Research interests:
The research done by my students and me concerns a wide range of basic and applied questions in mammalian ecology. My sharpest focus is on the ecology and conservation of carnivores and their prey, and my students and I have studied martens, sables, ferrets, badgers, fishers, mongooses, foxes, and lynx. We have studied many other mammalian taxa as well. The approaches and tools that we use are selected according to the needs of the study, and include field studies of habitats and populations, observations of behavior, lab and field studies of ecological energetics, studies of population genetics using DNA markers, biogeography, and geographic information analyses of broad-scale distribution.
Research in progress:
(studies underway and fully staffed; others are in the proposal stage):
| Genetic responses of the American marten to population insularity and habitat fragmentation in western North America (with Merav Ben-David) |
| Disturbance ecology of pygmy rabbits in southern Wyoming |
| Direct and indirect effects of predation on vicunas and guanacos by pumas in northern Argentina (with Emiliano Donadio) |
Graduate projects available:
I currently have no projects for prospective graduate students. If you are interested in graduate study with me, I recommend that you send a full inquiry, including resume, exam scores, and personal statement. I am not able to respond to inquiries that simply ask about research opportunities.