Research

Abundance and density estimation are central to the field of ecology and wildlife management, but many survey methods are invasive, dangerous, or expensive. Working with Idaho Department of Fish and Game, I developed three novel methods to estimate abundance of unmarked populations using camera traps, which have broad applicability across taxa and systems. To date, application to elk, wolves, and a large mammal community have provided cost-effective and non-invasive estimates of abundance. To increase accessibility of these new approaches, I also created a user-friendly R package and best practices to measure camera area. 

Photo: Anna Moeller

Habitat quality is vital for conserving wildlife populations yet is notoriously difficult to measure. To connect habitat quality to long-term population demographic rates, I developed a new time-series habitat quality model that quantifies the cumulative effects of different resources and conditions on an individual’s survival probability over time. This approach provides insight into the fundamental needs of wildlife species and helps my collaborators at South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks make informed decisions about habitat management and prioritization.

Photo: Dcrjsr, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Apparent declines of mule deer across their range is concerning to researchers and wildlife managers. We are working with Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Mangement to better understand the distribution, abundance, and population ecology of mule deer in western Oklahoma by using GPS collars, neonatal monitoring, flights, and camera traps. Our large collaborative team includes Drs. Robert Lonsinger, Colter Chitwood, and Sue Fairbanks of OSU, Drs. Levi Heffelfinger and Michael Cherry of Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute (Texas A&M Kingsville), and Ph.D. students Molly Koeck (OSU) and Calvin Ellis (TAMUK). 

When the COVID-19 pandemic upended plans to teach an in-person interactive workshop on introductory R skills, we used this unforeseen opportunity to compare the effectiveness of face-to-face versus virtual instruction. By comparing delivery modes and student learning outcomes, we captured the pedagogical lessons learned from the transition to online delivery and highlighted some unexpected takeaways that can guide instruction in any format. 

Photo: Halfwitty, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Recent declines in eastern wild turkeys have prompted increased interest in management and research, but the mechanisms underlying the declines are unclear. We conducted a literature review of all published vital rates and used a life-stage simulation analysis (LSA) to identify vital rates contributing most to population growth. Rangewide population declines were best explained by low reproduction rates in after-second-year adult females, prompting revised recommendations for wild turkey management and research. 

Photo: Judy Gallagher, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Monitoring elusive and endangered species can result in sparse data from different sources that produce conflicting pictures of population trends. Working with Parks Canada, we developed a Bayesian integrated population model (IPM) for endangered woodland caribou in Jasper National Park that combined data streams of different vital rates. By synthesizing all available information, this model provides a more complete understanding of population status to inform decisions around conservation breeding, maternity penning, and translocation. 

Photo: Denali National Park and Preserve, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Apparent declines of mule deer populations and concurrent increases of white-tailed deer populations concern wildlife managers across the West. In collaboration with South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks and using a massive dataset of >4,600 GPS and VHF collars, we evaluated the extent to which different analytical approaches predicted space use and survival of these two deer species. The results highlight the limitations of traditional analytical approaches in predicting survival of long-lived generalists yet underscore the promise of a novel method for understanding the fundamentals of biotic and abiotic factors on population trends. 

Photo: Marshal Hedin from San Diego, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Spatial use and co-occurrence patterns can change on fine spatiotemporal scales; studying species' co-occurrence in space or time alone misses many important interactions. We developed an analytical framework for assessing species co-occurrence at fine spatial and temporal scales simultaneously. Application to camera trap data in Borneo demonstrated that species co-occurrence was driven by high food abundance and intact forest structure, a pattern masked by previous approaches. 

Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons