Steury LabWildlife ecology research at Auburn University |
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Past Projects
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming |
Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica |
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Investigating the
decline in moose
Location: Grand Teton National Park/Teton Wilderness Area, Wyoming Recent surveys of the moose (Alces alces shirasi) population in and around the national parks of Yellowstone and Grand Teton suggest numbers are in decline. The cause of this decline remains unclear and research projects initiated by the University of Wyoming have set out to determine what factors are influencing this downward trend. While many within the general public believe that predation by grizzly bears and gray wolves is responsible, the data being collected indicates that the nutritional quality of the available food resources may be more to blame. During the project, we tracked approximately 30 radio-collared moose across their summer range within the region. While backpacking throughout some of the most remote areas in the continental United States, we were able to located individuals to check up on season movement, calf survival, and health of the collared moose. We also collected plant samples of all species known to be included in the moose diet as well as scats from moose, grizzly bear, and wolves. These samples were used to determine the nutritional quality of the available vegetation (plants) and the dietary composition of the moose and its potential predators (scats). Hair snares and camera traps were installed and monitored for grizzly bear detection. |
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Determining the impact of the
Pan-American Highway on wildlife populations Location: Santa Rosa National Park/Guanacaste Conservation Area, Costa Rica Roadway-related mortalities can have a dramatic impact on populations of species that reside near them. The Pan-American Highway cuts Santa Rosa National Park in half and is therefore bound to have some consequences on those animals the park was established to protect. With newly developed plans to double the size of the highway, understanding those effects and how to potentially mitigate them, could be critical. Under the direction of Dr. Tom Langen (Clarkson University), I conducted roadway-mortality surveys for all species within the park. A five kilometer stretch of highway was surveyed daily, and location, identification, and characteristics of species were recorded. Walking transects were also completed through the forest at various distances from the road to compare populations. Of particular interest was wildlife usage of large culverts passing underneath the roadway and "green bridges" - areas where tree growth has created a passageway above the roadway that animals could potentially cross safely through the branches. |
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Assessing the potential impact of proposed highway
construction on wildlife populations Location: Fort Drum area, New York Highway construction through a forested area is bound to have negative impacts on wildlife species that inhabit them. In northern New York, plans are in place to build additional roadway through what was previously a woodland setting. As part of the required Environmental Impact Statement, the potential impacts such construction must be considered prior to construction. Working under River's Edge Consulting (Massena, NY), we evaluated the residing wildlife populations within the region set for construction. Populations of all mammalian species were assessed based on winter track counts located within a pair of transects surveyed weekly. Tracks in snow were indentified and mapped using GIS. The resulting shapefile was used to address concerns with building the highway through wildlife corridors. |
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Determining the distribution and abundance of the
Golden-Cheeked Warbler Location: Edward's Plateau Region, Texas As designated by the Endangered Species Act, understanding the distribution of listed species is necessary such that proper management can be implemented. The Golden-Cheeked Warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia) is a highly endangered bird species with a very selective, and therefore limited, summer habitat within the Edward's Plateau Region of south-central Texas. Determining this bird's Texas range so that the steps can be taken to ensure it's well-being is critical to the warbler's survival. Through Texas A&M, we completed an extensive series of point counts across the Edward's Plateau Region on both public and private lands. Both visual and auditory clues were used to locate the warbler, as well as several other bird species thought to effect the warbler's presence. Behavior observations were also conducted in attempt to estimate nesting success of breeding pairs. |
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Evaluating the success of the USDA's Wetland
Restoration Program (WRP) Location: St. Lawrence County, New York The Wetland Restoration Program (WRP) is an ongoing attempt to recreate many of the wetlands that have been damaged due to pressures created by agricultural practices. Wetlands have been found to serve an important environmental role that was previously overlooked or ignored. This USDA funded program functions by establishing conservation easements with private landowners and attempting to recreate wetlands that have been lost. The goal then is to restore formally lost wetlands to a level comparable to those that are naturally occurring. Working with Dr. Tom Langen and Dr. Rick Welsh (Clarkson University), we examined ecological and socioeconomical factors of the restored wetlands in St. Lawrence County, NY. In the preliminary stages of this project, wetland characteristics were evaluated using GIS. We also completed preliminary on-site surveys of restored wetland wildlife, habitat, restoration effort, and landowner interviews. For more information about this project, please contact current project graduate student Katie Benson (Clarkson University). |
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Assessing the impact of
roadways on local reptile and amphibian populations Location: Potsdam area, New York Reptile and amphibian are highly susceptible to the dangers associated with roadways. This is especially true among turtle species, slow moving by nature and drawn to roadsides as search for nesting locations and seasonal migrations encourages such. Moreover, within species of turtles already existing at lower numbers (in this case, the listed Blanding's Turtle - Emydoidea blandingi), the impacts of roads can be detrimental to populations. Again on a project directed by Dr. Tom Langen, we surveyed a 160km roadway route for reptile and amphibian mortalities. Kills were recorded and mapped into GIS. Hotspot characteristics (areas with a large number of kills) were evaluated and the predictive value of such characteristics was investigated. We also measured the success of a series of fencing designs at preventing wildlife from entering the roadway. Behavioral testing was conducted to determine the success of fencing designs. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME. |