Department of Biology

The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.

Henry Miller, novelist (1891-1980) 

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Research Interests

__    Wildlife Management

__    Vertebrate Ecology

__    Resource Selection

__    Invasive Species

__    Current research topics:

o      Food habits and nesting ecology of turtles (Pseudemys texana, Trachemys scripta elegans)

o      Home range and behavior of turtles

o      Food habits of nutria

o      Nutria ecology in a desert environment

o      Fire and herpetofauna relationships

o      Bird diversity in urban and suburban habitats

o      Phenology of herpetofauna

Courses Taught

BIO 4416: Ecology Lab

BIO 4435/5435: Techniques in Wildlife Management

BIO 4304; 5304: Wildlife and Recreation

BIO 4420/5420: Natural History of the Vertebrates   

Other Sites of Interest: Wildlife Society

Publications

__    Gray, S. S., T. R. Simpson, J. T. Baccus, R. W. Manning, T. W. Schwertner. Diets and foraginf preference of greather kudu in the Llano Uplift of Texas. In press. publication date march 2007 in Wildlife Biology.

__    Mclean, R.J.C., A. K. Welsh, T. R. Simpson. 2006. Approaches for field studies of biofilms. Current Protocols in Microbiology, accepted, in press.

__    Dillard, Jim, Steve Jester, John Baccus, Randy Simpson, Lin Poor. 2005. White-tailed deer food habits and preferences in the Cross Timbers and Prairies Region of northcentral Texas. Texas parks and Wildlife. Department Publication PWD RP W7000-1017. 65 pp.

__    Fields, J. R., Simpson, T. R., R. W. Manning, F. L. Rose. 2003. Food habits and selective foraging of the Texas River Cooter (Pseudemys texana) in Spring Lake, Hays County, Texas. Journal of Herpetology in press.

__    Towns, K., T. R. Simpson, R. W. Manning, and F. L. Rose. 2003. Food habits and selective foraging of the nutria (Myocastor coypus) in Spring Lake, Hays County, Texas. Occas. Papers, Museum of Texas Tech Univ. Number 227.  12pp.

__    Denena, M., R. W. Manning, T. R. Simpson. 2003. Home range and movement of nutria (Myocastor coypus) at Spring Lake in Central Texas, with anecdotal comments on the American beaver (Castor Canadensis) of the same area. . Occas. Papers, Museum of Texas Tech Univ. Number 226.  12pp.

__    Fields, J.R., T.R. Simpson, R.W. Manning, F.L. Rose. 2000. Modifications to the stomach flushing technique for turtles. Herpetological Review 31:32-33.

__    Rose, F. R., R. W. Manning, T. R. Simpson and Sarah Jenkins. 1998. A sustaining population of the Florida Red-Bellied Turtle, Pseudemys nelsoni (Reptilia:Emydidae), in Spring Lake, Hays County, Texas. Texas J. Sci. 50(1) 89-92.

__    Rose, F.R., T. R. Simpson, and R.W. Manning. 1996. Measured and predicted egg volume of Pseudemys texana with comments on turtle egg shape. J. Herpetology 30: 433-435.

Theses Directed

__    Arlene Kalmbach. 2006. Effects of nonindigenous plant species on bird communities in Central Texas periurban habitats.

__    Wilynn Zickler. 2006. Bird community surveys: a comparison of distance sampling and point counts.

__    Stephanie Franklin. 2006. Home range of the Texas river cooter (Pseudemys texana) at Spring Lake, HaysCounty, Texas.

__    Linda Osborne. 2006. Habitat use by the Texas river cooter (Pseudemys texana) in Spring Lake,Hays County, Texas.

__    Jason Shumate. 2006. Home range and movement of nutria (Myocastor coypus) along a selected stretch of the Rio Grande River, Big Bend National Park, Texas.

__    Matthew Milholland. 2005. Co-Chair. Habitat use and food habits of nutria (Myocastor coypus) in the Rio Grande Village area of Big Bend national park, Texas.

__    Christine Polito. 2003. Invertebrate Fauna Inhabiting Carapaces of the Texas River Cooter (Pseudemys texana) and the Red-Eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans).

__    Clay J. White. 2003. Avian habitat affinity in the Lost Pines region of Texas.

__    Kathleen O'Connor. 2003. Herptile abundance and diversity in response to seasonal burning on a Central Texas Ashe juniper-live oak savannah.

__    Amanda Hunter. 2002. Comparison of avian communities within traditional and wildscaped residential neighborhoods in San Antonio, Texas.

__    Kyle Burke, 2002. Co-chair. Seasonal diets and foraging selectivity of white-tailed deer in the Rolling Plains ecological region of Texas.

__    Shawn Gray. 2002. Seasonal diets of greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) in the Llano Uplift ecological region of Texas.

__    Amy Winters. 2002. Seasonal diets of gemsbok (Oryx gazella gazella) at Mason Mountain Wildlife  Management Area, Mason, Texas

__    Carrie Preite. 2002. Co-chair. Algal species composition on turtle carapaces in Spring Lake, San Marcos, Texas.

__    Karen Ridenour. 2002. Home range of crevice spiny lizards (Sceloporus poinsettii) at Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area, Mason County, Texas.

__    Kathy Towns. 2002. Food habits of the nutria (Myocastor coypus) at Spring Lake, Hays County, Texas.

__    Beth Banks. 2000. Avifauna diversity and habitat relationships on a central Texas ranch.

__    Jayson Hudson. 1999. Determination of home range of the raccoon (Procyon lotor) and the degree of interaction with domesticated animals at Aquarena Center, San Marcos, Hays County, Texas.

__    Jacqueline R. Seaman. 1997. Food habits of the Texas River Cooter (Pseudemys texana) at Spring Lake, Hays County, Texas

Students (thesis in progress)

__    Jennifer Korn, Avifauna of the Blanco River Valley

__    Rickey Jones, Bottomland hardwoods in the Edward's Plateau

__    Krista McDermid, Metapopulation structure in crevice spiny lizards

__    Katherine Grobe, Nest site selecton by Western Kingbirds in an urban habitat

__    Alycia Washington, Predation on turtle nests in a periurban environment

__    Rachel Barlow, Food habits of Northern Bobwhites on the Chaparral WMA

__    Macy Brown, Impact of prescribed fires on foraging by birds

Postdocs: None.

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