estimates was similar between single-season and dynamic models, though dynamic models offered potential gains by borrowing information across years. However, preferential site selection consistently introduced bias into λ estimates. We also found more precise values in declining populations, likely due to reduced dispersion from the mean as population sizes contract, compared to the greater variability observed in expanding populations. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that preferential sampling can bias population growth estimates from N-mixture models, even when using sophisticated model structures. Random site selection across all potential monitoring locations consistently provided less biased estimates of λ, reinforcing the importance of sampling design. Implications Recognizing and accounting for potential sampling biases is critical when applying N-mixture models to assess species trends. Our results offer practical guidance for designing or evaluating monitoring programs, emphasizing the need for randomized site selection to ensure accurate and unbiased population growth estimates.

  PublisherDOI

• Home ranges of economically important reef fishes at North Carolina artificial reefs

  Animal Biotelemetry · 2025-12-31

  articleOpen access

  Home range is a vital component to understanding animal ecology and can vary with factors like species, body size, and habitat. Artificial reefs are increasingly used to supplement or enhance habitat for reef fish. Quantifying reef fish home range sizes and the factors affecting home ranges is thus critical to understanding the efficacy of artificial reefs to sustain communities that reflect those on natural reefs. We estimated home ranges of reef fishes at artificial reefs in the southeast United States, evaluated what factors affected those home ranges, and compared them to home ranges of similarly sized fish on natural reefs. From June–October 2021 and 2022, we deployed acoustic tags on five fishery targeted reef species, black sea bass (Centropristis striata), gag (Mycteroperca microlepis), greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili), almaco jack (S. rivoliana), and red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus), on four artificial reefs near Cape Lookout, North Carolina. Tagged fish were tracked using a fine-scale positioning system for ~ 120 days. Home ranges varied by species and fish size (i.e., total length). Black sea bass had the smallest home ranges (mean = 6266 m2), gag and red snapper had moderate home ranges (38,265 m2 and 53,553 m2, respectively), and almaco jack and greater amberjack had the largest (152,146 m2, and 414,107 m2, respectively). Black sea bass, gag, and red snapper displayed increased home range size with total length while greater amberjack and almaco jack home ranges remained relatively constant across lengths. Greater amberjack home ranges were further influenced by artificial reef complex area with an increase in reef area leading to a larger home range. Our data from artificial reefs showed considerable overlap in the relationship between home range and body size when compared to similarly sized predatory reef fish on natural reefs. This information will be vital in improving ecological understanding of how artificial reefs can influence area use of reef-associated species to help inform future artificial reef deployments. Moreover, these results provide an important comparison between artificial reefs and natural reefs as habitats for reef-associated species, a topic that will become increasingly important as the quantity of artificial structures in our oceans increases.

  PublisherDOI

• Emotions and political identity predict public acceptance of urban deer management

  Urban Ecosystems · 2025-01-15 · 6 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract Addressing public preferences can enhance wildlife management effectiveness and reduce backlash. We conducted novel research on public acceptance of wildlife management by accounting for the role of underexplored drivers including emotion and political identity across an urban-to-rural gradient. Using data from a 2022 survey about white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) in Durham County, North Carolina, we analyzed drivers of acceptance for three management strategies: passive management, lethal management by hunting, and lethal management by professionals. Support for deer management varied across the urban-to-rural gradient, as rural residents favored hunting but were less supportive of passive management compared to urban and suburban residents. Emotions and general attitudes toward deer were the strongest predictors of management acceptance. Support for passive management was higher among residents with more positive emotions toward deer, whereas support for lethal strategies was higher among those with more negative emotions. Additionally, political identity emerged as a complex yet influential factor in shaping support for lethal management. Conservative respondents exhibited a higher acceptance of hunting, whereas liberal respondents exhibited a higher acceptance of professional sharpshooting. Collectively, our results demonstrate the ways in which emotions, politics, and other socio-demographic factors interact to influence public support for deer management across the urban–rural gradient. When direct experience with wildlife is lacking (e.g., in urban areas), emotions may act as heuristic guides that shape preferences. Managers aiming to increase deer management acceptability could integrate insights about emotional, political, and demographic drivers of public management support in communication efforts, potentially rendering urban deer management more effective.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Applying mark-resight, count, and telemetry data to estimate effective sampling area and fish density with stationary underwater cameras

  Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences · 2024-08-30 · 4 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Accurate estimates of abundance and density for geographically open populations must account for the effective sampling area (ESA) of sampling gears. We describe a Marked N-Mixture model to estimate ESA and density (number of individuals/unit area) from repeated counts of unmarked and marked individuals, integrating mark-resight, camera counts, and telemetry data of red snapper ( Lutjanus campechanus) at a 1.6 km 2 reef off North Carolina, USA. Cameras recorded observations of unmarked and marked individuals, whereas telemetry data indicated the number of tagged fish present on the reef. We estimated density (95 individuals/km 2 , 95%CI: 58–149), ESA (which was lower when current direction was towards the camera), detection probability (0.06, 95%CI: 0.03–0.09), and covariate relationships. Simulation studies under different scenarios of data quality and space use identified positive bias in density estimates from N-mixture models due to fish movement. In contrast, the Marked N-Mixture model returned unbiased estimates of density, ESA, and detection parameters, and appears to be a more robust method for modeling density given the data available for this analysis. This approach can be applied to other populations where count and telemetry data overlap in space and time.

  PublisherDOI

• Spawning run estimates and phenology for an extremely small population of Atlantic Sturgeon in the Marshyhope Creek–Nanticoke River system, Chesapeake Bay

  Marine and Coastal Fisheries · 2024-06-01 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Objective Once thought to be extirpated from the Chesapeake Bay, fall spawning runs of Atlantic Sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus have been rediscovered in the Marshyhope Creek (MC)–Nanticoke River (NR) system of Maryland, United States. High recapture rates in past telemetry surveys suggested a small population in the two connected tributaries. This study aims to generate estimates of abundance and understand within system connectivity for spawning runs in 2020 and 2021. Methods Data from mobile side-scan sonar surveys and detections of acoustically tagged adults on stationary telemetry receivers were analyzed in an integrated model to estimate spawning season abundance and examine run timing and system connectivity for this population. An array of acoustic receivers was deployed throughout the MC–NR system to monitor the movement of tagged fish during the spawning run period from mid-August to late October. Side-scan sonar surveys were conducted weekly in September in an area of high spawner aggregation to generate count data on spawning run abundance. Result In 2020 and 2021, 32 (95% credible interval [CRI] = 23–47) and 70 (95% CRI = 49–105) Atlantic Sturgeon, respectively, used the MC–NR system. The lower estimate for 2020 coincided with an earlier end to the spawning run related to cooler September temperatures in that year. Conclusion In both years, high spawning run connectivity between MC and the upper NR was observed. Overall, run estimates supported previous hypotheses that the MC–NR system supports a very small population and that both MC and the upper NR serve as important areas for spawning activity. Abstract Impact statement Sturgeon recovery plans require estimates of population abundance. For a small Atlantic Sturgeon population (Chesapeake Bay), this study integrated side-scan sonar counts with telemetry data to develop spawning run estimates that were quite low: 32 and 70.

  PublisherDOI

• Multiple records of the introduced parthenogenetic Smooth-scaled Tegulet, <i>Gymnophthalmus underwoodi</i> Grant 1958, in Puerto Rico

  Reptiles & Amphibians · 2024-03-08

  articleOpen access

  The introduction of invasive species to islands can be devastating to local biota. While many invasive species’successful colonization of new habitats can be attributed to features like high fecundity or low mate selectivity,parthenogenetic species pose a unique threat in their ability to reproduce asexually at high rates. The Smooth-scaledTegulet (Gymnophthalmus underwoodi), first described from Barbados in the 1950s, has since been documented as anintroduced species across additional Lesser and Greater Antillean islands as well as northwestern Brazil and Venezuela.Herein we report multiple individuals from Puerto Rico, including the first genetic records, which indicate that theindividuals on this island are most closely related to populations recorded from Brazil and Montserrat. Additionalgenetic information is necessary to determine the timing and migration of this species across the Caribbean. Regardless,the continued geographic expansion of this parthenogen across the Caribbean could present a threat to local fauna.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Identifying Pareto‐efficient eradication strategies for invasive populations

  Conservation Letters · 2024-09-01 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Invasive species are a major cause of biodiversity loss and are notoriously expensive and challenging to manage. We developed a decision‐analytic framework for evaluating invasive species removal strategies, given objectives of maximizing eradication probability and minimizing costs. The framework uses an existing estimation model for spatially referenced removal data—one of the most accessible types of invasive species data—to obtain estimates of population growth rate, movement probability, and detection probability. We use these estimates in simulations to identify Pareto‐efficient strategies—strategies where increases in eradication probability cannot be obtained without increases in cost—from a set of proposed strategies. We applied the framework post hoc to a successful eradication of veiled chameleons ( Chamaeleo calyptratus ) and identified the potential for substantial improvements in efficiency. Our approach provides managers and policymakers with tools to identify cost‐effective strategies for a range of invasive species using only prior knowledge or data from initial physical removals.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Daniel D. Roby

  Oregon State University

  78 shared

• Allen F. Evans

  47 shared

• Ken Collis

  44 shared

• Sarah J. Converse

  University of Washington

  37 shared

• Donald E. Lyons

  Oregon State University

  14 shared

• Quinn Payton

  14 shared

• Eric V. Regehr

  University of Washington

  12 shared

• J. Andrew Royle

  United States Geological Survey

  11 shared

Labs

• Nathan Hostetter's LabPI

  N/A

Education

• Ph.D., Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology

  North Carolina State University

  2016

• M.S. Wildlife Science, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife

  Oregon State University

  2010

• B.S. Biology, Department of Biology

  Gardner–Webb University

  2002