March 2012

Jason Fischer defended his Master"s thesis, "Influence of Sand Dredging and Other Anthropogenic Disturbances on Fish and Habitat in the Kansas River."

David Haukos started teaching a Division of Biology course, "Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation." The other co-instructor for this course is Keith Gido.

February 2012

David Haukos and Martha Mather attended the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism meeting in Salina, KS.

David Haukos attended the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society meeting in Fort Worth, TX. He was co-author of seven presentations at the meeting:

• Aerial surveys for lesser prairie-chicken leks: detectability and disturbance response. 2012. 48th Annual Meeting, Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Fort Worth, Texas. J.T. McRoberts presenting.

• The predicted influence of climate change on lesser prairie-chicken reproductive parameters. 2012. 48th Annual Meeting, Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Fort Worth, Texas. B.A. Grisham presenting.

• Community response to use of prescribed grazing and herbicide for restoration of sand shinnery oak grasslands. 2012. 48th Annual Meeting, Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Fort Worth, Texas. J.C. Zavaleta presenting.

• Nest success and nest site selection of black-necked stilts on the Texas Chenier Plain National Wildlife Refuge Complex. 2012. 48th Annual Meeting, Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Fort Worth, Texas. T.V. Riecke presenting.

• Potential climate change impacts to mottled ducks on the Chenier Plain Region of Texas. 2012. 48th Annual Meeting, Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Fort Worth, Texas. J.A. Moon presenting.

• American woodcock (Scolopax minor) habitat suitability and occupancy in eastern Texas. 2012. 48th Annual Meeting, Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Fort Worth, Texas. D.S. Sullins presenting.

• Potential exposure to environmental lead in mottled ducks (Anas fulvigula) on the Texas Chenier Plains National Wildlife Refuge Complex. 2012. 48th Annual Meeting, Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Fort Worth, Texas. S.K. McDowell presenting. Poster

David Haukos participated in the Southern Plains Conference in Muleshoe, TX as a panel member, and attended a coastal waterfowl/wetland research meeting in Nacogdoches, TX.

January 2012

Amanda Goldberg defended her Master’s thesis titled, “Apparent Survival, Dispersal, and Abundance of Black-tailed Prairie Dogs.”

Jane Fencl, Kayla Gerber, Sean Hitchman and Zach Peterson joined the Kansas Coop Unit as graduate students under the direction of Martha Mather.

Gene Albanese, David Haukos, Jason Fischer, Joe Gerken, Jane Fencl, Kayla Gerber, Sean Hitchman and Zach Peterson attended the Kansas Natural Resources Conference in Wichita, KS. Jason Fischer made the following presentation:

• Influence of In-Stream and Watershed Alterations on Sandbars and Islands in the Kansas River.

David Haukos attended the Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV) meeting as a member of the Science Advisory Team in Lubbock, TX.

December 2011

Jack Cully, Rachel Pigg, Amanda Goldberg, Joe Gerken and Jason Fischer attended the Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference in Des Moines, IA. The following papers were presented:

• Goldberg, A., J. F. Cully. Apparent Survival of Black-tailed Prairie Dogs at Four Small National Parks Using the Robust Design in Program MARK. Contributed Poster Presentation.

• Pigg, R., T. Johnson, and J. F. Cully. The influence of landscape features on the disease ecology of sylvatic plague. Contributed Poster Presentation.

• Fischer, J. Habitat and Fish Community Response to Sand Dredging In a Large Great Plains River.

• Gerken, J. E. Can silver carp be controlled? Population level response to various management regimes.

Martha Mather attended a Ph.D. dissertation defense as Major Professor at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

David Haukos met with U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials to discuss ongoing research projects in Canyon, TX.

November 2011

David Haukos and Gene Albanese met with researchers from South Dakota State University and Texas Tech University concerning research collaboration in Brookings, SD.

David Haukos attended a Ph.D. dissertation defense as committee member at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK.

October 2011

David Haukos presented a paper, “Use of grazing management to restore lesser prairie-chicken habitat in eastern New Mexico” at the 29th Prairie Grouse Technical Council meeting Hays, KS.

David Haukos and Gene Albanese attended a research meeting of the Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (GPLCC) at Fort Collins, CO.

David Haukos presented a paper, “The High Plains: Connecting Ecosystems” at the Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (GPLCC) team meeting in Oklahoma City, OK. (Invited).

David Haukos participated in a Master’s thesis defense at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX and met with faculty concerning research projects.

Martha Mather met with faculty concerning research and attended graduate student committee meetings at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

September 2011

The annual Coordinating Committee Meeting for the Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit was held at the International Grains Program, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS.

David Haukos made a Webinar presentation, “The High Plains: making sense of a complex system.” for the Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative, September 2011. (Invited).

Jason Fischer and Joe Gerken presented papers at the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA.

Fischer presented the paper, “Habitat and Fish Community Response to Sand Dredging In a Large Great Plains River.”

Gerken presented the paper, “Age-specific demography of silver carp: implications for management and control.”