Landscape Ecology Lab
Betts Forest Landscape Ecology Lab
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Graduate Students

Post-Docs Research Assistants Lab associates and hangers-on

Adam Hadley, Ph.D student

M.Sc., 2006, Universite Laval

B.Sc., 2003, Univeristy of New Brunswick

My research interests focus on animal movements and how they are influenced by landscape disturbances. I am also interested in the role of social information in resource and habitat selection. I am especially interested in the effects of landscape disturbances on ecological processes, particularly plant and animal interactions (e.g. pollination). My current research is being conducted in southern Costa Rica investigating the effects of agricultural mosaics on the ability of hummingbirds to move through the landscape and how any changes in their behaviour affect the pollination services they provide.

Publications
Hadley, A. S. and Betts, M. G. (Online Early) Tropical deforestation alters hummingbird movement patterns. Biology Letters.
Betts, M. G., Hadley, A. S. Rodenhouse, N. and Nocera, J. J. (2008). Social information trumps vegetation structure in breeding-site selection by a migrant songbird. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences 275:2257-2263.
Hadley, A. S. and Desrochers, A. (2008). Response of wintering Boreal Chickadees (Poecile hudsonica) to forest edges: Does weather matter? Auk 125:30-38.
Hadley, A. S. and Desrochers, A. (2008). Winter habitat use by Boreal Chickadee flocks in a managed forest. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 120:139-145.
Betts, M.G., Zitske, B., Hadley, A.S., and Diamond, A.W. (2006) Migrant forest songbirds undertake breeding dispersal following timber harvest. Northeastern Naturalist 13: 531-536.
Betts, M.G., Hadley, A.S. and Doran, P.J. (2005) Avian mobbing response is restricted by territory boundaries: experimental evidence from two species of forest warblers. Ethology 111: 821–835.


Stephanie Jenkins, M.Sc. student

My interests are in predator-prey relationships, trophic cascades, and wildlife population dynamics in habitats influenced by humans and natural disturbances (e.g. wildfire). I am specifically interested in the mechanisms behind wildlife movement and habitat selection (such as predator avoidance and ideal forage/prey availability). I have a background in large mammal research (i.e., big horn sheep, Idaho grey wolves), wildlife habitat restoration and management, and researching affects of wildfire on trophic webs in wilderness stream ecosystems. My interest in wildlife research is not only driven by curiosity about an organism or interaction, but to supply management agencies with accurate information for biologically sound management strategies. My current research consists of using telemetry and abundance data to identify movement patterns and habitat usage of juvenile songbirds, specifically winter wrens, during the postfledging period. This research is being conducted in managed forest ecosystems in the Oregon Coast Range and is one component of a large scale study researching the affects of timber harvest on terrestrial wildlife and aquatic assemblages.


Tana Ellis

Educational Background
B.S., 2002, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona

Research Interests
I am broadly interested in avian ecology and research that is meaningful and effective in a management perspective. For more information about my background and publications, see my student webpage at http://www.forestry.oregonstate.edu/cof/fs/people/students/Ellis.php

Current Research
I am currently researching the occurrence and productivity of Neotropical migrant birds as a function of intensive forest management. Objectives are: (1) to evaluate breeding songbird occupancy in relation to management intensity of early-seral conifer forests at stand and landscape scales; (2) to examine breeding productivity and post-fledging habitat use as a function of vegetation structure resulting from intensive forest management practices; and (3) to examine whether food limitation influences breeding productivity in intensively-managed stands.

Matthew Smith, Ph.D. student

The effects of fragmentation on the survival, fecundity and movement ability of the northern flying squirrel in southern New Brunswick
I am studying the movement and survival of the northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) in fragmented landscapes in southern New Brunswick, Canada. The northern flying squirrel is often considered an indicator of older forests due to it’s preference for dead trees for shelter, larger trees for gliding, and diet of fungi associated with mature forests. My work focuses on how flying squirrels are surviving in landscapes with low amounts of mature cover and how this fragmentation affects their movement ability. Yearly survival rates for flying squirrels will be estimated using a 4-year mark recapture study conducted in low mature cover landscapes and high mature cover landscapes.
To study flying squirrel movement ability I am using radio telemetry to estimate home range size and conducting gap-crossing experiments by translocating flying squirrels across clearcuts of varying size. The homing success and time taken to return home will be used to test the prediction that flying squirrels movements are more restricted in fragmented landscapes. The final outcome of this project will be the incorporation of the survival, fecundity and movement parameters into a population viability model to investigate the long term survival of flying squirrels under different forest management scenarios. Links: www.fundyflyingsquirrel.com

Max Brugger, Ph.D. student

H. B. Sc., 2008, Oregon State University

Research Interests
Interacting Particle Systems Models
Species Distribution Modelling
Landscape Fragmentation
Local stochastic interactions
Sympatric Speciation

I am interested in the patterns and processes of how species distribute themselves. More specifically, I am focusing on Markov chain models as models of landscape fragmentation, sympatric speciation, and the stochasticity of local interactions (or unobservable interactions). As part of the Ecosystem Informatics program, I am interested in learning more about computer visualization techniques, Bayesian statistics, and sampling methods like Gibbs sampling and Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods. Aside from the mumbo-jumbo equations, I am first and foremost interested in ecological questions with mathematical answers: How do birds respond to habitat fragmentation? Which models apply when, and why?

Sarah J.K. Frey, Ph.D. student

Educational Background
M.Sc., 2008, University of Vermont
B.Sc., 2000, University of Vermont

Research Interests
My research interests encompass understanding how species are distributed across landscapes, avian community dynamics and the influence of habitat loss and alteration on ecological processes (e.g. dispersal and habitat selection). My current research involves identifying the major drivers of the patterns we observe in bird distributions and how changes in climate and land use might alter them. I also investigate how inter- and intraspecific interactions shape bird distributional patterns. To examine these questions from novel perspectives I am involved in an interdisciplinary collaboration with math and computer science graduate students as a part of the Ecosystem Informatics program. Some of my previous work involves assessing the importance of scale in habitat selection and occurrence patterns of Bicknell’s Thrush in Vermont using occupancy modeling.

Publications
Frey, S. J. K., C. C. Rimmer, K. P. McFarland, and S Menu. 2008. Identification and sex determination of Bicknell’s Thrushes using morphometric data. Journal of Field Ornithology 79: 408-420.
Contributor to Chapter 10: Single-season removal design and Chapter 17: Integrated modeling of habitat suitability and occupancy in Donovan, T. M. and J. Hines. 2007. Exercises in occupancy modeling and estimation.

Emily Comfort, Ph.D. student

Educational Background
B.S. Geology/Biology 1997, Tufts University
M.S. Forestry 2007, Mississippi State University
Thesis: “Subcanopy response to variable-density thinning in second-growth conifer forests of the Pacific Northwest”

I am interested in forest structural development at multiple scales. My master’s thesis research involved examining the response of midcanopy and understory trees to experimental thinnings aimed at accelerating the development of late-successional structure in second-growth conifer stands. Specifically I looked at within-stand differences in growth response to different levels of thinning to see if the treatment was inducing heterogeneity in growth rates of trees in these strata. Going forward, I would like to expand the scope of my research and look at between-stand interactions and the cumulative effect of these relationships on the overall resilience of the landscape to future disturbance. For instance, at the landscape scale does a variety of management strategies (including alternative treatments like variable-density thinning) provide a buffer from or act as a catalyst for further disturbance? When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my dogs, Kobe and Wayne, and pretty much anything that gets me outside.

James W. Rivers

Educational background
Ph.D., 2008 (expected), University of California-Santa Barbara
M.S., 1999, Kansas State University
B.S. (Honors), 1997, University of Massachusetts

Research interests
My research addresses questions at the intersection of behavioral ecology, evolution, and conservation biology using birds as a model group. My work centers on (1) examining the evolution of adaptations for brood parasitism, (2) understanding the influence of early environments on the expression of offspring behavior, and (3) using behavioral approaches in applied conservation biology. In all of my research, I use evolutionary theory to guide the development and testing of empirical questions for both experimental and observational studies.

Current Project
My current research is focused on assessing the impact of intensive forest management practices on breeding songbirds in early successional habitats in the Pacific Northwest. This work uses well-established physiological techniques (e.g., stress response assays) to assess the condition of breeding individuals and their offspring under different management scenarios. As a number of species that require early successional habitat in this region have shown long-term population declines, results from this work has broad implications for many species over a large geographic area.

Publications
Kosciuch, K. L., J. W. Rivers, and B. K. Sandercock. 2008. Stable isotopes identify the natal origins of a generalist brood parasite, the Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater. Journal of Avian Biology 39:364-367.
Rivers, J. W. 2007. Nestmate size, but not short-term need, influences the begging behavior of a generalist brood parasite. Behavioral Ecology 18:222-230.
Rivers, J. W., and M. J. Kuehn. 2006. Predation of eared grebe by great blue heron. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 118:112-113.
Althoff, D. P., J. W. Rivers, J. S. Pontius, P. S. Gipson, and P. B. Woodford. 2005. A comprehensive approach to identifying monitoring priorities of small landbirds on military installations. Environmental Management 34:887-902.
Peer, B. D, S. I. Rothstein, and J. W. Rivers. 2005. First record of Bronzed Cowbird parasitism on the Great-tailed Grackle. Wilson Bulletin 117:194-196.
Rivers, J. W., and B. K. Sandercock. 2004. Brown thrasher egg predation by gray catbird. The Southwestern Naturalist 49:101-103.
Rivers, J. W., D. P. Althoff, P. S. Gipson, and J. S. Pontius. 2003. Evaluation of a reproductive index to estimate Dickcissel reproductive success. Journal of Wildlife Management 67:136-144.
Rivers, J. W., and J. V. Briskie. 2003. Lack of sperm production and sperm storage by arctic-nesting shorebirds during spring migration. Ibis 145:61-66.
Rivers, J. W., and T. T. Cable. 2003 Evaluation of farmed playa wetlands as avian habitat using survey data and two rapid assessment techniques. The Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 106:155-165.
Rivers, J. W., T. T. Cable, and J. S. Pontius. 2003. Influence of nest concealment and distance to habitat edge on depredation rates of simulated bird nests in southeast Kansas. The Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 106:40-47.
Rivers, J. W. 2000. Northern harrier predation of white-faced ibis. Wilson Bulletin 112:416-417.
Rivers, J. W., and D. E. Kroodsma. 2000. Singing behavior of the hermit thrush. Journal of Field Ornithology 71:467-471.
Rivers, J. W. 1998. Unusually high rate of barn owl roadkills in Kansas. Kansas Ornithological Society Bulletin 49:43-44.

Victoria 'Tory' Bennett

Educational background
Ph.D., 2004, Leeds University
M.S., 1998, Leeds University
B.S. (Honors), 1997, Leeds University

Research interests
My research interests revolve around exploring the implications of anthropogenic disturbance on wildlife. Initially, my research has concentrated on the effects of eco-tourism and outdoor recreation across a range of taxa. Using a flexible individual-based model I have been exploring the responses of wildlife individuals and the consequences of disturbance-related behaviour to recreationists across an array of scenarios, such as pathway and trail positions, recreationist activity patterns and habitat lay-out. The outcome of this simulations are used to advise management strategies and site design for the preservation of target species in situ. Case studies included the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly, the state protected black-crowned night-heron, the state protected yellow-headed black bird and the threatened Barbastelle bat in the UK. I then expanded my research focus to investigate the implications of other forms of anthropogenic disturbance. Case studies included exploring the consequences of road networks in proximity to maternity roosts on the foraging activities of the federally endangered Indiana Bat.

Current Project
My current research focuses entirely on the road ecology, for which I will be setting up a research program. Initial avenues of study will include exploring the indirect implications of road networks on wildlife, the conception of management practices that alleviate these impacts and the effectiveness of retro-fitting roads with structures designed to increase the permeability of road networks to wildlife.

Publications
Bennett, V.J., Beard, M., Zollner, P.A., Fernández-Juricic, E., Westphal, L. & LeBlanc, C.L. (2009) Understanding wildlife responses to human disturbance through simulation modelling: A management tool, Ecological Complexity – Special Edition, 6, 113-134.
Phillips, R. A. , Silk , J. R. D., Croxall, J. P. , Afanasyev , V. & Bennett V. J. (2005) Summer distribution and migration of non-breeding albatrosses: individual consistencies and implications for conservation. Ecology, 86, 2386–2396.


Becca Cahall

Long-term research on effects of thinning Douglas fir on bird abundance. In two separate studies (Forest Grove [ODF], Cascades [USFS]) we are continuing to collect data on bird abundance at sites where the density of young Douglas fir was manipulated 12-13 years ago. These are two of the longest running studies in the world on the influence of selection cutting on animal abundance. In future years it is likely that we will measure nest success at one of these sites (Forest Grove). Collaborators: Joan Hagar (USGS), Brenda McComb (UMass), Cheryl Friesen (USFS).








Tom Manning

Educational background
MS in Environmental Biology 1988 University of Minnesota-Duluth
BA in Zoology 1982 California State University-Sacramento

Research interests
Mammal (and more recently bird) population and community ecology, primarily within the context of forestry/silvicultural practices in the Pacific Northwest.

Current Projects
Young Stand Study

Publications
Maguire, C.C., D. A. Maguire, T. E. Manning, S. M Garber, and M. W. Ritchie. 2008. Response of small mammals to alternative stand structures in the mixed-conifer forests of northeastern California. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 38(5): 943-955.
Gitzen, R.A., S.D. West, C.C. Maguire, T. Manning and C. Halpern. 2007. Response of terrestrial small mammals to varying amounts and patterns of green-tree retention in Pacific Northwest forests. Forest Ecology and Management 251 (3): 142-155.
Manning, T., C. C. Maguire, K.M. Jacobs and D. Luoma. 2003. Additional habitat, diet and range information for the white-footed vole (Arborimus albipes). American Midland Naturalist 150:115-122.
Manning, T. and C. C. Maguire. 1999. A new elevation record for the red tree vole (Arborimus longicaudus) in Oregon: implications for National Forest management. American Midland Naturalist 142:421-423.
Wolff, J.O., T. Manning, S.M. Meyers, and R. Bentley. 1996. Population biology of the gray-tailed vole, Microtus canicaudus. Northwest Science 70(4):334-340.
Manning, T., W.D. Edge, and J.O. Wolff. 1995. Evaluating population size estimators: an empirical approach. Journal of Mammalogy 76:1149-1158.
Christian, D.P., T.E. Manning and C.J. Harth. 1993. Sodium and potassium balance of captive meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) fed laboratory chow and vegetation diets. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 106A: 571-579.
Hastings, J.J., Jr., D.P. Christian, T.E. Manning and C.J. Harth. 1991. Sodium and potassium effects on adrenal gland indices of mineral balance in meadow voles. Journal of Mammalogy 72(4): 641 651.
Naiman, R.J., T. Manning and C.A. Johnston. 1991. Beaver population fluctuations and tropospheric methane emissions in boreal wetlands. Biogeochemistry 12:1 15.

Julia Buck

Amphibians are the most threatened of all vertebrate taxa, which is particularly alarming, as they are considered to be bioindicators, or sentinels of environmental health. Despite recent recognition that global population declines are likely caused by multiple interacting stressors, most studies take place in a laboratory setting, examine the effects of one or a few stressors of interest, and focus on egg and larval life stages only. My research, which takes place through the Blaustein laboratory in the Zoology Department, examines the effects of multiple stressors on amphibian populations in an agricultural landscape. I will conduct a survey of breeding habitats in the Willamette Valley and associate species presence or absence with habitat characteristics and stressors of interest through occupancy modeling. I will also monitor population dynamics at several breeding sites to determine which stressors are related to survival.