Wildlife Ecology Program

..."Then, what do you search for?"... We search for something that will seem like truth to us; we search for understanding; we search for that principle which keys us deeply into the pattern of all life; we search for the relations of things, one to another...

John Steinbeck; The Log from the Sea of Cortez  

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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

- Techniques in Wildlife Management (Bio 4435/5435)

- Natural History of the Vertebrates (Bio 4420/5420)

- Wildlife and Recreation: Impact, Policy, and Management (Bio 4304, Bio 7325)

- Natural History and Conservation of Large Mammals (Bio 7324) - co-instructor with Dr. John Baccus and Dr. Butch Weckerly

- Seminar (Bio 5110W) - Wildlife Disease, Urban Issues

Other Sites of Interest: Wildlife Society

Select Publications

- Korn, Jennifer M, Thomas R. Simpson, John T. Baccus, and Stephen L. Jester. 2009. Evaluating avian communities of the Blanco River Valley using occupancy modeling and landowner surveys. Bulletin of the Texas Ornithological Society 42(1-2):70-78.

- Aurora, A. L., T. R. Simpson, M. F. Small, and K. C. Bender. 2009. Avian community diversity in a traditional versus wildscaped neighborhood in San Antonio, Texas. Urban Ecosystems 12(3):347-358.

- Barlow, R. E., T. R. Simpson, and J. T. Baccus. 2008. Food Habits of Hunter Collected Northern Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus) at the Chaparral Wildlife Management Area in South Texas. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 62:7-11.

- Simpson, T. R. and F. L. Rose. 2007. Distribution of Cagle's Map Turtle (Graptemys caglei) in the Blanco and San Marcos rivers. Texas Journal of Science 59(3):201-208. (actual publication date, March 2008).

- Jones, M. C., T R. Simpson, R W. Manning, and M R. J. Forstner. 2007. Texas shrews (Blarina hylophaga) lacking external eye openings. Southeastern Naturalist 6(4):752-754.

- Gray, S. S., T. R. Simpson, J. T. Baccus, R. W. Manning, T. W. Schwertner. 2007. Diets and foraging preference of greater kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros in the Llano Uplift of Texas. Wildlife Biology 13(1):75-83.

- Small, M. F., E. S. Taylor, J. T. Baccus, C. L. Schaefer, T. R. Simpson, J. A. Roberson. 2007. Nesting home range and movements of an urban White-winged Dove population. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 119(3):467-471.

- Rose, F. L., T. R. Simpson, M. R. J. Forstner, D. J. McHenry, and J. Williams. 2006. Taxonomic Status of Acris gryllus paludicola: In search of the pink frog. Journal of Herpetology 40(4):429-435.

- Fields, J. R., T. R. Simpson, 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 37(4) 726-729.

- Towns, Kathy, T. R. Simpson, R. W. Manning, F. L. Rose. 2003. Food habits and selective foraging of the nutria (Myocastor coypus) in Spring Lake, Hays County, Texas. Occasional Papers Museum of Texas Tech University. No. 227. 12 pp.

- Denena, M. 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. Occasional Papers Museum of Texas Tech University. No. 226. 12 pp.

M.Sc. Students Supervised (chair or co-chair)

- McDermid, Krista. (Co-chair Francis Rose). 2009. Food habits of the common musk turtle, Sternotherus odoratus, in Spring Lake. M.Sc. Thesis

- Brown, Macy. 2009. Avian foraging response to seasonal burns on a central Texas ashe juniper-live oak savanna. M.Sc. Thesis

- Washington, Alycia. (Co-chair Francis Rose). 2008 Predation on turtle nests in a periurban environment. M.Sc. Thesis

- Barlow, Rachel E. 2008. Food habits of hunter collected northern Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus) at the Chaparral Wildlife Management Area in South Texas. M.Sc. Thesis

- Jones, Rickey. L. 2008. Ecological dynamics of native bottomland pecan communities in the Edward Plateau of Texas. M.Sc. Thesis

- Korn, Jennifer. M. 2008. (Co-chair John Baccus). Evaluating avian communities of the Blanco River Valley using occupancy modeling and landowner surveys. M.Sc. Thesis

- Grobe, Katherine. 2007. Nest site selection by Western Kingbirds in an urban habitat. M.Sc. Thesis

- Franklin, Stephanie. 2006. Home range of the Texas river cooter (Pseudemys texana) at Spring Lake, Hays County, Texas. M.Sc. Thesis

- Kalmbach, Arlene. 2006. Effects of nonindigenous plant species on bird communities in Central Texas periurban habitats. M.Sc. Thesis

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

- Shumate, Jason. (Co-chair Richard Manning). 2006. Home range and movement of nutria (Myocastor coypus) along a selected stretch of the Rio Grande River, Big Bend National Park, Texas. M.Sc. Thesis

- Zickler, Wilynn. 2006. Bird community surveys: a comparison of distance sampling and point counts. M.Sc. Thesis

- Milholland, Matthew. (Co-chair Richard Manning). 2005. Habitat use and food habits of nutria (Myocastor coypus) in the Rio Grande Village area of Big Bend National Park, Texas. M.Sc. Thesis

- O'Connor, Kathleen. 2003. Herptile abundance and diversity in response to seasonal burning on a Central Texas Ashe juniper-live oak savanna. M.Sc. Thesis

- Polito, Christine. 2003. Invertebrate fauna inhabiting carapaces of the Texas river cooter (Pseudemys texana) and the red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans). M.Sc. Thesis

- White, Clay J.. 2003. Avian habitat affinity in the Lost Pines region of Texas. M.Sc. Thesis

- Burke, Kyle. (Co-chair John Baccus). 2002. Seasonal diets and foraging selectivity of white-tailed deer in the Rolling Plains ecological region of Texas. M.Sc. Thesis

- Gray, Shawn. 2002. Seasonal diets of greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) in the Llano Uplift ecological region of Texas. M.Sc. Thesis

- Hunter, Amanda. 2002. Comparison of avian communities within traditional and wildscaped residential neighborhoods in San Antonio, Texas. M.Sc. Thesis

- Preite, Carrie. (Co-chair Paula Williamson). 2002. Algal species composition on turtle carapaces in Spring Lake, San Marcos, Texas. M.Sc. Thesis

- Ridenour, Karen. 2002. Home range of crevice spiny lizards (Sceloporus poinsettii) at Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area. M.Sc. Thesis

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

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

- Banks, Beth. 2000. Avifauna diversity and habitat relationships on a central Texas ranch. M.Sc. Thesis

- Hudson, Jayson. 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. M.Sc. Thesis

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

Current M.Sc. Students

- Connolly, Amy. (Co-chair Clay Green). Defining Habitat for Recovery of Ocelots (Leopardus Pardalis) in the United States. M.Sc. Thesis

- King, Corey. Urban Habitat Use by Great-tailed Grackles. M.Sc.

- Lyons, Jacob. (Co-chair Francis Rose). Distribution and Habitat Requirements of Inland Populations of the Keeled Earless Lizard (Holbrookia propinqua). M.Sc. Thesis

- Mali, Ivana. Reproductive Characteristics of the Texas River Cooter (Pseudemys texana) and Red-Eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) at Spring Lake, Hays County, Texas. M.Sc.

- Scalise, Jonathan. (Co-chair Francis Rose). Food habits of the Texas tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri). M.Sc. Thesis

- Swanson, Romey. Temporal and Spatial Trends of the Amphibians, Reptiles, and Small Mammals of the Relict Wetlands of Ottine. M.Sc. Thesis

- Tibbets, Mary. Effects of recreational activity on the Avian Community of Green Spaces within Sunset Valley, Texas. M.Sc. Thesis

Postdocs: None.

Last updated October 2009. Click here to return to the Biology front page