"Most of the Western Hemisphere's charismatic large mammals no longer exist. As a result, without knowing it, Americans live in a land of ghosts" - Paul S. Martin

"A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise." - Aldo Leopold

Rob Lonsinger

I am currently working on my PhD at the University of Idaho (Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources). As a member of the Laboratory for Ecological, Evolutionary, and Conservation Genetics, I am advised by Dr. Lisette Waits. My dissertation research focuses on employing noninvasive genetic sampling techniques to assess the demographic parameters of kit fox and coyote populations in western Utah. Furthermore, I am evaluating population genetic structure and the influence that anthropogenic landscape alterations have on the spatial dynamics and connectivity of these populations. My professional interests include landscape genetics, spatial ecology, the effect of anthropogenic landscape alteration on populations, urban ecology, predator-prey dynamics, and statistics.
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I recently presented the first chapter of my PhD dissertation at The Wildlife Society's annual conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I review how information on sample accumulation and DNA degradation rates can be used to optimize noninvasive genetic sampling design. By optimizing sampling, researchers and managers can extend limited funding to maximize the spatial and/or temporal extent of sampling. A recording of this presentation can be viewed at http://tws.sclivelearningcenter.com/index.aspx?PID=6893&SID=182295.

Financial support for this research was provided by the U.S. Department of Defense.