Zokor research in China

I spent the summer of 1992 in western China on the Tibetan Plateau studying the ecology of the Zokor (Myospalax myospalax), a mole-rat endemic to this region. This species is creating significant damage to the high elevation grasslands of the plateau which have historically been used to graze sheep and yak.

Wildlife Studies in Taiwan

The University of Montana has established cooperative agreements with two universities in Taichung, Taiwan, Tunghai University and, most recently, Providence University, which allows for the exchange of faculty and students. Dr. Jai-Chyi Kurtis Pei, at National Pingtung University of Science & Technology in Pingtung (southern Taiwan) and I have just completed an MOU between our two institutions for such an agreement as well. During the spring of 2004 I spent one month teaching at these institutions and discussing the possibility of collaborative research projects. In particular, I am interested in developing the field of animal ecology at these institutions and working directly with some of the indigenous tribes in the mountainous regions. One such tribe, the Ataya, are involved in discussions with the Taiwanese government to protect the last remaining old growth cypress forests to protect this habitat and the wildlife found here. Significant cultural issues influence these decisions since the Ataya have inhabited this region and lived off of the land for thousands of years. Wildlife surveys were initiated with the Ataya in April 2005 to help formulate a management plan for this region. This research will continue for the next several years. I am also working with Dr. Pei and his graduate students on a variety of projects in Taiwan and Vietnam.

For additional information on our studies with the Ataya see this International Studies article (PDF).

Wildlife Studies in Bhutan

The University of Montana has begun to work closely with biologists in Bhutan and currently has several Bhutanese graduate students enrolled in our wildlife biology program. I am working with these students both at UM and in Bhutan to help in the development of conservation programs and to provide Bhutanese scientists with information on remote sensing of wildlife and population estimation. I spent several weeks in Bhutan this January (2008) discussing such work and returned in 2009 and 2010 for additional fieldwork. A Bhuthanese biologist, Phurba Phurba, spent the academic year of 2008/2009 in my lab to obtain training in museum curation and plant and animal collections. In 2010 I gave a training session on small mammal survey techniques to begin long-term surveys across the country.