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Carola A. Haas
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Academic Interests:
Behavioral and population ecology; birds, reptiles, and amphibians in production agriculture and forestry systems; landscape effects on reproduction and dispersal
Courses Taught:
Principles of Fisheries and Wildlife (with Eric Hallerman); Wildlife Field Biology; Preparing Vertebrate Museum Specimens; Earth Sustainability Food & Agriculture; Sustainable Food Graduate Seminar (with Elena Serrano); Wildlife Population
Dynamics; Dispersal Graduate Seminar; Behavior and Conservation Graduate Seminar (with Jeff Walters), Vertebrate Dispersal Behavior (with John Phillips)
Conservation of Reptiles & Amphibians (with Robin Andrews)
Professional Achievements:
NSF Postdoctoral appointment (1990-92), Yamanashi University, Japan; Coordinator, North American Section, International Shrike Working Group; Associate Editor, Southern Journal of Applied Forestry(1996-2001); American Ornithologists' Union Elective Member, 2000; Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources Diversity Award 2001; Virginia Tech Advancing Women Award, 2006; LGBT Caucus at VT Safe Zone of the Decade Award, 2008.
Recent Activities:
Effects of 7 Silvicultural Practices on Terrestrial Salamanders
in Southern Appalachian Forests
Southern Appalachian forests have one of the highest densities and diversities
of salamanders in the world. Salamanders occur in lower densities in forest
stands that have been recently clearcut. However, few studies have addressed
the effects of other timber harvesting practices on terrestrial salamanders.
The size and type of timber harvest produce different effects on wildlife habitat,
and may influence salamander populations differently. This project compares
several economically viable methods of forest management. For the past 15 years,
we have monitored the effects of 7 different oak regeneration techniques at
6 sites in Virginia and West Virginia. Preliminary results indicate a decline
in relative abundance of salamanders on plots with any disturbance to the forest
canopy. See link to project website below.
Southern Appalachian Silviculture and Biodiversity (SASAB) Project
Status and Movements of the Bog Turtle in Virginia
The bog turtle is a small freshwater turtle found in isolated sphagnum bogs
and marshy meadows in the eastern United States. Habitat loss and collection
for the pet trade have caused many populations to decline and the bog turtle
is now afforded legal protection in every state in which it is found. The goals
of this study were to re-evaluate the status of known bog turtle populations
in Virginia, and to document movement among wetlands using mark-recapture techniques. We observed dispersal events of several hundred meters. We are continuing work to examine importance of habitat corridors, soils and hydrology of occupied wetlands, and reproductive ecology.
Status and ecology of flatwoods salamander and Florida bog frog on Elgin Air Force Base.
The flatwoods salamander and the Florida bog frog are rare amphibians with small geographic ranges. For both species we are evaluating how habitat affects small and large scale distribution and whether current management practices are effective for these species. The maintenance of historic fire patterns and connectivity of habitats may be critical to the survival of these species, but challenging to implement.
Selected Publications(students under my direction indicated with an asterisk)
*Homyack,J.A., C. A. Haas, and W. A. Hopkins. 2010. Influence of temperature and body mass on standard metabolic rate of eastern red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus). Journal of Thermal Biology 35: 143-146. (2010),doi:10.1016/j.jtherbio.2010.01.006
*Homyack, J. A., E. B. Sucre, C. A. Haas, and T. R. Fox. 2010. Does Plethodon cinereus affect leaf litter decomposition and invertebrate abundances in mixed oak forest? Journal of Herpetology 44: 447-456.
*Priestley, A. S., T. A. Gorman*, and C. A. Haas. 2010. Comparative morphology of Rana okaloosae and Rana clamitans clamitans tadpoles. Florida Scientist 73: 20-26.
Askins, R. A., F. Chavez-Ramirez, B. C. Dale, C. A. Haas, J. R. Herkert, F. L. Knopf, P. D. Vickery. 2007. Conservation of grassland birds in North America: Understanding ecological processes in different regions. Ornithological Monographs 64: 1-46.
Current Graduate Students
Sylvia Powell
Danielle Bridgers - Nesting Ecology and Ovarian Cycle of Bog Turtles (Glyptemys muhlenbergii) in Southwestern Virginia
Jeff Feaga - Bog turtle habitat
Jesse Overcash - Bird communities in forest harvest openings - US Forest Biologist
Current Positions of Former Graduate Students
David Bishop Kate Kelly Shawn L. Carter Jorge Humberto Vega Rivera Shannon M. Knapp Fred Amidon |
Amy Meehan Doug Harpole Lori Williams David Garst Tom Gorman
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Last update December, 2010