Dr. J. Brian Davis Flashcards
Where did Dr. Davis receive his bachelor’s degree?
What was his major/concentration?
Dr. Davis received a Bachleor of Science degree in Wildlife Management from the University of Missouri - Columbia.
Where did Dr. Davis receive his master’s degree?
What was his major/concentration?
Dr. Davis received a Master of Science degree in Wildlife and Fisheries from Mississippi State University.
Where did Dr. Davis receive his doctoral degree?
What was his major/concentration?
Dr. Davis received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Forest Resources from Mississippi State University.
What are Dr. Davis’ research interests?
Waterfowl and Wetland Ecology and Conservation
Where is Dr. Davis employed?
What is his job title?
Dr. Davis is employed at Mississippi State University in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture as the James C. Kennedy Endowed Associate Professor in Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation.
Summarize Dr. Davis’ recent publication:
Waterbird communities and seed biomass in managed and reference-restored wetlands in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) commenced the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative (MBHI) in summer2010 after the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The MBHI enrolled in the program 193,000 haof private wet- and cropland inland from potential oil-impaired wetlands.
We evaluated waterfowl and other waterbird useand potential seed/tuber food resources in NRCS Wetland Reserve Program easement wetlands managed via MBHI funding and associated reference wetlands in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri.
In Louisiana and Mississippi, nearly three times more dabbling ducks and all ducks combined were observed on managed than reference wetlands. Shorebirds and waterbirds other than waterfowl were nearly twice as abundant on managed than referenced wetlands.
In Arkansas and Missouri, managed wetlands had over twice more dabbling ducks and nearly twice as many duck species than reference wetlands. Wetlands managed via MBHI in Mississippi and Louisiana contained ≥1.3 times more seed and tuber biomass known to be consumed by waterfowl than reference wetlands.
Seed and tuber resources did not differ between wetlands in Arkansas and Missouri.
While other studies have documented greater waterbird densities on actively than nonmanaged wetlands, our results highlighted the potential for initiatives focused on managing conservation easements to increase waterbird use and energetic carrying capacity of restored wetlands for waterbirds.
Summarize Dr. Davis’ recent publication:
Aquatic Invertebrate Community Composition, Diversity, and Biomass in Non-impounded Bottomland Hardwood Forests and Greentree Reservoirs
The Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) had extensive bottomland hardwood forests but less than 25% of this area remains forested today. Impounded greentree reservoirs (GTRs), have been managed for wintering waterfowl since the 1930s, and provide a source of aquatic invertebrates and acorns for foraging ducks and other wildlife. However, few studies of invertebrate community-composition, diversity, and biomass have been conducted at regional scales. We collected samples of aquatic invertebrates from three hardwood bottomlands in the MAV and one in the Mississippi Interior Flatwoods region during winters 2008–09 and 2009–10. We compared community composition metrics of aquatic invertebrates between naturally flooded forests (NFF) and GTRs. Five families occurred more frequently in GTRs than NFFs (P<0.01); these were Asellidae, Chironomidae, Cragonyctidae, Daphniidae, and Sphaeriidae. However, the NFFs had greater invertebrate familial diversity than their paired GTRs for most winter months. Across winters, we found most invertebrate families (65% [early winter] and 82% [late winter]) associated with sites in NFFs and GTRs with depths from 10–40 cm. Because GTRs are typically flooded to depths greater than this range, and flooding of most GTRs results in relatively stable hydroperiods, we re-emphasize need for managing hydrology of GTRs similarly to local NFFs, which may promote increased invertebrate diversity and biomass.
