Projects

Project Spotlight

Pennsylvania Black Bear Project - We are working collaboratively with the Pennsylvania Game Commission to understand how the distribution of habitat features influence female black bear space use, and how this influences their susceptibility to harvest. Within this scope, we are also evaluating the impacts of updated black bear harvest seasons on female black bear survival (Student: Brandon Snavely)

South Dakota Plains Spotted Skunk Project - We are investigating the distribution, survival, and ecology of the plains spotted skunk. Plains spotted skunks are a subspecies of the eastern spotted skunk that has recently been petitioned for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Our research will provide essential information to inform this listing decision. (Student: Kara White)

South Dakota Bobcat Population Genetics Project - We are working collaboratively with the South Dakota Game, Fish, & Parks to evaluate spatial patterns of population genetics for bobcats. Bobcats are legally harvested throughout the state of South Dakota, but are closely regulated under CITES. Using DNA from harvested bobcats, we aim to inform harvest management by identifying discrete population of bobcats that may be used as management units for harvest. (Student: Stuart Fetherson)

South Dakota Bobcat Space Use Project - We are investigating the relative influences of landscape features (e.g., fragmentation, land cover) and interspecific interactions with coyotes on bobcat patterns of space use in eastern South Dakota. Bobcat populations and their spatial distribution are not well understood in eastern South Dakota, which is dominated by agricultural conversion of native land cover to row crops. Our research will identify landscape patterns most likely to support bobcat populations. (Student: Marlin Dart)

Great Basin Desert Golden Eagle Space Use Project - We are working collaboratively with the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground and HawkWatch International to better understand patterns of space use for subadult golden eagles in the Great Basin. Subadult golden eagles are critical to ensuring recruitment into the breeding class of golden eagles, but little is known about how their patterns of resource selection may differ from those of breeding adults. Our research will be used by Department of Defense resource managers to better protect golden eagles. (Researcher Scientist: Kathy Hixson)

Other Ongoing Research Projects

Development of Close-Kin Mark-Recapture Methods for Black Bears (Collaborators: Dana Morin, Lisette Waits, and a Post-doctoral scientist)

Snapshot USA (Collaborators: Mike Cove, Roland Kays, Bill McShea, and MANY other scientists from around the US)

Ecology of Swift Foxes within a Black-footed Ferret Recovery site (Student: Kara White)

Ecology and Population Status of Pheasants in an Agricultural Landscape (Student: Sprih Harsh, Hilary Syvertson)

Occurrence and Density of Wild Felids in New Mexico (Collaborators: James Cain III, Gary Roemer)

Using Noninvasive Genetics to Monitor the Distribution, Abundance, and Diet of Coyotes in Florida (Collaborators: Bryan Kluever, Stewart Breck, Toni Piaggio)

Assessing Monitoring Techniques for River Otters in Wisconsin (Collaborators: Christi Heun, Shawn Crimmins)

Habitat Selection and Remote Monitoring of Beavers (Collaborators: Christi Heun, Janelle Taylor)

Ecology of Kit Foxes (Collaborators: Lisette Waits, Eric Gese)

Rob downloading data from a GPS collar on a swift fox in western Kansas

Select Completed Research Projects

See Publications for resulting manuscript

Optimizing Occupancy Monitoring of a Rare Carnivore with Noninvasive Genetic Sampling (Collaborators: Lisette Waits, Robert Knight)

Comparison of Sample Sources for Quantifying Genetic Diversity of Carnivores within Museum Collections (Collaborators: Lisette Waits, David Daniel, Jennifer Adams)

Review of the Status of Kit Foxes in the Great Basin and Monitoring Recommendations (Collaborators: Robert Knight, Bryan Kluever, Lucas Hall, Eric Gese, Randy Larsen, Lisette Waits)

Application of Mark-Recapture Approaches to Dietary Analyses (Collaborators: Dana Morin, Marcella Kelly, Lisette Waits, Summer Higdon, Elyce Gosselin)

Comparison of Abundance Estimators for Carnivores (Collaborators: Lisette Waits, Paul Lukacs, Eric Gese)

Density of Sympatric Kit Foxes and Coyotes (Collaborators: Lisette Waits, Paul Lukacs, Eric Gese)

Evaluating the Spatial Dynamics of Kit Foxes and Coyotes (Collaborators: Lisette Waits, Larissa Bailey, Eric Gese)

Resource Partitioning Between Kit Foxes and Coyotes (Collaborators: Lisette Waits, Paige Byerly, Eric Gese)

Molecular Scatology to Assess Diets of Carnivores (Collaborators: Lisette Waits, Elyce Gosselin)

ConGenR - A R-based Script for Rapid Handling of Replicated Genetic Data (Collaborators: Lisette Waits)

Landscape Genetics of Ringtails (Collaborators: Gary Roemer)

Marlin and Rob setting up cameras for Snapshot USA

Previous Monitoring Projects

These projects represent those the I developed and led, or contributed to substantially

Climate Sensitivity Analysis (5 species)

Bat Hibernacula Counts (southern Idaho)

American White Pelican Surveys (southern Idaho)

Inventory and Monitoring of Mesocarnivores (City of Rocks National Reserve)

Herpetological Surveys of Sensitive Species (Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve)

Chytrid Fungus and Ranavirus Surveillance (southern Idaho)

Noninvasive Genetic Sampling of Pygmy Rabbits (southern Idaho)

Mexican Spotted Owl Monitoring (Carlsbad Caverns National Park)

Black-footed Ferret Reintroduction and Monitoring (northern Arizona)

Black-tailed Prairie Dog Restoration (central South Dakota)

Swift Fox Recovery (central South Dakota)

Central Idaho Gray Wolf Recovery (Idaho)
Red Wolf Recovery (eastern North Carolina)

Rob in his favorite environment - the deserts of the southwest

Rob conducting Townsend's big-eared bat hibernacula surveys

Ringtail captured in the Chiricahua Mountains of southern AZ (held by Gary Roemer)

Doug Gilbert with a recently banded/tagged juvenile American white pelican

Go to Publications