The annual reports available below are in Adobe PDF format; therefore, you must have Adobe Reader on your computer to view these documents.
Research Interests
I am broadly interested in the biology, ecology, conservation, and management of vertebrates, particularly ungulates and carnivores. My research is focused around science issues relevant to wildlife management needs, including: reproduction, disease, behavior, wildlife-habitat relationships, landscape ecology, human dimensions, and understanding the impacts of forestry practices on forest structure and function. The over-arching theme behind my research interests is the focus on developing scientific tools and knowledge to support sound natural resource management.
Here are a few examples of some of the my current research projects.
The landscape ecology of bull elk in Arkansas
Concerns about the status of bull elk (Cervus elaphus) in Arkansas began to increase in the late 1990’s as a result of field observations and evaluations of data collected on bull/cow ratios, non-hunting causes of mortality, and the age structure of harvested animals. These data suggested, among other things, potential high mortality of bulls. To maximize success of the elk reintroduction program and to increase elk viewing and hunting opportunities in Arkansas, elk managers need answers to several important questions about the landscape ecology of bull elk. Namely, what habitat types do bull elk use and what time of year do they use them? Do bulls utilize travel corridors between habitat types? If so, where are these corridors located spatially and temporally? What habitat features characterize them? Does habitat use vary by season and/or by age class? How large are seasonal and annual home range areas? Do they vary by season and/or by age class? What habitat types characterize core areas? Are core areas spatially and temporally dynamic? This project is funded by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Arkansas Forest Resources Center, and the National Park Service. $150,000. For my 2003 annual report, click here. For my 2004 annual report, click here.
Survival and causes of mortality of bull elk in Arkansas
Survival rates and causes of non-hunting mortality for bull elk in Arkansas are unknown. Age-class specific survival rates will be determined using the Kaplan-Meier estimator as modified for staggered entry of marked animals. Causes of mortality will be determined via necropsy and biological sample collection. Habitat characteristics associated with mortality will be analyzed to identify factors that potentially predispose bull elk to mortality. This project is funded by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Arkansas Forest Resources Center, and the National Park Service. $150,000.
Stakeholders' attitudes toward elk in Arkansas
Effective wildlife management incorporates information about the social aspects or human dimensions of wildlife. For example, understanding the attitudes of the public toward wildlife and wildlife management activities aids managers in predicting public responses. Although elk were reintroduced into Arkansas >20 years ago, little data exist on the attitudes residents of occupied elk range (i.e., stakeholders) have about elk and elk management. These data are needed to assist wildlife professionals in managing elk within occupied elk range and planning future elk restoration projects in Arkansas. This study was developed to assist wildlife managers and stakeholders in their deliberations about how to manage elk in Arkansas. At issue are not only the technical aspects of elk population control, but also regard for socially acceptable solutions and management of conflicts between stakeholders with diverse viewpoints. This study focuses on the human dimensions of elk management in occupied elk range in Arkansas, including determining stakeholder preferences for input and involvement in elk management. Specifically, my objectives are to: 1) assess stakeholder knowledge about elk, 2) determine levels of stakeholder support for elk restoration and management, 3) locate areas of elk/human conflicts, 4) collect stakeholder opinions about elk-human conflicts and strategies to reduce them, and 5) provide public land managers with information to develop more efficient and effective elk-human conflict resolution strategies. This project is funded by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Arkansas Forest Resources Center. $40,000.
Estimating population size of black bears in the Ouachita National Forest using hair capture, DNA profiling, and mark-recapture analysis
The goal of this research project is to test the utility of a noninvasive genetic sampling technique to estimate the population size of a black bear population in west-central Arkansas. Specifically, my objectives are to: 1) design and test a noninvasive genetic sampling technique using remote hair capture to sample populations, DNA analysis to identify individuals, and mark-recapture modeling to estimate population size of black bears in the Ouachita National Forest, and 2) examine the distribution of black bears across the study area. This project is funded by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Arkansas Forest Resources Center. $130,000.
Effects of forest management intensity on structuring breeding bird communities in west-central Arkansas
Forestry practices can have
important influences on the functions of forests such as the support of
biological diversity and sequestration of carbon. For example, control of
competing vegetation, fertilization, and the use of biotechnology can increase
net ecosystem productivity and carbon sequestration in managed forests. By
altering forest structural features (e.g., snag and tree density, species
composition) at the stand scale, forestry practices can enhance or diminish
habitat for selected wildlife species. Unfortunately, little information is
available on bird community response to different intensities of forest
management. An understanding of factors that influence bird community structure
is important to enable informed management. We examined bird community
structure within 4 watersheds in the Ouachita Mountains in west-central Arkansas
during 1995-1998. Each watershed represented a sequence of forest management
conditions, ranging from relatively unmanaged to intensively managed forests.
Relative abundance data were collected through 10 min point counts on a total of
2,106 plots. Corresponding habitat sampling was also conducted at each plot
each year. Community gradient descriptions, based on canonical correspondence
analysis, were conducted on 50 habitat variables and 18,414 individual birds,
representing 40 species. Preliminary data indicate total basal area, deciduous tree height, conifer tree
height, and understory density were the most important variables predicting bird
community structure. Percentage canopy cover contributed to a much lesser
extent.
This project is funded by the USDA Forest Service, the National
Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Weyerhaeuser Company and the Arkansas
Forest Resources Center. $20,000. For some preliminary results, click
here.
Predominant habitat factors structuring terrestrial amphibian and reptile communities at the Arkansas Post National Memorial, Arkansas
Recent evidence of worldwide amphibian and reptile population declines has highlighted the need for a better understanding of species-specific habitat associations. Little information is available on amphibian and reptile community response to habitat structure. An understanding of factors that influence amphibian and reptile community structure is important to enable informed management. The objective of this study is to examine how amphibian and reptile communities change across the Arkansas Post National Memorial and to determine if these patterns are related to spatial and temporal variability in the environment. My intent is to determine the habitat variables that account for a significant proportion of variability in community composition. This project is funded by the Arkansas Forest Resources Center and the National Park Service. $42,000. For my 2004 annual report, click here.
A GIS model to predict the location of army cutworm moths in Glacier National Park, Montana
During June through September, grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) consume large quantities of army cutworm moths (Euxoa auxiliaris) they excavate from alpine talus slopes in the northern Rockies. I am investigating factors influencing talus slope selection by army cutworm moths, which are an important summer and early autumn food for grizzly bears in Glacier Park. The objective of this project is to use a GIS and 4 different modeling approaches (e.g., weights of evidence, logistic regression, fuzzy logic, neural networks) to predict locations within Glacier Park where army cutworm moths aggregate during summer. This project is funded by the Arkansas Forest Resources Center. $5,000.
Reproduction in the male grizzly bear
Seasonal effects on gross and histological characteristics of the bear testis have been generally described. The effect of age on the testis and epididymis, however, has not been well studied and epididymal histomorphology has received little attention. Additionally, most of what is known about brown bear gonadal activity is limited to the non-breeding or early breeding season (September through May) in Alaska, the Yukon, and Hokkaido, Japan. The seasonal relationship between T concentrations and testicular activity has not been reported for grizzly bears (U. a. horribilis). Due to the paucity of information on age-related testicular and epididymal characteristics and the apparent variation in the age at which testis mass asymptotes and the age at which brown bears attain sexual maturity, the objectives of this study are to: 1) analyze age and seasonally-related changes in testicular and epididymal characteristics, 2) identify seasonal differences in spermatogenesis for pre-pubertal and post-pubertal grizzly bears, and 3) investigate the seasonal association between testis mass, T concentrations, and photoperiod for post-pubertal grizzly bears ≤ 22.5 years of age from Montana and Wyoming. This project is funded by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks and the Arkansas Forest Resources Center. $5,000.
The ecology of deer mice and hantavirus in west-central Montana
Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) are the principle reservoir of the Sin Nombre virus (SNV) that is the etiological agent of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Several studies of SNV in sylvan populations of deer mice have been conducted. Most human cases of HPS, however, are contracted in buildings (i.e., houses, trailers, barns, granaries, etc.). Unfortunately, virtually nothing is known about the ecology of deer mice in buildings. The objectives of this study are to: 1) quantify the seroprevelance of SNV in peridomestic populations of deer mice and 2) estimate survival of deer mice in peridomestic habitats in western Montana. These data will be used to further our understanding of the SNV infection cycle in humans. This project is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. $150,000 awarded to Dr. Richard Douglass, Professor of Biology, Montana Tech of the University of Montana.