Unit Leader - Arkansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
I worked with the Department of Defense (ERDC-CERL) for 5 years studying wildlife conservation issues on military installations all over the country before beginning my current position with the Arkansas Cooperative Research Unit in 2019. My students and I study the movement ecology, habitat use, distribution, and behavioral responses to anthropogenic disturbance, community ecology, predator prey ecology of reptiles, birds, and mammals. Many of my current projects utilize wildlife game cameras to monitor community level changes and behavioral responses to human activity or development. My work is adaptable and flexible as my research program is tailored to work closely with the needs of our state cooperators, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. My students and I endeavor to study wildlife issues all over the state of Arkansas. I teach several courses at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville including Wildlife Management and Conservation in Arkansas and Conservation Biology. <br><br>
Professional Experience
Unit Leader, Arkansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2019-
Education and Certifications
PhD, Natural Resources at University of Illinois, 2014
M.S., Biology at Purdue at Fort Wayne, 2008
B.S., University of Massachusetts in Amherst, 2004
Science and Products
Evaluating hydrophones for detecting underwater-calling frogs
Amphibians are declining and disappearing worldwide at an alarming rate, emphasizing the need for accurate surveys to document the distribution and abundance of this imperiled taxon. Automated recorders are a powerful tool for surveyors to continuously monitor for calling amphibians. However, we are discovering that many species of frog call when submerged underwater making it challenging if not i
Nine-banded armadillo (Dasyrus novemcinctus) activity patterns are influenced by human activity
As the human footprint upon the landscape expands, wildlife seeking to avoid human contact are losing the option of altering their spatial distribution and instead are shifting their daily activity patterns to be active at different times than humans. In this study, we used game cameras to evaluate how human development and activity were related to the daily activity patterns of the nine-banded ar
Northern bobwhite occupancy patterns on multiple spatial scales across Arkansas
Northern bobwhite Colinus virginianus populations have been rapidly declining in the eastern, central, and southern United States for decades. Land use change and an incompatibility between northern bobwhite resource needs and human land use practices have driven declines. Here, we applied occupancy analyses on two spatial scales (state level and ecoregion level) to more than 5,000 northern bobwhi
Factors influencing the use of water-filled tree cavities by eastern ratsnakes (Pantherophis alleghaniensis)
For some animals, specific microhabitats may be particularly important for certain behaviors and/or age or sex classes. Here we explore the use of previously unrecognized retreat sites (water-filled tree cavities) by Eastern Ratsnakes (Pantherophis alleghaniensis). During 4 y of radio telemetry, approximately half of the 45 ratsnakes monitored used water-filled cavities. Typically, water-filled ca
Soft Release Translocation of Texas Horned Lizards (Phrynosoma cornutum) on an Urban Military Installation in Oklahoma, United States
Wildlife translocation is an often-used technique to augment populations or remove animals from harm’s way. Unfortunately, many translocation efforts fail to meet their goals for myriad reasons, particularly because translocated animals make large, erratic movements after release, which can result in high mortality rates. Soft release, holding animals in acclimation pens for some period of time at
Identification of factors affecting predation risk for juvenile turtles using 3D printed models
Although it is widely accepted that juvenile turtles experience high levels of predation, such events are rarely observed, providing limited evidence regarding predator identities and how juvenile habitat selection and availability of sensory cues to predators affects predation risk. We placed three-dimensional printed models resembling juvenile box turtles (Terrapene carolina) across habitats com
Captive-rearing duration may be more important than environmental enrichment for enhancing turtle head-starting success
Raising captive animals past critical mortality stages for eventual release (head-starting) is a common conservation tactic. Counterintuitively, post-release survival can be low. Post-release behavior affecting survival could be influenced by captive-rearing duration and housing conditions. Practitioners have adopted environmental enrichment to promote natural behaviors during head-starting such a
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
- Publications
Evaluating hydrophones for detecting underwater-calling frogs
Amphibians are declining and disappearing worldwide at an alarming rate, emphasizing the need for accurate surveys to document the distribution and abundance of this imperiled taxon. Automated recorders are a powerful tool for surveyors to continuously monitor for calling amphibians. However, we are discovering that many species of frog call when submerged underwater making it challenging if not iNine-banded armadillo (Dasyrus novemcinctus) activity patterns are influenced by human activity
As the human footprint upon the landscape expands, wildlife seeking to avoid human contact are losing the option of altering their spatial distribution and instead are shifting their daily activity patterns to be active at different times than humans. In this study, we used game cameras to evaluate how human development and activity were related to the daily activity patterns of the nine-banded arNorthern bobwhite occupancy patterns on multiple spatial scales across Arkansas
Northern bobwhite Colinus virginianus populations have been rapidly declining in the eastern, central, and southern United States for decades. Land use change and an incompatibility between northern bobwhite resource needs and human land use practices have driven declines. Here, we applied occupancy analyses on two spatial scales (state level and ecoregion level) to more than 5,000 northern bobwhiFactors influencing the use of water-filled tree cavities by eastern ratsnakes (Pantherophis alleghaniensis)
For some animals, specific microhabitats may be particularly important for certain behaviors and/or age or sex classes. Here we explore the use of previously unrecognized retreat sites (water-filled tree cavities) by Eastern Ratsnakes (Pantherophis alleghaniensis). During 4 y of radio telemetry, approximately half of the 45 ratsnakes monitored used water-filled cavities. Typically, water-filled caSoft Release Translocation of Texas Horned Lizards (Phrynosoma cornutum) on an Urban Military Installation in Oklahoma, United States
Wildlife translocation is an often-used technique to augment populations or remove animals from harm’s way. Unfortunately, many translocation efforts fail to meet their goals for myriad reasons, particularly because translocated animals make large, erratic movements after release, which can result in high mortality rates. Soft release, holding animals in acclimation pens for some period of time atIdentification of factors affecting predation risk for juvenile turtles using 3D printed models
Although it is widely accepted that juvenile turtles experience high levels of predation, such events are rarely observed, providing limited evidence regarding predator identities and how juvenile habitat selection and availability of sensory cues to predators affects predation risk. We placed three-dimensional printed models resembling juvenile box turtles (Terrapene carolina) across habitats comCaptive-rearing duration may be more important than environmental enrichment for enhancing turtle head-starting success
Raising captive animals past critical mortality stages for eventual release (head-starting) is a common conservation tactic. Counterintuitively, post-release survival can be low. Post-release behavior affecting survival could be influenced by captive-rearing duration and housing conditions. Practitioners have adopted environmental enrichment to promote natural behaviors during head-starting such aNon-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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