Welcome to the Richard B. King Laboratory
What's Happening - Fall 2009
- Collin Jaeger is mastering microsatellite and nuclear DNA amplification and analysis abd is applying these tools to snake conservation genetic problems.
- Peter Jones has obtained Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake radiotelemetry data from investigators throughout the snakes range and is using these data to estimate geographic patterns of variation in adult survival. Such information is central to the management of this protected species and will be the basis of future demographic modeling.
Jesse Ray successful defended his master's thesis, "Conservation Genetics and Ecological Niche Modeling of Kirtland's snake, Clonophis kirtlandii, and the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, Sistrurus catenatus catenatus," and is currently preparing several manuscripts for publication.- Jace Robinson continues to build on his master's research on the phylogeography of northern watersnakes in the Great Lakes region by expanding his study to include additional species (common gartersnakes, brown snakes, redbellied snakes, Kirtland's snakes, eastern massasauga rattlesnakes) ,additional genetic markers, and computer simulations.
- Allison Sacerdote successfully defended her PhD dissertation, "Reintroduction of Extirpated Flatwoods Amphibians into Restored Forested Wetlands in Northern Illinois: Feasibility Assessment, Implementation, Habitat Restoration and Conservation Implications." One chapter from her dissertation is appearing in an upcoming issue of Wetlands and others will be submitted in the future. She is continuing amphibian reintroduction efforts (of spotted salamanders, woodfrogs, spring peepers) at MacArthur Woods Forest Preserve and is a Visiting Assistant Professor at NIU, teaching Biology of Fishes, Amphibians and Reptiles in fall and Conservation Biology in spring.
Kristin Stanford has completed the first phase of her demographic analyses of Lake Erie watersnakes, demonstrating unexpectedly high adult survivorship and positive population growth since this snake was listed as threatened in 1999. This information has been key in the USFWS decision to propose delisting the Lake Erie watersnake, an outcome that will move Kristin's work from recovery to post-delisting monitoring. - Undergraduate researcher Mike Blackowicz is continuing a multispecies snake population monitoring project at a local forest preserve. This project was begun by Andrew Moore, now an environmental law student at Michigan State University.
