C. Kenneth Dodd, Jr.
Contact Information
Mailing: 5222 NW 56th Court
Gainesville, Florida 32653
Terrapene600@gmail.com
caretta@ufl.edu
Educational Summary
B.S. Zoology University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY. 1971
M.S. Zoology Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ. 1972
Ph.D. Zoology Clemson University, Clemson, S.C. 1974
Professional Experience
Associate Professor (Courtesy), Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation.
University of Florida. 1986-present.
1984-2007 Zoologist (Research), GS-15. Retired.
Florida Integrated Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Gainesville, FL. (position previously associated with National Ecology Research Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; National Biological Survey; National Biological Service). Responsible for conducting research projects in the Southeastern U.S and Caribbean. Project Leader, USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI), Southeastern US.
2002-Present: Associate Professor (Courtesy), Department of Interdisciplinary Ecology, School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida.
1985-Present: Affiliate, Florida Museum of Natural History.
1976-1984: Zoologist (Herpetologist). Office of Endangered Species, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C. Responsible for gathering data on status of reptiles and amphibians throughout the world; preparation of documents to list species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973; preparation of status reports and summaries; specialist in ES Program on herpetological matters; conduct research as appropriate; editor of all ES Federal Register documents.
1975: Visiting Assistant Professor, Mississippi State University. Vertebrate Zoology, General Biology, Mammalogy.
Honors and Professional Activities
1980, 1985, Special Achievement Award
1987, 1992, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1985 Annual Award for Conservation. Desert Tortoise Council
1986 Quality Performance Award. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1990 Co-Chairman's Special Award. Gopher Tortoise Council
1998 U.S. Department of Interior STAR Award
2003 U.S. Department of Interior STAR Award
2004 U.S. Department of Interior STAR Award
2009 Annual Award for Conservation. Desert Tortoise Council
Service:
Vice-President, The Herpetologists’ League (2000-2001)
President, The Herpetologists’ League (2002-2003)
Past-President (Member of Board of Trustees), The Herpetologists’ League (2004-2009)
Editorial Board, Herpetologica (2004-Present)
Best Student Paper Committee, HL (1988)
Resolutions Committee, HL (1990-1994; Chair, 1993-4)
Board of Governors, ASIH (1990-1995)
Secretary-Treasurer, Southeast Div., ASIH (1990-1991)
Vice President, Southeast Div., ASIH (1991-1992)
President, Southeast Div., ASIH (1992-1993)
Editorial Policy Committee, ASIH (2005-2010)
Stoye Award Committee, ASIH (1991)
Committee on Environmental Quality, ASIH (1978-1991, 1993-1997)
Editorial Board, Copeia (1997-2002)
Board of Councilors, ISSCA (1996-2005)
President, ISSCA (2003-2005)
Editorial Board, Alytes
Board of Directors, SSAR (1998-2000)
Editorial Board, Journal of Herpetology (1993-1994)
Associate Editor, Journal of Herpetology (1995-2003)
Committee on Grants in Herpetology, SSAR (1978-1979, 1986)
SSAR Conservation Committee (1979-1998; Chair 1994-1998)
Seibert Prize Award Committee, SSAR (1992)
Editorial Board, Chelonian Conservation and Biology (1993-Present)
Editorial Board, Herpetological Conservation and Biology (2006 -Present)
Editorial Review Board, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (1996-Present)
Editorial Board, Applied Herpetology (2002-2009)
Board of Governors, Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation (1993-1998)
Best Student Paper Committee, Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation (2000, Chair: 1993-1995)
Student Travel Award Committee, Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation (Chair: 1993-1997)
Nominating Committee, Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation (1994)
Scientific Committee, World Conference on Sea Turtle Conservation, 1979, Washington, D.C.
Technical Advisory Committee, Western Atlantic Turtle Symposium,1983, San Jose, Costa Rica.
Consultant, Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Recovery and Conservation Network (1984-1985).
Convenor, Roundtable on Conservation Problems, First World Congress of Herpetology,1989, Kent, England.
Scientific Commission, International Congress of Chelonian Conservation, Gonfaron, France, 1995
Executive Council, World Congress of Herpetology (2005-Present)
Audit Committee, World Congress of Herpetology (2006-Present)
IUCN Freshwater Turtle and Tortoise Specialist Group (Full member)
IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group (Corresponding member, 1983-1989; Full member, 1989-1997)
IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group (Full member)
IUCN/SSC Declining Amphibians Populations Task Force (Chair, Southeastern U.S. section, 1992-2000)
University/Student Activity
University of Florida
Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Gainesville, FL 32611 [College of Agriculture and Life Sciences]
Message to Prospective Graduate Students.
Program in Interdisciplinary Ecology [School of Natural Resources and Environment]
Major Advisor: 1 MS (Anthony Lau)
Completed Degree:
7 MS (Elizabeth Domingue [‘95];Charles Knapp [‘99]; Alison Hamilton, [‘00]; Ann Marie Clark [‘06]); Ravi Kailas [‘08]; J. Michael Butler [‘08]; Yurii Kornilev [‘08].
3 PhD (Lora Smith [‘99]; Steve Johnson [‘01]; Charles Knapp [‘05])
Committee Member:
8 MS (Robin Boughton ['97], Deborah Epperson ['97], Gregg Klowden [‘00], Elizabeth Knizley ['97], Jamie Barichivich ['06], Jennifer Staiger [‘99], Brooke Talley [‘05], Amber Pitt [‘05]).
3 PhD (Krista McCoy, Mike McCoy [‘06], Erik Blosser)
Senior Thesis Advisor: Maya Zacharow [‘02]
University of South Florida
Department of Biological Sciences, Tampa, FL 33620
Chairman of the PhD Defense Committee [serves as outside examiner]: Dawn S. Wilson [‘96]; Pablo Delis [‘01]
Alabama A & M University
Center for Forestry and Ecology, Normal, AL 35762
Committee Member: PhD (William Sutton [‘10])
Laurentian University
Department of Biology, Sudbury, Ontario P3E 2C6, Canada
External Examiner: MS (Amanda Bennett [‘09])
Academic Interests
Herpetology Population Monitoring
Conservation Biology Amphibian Biology
Vertebrate Biology Status and Trends
Community Ecology Effects of Disturbances
Research Interests
My research interests focus on the evolution, ecology and conservation biology of reptiles and amphibians, with particular interest in how life history characteristics influence population dynamics. Life history characteristics in turn influence conservation options, and as such serve as biological constraints to conservation and management. Because animals interact within a complex biological and historical environment, it is necessary to understand phylogeny, life-history, physiography, and past and present land use to maintain ecosystem function. The application of evolutionary biology to conservation integrates both the basic and applied nature of biology, an approach that I believe is particularly important. My present research interests include the application of sampling theory to the development of long-term monitoring programs, especially for amphibians, and the influence of disturbance events on long-lived vertebrates. My dissertation centered on antipredator behavior, and I retain an interest in this area.
My research has involved landscape analysis of amphibian population status in the southeastern US; amphibian sampling techniques; inventorying and monitoring amphibian populations on federal lands; an analysis of the importance of life history characteristics to turtle and tortoise conservation; freshwater turtle ecology, population dynamics and conservation; community ecology of the herpetofauna of north central Florida; habitat use by snakes; status of the Red Hills salamander; sea turtle satellite telemetry; behavior in salamanders; and island colonization by herpetofauna in Florida and the Bahamas. My research has used a variety of techniques, from histology to drift fences to novel statistical analysis in collaboration with biometricians and population modelers.
Selected Publications
Dodd, C.K., Jr. and R.A. Seigel. 1991. Relocation, repatriation, and translocation of amphibians and reptiles: Are they conservation strategies that work? Herpetologica 47:336-350.
Dodd, C.K., Jr. 1992. Biological diversity of a temporary pond herpetofauna in north Florida sandhills. Biodiversity and Conservation 1:125-142.
Dodd, C.K., Jr. 1997. Clutch size and frequency in Florida box turtles (Terrapene carolina bauri): Implications for Conservation. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 2:370-377.
Dodd, C.K., Jr. 1997. Population structure and the evolution of sexual size dimorphism and sex ratios in an insular population of Florida box turtles Terrapene carolina bauri. Canadian Journal of Zoology 75:1495-1507.
Dodd, C.K., Jr. and B.A. Cade. 1998. Movement patterns and the conservation of amphibians breeding in small, temporary wetlands. Conservation Biology 12:331-339.
Dodd, C.K., Jr. 1997. Imperiled amphibians: A historical perspective. Pp. 165-200 In: G.W. Benz and D.E. Collins (eds.), Aquatic Fauna in Peril: The Southeastern Perspective Special Publication No. 1, Southeast Aquatic Research Institute, Lenz Design and Communications, Decatur, GA.
Seigel, R. and C.K. Dodd, Jr. 2000. Manipulation of turtle populations for conservation: Halfway technologies or viable options? Pp. 218-238 In: M. Klemens (ed.), Turtle Conservation. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.
Dodd, C.K., Jr. 2001. North American Box Turtles. A Natural History. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. 231 pp. [soft cover edition issued in 2002]
Dodd, C.K., Jr. and L. L. Smith. 2003. Habitat destruction and alteration. Historical trends and future prospects for amphibians. Pp. 94-112 In: R.D. Semlitsch (ed.), Amphibian Conservation. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC.
Fonnesbeck, C. J. and C. K. Dodd, Jr. 2003. Estimation of flattened musk turtle (Sternotherus depressus) survival, recapture, and recovery rate during and after a disease outbreak. Journal of Herpetology 37:602-607.
Dodd, C. K., Jr. 2003. Monitoring Amphibians in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. U.S. Geological Survey Circular No. 1258. 117 pp.
Dodd, C.K., Jr. and R. A. Byles. 2003. Post-nesting movements and behavior of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) departing from east-central Florida nesting beaches. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 4:530-536.
Dodd, C. K., Jr. 2004. The Amphibians of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville. 283 pp.
Dodd, C. K., Jr., W. J. Barichivich, and L. L. Smith. 2004. The effectiveness of a barrier wall and underpasses in reducing wildlife mortality on a heavily traveled highway in Florida. Biological Conservation 118:619-631.
Dodd, C. K., Jr. and R. M. Dorazio. 2004. Using counts to simultaneously estimate abundance and detection probabilities in a salamander community. Herpetologica 60:468-475.
Schlaepfer, M.A., C. Hoover, and C. K. Dodd, Jr. 2005. Challenges in evaluating the impact of the trade in amphibians and reptiles on wild populations. BioScience 55:256-263.
Dodd, C.K., Jr. and M.L. Griffey. 2005. The conservation of box turtles on public lands in Florida. Pp. 103-110 In: W. E. Meshaka Jr. and K. J. Babbitt (eds.), Amphibians and Reptiles. Status and Conservation in Florida. Krieger Publishing, Malabar, FL.
Dodd, C. K., Jr. (ed.). 2005. The Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative. Proceedings of a Symposium held in Norman, Oklahoma, USA, 2004. Alytes 22(3-4):65-167.
Smith, L.L., W.J. Barichivich, J.S. Staiger, K.G. Smith, and C.K. Dodd, Jr. 2006. Detection probabilities and site occupancy estimates for amphibians at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. American Midland Naturalist 155:149-161.
Steen, D.A., M. Aresco, S.G. Beilke, B. Compton, C. K. Dodd, Jr., H. Forrester, J.W. Gibbons, J. Greene-McLeod, G. Johnson, T. Langen, M.J. Oldham, D.N. Oxier, R. Sammure, F. Schueler, J. Sleeman, L.L. Smith, J. Tucker, and J.P. Gibbs. 2006. Relative vulnerability of female turtles to road mortality. Animal Conservation 9:1-5.
Redder, A., C. K. Dodd, Jr., D. Keinath, D. McDonald and T. Ise. 2006. Ornate box turtle (Terrapene ornata ornata): A technical conservation assessment. [Online] USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region. 54 pp. Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/projects/scp/assessments/ornateboxturtle.pdf . Web published 16 May 2006.
Dodd, C. K., Jr. 2006. Remembering ‘common’ species during restoration: lessons from Egmont Key (Florida). Restoration Ecology 24:211-212.
Dodd, C. K., Jr., A. Ozgul and M. K. Oli. 2006. The influence of disturbance events on survival and dispersal rates of Florida box turtles. Ecological Applications 16:1936-1944.
Dodd, C. K., Jr., W. J. Barichivich, S.A. Johnson and J.S. Staiger. 2007. Changes in a Florida panhandle Gulf Coast herpetofaunal community over a 28-year period. American Midland Naturalist 58:29-48.
Dodd, C.K., Jr. and M.J. Dreslik. 2008. Habitat disturbances differentially affect individual growth rates in a long-lived turtle. Journal of Zoology (London) 275:18-25.
Rothermel, B.B., S.C. Walls, J. C. Mitchell, C. K. Dodd, Jr., L. K. Irwin, D. E. Green, V. M. Vasquez, J. W. Petranka, and D.J. Stevenson. 2008. Widespread occurrence of the amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) in the Southeastern United States. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 82:3-18.
Dodd, C.K., Jr. (ed.). 2009. Amphibian Ecology and Conservation. A Handbook of Techniques. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. 556 pp.
Dodd, C.K., Jr. 2009. Conservation and management. Pp. 507-527 In: C.K.Dodd, Jr. (ed.), Amphibian Ecology and Conservation. A Handbook of Techniques. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Dodd, C.K., Jr. 2009. Diversity and similarity. Pp. 321-337 In: C.K. Dodd, Jr. (ed.), Amphibian Ecology and Conservation. A Handbook of Techniques. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Kornilev, Y.V., C.K. Dodd, Jr. and J. Johnston. 2010. Linear home range, movement, and spatial distribution of the Suwannee Cooter (Pseudemys concinna suwanniensis) in a blackwater stream. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 9:196-204.
Butler, J.M., C.K. Dodd, Jr., M. Aresco, and J.D. Austin. 2011. Morphological and molecular evidence indicates that the Gulf Coast box turtle (Terrapene carolina major) is not a distinct evolutionary lineage in the Florida Panhandle. Biological Journal of the Linnaean Society102:889-901.
In Press
Dodd, C. K., Jr., J. Loman, D. Cogălniceanu, and M. Puky. 2011. Monitoring Amphibian Populations. Pp. – H.H. Heatwole and J. W. Wilkenson (eds.), Conservation and Decline of Amphibians, Amphibian Biology, Volume 9, Surrey Beatty & Sons, Chipping Norton, New South Wales, Australia.
Kornilev, Y.V., C.K. Dodd, Jr. and G.R. Johnston. 201_. Use of paint marking for individual identification of free-ranging basking aquatic turtles (Suwannee Cooter; Pseudemys concinna suwanniensis). Herpetological Review
Submitted
Dodd, C.K., Jr. 2012. Frogs of the United States and Canada. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
To Prospective Graduate Students:
Thank you for contacting me concerning graduate research at the University of Florida.
As a Courtesy Associate Professor in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and within the UF School of Natural Resources and the Environment (SNRE), I have chaired 8 MS and 3 PhD students. Completed thesis titles are as follows:
MS. Elizabeth Domingue (1995): “Amphibian and Reptile Communities of Temporary Ponds in a Managed Pine Flatwoods”
MS. Charles Knapp (1999): “Population Biology of a Translocated Iguana (Cyclura) Colony in the Bahamas”
MS. Alison Hamilton (2000): “Evidence for Ontogenetic Shifts in Box Turtles: Activity Patterns, Movements, and Use of Microenvironments and Habitats by Juvenile Terrapene carolina bauri on Egmont Key, Florida”
MS. Ann Marie Clark (2006): “Using Microsatellite Loci to Determine the Fine Scale Genetic Structure of a Complex of Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) Dens in Northeastern New York State”
MS. Yurii Kornilev (2008): “Behavioral Ecology of the Suwanee Cooter (Pseudemys concinna suwanniensis) in a Blackwater Spring-fed River”
MS. J. Michael Butler (2008): “Morphology, Molecules, and Delineation of the Gulf Coast Box Turtle”
MS. Ravi Kailas (2008): Non-thesis technical paper – “Habitat Fragmentation and Conservation Theory”
PhD. Lora Smith (1999): “The Status and Ecology of the Angonoka Tortoise (Geochelone yniphora) of Western Madagascar”
PhD. Steve Johnson (2001): “Life History, Ecology, and Conservation Genetics of the Striped Newt (Notophthalmus perstriatus)”
PhD. Charles Knapp (2005): “Ecology and Conservation of the Andros Island Iguana (Cyclura cychlura cychlura)”
I can also serve on graduate committees in other departments within the University. WEC restricts the number of students I can co-advise within the Department to three. New policies within WEC also dictate that I can only serve as Co-Advisor, rather than being sole major advisor as in the past. I can still serve as major advisor within the School of Natural Resources and the Environment (SNRE). However, I am not inclined to take any more students as advisor, although I will serve on graduate committees.
Of additional concern is financing. Because WEC and SNRE do not have large teaching labs, they have few graduate assistantships. Those assistantships usually go to line faculty, which makes it difficult for my students. Since I am retired from my former position, it is unlikely that I will have funding to support a graduate student. Information concerning financial aid at UF should be available on WEC's and SNRE's web site (http://www.wec.ufl.edu/ ). I have been fortunate in having outstanding students who have been able to get through the program on grants, fellowships, part-time work in the Zoology Department or Florida Museum of Natural History, scholarships, and part-time jobs. It is not always easy.
Another source of entry into UF is through the School of Natural Resources and the Environment. I am not limited on the number of students I take through the School, but the funding problem remains. It is also a more interdisciplinary program than WEC, which appeals to some students but not others. You might wish to check out their web site at: http://snre.ufl.edu/
As you might surmise, getting into UF can be a challenge. I'd like to think it's because we are an outstanding place to work, but let's face it, Florida's climate beats most of the rest of the country most of the year. You must have good grades and GREs (1200), and be able to impress a faculty member to support your application (we have many qualified candidates that we reject because they do not make personal contact with a prospective faculty member). I look for students who can write well, are very enthusiastic, and are well-educated (but not rote learners). A highly motivated student can make up grade deficiencies and make a better biologist/scientist in the long term than someone who can only regurgitate information.
In order to be accepted in WEC, you must first get the support of a line faculty member. I like to meet students and talk to them about their background and goals. A face-to-face is best, but I realize that not everyone can travel to Gainesville. I would be glad to talk to you, or meet with you, if you come to UF. I can be contacted in my office most days, but I am often in and out. Arranging a time via e-mail might be best.
I hope that gives you some additional information in helping you to decide your graduate career.
Sincerely
Dr. Ken Dodd
Courtesy Associate Professor
In the hierarchy of the living world, it's turtles all the way down
