Research in Wildlife Ecology
Molecular ecology of common and rare vertebrates
James Austin
My research program includes the incorporation of molecular tools with ‘traditional’ approaches to studying, for example, the effects of fragmentation and land use on patterns of dispersal, mating systems, and to identify population units of conservation.
Example projects
- The effects of habitat choice on demographics and genetic characteristics in Florida mice
- Identification of Evolutionary significant units and management units in Florida bog frog and Okaloosa daters
- Landscape genetics of amphibians and freshwater fishes
- Mating systems of American alligators
Ecology and Conservation of Plant-animal Interactions
Emilio Bruna
My students, postdocs, and I use experiments and models to test hypotheses about the ecology and conservation of plant-animal interactions. Much of this work focuses on ant-plant mutualisms - ants that establish colonies inside of plants and in return defend their host-plants from herbivores are one of the defining features of tropical rainforests, yet they have remained conspicuously overlooked by conservation biologists.
Example projects
- Factors structuring mutualist ant communities
- How fragmentation-related changes in the density and diversity of ants, host-plants, and herbivores influence mutualism dynamics
- Coupled models of plant and ant population dynamics
Effects of Forest Management Activities on Wildlife
Holly Ober
Disturbance events can alter composition and age structure of forest vegetation, which in turn influences resource availability for wildlife. Anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., harvest, prescribed burning) may alter forest vegetation in ways that are atypical of natural disturbance events (e.g., wildfire, wind, flood, insect outbreak), subjecting wildlife to conditions to which they are not adapted. We are involved in research that examines the influence of several anthropogenic disturbances on resource availability for wildlife.
Example projects
- Influence of timing and frequency of prescribed burning in pine forests on bat communities
- Short- and long-term influence of repeated pine straw harvest on arthropod abundance and community composition
Population Ecology and Modeling, Matrix Population Models, Life History,
Ecology and Conservation of Mammals
Madan Oli
My research program attempts to integrate field data and models to address basic and applied ecological questions.
Example projects:
- Partial life cycle modelsPartial life cycle equation; part of a model developed by Dr. Oli
- Demographic mechanisms of population dynamics
- Population viability analysis
- Population dynamic and fitness consequences of delayed maturity
- Ecology and conservation of mammals
Ecology of Introduced Animal Populations
Mike Moulton
My research interests generally focus on the ecology of introduced vertebrates, with special interest in introduced birds and lizards. Why do some species tend to succeed in most places where they have been introduced whereas others tend to fail? And why do species’ introductions tend to succeed in some places but not others?
Example projects
- Biogeography and community ecology of introduced geckos in Florida
- Population dynamics, habitat management and impact of meso-mammal predators on an non-hunted population of Wild Turkeys
- Spread of the Eurasian Collared Dove, and numerous species of introduced parrots in Florida
Ecology and Management of Mammalian Carnivores
Mel Sunquist
My research has focused on how best to manage mammalian carnivores, especially those whose populations are rapidly becoming isolated, fragmented, and existing within increasingly humanized landscapes. Research efforts emphasize an understanding of the species in an environmental or landscape context, against which future changes can be assessed or predicted.
Example projects
- Ecology and population status of tigers in a primary rainforest of peninsular Malaysia
- Impacts of subsistence hunting on jaguar and puma populations in the Maya Biosphere Reserve, Guatemala
- Population ecology of leopards in Satpura NP, India
Coyote Ecology and Management
Martin Main
The distribution of the coyote (Canis latrans) has expanded into and throughout much of peninsular Florida during recent decades. Neither the rate of this expansion nor the implications of increasing numbers of coyotes to native wildlife are known. Our studies attempt to document and quantify coyote distribution and abundance in Florida and the effects of expanding coyote populations on native wildlife and agriculture.
Example projects
- See information at http://www.imok.ufl.edu/wild/coyote/index.htm
- Agricultural and Ecological Implications of Expanding Coyote Populations in South Florida
- Annual statewide scent station surveys for coyotes and other predators
- Statewide survey of coyote diseases and parasites
Wetlands Wildlife Ecology
Franklin Percival
In keeping with the mission of the Florida Cooperative Research Unit (of the U.S. Geological Service), I have tried to focus research on wetlands wildlife ecology and management. The American alligator has captured much of my attention, although other reptiles and amphibians as well as migratory birds have been research subjects. Recently, the notions of adaptive management and applications of unmanned aerial vehicles to problems of wildlife and habitat surveys have been entertained.
Example projects
- See information at the Coop Unit web page at http://www.wec.ufl.edu/coop/
- Inventory and Monitoring of the Amphibians of Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, and Virgin Islands National Park
- American Alligator Distribution, Thermoregulation, and Biotic Potential Relative to Hydroperiod in the Everglades
- Methods for Wildlife and Habitat Surveys Using Geo-coded Videography from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
- Contaminant Screening to Investigate Wildlife Mortality on Lakes in Central Florida
Wildlife Damage Management
Michael Avery
Primary emphasis of the research program is on developing and evaluating nonlethal methods to resolve bird management problems. This is accomplished through behavioral studies with captive wild birds and through field trials in Florida and elsewhere.
Example projects
- See information at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ws/nwrc/field/gainesville/index.html
- Bird damage to tropical fruit in south Florida
- Wading bird depredation at Florida aquaculture facilities
- Development of methods to manage depredation and nuisance problems caused by vultures
