Description of Research My broad research interests are in the ecology and conservation of amphibians and reptiles. My current research focus is on the role of terrestrial, woodland salamanders in ecosystem functions. Terrestrial salamanders of the genus Plethodon can be incredibly abundant in forest ecosystems. In many eastern US forests they are the most abundant vertebrate and can makeup twice the biomass of all the breeding forest birds. As abundant predators of forest floor invertebrates, salamanders have the potential to affect ecosystem processes through alteration of the detrital food web and through direct nutrient cycling. I am specifically testing how the removal of salamanders from forest plots affects nitrogen mineralization rates, leaf litter decomposition rates, and oak seedling growth and survival. Additionally, I am examining how salamanders affect other top detrital predators including spiders, centipedes, and carabid beetles. These intraguild predators are likely competing for resources and their roles in the food web and ecosystem may be altered in the absence of salamanders. Given the global decline of amphibians, it is important to understand how amphibians contribute to ecosystems services and what we’re losing. This knowledge can help to inform and prioritize conservation and management decisions. Teaching Experience Instructor Spring 2009 Vertebrate Biology (NR 655), University of New Hampshire Spring Semester 2007 Introduction to Conservation Biology (BIO 105), Moberly Area Community College, Columbia, MO The course provided students with an overview of current conservation issues including human population growth, habitat loss, energy policy, pollution, and global climate change and how these issues influence wildlife populations and ecosystems. I emphasized student participation in class dialog, critical thinking, and science writing skills. Additionally, I taught students how basic ecology and population biology are integral to conservation and local land-use planning. Students learned how policy and management decisions affect conservation on both local and global scales. Teaching Assistant, Spring 2008, Conservation Biology NR 650, University of New Hampshire Delivered approximately 10% of the class lectures Fall Semester 2007 Wildlife Techniques (NR 646), University of New Hampshire Organized and administered laboratory activities. Developed multiple labs and was a guest lecturer for two weeks. Senior Environmental Intern, Sept. 2003–May 2004 Audubon MD-DC Sanctuary, Bozman, MD I taught and designed environmental education programs for ages three to adult. These programs included in-school classroom activities, after school clubs, school field trips, and public programs on the Audubon Sanctuary. I also helped maintain displays at the nature center and acted as an interpreter for visitors. Finally, I engaged public volunteers in a program to monitor amphibian populations on the sanctuary. Naturalist/Interpreter, Seasonal 2001-2002 Seacoast Science Center, Rye, NH As a naturalist, I led elementary through college class field trips to the Science Center. My programs involved a short lesson on rocky shore ecology followed by hands-on exploration of the rocky shore tide pools at The Center. I concluded each program with an investigation of our live displays and a session of interactive synthesis about rocky shore ecology. Mentoring While a graduate student I have advised numerous undergraduates on independent research projects. Mentoring has been one of the most enjoyable and rewarding parts of my time as a graduate student. I believe in the importance of interactive education and the utility of research as a teaching mechanism. Having ownership in a project engages students to think more deeply about a subject and forces them to make intertextual connections. Publications Babbitt K. J., M. J. Baber, D. L. Childers, D. J. Hocking. 2009. The influence of agricultural upland habitat type on larval anuran assemblages in seasonally-inundated wetlands. Wetlands 29(1): 294-301. Hocking, D. J. and R. D. Semlitsch. 2008. Effects of clearcut logging on gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor) tadpole performance. Journal of Herpetology 42: 689-698. Hocking, D. J., T. A. G. Rittenhouse, B. B. Rothermel, J. R. Johnson, C. A. Conner, E. B. Harper, and R. D. Semlitsch. 2008. Breeding and recruitment phenology of amphibians in Missouri oak-hickory forests. American Midland Naturalist 160: 41-60. Semlitsch, R. D., C. A. Conner, D. J. Hocking, T. A. G. Rittenhouse, and E. B. Harper. 2008. Effects of timber harvesting on pond-breeding amphibian persistence: testing the evacuation hypothesis. Ecological Applications 18(2): 283-289 Hocking, D.J. and R. D. Semlitsch. 2007. Effects of timber harvest on breeding site selection by gray treefrogs (Hyla versicolor). Biological Conservation 138: 506-513. | Brief Bio I'm a graduate student at the University of New Hampshire studying the ecology and conservation of amphibians. I received my Master's in Biology at the University of Missouri where my research focused on the effects of forest management on amphibian populations. I enjoy the outdoors, especially hiking and canoeing. I also enjoy running and cycling but my recent obsession has been photography. While I take pictures of anything that catches my eye, I generally concentrate on close-up photography, particularly of amphibians and reptiles. Some of my amphibian pictures are on this site. You can see more of my photographs at www.hockingphotography.smugmug.com   Male gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor) calling from a branch over a pond in Missouri  |
