Latest News
2024
Article on our Solar-Wildlife Research from our project partner Today's Power Inc.
Mitchell Pruitt successfully defends his PhD on ecology of Saw-Whet Owls in Arkansas - Congrats Mitchell!
Paper - Maine Snakes! - Northeast Nat - what a fun lab-wide collaboration on long-term data!
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KUAF coverage of our new DOE-funded Solar-Wildlife Project
Launching a New Project on wildlife communities in solar arrays funded by the US DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office!
Chelsea selected as BioBOne Ambassador for her PhD work on Crawfish Frogs - Congrats Chelsea!
Python Synthesis is out! Monumental Work by Jackie Guzy and many co-authors!
Paper - Box Turtle thermal biology in remnant prairies - J Herp- Yerdon et al.
KUAF coverage of prairie snake research
Paper - Prairie Herp Occupancy in NW AR - Landscape Ecology - Royal et al.
Crawfish Frog research featured on TWS news!
Paper - Fire Ant Predation on Snakes - Herpetologica - Swartwout and Willson
Paper - Crawfish Frog Occupancy - Ichthyology & Herpetology - Kross and Willson - Cover Photo!
Paper - Riparian Herp Communities in Managed Forests - Eco Apps! Great paper Jackie!
Paper - Road-based Density Estimation - Wildlife Research. Cover Photo!
Research in our lab at the University of Arkansas focuses on understanding factors that drive population and community dynamics of reptiles and amphibians including inter- and intraspecific interactions, environmental variation, and anthropogenic impacts such as land-use change, pollution, and invasive species. Our work uses a combination of descriptive, experimental, and theoretical approaches to integrate responses from the level of the individual organism to the landscape. We are also interested in basic aspects of reptiles and amphibian ecology that set them apart from other vertebrates.
Current research areas in the Willson Lab include:
1) Evaluating population and landscape-scale effects of anthropogenic stressors (pollution, land-use change, intensive forestry, invasive species) on amphibians and reptiles.
2) Understanding the ecology, impacts, and management of Burmese pythons and other invasive snakes.
3) Assessing biotic and abiotic drivers of aquatic snake population and community dynamics within wetland ecosystems.
4) Development of novel field and analytical methods to understand reptile and amphibian distribution and abundance.
Please contact Dr. Willson if you are interested in research or graduate student opportunities.