My research aims at how organisms are ecologically adapted to their natural environment and how those ecological traits relate to their life history. More specifically, my interests include the biology of reptiles and amphibians ranging from behavior to conservation. In a more applied sense, my research seeks to answer if ecological traits are amenable to constructing effective management and conservation strategies. Although my focus is currently directed on specific taxa, it can be cross-disciplinary.
- Thermal ecology of the Eastern Massasauga
- Morphology of secondary sexual characteristics in turtles
- GIS and remote sensing on numerous studies to determine home range, habitat use, and movements
My main research strategy is long-term studies of life history and adaptability at the population level using demographic monitoring, mathematical modeling, and remote sensing technologies. I am currently engaged in two long-term studies; one involving a community of freshwater turtles, which began in 1994 and continues to date, and a second on the Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake (S. c. catenatus), which began in 1999.
I have adopted a philosophy which allows me to answer questions under the framework of a larger scale long-term question, such as the relationship between cohort specific survival and growth rates. While conducting my long-terms studies I choose several questions that can be answered shorter-term.
- Employ focused research with specific goals in mind by choosing questions and study designs carefully before commencing research; then fieldwork can be carried out with great efficiency.
- Remain readily adaptable to circumstances and make use of research opportunities that present themselves over the course of my studies.
- Use passive observation with firm set of variables and statistical savvy to obtain the biological signal from the organism.
- Conduct “brute force” data collection to generate adequate samples sizes to quantify hard-to-detect and difficult-to-observe variables or testable data on rare and endangered biota.
- Always provide the funding agency more than was promised.