Population
Ecology Laboratory
Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
LAB MEMBERS
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CURRENT TEAM |
OLI'MNI |
| Varun Goswami | Virginie Rolland
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| Oscar Murillo
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Gail Morris
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| Binab Karmacharya
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Sahar Jalal |
| Jeff Hostetler | |
| Eva Kneip | |
| Natalie Hyslop
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| Mina Venkataraman
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CURRENT TEAM
Madan Oli
Hometown: Jhapa, Nepal
Previous Education:
1999. PhD, Auburn University
1992. M.Phil, University of Edinburgh, UK
1986. M.Sc., Tribhuvan University, Nepal
Research Interests: Population ecology, theory and application of matrix population models, conservation and management of wildlife populations
Personal Website: http://www.wec.ufl.edu/faculty/olim/
E-mail: olim@ufl.edu
Hometown: Shillong, India
Previous Education:
2003. BS in Zoology, University of Delhi, India
2006. MS in Wildlife Biology and Conservation, Manipal Academy of
Higher Education, India
Research: The increasing interface between humans and endangered mammalian species is one of the primary drivers of population decline in the latter. My research interests are to investigate the dynamics of such ‘human-animal systems’ so as to inform and aid large mammal conservation efforts in the densely populated tropics.
Research Interests: Modeling the dynamics, distribution
and persistence of animal populations, particularly in the light of conservation
of large mammalian fauna.
E-mail: vgoswami@ufl.edu
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Hometown: Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Previous Education: 1997. BS in Biology-Zoology, Universidad del Valle, Colombia. Research: Population ecology of Peregrine falcons Research Interests: Ecological modeling, population and community ecology, conservation biology, vertebrate ecology and conservation. Email: omurillo@ufl.edu
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Hometown: Kathmandu, Nepal Previous Education: Bachelor of Veterinary Science, Tribhuvan University, Nepal Research Interests: Population ecology of southern flying squirrels Email: binabk@ufl.edu
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Madelon van de Kerk (PhD student, 2011)
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Hometown: Utrecht, the Netherlands Previous Education: BS in Biology, Utrecht University MSc in Animal Ecology and Conservation, Radboud University Nijmegen Research: Population Ecology and Conservation of Florida Panthers Research Interests: Population and Community Ecology, Ecological Modeling, Carnivore Conservation Email: m.vandekerk@ufl.edu
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Hometown: Ankara, Turkey Previous Education: BS in Biology, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey MS in Zoology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey Research: Population Dynamics and Behavioral Ecology of Acorn Woodpeckers Research Interests: Behavioral Ecology, Ecological Modelling, Conservation Biology, Mammalian and Avian Ecology Email: werhiston86@ufl.edu
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'OLI'MNI
Sahar
Jalal
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Hometown:
Previous Education: BS, Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore
Research Interests: Ecology and Conservation of river dolphins
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Gail Morris (MS student, 2008)
Hometown: Williamsport, PA
Previous Education:
2004. BS in Biology, Muhlenberg College, Pennsylvania
Research: Effects
of Supplemental Feeding, Predator Exclusion, and Prescribed Fire on Small
Mammal Populations in a Longleaf Pine Ecosystem
Mesomammalian predator removal, supplemental feeding, and prescribed
fire are common management techniques for bobwhite quail. This project
seeks to experimentally examine the effects of these practices on small
mammal populations in a longleaf pine ecosystem.
Research Interests: Wildlife ecology and conservation
E-mail: gailmorris@ufl.edu
Virginie
Rolland (Post-doctoral Associate)
Hometown:
Lyon, France
Previous Education:
2008. PhD in Population Ecology, Université Paris, France
2005. MS in Ecology, Université Lyon1,
Research Interests: Demography, population dynamics, population
ecology, conservation, climate change, anthropologic threats, life history
traits
The Northern Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus) is an economically
important game bird species that is currently undergoing drastic population
declines throughout its range in the southeast United States of America.
Therefore, there is a critical need to estimate demographic parameters
of survival and reproduction and to identify which parameter and which
factor (habitat fragmentation, extreme weather events, mammalian and avian
predation and hunting pressure) cause these declines. My aims are to estimate
cause-specific mortalities in a northern bobwhite population located in
PhD Research : Albatross Population
Dynamics
E-mail: vrolland@ufl.edu
Jeff Hostetler (PhD student,
2006; Research biologist, 2004-2006)
Hometown:
Derwood, Maryland
Previous Education:
1996. BA in Biology, Oberlin College, Ohio
2004. MS in Zoology, North Carolina State University
Research: Population Viability
Analysis for the Florida Panther
The Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) is a critical endangered
subspecies of cougar that is current restricted to southern Florida. A
scientific review team has recommended a rigorous analysis of data to
estimate demographic parameters and a detailed demographic analysis to
estimate growth and extinction parameters for the panther population.
The goals of my project are: to estimate the survival and reproductive
rates of the Florida panther, to evaluate how these rates are affected
by various factors, to assess the viability of the population of Florida
panthers, and to make recommendations for management and future research
to increase the viability of the panther population.
Research Interests: Ecological modeling, population ecology, adaptive management, computational ecology, dynamic programming, survival analysis
E-mail: hostetle@ufl.edu
Eva Kneip (MS student, 2008)
Hometown: Mohacs, Hungary
Previous Education:
1996. BA in Management Information Systems (concentration Computer
Science), University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Research Interests: Mammalian population ecology, population modeling, predation, conservation of mammalian predators, feline ecology
E-mail: ekneip@ufl.edu
Image copyright K. Svadlenak-Gomez.
Natalie L.
Hyslop (Post-doctoral Associate)
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Previous Education: 2007. PhD in Wildlife Ecology, University of Georgia
2001. MS in Biology, Purdue University, Indiana
Research: Population ecology of Drymarchon couperi (Eastern Indigo Snake) in Georgia
The Eastern Indigo Snake, federally listed as threatened since 1978, has been the focus of recent research and conservation efforts across its range in the southeastern United States. In the coastal plain of Georgia and northern Florida, the species is associated primarily with longleaf pine and wiregrass upland communities that support Gopher Tortoises, especially in the fall-winter breeding season. These forests have experienced precipitous declines, with less than 3% of this once-dominant upland habitat remaining. Despite the conservation importance, little is known regarding Indigo Snake population ecology. Therefore, we are using 11 years of mark-recapture records from southeastern Georgia to estimate demographic parameters, factors influencing these parameters, and sensitivities of population growth rates to demographic rates. In addition to informing conservation and management decisions, the relatively intact area used for this study may represent a fairly ideal situation for the species and our results may be particularly valuable for comparison with other populations and restoration efforts.
Research Interests: Resource use of wildlife populations, population ecology, population dynamics, wildlife conservation and management, southeastern United States herpetofauna
PhD Research: Eastern Indigo Snake survival, movements, and habitat use
Personal Website: http://nlhyslop.googlepages.com/nataliehyslop
E-mail: nhyslop@ufl.edu
Kristen Aaltonen (MS student,
2006)
Hometown:
West Lafayette, Indiana
Previous Education:
2005. BS in Biology,
Research: Dynamics and Persistence of the Endangered Vancouver Island Marmot Population
The Vancouver Island marmot (Marmota vancouverensis) population has
undergone a drastic decline over the past three decades leaving the species
on the brink of extinction with less than 50 individuals in the wild in
2003. The population has been the focus of population counts starting
in 1972, mark-resighting since 1980 (extensively since 1987), and most
recently, radio-telemetry since 1992. Results from radio-telemetry indicate
that predation is the main source of mortality and the proximate cause
of the population decline. The first goal of my research is to model survival
using both data types simultaneously in order to provide more precise
estimates and also to test hypotheses made possible by the increased sample
size. My research will also include development of matrix models to estimate
population growth and to perform perturbation analyses. With increased
understanding of the population dynamics of the Vancouver Island marmot,
hopefully we can make suggestions for management of the species, including
optimizing strategies for release of captive-bred marmots.
E-mail: aaltonen@ufl.edu
Hometown:
Current position: Biological Scientist III, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Previous Education:
BS in Wildlife
Ecology and Conservation,
Research:Conservation genetics of the
Research Interests: Population genetics, landscape ecology
E-mail: jeremy.dixon@myfwc.com
Hometown:
Previous Education:
2000. B. Arch, Madhav Institute of Technology and Science,
Research: Space Use and Habitat and Nest Site Selection by Northern Bobwhites in South Florida
Research Interests: Spatially explicit
population models
E-mail: aditya01@ufl.edu
Elina Garrison (MS, 2001-2004)
Hometown:
Current Position: Biological Scientist III, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Previous Education:
BS in Wildlife
Ecology, minor in Zoology, Department of Wildlife and Conservation,
Research: Reproductive ecology, cub survival and denning ecology of
Research Interests: Carnivore conservation, anthropogenic effects on large carnivores
Hometown: Gainesville, Florida
Current Position: Veterinary student at UF College of Veterinary Medicine
Previous Education:
BS in Biology,
Research: Habitat use and spatial pattern
of black bears in the Ocala National Forest
Research Interests: Behavioral landscape ecology, habitat analysis, GIS, wildlife diseases
Justyn Stahl (MS student, 2003-2006)
Hometown:
Previous Education:
2002. BS in Biology,
Research: Cooperative breeding in acorn woodpeckers and its population dynamic consequences
I am interested in the effect of behavior on population
dynamics. An interesting behavior seen in roughly 3% of avian species
is cooperative breeding, in which some individuals give up the opportunity
to breed on their own and instead aid in raising the offspring of other
individuals. Acorn woodpeckers in the central coastal region of
Research Interests:
Behavioral and population ecology, breeding systems, life history variation,
matrix population modeling
E-mail: stahlj@wec.ufl.edu
Mina Venkataraman (Postdoctoral associate, 2004-2005)
Hometown:
Previous Education:
2005. PhD,
Research: Infectious
disease ecology
Research Interests: Predator-prey
and disease dynamics
Hometown:
Previous Education:
2002. BS in Computer Science,
Research: Comparison of abundance estimation methods for gopher tortoises
The estimation of the abundance of threatened and endangered species is crucial to our ability to monitor their population status and recovery progress. However, for many species, there is a wide variety of abundance estimation methods available and our knowledge of the accuracy of these methods is incomplete. My work involves analyzing the accuracy and cost effectiveness of different population estimation methods such as line transect distance sampling, double observer sample count and total counts for populations of gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus). A crucial step in gopher tortoise population estimation is the conversion of burrow count estimates to tortoise count estimates. In surveys to determine burrow occupancy, the most common method used is the burrow camera. I am interested in determining occupancy levels of gopher tortoise burrows to obtain an estimate of gopher tortoise populations using burrow cameras and the mark-recapture method.
Research Interests: Wildlife ecology, population
ecology
E-mail: saifnomani@yahoo.com
Arpat Ozgul (Postdoctoral associate,
2006-2007; PhD, 2001-2006)
Hometown:
Previous Education:
2006. PhD in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation,
2001. MS in Environmental Sciences,
1999. BA in Management,
Research: Metapopulation dynamics of yellow-bellied marmots
Spatial heterogeneity is one of the most common features of
natural populations, and it can also be an important factor influencing
population dynamics. Although there has been a considerable amount of
theoretical investigation in spatial population dynamics, very few were
empirically tested. My research addresses a variety of
questions on the yellow-bellied marmot metapopulation
dynamics and spatially-expilicit population
models in general. The yellow-bellied marmot population in Gothic,
Research Interests: Population ecology, population modelling, metapopulations, mark-recapture analysis
Personal Website:
E-mail:
arpatoz@gmail.com