Joshua Osborn
M.S. Candidate
Research
American black duck (Anas rubripes) populations have decreased by
close to 60% since the 1950s (Conroy et al. 2002, Black Duck Joint Venture
[BDJV] 2008). Loss of
breeding and wintering habitats, hunter harvest, and interaction with mallards
(Anas platyrhynchos)
have been implicated in declines (Conroy et al. 2002). To date, most black duck habitat-use studies
in the migrating and wintering regions of North America have been focused on
the Atlantic Coast populations. However,
significant numbers of black ducks also spend winter in the interior United
States. Over 40% of all American black
ducks observed during mid-winter waterfowl surveys in the Mississippi Flyway
occur in Tennessee, and the majority of these birds (>75%) use habitats
associated with the Tennessee
National Wildlife Refuge (TNWR) and Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge
(Sanders et al. 1995). Given the
importance of these refuges, information is needed on black duck habitat use
and selection in order to guide management and conservation efforts in
Tennessee.
In 2010, Kira Newcomb
(Mississippi State University) began evaluating habitat use and winter survival
of female black ducks on TNWR using radio telemetry. My research will complement Kira’s research by adding details to the mechanisms that
drive habitat selection. In particular,
I will be estimating food resources and comparing energetic carrying capacities
between habitats used and avoided by wintering black ducks. I also will determine whether herbicide
control of alligatorweed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) improves wetland
conditions for black ducks. Results from
Kira’s and my research will provide guidance to the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the BDJV on the types of habitats that
should be managed and conserved for black ducks wintering in
Tennessee.
The objectives of my
M.S. research are to:
1)
Estimate
proportional use of 6 habitat types by black ducks and make inferences on
selection according to availability.
2)
Estimate
energetic carrying capacity for each habitat type and relate habitat use and
activities to temporal change in food availability.
3)
Determine the
impacts of herbicide control of alligatorweed on
moist-soil habitat quality and use by black ducks and other waterfowl.
Collaborators:
Black Duck Joint Venture, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, University of Tennessee Institute of
Agriculture, and Mississippi
State University.
References:
Black Duck Joint Venture (BDJV). 2008. Triennial report to the North American Waterfowl Management Plan Committee.
Conroy, M.J., M.W. Miller, and J.E. Hines. 2002. Identification and synthetic modeling of factors affecting American black duck populations. Wildlife Monographs No. 150.
Sanders, M.A., D.L. Combs, M.J. Conroy, and J.F. Hopper. 1995. Distribution patterns of American black ducks wintering in Tennessee. Proceedings of Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 49:607-617.
Personal
Hello!
I grew up in Burnsville, Mississippi, a small town
just a stone’s throw away from Tennessee and Alabama. After a six-year stint in the Navy as a
Nuclear Propulsion Plant Operator, I enrolled in the Wildlife Science program
at Mississippi State University. In
2011, I graduated with a B.S. in Wildlife Science. During my B.S., I worked one semester and one
summer as a wildlife technician with Mississippi
Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Additionally, I worked two summers studying
nest success in relation to predator management of upland nesting waterfowl in Minnedosa, Manitoba and Egeland,
North Dakota. This work was part of an
ongoing study conducted by Delta
Waterfowl to determine the effectiveness of predator control in areas with
less than 10% grass cover. I have been
an active member for The Wildlife Society
since 2009 and served as the Vice-president of the MSU Bulldog Chapter in
2010-2011. I also served on the Bulldog Chapter of Ducks Unlimited (DU), which
won the Duck Bowl trophy in 2010 and 2011 and was a DU Sweet 16 Chapter in
2011.
My interests include hunting (waterfowl and deer),
fishing, reading, and enjoying the outdoors.
My time in the Navy made me realize how much I missed nature and
belonged in the wildlife field. I also
enjoy teaching youth about hunting and fishing and how important they both are
in conserving our natural resources. My
professional goal is to work for a state, federal, or non-profit organization
to further our knowledge of waterfowl and wetland conservation.
Contact Information
Email: josbor16@utk.edu
Phone: 865-974-3897
UT Department of
Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries