Research in Conservation Biology
Genetics approaches to wildlife management and conservation
James Austin
Research in my lab includes the use of genetic approaches to better understand the mating system dynamics, population demographics, and evolutionary history of a wide variety of organisms that are of conservation and management importance. The end goal is to use this science to better protect and manage the important resources of Florida and elsewhere.
Example projects
- Determining species distributions and resolving taxonomic issues in rare and endangered freshwater mussels
- Delimiting mating patterns and stock structure of important game species like greater amberjack
- What makes a species rare? Comparative phylogeography of closely related common and rare species
Ecology and Conservation of Forest Birds
Katie Sieving
My research program seeks to characterize behavioral and ecological mechanisms (e.g., risk aversion, predation) underlying processes (e.g., local movements, habitat selection) and defining interspecific interactions that influence bird species distributions and population viability in fragmented and disturbed forest landscapes (primarily agriculture-dominated).
Example projects
- Conservation Ecology of Endemic Forest Birds in South-temperate Rainforest (See also Proyecto Chucayo on Katie’s web page at http://www.wec.ufl.edu/faculty/SievingK/)
- Integrating Bird Conservation with Florida Agroecosystems
- Ecology and Management of Isolated RCW Populations in Central Florida
- Evolutionary Ecology of Avian Nest Predation
Sublethal effects of contamination on wetland animal populations
Peter Frederick
How are the effects of sublethal contamination with pesticides, herbicides and heavy metals affecting populations and communities of wetland animals?
Example projects
- Effects of methylmercury on reproduction, growth and survival of Great Egrets (see http://www.wec.ufl.edu/faculty/FrederickP/pcfresearch.htm)
- Causes of nonbreeding in Everglades wading birds.
- South Florida Wading Bird Study
Fire Ecology
Martin Main
Fire is a natural and necessary component of Florida landscapes. Although fire is heralded as a mechanism for conserving natural area flora and fauna, the application of fire is in effect used primarily as a mechanism for managing fuel loads with little regard to historical timing and frequency of naturally occurring fires. The fire ecology program is examining the effects of season and frequency of fire on plant, bird, and mammal communities in south Florida habitats.
Example projects
- Use of habitat by white-tailed deer in response to prescribed fire on the Florida Panther NWR
- Response of breeding birds to management of pine habitat with prescribed fire.
- Effects of prescribed fire on soil nutrients, forage quality, and plant community composition on the Florida Panther NWR.
Fire Ecology
George Tanner
Example projects
- Restoration of Dry Prairies: Is Fire Enough? Myakka River State Park
- Alternative to fire in managing fuel loading. Myakka River State Park
Ecology and conservation of manatees
Lynn Lefebvre
The USGS Sirenia project conducts long-term, detailed studies on the life history, population dynamics and ecological requirements of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), with a view towards restoration of robust populations of this species in Florida waters.
Example projects
- Reproductive traits and population dynamics based on photo-identification techniques.
- Manatee response to restoration of natural hydrologic cycles in southwest Florida.
- Seagrass ecology and manatee diet in selected high use habitats.
Conservation of amphibians and reptiles
Ken Dodd
The USGS Herpetology Project was created in the mid-1970's. The project began with studies that assessed the status and distribution of amphibians and reptiles in threatened Florida biotic communities. Since then, our research has expanded to focus on the life histories, diversity, and importance of amphibians and reptiles in a wide variety of Southeastern and Caribbean ecosystems. My interests include the conservation biology of amphibians and reptiles, amphibian sampling inventorying and monitoring, long-term demographic studies on turtles, herpetological history and bibliography.
Example projects
- Southeastern Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (SE ARMI)
- The Great Smoky Mountains National Park Inventory and Monitoring Project
- Monitoring the Status of Amphibians in Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge
- Amphibian Conservation Studies
- Long-Term Studies of Florida Box Turtles
- Effectiveness of Highway Barriers to Prevent Vertebrate Mortality on Paynes Prairie
- Herpetofauna of the Endangered Longleaf Pine Community
- Exuma Islands Herpetofaunal Diversity and Biogeography
- Offshore Habitat Use By Marine Turtles
Ecology and conservation of aquatic fauna
Dick Franz
Natural history studies continue to provide important information on the nature of species, their interactions with other species, and the roles they play in the environment. My interests in natural history span a variety of organisms, with a strong focus on species in Florida and the Caribbean.
Example projects
- Wetlands augmentation associated with water wellfields and its impacts on amphibian and reptile use.
- Distribution and ecology of the freshwater crayfish fauna associated with the Apalachicola ravines, in north Florida
- Herpetofauna of the Bahamas Archipelago: Bahama Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands.
Fragmentation effects in long-distance neotropical migrant landbirds
Ken Meyer
I direct research at the nonprofit Avian Research and Conservation Institute, on the ecology and behavior of wild birds with the goal of supporting and informing conservation planning. ARCI's focus usually is on species and communities that are considered rare, vulnerable, and good bioindicators of ecosystem health.
Example projects
- Conservation of critical stop-over and wintering sites for trans-equatorial migrations of Swallow-tailed Kites
- Demography, genetics, ecology and management recommendations for Swallow-tailed Kites nesting on timberlands of the southeastern U.S.
- Nesting and wintering ecology of the extremely rare Short-tailed Hawk in Florida
- Biology of migratory birds in Florida's remnant coastal forests
Ecology and Conservation of Species in Patchy Habitats
Lyn Branch
My research focuses on the dynamics of patchily distributed species and the feedbacks between these species and the ecosystems and landscapes they inhabit.
Example projects
- See information at: http://www.wec.ufl.edu/faculty/BranchL/research/current_projects.htm)
- Role of ecosystem engineers in structuring communities and controlling ecosystem processes in semiarid ecosystems of Argentina and in the longleaf pine ecosystem of Florida.
- Demography and metapopulation dynamics of mammals and lizards in fragmented habitats.
- Behavioral landscape ecology of species in ephemeral landscapes (e.g., wetlands, coastal dunes, and landscapes created by other species).
