Graduate Students

Dan Grear (M.S., Mike Samuel). His research examines the role that social organization of female white-tail deer plays in the probability of CWD infection in Wisconsin. Female white-tailed deer live in a well organized social structure based on family relationships. Genetic markers will be used to characterize this social structure and high density of white-tailed deer in southern Wisconsin to better understand how CWD spreads among female deer in the same social group and between different groups.

Les Murray (Ph.D., Chris Ribic). His project is in two-parts. The first part of his project is an evaluation of landscape-based models (constructed by the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center) that predicts abundances of selected species of management concern in Bird Conservation Region 23 (the Prairie-hardwood Transition Zone) using Breeding Bird Survey data and Geographic Information Systems. Part two of his project investigates the scale at which landscape-level variables influence abundances of grassland birds in a landscape. Recent research has suggested that abundances and distributions of grassland birds are affected by the landscape surrounding a patch of grassland habitat. Few studies, however, have examined how the composition of a landscape affects the abundance of grassland birds at the landscape scale. We have selected 30 800-ha landscapes of varying amounts of forest and grassland and will estimate abundances in these landscapes and the surrounding 8,000-ha landscapes using roadside surveys. Abundances in these landscapes will then be related to the landscape composition at both scales to determine at what scale landscape influences bird abundances.

Abbey Thompson (M.S., Mike Samuel). The goal of this project is to evaluate the potential role of supplemental feeding in the direct and indirect transmission of diseases such as CWD in white-tailed deer. In this study, various feeding methods and amounts of food will be evaluated at four monitored supplemental feed stations and two monitored natural feeding areas on the Sandhill Wildlife Area. The risks for disease transmission associated with supplemental feeding will be estimated through comparison of contact rates of deer at feeding sites and by fecal contamination at sites. The experimental study is to be conducted over the course of two winter (November-February) field seasons during 2003-04 and 2004-05 to evaluate annual differences.

Cherrie Nolden (PhD., Mike Samuel). Her research aims to evaluate the potential role of deer carcasses in transmission of chronic wasting disease and determine whether native scavengers are affected by this disease. The study will evaluate decomposition of deer carcasses under field conditions and identify the types and variety of wildlife species that are consuming deer tissue to determine which species would potentially be exposed to CWD from infected carcasses. Remotely-triggered cameras will photograph the carrion consumeers. In addition, common mammalian scavengers (raccoon, opossum, skunk, coyote and fox) will be collected by road-kills, trapping or other methods from the CWD-affected area in Wisconsin. These animals will be necropsied and tested to determine whether they have TSE infected tissues. Tissue, fluid and parasite samples will also be collected for surveillance on other wildlife diseases.

Dustin Miller (M.S., Chris Ribic). His research is on nest predator use of grasslands and tree-rows in southern Wisconsin. He is measuring predator movements and activity using sand track stations, trail cameras, track tubes (for small mammals), and snake coverboards. Nest predators will be identified using miniature video cameras to monitor bird nests. Data are then compared relative to distance from tree-rows as well as before and after the removal of tree-rows.

Dan Storm (M.S., Mike Samuel). Daniel Storm (Ph.D., Mike Samuel). The goals of this research are to identify landscape and biological factors associated with the patterns of CWD infection in white-tailed deer across southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Specific project objectives are to evaluate deer, landscape, and disease prevalence patterns, with an emphasis on density vs. frequency dependent transmission of CWD. Results of this research will be used to develop and evaluate adaptive approaches for CWD management or control.