Jacoby Carter, Ph.D.
Jacoby Carter is Scientist Emeritus at the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Wildlife Management, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 1996
Dissertation: MOAB: A Generalizable Artificial Intelligence Model for Simulating Duck Nest Depredation in the Northern Prairie Region of North Dakota
M.S., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 1992
Thesis: A Comparison of the Distribution of Plant Species in Flathead Lake and Swan Lake Montana and its Implications for Kerr Dam Management Practices
B.S., Zoology and Botany, University of Washington, 1982
RESEARCH
Upon completion of graduate school, Jacoby Carter worked at the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center (formerly National Wetlands Research Center) in Lafayette, Louisiana. Most of his research has focused on popluation dynamic modeling, studying invasive species and estuarine submerged aquatic vegetation. Carter's international work has included research in Mexico on land use change, in Vietnam on fire behavior models, and in Madagascar on environmental risk/benefit analysis. His current research emphases are modeling population dynamics, spatial distributions of plants and animals, movement models, and invasive species research. Species Carter currently works with are Green Treefrogs (Hyla cinerea), Nutria (Myocastor coypus), and Island Applesnails (Pomacea insularum). In addition, Carter is doing work on fire behavior models for Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) forest in Vietnam and have done a variety of vegetative surveys and monitoring.
His personal research has focused on the following areas: developing improved telemetry equipment and techniques, documenting nutria natural history in non-marsh systems, modeling nutria population dynamics, dispersal and their impact on marsh systems.
Island applesnail research team leader. Four co-PIs involved in spatial modeling, toxicology testing, bibliographic research, and testing biocontrol potential of native species.
Green treefrog research: Carter is a co-PI for an NSF funded Undergraduate Biology/Mathematics Project. Research for the project includes long term monitoring (5 years to date) of green treefrog population in an urban area. He developed and supervises this research.
Ecologist- Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Technical Working Group- Freshwater/Brackish SAV sampling in response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Co-author of Freshwater/Brackish SAV sampling plan. Federal team leader for sampling.
Science and Products
Mesohaline submerged aquatic vegetation survey along the U.S. gulf of Mexico coast, 2001 and 2002: A salinity gradient approach
Prioritizing bottomland hardwood forest sites for protection and augmentation
Population estimates of Hyla cinerea (Schneider) (Green Tree frog) in an urban environment
Testing tail-mounted transmitters with Myocastor coypus (nutria)
Establishing a beachhead: A stochastic population model with an Allee effect applied to species invasion
Exploring behavior of an unusual megaherbivore: A spatially explicit foraging model of the hippopotamus
A survey of estuarine submerged aquatic vegetation in the northern Gulf coast
A review of the literature on the worldwide distribution, spread of, and efforts to eradicate the coypu (Myocastor coypus)
Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) population dynamics and bamboo (subfamily Bambusoideae) life history: a structured population approach to examining carrying capacity when the prey are semelparous
MOAB: a spatially explicit, individual-based expert system for creating animal foraging models
Modeling the effects of nutria (Myocastor coypus) on wetland loss
Book Review: Two visual programming languages for simulation modeling: Stella 5.0 and Modelmaker 3.0
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
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Filter Total Items: 38
Mesohaline submerged aquatic vegetation survey along the U.S. gulf of Mexico coast, 2001 and 2002: A salinity gradient approach
Distribution of marine submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV; i.e., seagrass) in the northern Gulf of Mexico coast has been documented, but there are nonmarine submersed or SAV species occurring in estuarine salinities that have not been extensively reported. We sampled 276 SAV beds along the gulf coast in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas in 2001 and 2002 in oligohaline to polyhalinAuthorsJ.H. Merino, J. Carter, S.L. MerinoPrioritizing bottomland hardwood forest sites for protection and augmentation
Bottomland hardwood forest has been greatly diminished by conversion to agriculture. Less than 25% of the pre-Columbian bottomland hardwood forests remain in the southeastern United States. Because of the valuable ecological and hydrological functions performed by these forests, their conservation and restoration has been a high priority. Part of these restoration efforts has focused on developingAuthorsJ. Carter, J. BiagasPopulation estimates of Hyla cinerea (Schneider) (Green Tree frog) in an urban environment
Hyla cinerea (Green Treefrog) is a common wetlands species in the southeastern US. To better understand its population dynamics, we followed a relatively isolated population of Green Treefrogs from June 2004 through October 2004 at a federal office complex in Lafayette, LA. Weekly, Green Treefrogs were caught, measured, marked with VIE tags, and released. The data were used to estimate populationAuthorsL. Pham, S. Boudreaux, S. Karhbet, B. Price, A. S. Ackleh, J. Carter, N. PalTesting tail-mounted transmitters with Myocastor coypus (nutria)
We developed a tail-mounted radio-transmitter for Myocastor coypus (nutria) that offers a practical and efficient alternative to collar or implant methods. The mean retention time was 96 d (range 57-147 d, n = 7), making this a practical method for short-term studies. The tail-mounts were less injurious to animals than collars and easier for field researchers to implement than either collars or suAuthorsS. Merino, J. Carter, G. ThibodeauxEstablishing a beachhead: A stochastic population model with an Allee effect applied to species invasion
We formulated a spatially explicit stochastic population model with an Allee effect in order to explore how invasive species may become established. In our model, we varied the degree of migration between local populations and used an Allee effect with variable birth and death rates. Because of the stochastic component, population sizes below the Allee effect threshold may still have a positive prAuthorsA. S. Ackleh, L.J.S. Allen, J. CarterExploring behavior of an unusual megaherbivore: A spatially explicit foraging model of the hippopotamus
Herbivore foraging theories have been developed for and tested on herbivores across a range of sizes. Due to logistical constraints, however, little research has focused on foraging behavior of megaherbivores. Here we present a research approach that explores megaherbivore foraging behavior, and assesses the applicability of foraging theories developed on smaller herbivores to megafauna. With simuAuthorsR.L. Lewison, J. CarterA survey of estuarine submerged aquatic vegetation in the northern Gulf coast
The status of submerged aquatic vegetation along the northern Gulf of Mexico is of concern because of its role in the ecology and economy of the coast. Recent studies by U.S. Geological Survey scientists help assess the factors that contribute to SAV distribution and health.AuthorsJ. CarterA review of the literature on the worldwide distribution, spread of, and efforts to eradicate the coypu (Myocastor coypus)
We conducted a literature review of coypu (Myocastor coypus) introduction and eradication efforts worldwide. The coypu (also called nutria) has been introduced from its origins in South America to every continent except Australia and Antarctica. While perceived in some regions as a valuable resource, in most regions the animals are considered a pest species. Coypus have caused damage to water contAuthorsJ. Carter, B.P. LeonardGiant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) population dynamics and bamboo (subfamily Bambusoideae) life history: a structured population approach to examining carrying capacity when the prey are semelparous
The giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, is a highly specialized Ursid whose diet consists almost entirely of various species of bamboo. Bamboo (Bambusoideae) is a grass subfamily whose species often exhibit a synchronous semelparity. Synchronous semelparity can create local drops in carrying capacity for the panda. We modeled the interaction of pandas and their bamboo food resources with an age sAuthorsJ. Carter, A. S. Ackleh, B.P. Leonard, Hongfang WangMOAB: a spatially explicit, individual-based expert system for creating animal foraging models
We describe the development, structure, and corroboration process of a simulation model of animal behavior (MOAB). MOAB can create spatially explicit, individual-based animal foraging models. Users can create or replicate heterogeneous landscape patterns, and place resources and individual animals of a goven species on that landscape to simultaneously simulate the foraging behavior of multiple speAuthorsJ. Carter, John T. FinnModeling the effects of nutria (Myocastor coypus) on wetland loss
We created a model to study the process in which nutria (Myocastor coypus) feeding activities lead to erosion and loss of marsh area. This model ties together data on nutria population dynamics and feeding behavior from the literature with data from field studies on the phenology of Scirpus americanus and Spartina patens conducted in the Barataria Basin, Louisiana, USA in 1992. The complete modelAuthorsJ. Carter, A.L. Foote, L. A. Johnson-RandallBook Review: Two visual programming languages for simulation modeling: Stella 5.0 and Modelmaker 3.0
No abtract available.AuthorsJ. CarterNon-USGS Publications**
Carter, J. and H. Wang. 1994. A model linking the population dynamics of the giant panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca with bamboo life history. in Thompson, Ian D. editor, Proceedings of the International Union of Game Biologist XXI Congress: forests and wildlife. towards the 21st century. August 15-20, 1993, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada pp. 299-309.**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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