Joseph Clark, Ph.D.
Dr. Joseph Clark is Branch Chief of the U.S. Geological Survey’s NOROCK Southern Appalachian Field Branch, located at the University of Tennessee, where he conducts hypothesis-driven environmental research focusing on Department of Interior issues in the southern Appalachians and elsewhere. Dr. Clark holds an Adjunct Professor appointment in the Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries.
Research Interests
Dr. Clark is a wildlife biologist and specializes in carnivore ecology, population dynamics, and habitat modeling. Dr. Clark served for 9 years as a Research Biologist and Assistant Chief with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. As such, Dr. Clark has a unique perspective of wildlife resource management from both the practical as well as academic side. Dr. Clark has studied population dynamics of black bears in the Interior Highlands of Arkansas, at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia, in the Mobile Basin of Alabama, White River National Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas, and throughout Louisiana; has evaluated the effects of public use (i.e., deer hunting) on Florida panthers ecology and management in south Florida; has developed methods for black bear reintroduction in Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Arkansas; has performed a demographic analysis of a reintroduced elk herd at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina; and has studied muskrat and river otter ecology at Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky. Current projects include a population viability assessment for the threatened Louisiana black bear, a nuisance bear study and a feral hog study in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and a statewide mark-recapture bear population estimate for Florida.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. (Zoology), 1991, University of Arkansas
M.S. (Wildlife Biology), 1982, University of Georgia
B.S. (Wildlife Biology), 1980, University of Georgia
Science and Products
Comparing clustered sampling designs for spatially explicit estimation of population density
No flood effect on recruitment of a small Louisiana black bear population
Genetic diversity, effective population size, and structure among black bear populations in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, USA
Genetic structure in Elk persists after translocation
Estimating population extinction thresholds with categorical classification trees for Louisiana black bears
Elk research efforts
Spatially explicit population estimates for black bears based on cluster sampling
Northern bobwhite breeding season ecology on a reclaimed surface mine
A long-term evaluation of biopsy darts and DNA to estimate cougar density
From rags to riches? Black bear management in the southeast
Connectivity among subpopulations of Louisiana black bears as estimated by a step selection function
Habitat manipulation influences northern bobwhite resource selection on a reclaimed surface mine
Science and Products
- Science
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 70
Comparing clustered sampling designs for spatially explicit estimation of population density
Spatially explicit capture–recapture methods do not assume that animals have equal access to sampling devices (e.g., detectors), which allows for gaps in the sampling extent and nonuniform (e.g., clustered) sampling designs. However, the performance (i.e., relative root mean squared error [RRMSE], confidence interval coverage, relative bias and relative standard error) of clustered detector arraysAuthorsJoseph D. ClarkNo flood effect on recruitment of a small Louisiana black bear population
A flood event in 2011 had minor impacts on apparent survival and movement probabilities of a small, isolated population of Louisiana black bears (Ursus americanus luteolus) in the Upper Atchafalaya River Basin, Louisiana, USA. However, the potential effects of the flood on recruitment of juveniles into the population, then listed as threatened under the United States Endangered Species Act, were nAuthorsJoseph D. Clark, Kaitlin C. O'Connell-Goode, Carrie L. Lowe, Sean M. Murphy, Sutton C. Maehr, Maria M. Davidson, Jared S. LaufenbergGenetic diversity, effective population size, and structure among black bear populations in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, USA
Multiple small populations of American black bears Ursus americanus, including the recently delisted Louisiana black bear subspecies U. a. luteolus, occupy a fragmented landscape in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, USA (LMAV). Populations include bears native to the LMAV, bears translocated from Minnesota during the 1960s, and recently reintroduced and colonizing populations sourced from witAuthorsSean M. Murphy, Jared S. Laufenberg, Joseph D. Clark, Maria M. Davidson, Jerrold L. Belant, David L. GarshelisGenetic structure in Elk persists after translocation
Elk (Cervus canadensis) translocation success is thought to be facilitated by high post‐release herd cohesion and limited movements; both should ensure genetic mixing following release. Such mixing is important to reduce potential effects of inbreeding or genetic drift, which can be especially important in small founding populations. We had a natural experiment where we could evaluate genetic mixiAuthorsLisa I Muller, Jennifer L. Murrow, Jason L. Lupardus, Joseph D. Clark, Joseph G. Yarkovich, William H. Stiver, E. Kim Delozier, Brittany L. Slabach, John L. Cox, Bradley F. MillerEstimating population extinction thresholds with categorical classification trees for Louisiana black bears
Monitoring vulnerable species is critical for their conservation. Thresholds or tipping points are commonly used to indicate when populations become vulnerable to extinction and to trigger changes in conservation actions. However, quantitative methods to determine such thresholds have not been well explored. The Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) was removed from the list of threatenAuthorsJared S. Laufenberg, Joseph D. Clark, Richard B. ChandlerElk research efforts
Presented the history of the NC elk herd and summarized early research to determine the population dispersal and mortality rates, assess habitat use, and evaluate elk’s impact on the national park to estimate the probability of success in establishing a permanent elk population in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). Gave an overview of a fiveyear elk population study beginning OctoberAuthorsJoseph D. ClarkSpatially explicit population estimates for black bears based on cluster sampling
We estimated abundance and density of the 5 major black bear (Ursus americanus) subpopulations (i.e., Eglin, Apalachicola, Osceola, Ocala-St. Johns, Big Cypress) in Florida, USA with spatially explicit capture-mark-recapture (SCR) by extracting DNA from hair samples collected at barbed-wire hair sampling sites. We employed a clustered sampling configuration with sampling sites arranged in 3 × 3 clAuthorsJ. Humm, J. Walter McCown, B.K. Scheick, Joseph D. ClarkNorthern bobwhite breeding season ecology on a reclaimed surface mine
Surface coal mining and subsequent reclamation of surface mines have converted large forest areas into early successional vegetative communities in the eastern United States. This reclamation can provide a novel opportunity to conserve northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). We evaluated the influence of habitat management activities on nest survival, nest-site selection, and brood resource selecAuthorsJarred M. Brooke, Evan P. Tanner, David C. Peters, Ashley M. Tanner, Craig A. Harper, Patrick D. Keyser, Joseph D. Clark, John J. MorganA long-term evaluation of biopsy darts and DNA to estimate cougar density
Accurately estimating cougar (Puma concolor) density is usually based on long-term research consisting of intensive capture and Global Positioning System collaring efforts and may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Because wildlife agency budgets rarely accommodate this approach, most infer cougar density from published literature, rely on short-term studies, or use hunter harvest datAuthorsRichard A. Beausoleil, Joseph D. Clark, Benjamin T. MaletzkeFrom rags to riches? Black bear management in the southeast
No abstract available.AuthorsJoseph D. ClarkConnectivity among subpopulations of Louisiana black bears as estimated by a step selection function
Habitat fragmentation is a fundamental cause of population decline and increased risk of extinction for many wildlife species; animals with large home ranges and small population sizes are particularly sensitive. The Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) exists only in small, isolated subpopulations as a result of land clearing for agriculture, but the relative potential for inter-subpoAuthorsJoseph D. Clark, Jared S. Laufenberg, Maria Davidson, Jennifer L. MurrowHabitat manipulation influences northern bobwhite resource selection on a reclaimed surface mine
More than 600,000 ha of mine land have been reclaimed in the eastern United States, providing large contiguous tracts of early successional vegetation that can be managed for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). However, habitat quality on reclaimed mine land can be limited by extensive coverage of non-native invasive species, which are commonly planted during reclamation. We used discrete-choAuthorsJarred M. Brooke, David C. Peters, Ashley M. Unger, Evan P. Tanner, Craig A. Harper, Patrick D. Keyser, Joseph D. Clark, John J. Morgan - News