Research Interests:
My research interests continue to be very broad, but I am most interested in wetland ecology and relationships between wetland habitats and avian species that utilize those systems. I try to further our understanding of wetland ecosystem processes and the influence that human activities have had on them and what the potential implications are for wetland birds and other wildlife. The fundamental objective of my research is to provide essential information that will improve our management and conservation of wetland systems.
Past Research:
Hartwick College, NY:			I was involved in several research projects as an undergraduate at Hartwick College under the supervision of my advisor Dr. Michael T. Murphy. I studied the reproductive biology of Eastern Kingbirds and Tree Swallows, which included breeding behavior, nest success, feeding rates, site fidelity, and extra-pair fertilization. I also conduct my undergraduate thesis project on the population structure and habitat use of wintering Neo-tropical migrants in the Bahamas.
Purdue University, IN: At Purdue University, I studied the avian community of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in Costa Rica under the supervision of my advisor Dr. Kerry Rabenold. The goal of this study was to evaluate the avian community of the reserve and to test the “Indicator Species Hypothesis” and the “Spatial Heterogeneity Hypothesis” in an effort to determine if the reserve was providing the adequate protection to species it was designed to protect. My M.S. research examined the succession of an oak-hickory forest over a 40-year period and investigated three possible explanations for the rapid decline of flowering dogwood during the last 16-years of the 40-year period.
University of Tennessee, TN:		My Ph.D. research investigated the influence of channelization on abiotic processes (sedimentation and hydrological) that are important in structuring and directing the succession of bottomland hardwood (BLH) forests in western Tennessee. To accomplish this, I examined the spatial and temporal patterns of floodplain sedimentation and surface and sub-surface hydrological processes among altered and unaltered fluvial systems. I also determined how these processes influence germination of BLH tree species through greenhouse experiments and I used multivariate statistical techniques to determine the importance of these and other environmental factors in structuring the BLH communities at my various field sites. I also conducted point count surveys to examine differences in avian communities associated with the bottomland hardwood forests that I was investigating.
LSU AgCenter/USGS Coop Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: As a research associate I mainly worked on a sandhill crane population and migration study to facilitate the re-introduction of whooping cranes to Louisiana. The study involved trapping cranes, attaching satellite transmitters and radio transmitters, and tracking the cranes both at the local scale and international scale (during migration). I was also involved in secretive marsh bird studies utilizing rice fields in southwestern and central Louisiana.
Other Research Projects:
Secretive Marsh Birds: I am in the process of obtaining funding for a secretive marsh bird study. The objectives are (1) to conduct surveys for King Rails and other secretive marsh birds utilizing rice fields in Southwestern Louisiana, (2) to conduct nest surveys for King Rails and monitor nests to determine breeding success, and (3) to determine if extra-pair fertilization is occurring in King Rail resident populations in Louisiana.
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