Research Ecologist
Department: Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center
University System: U.S. Geological Survey - Bozeman
Professional Summary:
After completing my B.S. in Biological Sciences at U.C. Davis and my Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology at Univ. of NV, Reno under Drs. Joel Berger and Peter Brussard, I performed postdoctoral research under Dr. Dennis Murphy (in montane biodiversity) and Dr. David Pyke (in arid lands and rangeland ecologies). My research since 1994 has focused on three main topics: a) mechanisms of biological response to contemporary climate; b) disturbance ecology, particularly related to ungulate herbivory (free-roaming horses, free-roaming burros, domestic cattle, domestic sheep, deer, elk, etc.); and c) design and analysis of long-term monitoring in conservation areas. My research has spanned numerous ecosystems and focal taxa to address a diversity of questions in wildlife ecology, conservation biology, community ecology, and landscape ecology, using diverse analytical tools. I have taught several courses and delivered many more lectures, in these topical areas. My research has tended to address questions of importance both to science and to broader publics. Not surprisingly, I have engaged partners and research collaborators from numerous scientific disciplines, affiliations (NGOs, state and federal land-managing agencies, NGOs, and university and federal researchers), and spatial scales.