Wildlife Behavior in A Changing World

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Resource selection refers to the decision making process that animals use to choose prey, establish a home range, and move through their environment. Understanding resource selection patterns helps us identify the conditions necessary for a species to thrive. 

Studying microhabitat selection of the patch nosed salamander (Urspelerpes brucei) to understand basic ecology and inform survey design for this rare and cryptic species.

We found that larval and juvenile hellbenders prefer slow moving parts of the stream characterized by moderately sized, unembedded cobble. Photo credit: L. Diaz

Using GPS telemetry to understand how American alligators use space in urban coastal landscapes to inform human-alligator co-existence strategies.

Physiology & Movement

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Individual-level variation in physiology, movement, and reproductive success can highlight the proximate mechanisms affecting population growth, community composition, and ultimately ecosystem function. 

Studying the drivers of individual alligator behavior towards humans and how aversive conditioning can be used to reduce alligator habituation to humans in urban coastal landscapes.

Investigating how how loss of forest cover may impact parasite exposure and physiological condition of hellbenders.

Studying acute and chronic behavioral responses of crayfish to hellbenders to better understand the ecological role that hellbenders play in Appalachian streams.

Population Ecology

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A broader goal of nearly all our projects is to understand why and how populations change over time, to better asses species status and implications of future scenarios. 

Investigating survivorship of captive-reared Carolina heelsplitter mussels to inform species recovery.

Using a long-term capture-mark-recapture study to understand how hellbender populations respond to growing recreation pressure and flooding.