Waiting on a mule deer crossing…
The primary project explores many questions related to the behavior and ecology of the burying beetle (Nicrophorus). Burying beetles are well known for their biparental care, which takes place on a small vertebrate carcass (usually a mouse) that they bury underground. The parents prepare the carcass as well as defend it against intruders, ensuring a food supply for their larvae. Behavioral studies provide insight into the factors that influence reproductive and parental decisions and success, such as individual size and age, carcasses quality, soil temperature, and competition from other carrion-feeding species. Long-term (> 25 years) ecological studies provide insight into the factors that influence the distribution and population dynamics of interacting carrion beetle species, including studies linking rodent populations (determined using live capture-mark-release-recapture techniques) to beetle populations (also marked and released), habitat associations based on microclimate, historical range shifts, and the influence of soil temperature and snowmelt on overwinter survival and emergence patterns. Burying beetles and rodent carcasses are also important components of the decomposer food web- and thus we also study their influence on soil nutrients and plant growth. Secondary projects include 1) deployment of motion-activated cameras to detect wildlife behaviors and activity on human trails and at key resources such as mineral licks and sapsucker wells and 2) collection of insects for genetic, identification, and taxonomic purposes.
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