AVIAN
ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
Conservation Ecologists need to be the very best ecologists. What we do matters now! We need to effectively conduct
and communicate the most rigorous and useful science possible. Every kind of person on
earth is in our audience – not just other scientists.
Kathryn E. Sieving
Professor
Department of Wildlife Ecology
& Conservation
B.Sc.
(’82) Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology
Ph.D.
(’91) Ecology, Ethology, &
Evolution
What is ‘pishing’
and why does it attract
birds? Click the titmouse to learn….
Links
of Interest
*
* NEW ** UF Minor in Sustainability
Studies !!
* Minor in Organic and Sustainable Crop
Production
* All About Undergraduate Honors in WEC and @ UF
*
* $$ for Bird Research
* Jobs (volunteer / paid) for Experience
* Need to Write a ‘Curriculum Vita’ (academic
resume)?
* 10 Tips to Bullet-Proof any Resume
* Socrates Café – History
and Interest at UF
**
Best Bird Conservation NGO (in my opinion) à
Send money to American Bird Conservancy
**
My Publications 
My Research Interests
My
core research program focuses on conserving and restoring forest biodiversity,
especially songbirds, in disturbed, fragmented, and otherwise human-dominated
landscapes in historically forested biomes.
This focus on the ‘matrix’ (human habitat created around
what remains of natural habitats) has naturally led us to integrating
biodiversity conservation in both agricultural and other types of rural lands
close and far from protected areas. We are currently working in fragmented
forests, organic and conventional farm / pastoral systems in
Integration of bird conservation with sustainable food
production.
The
world is under pressure to support 9+ billion people (projected population in
2050) and functioning
ecosystems. Since ag land dominates the
area of land surface devoted to human needs, far outstripping protected natural
ecosystems in most countries, the biodiversity-holding capacity of food
production lands – if improved – could help sustain non-human life
on earth.
Our
research program, based, in part, on the doctoral dissertation work of Dr. Greg Jones (SFCC Biology Faculty),
supports development of high productivity (food and biodiversity), low-chemical
input agro-ecosystems. Our approach is
to assess whether native insect-eating birds can eat enough leaf-chewing pests
to enhance vegetable production in sustainable agro-ecosystems, and whether
farming systems are suitable, productive, safe habitat for the birds we attract
into them.
Featured
‘birds-can-be-positive-for-ag’ publication
from my lab - PDF
And
another one! -
PDF
Read up on cutting edge organic
farming research at
Organic Farming and
Research Foundation – www.ofrf.org.
Behavioral landscape ecology of forest birds.
Principles of ‘Behavioral Landscape
Ecology’ are fundamental
to understanding the distribution and viability
of wildlife
populations, because behavioral mechanisms
help determine
spatial distributions of animals. Studies of spatial behavior in
disturbed and fragmented landscapes can
identify both positive
and negative influences on landscape connectivity. We use
behavioral ecology to understand forest bird
movements,
activities, and distribution in disturbed
landscapes.
This work examines bird responses to habitat
configurations
(e.g., corridors, boundaries, and matrix) and
to the presence and
activities of other species at local and
landscape scales.
My lab is actively pursuing patterns and
mechanisms underlying
positive interactions (facilitation) among
bird species,
and regional approaches to landscape design
for
biodiversity protection.
Featured
facilitation publication from my lab - PDF
Featured
landscape design publication from my lab - PDF
And
Another ! - PDF
Ecology of avian nest predation.
Among the most complex of community
ecological
interactions under study today, nest predation
ecology
in general is poorly understood because few
people are
asking important theory-based higher-level
questions
about drivers of the direct and indirect
interactions that determine nest predation patterns in target systems.
I have an abiding interest in fostering
better nest predation ecology research by elevating research questions
and designs used to address them.
Featured
nest predation ecology publication from my lab - PDF
Courses Developed & Taught
My
current teaching breadth includes interdisciplinary approaches
to
biodiversity conservation and societal sustainability; critical thinking;
field-based
research design for wildlife/avian ecologists; behavioral
landscape
ecology, and the maturing philosophy of conservation science.
Avian Field Research class at
the Ordway Preserve.
Current
WIS 5496 Research Design in Wildlife Ecology
& Conservation
Recent
Past
Summer ’06: Design of Social-Ecological Research Studies
·
Co-taught
with Mickie Swisher (FYC, UF) in
Socio-Ecologists
in Research Design course, Argentina, July 2006.
ALS 4921
Honors Colloquium
·
Topic Summer ’05: Ecological
Sustainability in Sense & Soul
·
Topic Summer ‘04: Diversity
and Resilience in Living Systems
·
Topic: Falls ‘98-‘00:
Problem-solving to Achieve a Sustainable Society
Distant Past (1991-95, CSU
Graduate Conservation Biology;
Natural Resources Conservation; Ornithology;
Wildlife Ecology &
Management; General Zoology; General Biology
NOTE
TO PROSPECTIVE GRADUATE STUDENTS & POST DOCS:
To be considered
for a position in my lab, please send …
♫ A clear but
brief letter of career goals and research interests that clearly relate to my
interests,
♫ A current
curriculum vita indicating relevant coursework, GPA, experience, publications,
and GRE scores.
♫ Before
contacting me, please explore the following links and address funding issues in
your inquiry.
UF (WEC / SNRE) assistantships and
fellowships - $; $
McKnight Fellowships - $
NSF Graduate Fellowships - $
EPA-STAR Fellowships - $
My Kickin’
Lab ! ♫ ☺
♪ ☻ ₪
♫ ☺ ♪
☻ ₪
Current Graduate and Undergraduate Scholars
Iván A. Díaz, Doctoral
Candidate, WEC – Epiphyte–bird interactions in Chilean rainforest.
Fangyuan
Hua,
Ph.D. Student – Forest fragmentation, logging, and birds in
Eduardo Silva, Ph.D. Student – Chilean wildlife,
human subsidies, & domestic carnivores.
Ping
Huang,
M.Sc. Student – Parids, public information, and facilitation.
John J. DeLuca, M.Sc. Student – Are farms
ecological traps for Eastern Bluebirds?
Willandia Chavez, M.Sc. Student – Wildlife and
logging in
Lab Funding from
…
TCD Field Research Grants; Florida FWC State Wildlife
Grants;
SNRE Fellowships; WEC Teaching
Assistantships; USDA; NSF;
National Geographic Society; Disney Wildlife Conservation
Fund;
CANON National Parks Science Scholars Program; Fulbright;
Sieving Lab Alumni – Research and current
activities
Post-Docs
Dr. Thomas A. Contreras, Post Doc
(2002-2006). Ecology of behavioral
facilitation in winter flocks.
NSF
Postdoctoral Award Recipient (2003-2006).
Currently
Assistant Professor,
Dr. Kevina Vulinec, Post Doc
(2000-2002). Fire ecology and
restoration.
Currently
Associate Professor, Delaware
State University 
Dr. Joan L. Morrison, Post Doc (1999). Landscape
ecology of nest predators in Southern Chile .
Currently Associate Professor, Trinity College
Ph. D.
Matthew J. Reetz, Ph.D. 2008. Characterizing the invasion of brown-headed
cowbirds in
Currently Assistant Professor of Biology,
Traci Darnell Castellón, Ph.D. 2005.
Avian landscape ecology and sustainable patch networks.
Instructor,
Graduate Pattern & Process in Landscape Ecology (U
Currently
Post-doctoral Researcher – USGS-BRD,
Recent paper! Another! And Another!
John J. Kappes,
Ph.D. 2004. Heterospecific use of red-cockaded woodpecker
cavities.
Currently post-doc with Dr. Jeff
Walters (VPI&SU).
Gregory A. Jones, Ph.D. 2003. Integrating bird conservation and farming.
Professor,
M. Sc.
Stacia
A. Hetrick, M.Sc. 2006. Vocal signaling of risk by tufted titmice.
Biologist
for FL State Parks.
Michael P. Milleson, M.Sc.
2005. Modeling mechanisms of arrested succession in
south-temperate rainforest.
Biologist for
Florida Field Station -- Wildlife Research (USDA), Gainesville , FL.
Leonard Santisteban, M.Sc. 2001. Use of sensory cues by selected avian and
mammalian nest predators.
Doctoral Candidate, New Mexico State
University
Matthew Reetz, M.Sc. 2000.
The effects of predator identity and capability on nest defense by
songbirds.
(See above).
Heather McPherson,
M.Sc. 1999. Distributional constraints of the
ochre-flanked tapaculo, Eugralla paradoxa.
Biologist, Washington State Department of
Natural Resources.
Diana Swan,
M.Sc. 1999. Nesting ecology of three
woodpecker species in north
Biologist,
Brian D. C.
Williams. M.Sc. 1998. Distribution, habitat associations, and
conservation of purple martins breeding in CA.
Faculty with
Gerard J.
McChesney.
M.Sc. 1997. Breeding biology of the Brandt’s cormorant on San
Nicolas Island, California.
Biologist with USFWS in
B.Sc. –
Honors
Scarlett Howell, B. Sc.
Highest Honors. 2006. Functionally referential signals in birds.
USFWS Biologist,
Elizabeth Farley,
B. Sc. Highest Honors.
Master’s student,
John Davis, B.Sc. Highest
Honors. 2002. University
Doctoral Program at U GA; NSF Graduate
Fellow.
Justin Gude, B.Sc. Highest
Honors. 2000. Assessment of bird-assisted restoration of
south-temperate rainforest.
M.Sc.
Montana State
University (NSF Graduate Fellow);
Biologist with State of Montana
Kimberly L.
Maute, B.Sc. Honors. 1999. Forest
boundary crossing by mobbing passerines.
Doctoral student in
John P. Justus,
B.Sc. Honors. 1998. Nest predation pressures along inherent
oak-pine forest boundaries.
Attending
Gary M. Langham.
B.Sc. Honors. 1995. Pishing and Parids:
a holarctic scolding homology.
Lead scientist and Director of Conservation
for Audubon of California.
President of Neotropical Grassland
Conservancy (http://www.conservegrassland.org/ngc_staff.htm).