Photo by Tristan Spinski
Welcome! Our lab conducts fieldwork and exploration in tropical and temperate systems to understand how environmental change affects wildlife populations and communities.
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News & updates
July 01, 2020
New research on species loss and community change in Amazonian forest fragments
Check out our latest research, published in Global Ecology and Conservation, examining species loss in Amazonian forest fragments relative to phylogenetic relatedness. We also explore nestedness of bird communities in differently sized forest fragments.
June 18, 2020
Shedding light on the evolution of bird coloration
Our paper, documenting the multi-step evolutionary pathway which gave rise to colorful plumage in warblers, was just accepted in Ecology and Evolution. Checkout the preprint here.
April 01, 2020
Costa Rica conservation action featured on the cover of Conservation Science and Practice
Some good news from quarantine: our collaborative team was featured on the April cover of Conservation Science & Practice (a peer-reviewed journal), for our project focused on bundling Payment for Ecosystem Services to protect Golden-winged Warbler habitat in Costa Rica.
March 19, 2020
New research demonstrates that avian survival in Amazonian forest fragments is driven by age of surrounding regenerating forest
Using long term data from the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragmentation Project (the world’s longest running landscape experiment), Jared and collaborators measured changes in avian survival within Amazonian forest fragments as a function of the age of surrounding regenerating forest. Their recent paper, published in the journal Avian Research, demonstrated that the annual survival of birds dramatically declined following clearing of adjacent forest, followed by a substantial increase in survival after five years of regeneration. These results reveal that value of regenerating forest to wildlife is not static, and can increase quickly with age.
March 17, 2020
Jared elected as the newest board member of Michigan's chapter of The Wildlife Society
Although the Michigan chapter of the Wildlife Society had to postpone their annual meeting until November 2020, the organization was able to hold officer elections where Jared was voted in as their newest board member.
February 26, 2020
New research demonstrates the power of bundling carbon offsets to protect vulnerable habitat for wildlife
Our recent publication demonstrates that protecting vulnerable habitat for wildlife can be achieved through partnerships with programs that trade in carbon offsets. As proof of concept, we developed recruitment efforts to enroll farmers into offset programs which successfully protected 790 hectares of valuable habitat for the Golden-winged Warbler in a coffee growing region of Costa Rica.
February 04, 2020
Fifth year of bird banding underway in Equatorial Guinea
Biodiversity Initiative field crews began their fifth year of bird banding data collection in second growth and primary forest plots in Equatorial Guinea. We use these data to determine which birds are most sensitive to tropical forest degradation.
Jared presented on his wildlife research and conservation work in Equatorial Guinea
As part of Michigan Tech's Biology Seminar series, Jared provided an overview of Biodiversity Initiative's avian and mammalian research, and conservation action, in the central African country of Equatorial Guinea.
October 18, 2019
Jared invited to present at George Mason University's biology seminar series
Jared was invited to present as part of George Mason University's biology seminar series. During his presentation, Jared discussed how evolutionary modifications of molt strategies helped birds exploit new niche space in lowland tropical rainforests.
October 02, 2019
Michigan Tech wildlife students & faculty present at 2019 TWS meeting
MTU's wildlife students and faculty presented on a diversity of topics at this year's Wildlife Society national meeting in Reno. Topics included the effects of different silviculture practices on small mammal communities and Eastern red-backed salamanders in northern hardwood forests.
August 22, 2019
Protecting Wood Thrush habitat throughout working landscapes in Costa Rica
Pablo Elizondo and Jared received funding from the USFWS Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act grant program to leverage the power of preexisting carbon sequestration and biodiversity easement programs to protect Wood Thrush habitat in working landscapes throughout the Caribbean slope of Costa Rica.
July 27, 2019
New publication summarizing demographic and behavioral effects of barred owls on spotted owls
Invasive barred owls are driving the northern spotted owl extinct, as such, we published a thorough literature review and synthesis in the Journal of Wildlife Management detailing behavioral and demographic interactions between the two species. This is a timely contribution that will, hopefully, bring us one step closer to mitigating the damaging effects of the barred owl invasion.
July 10, 2019
Daily Mining Gazette covers our new bird banding station
The Daily Mining Gazette covered the creation of our new bird banding station at the Ford Center and Forest in Alberta, MI. Data from the banding operation will be used to study avian survival, productivity, timing of lifecycle events, and the spread of avian malaria.
June 26, 2019
Jared interviewed by the Washigton Post about Prothontary Warbler study
Jared was interviewed by the Washington Post regarding the scientific and conservation implications of a recent study that used small tracking devices to identify the wintering grounds of Prothonotary Warblers—a small and brilliantly colored migratory songbird. You can read the story and excerpts in the Washington Post article.
May 18, 2019
The Wildlife Society recognizes "Molt of Neotropical Birds" as one of the best wildlife books of 2019
Out of 54 books considered, Erik Johnson and Jared made the The Wildlife Society's shortlist of best wildlife books of 2019 for "Molt in Neotropical Birds: Life History and Age Criteria"
May 13, 2019
Field Ornithology was a success!
Just finished our non-stop 3 day/2 night birding trip around the Upper Peninsula with our Michigan Tech Field Ornithology class. The class was full of students new to birding (and camping) and how impressive they were! After experiencing rivers of raptors passing over Whitefish Point, jack pines full of colorful warblers, stunning sunsets over Superior, and mouthfuls of s'mores, I believe we successfully fledged a cohort of new birders and campers. Click here for class photos.
April 23, 2019
Jared awarded Research Excellence Fund
Jared Wolfe, Kristin Brzeski, and Ezequiel Medici were selected as Research Excellence Fund recipients for their conservation work in Central Africa.
March 27, 2019
Our research featured in a Klamath Bird Observatory blog & press release
Our improved method of measuring wildlife diversity was discussed in a recent blog post from Klamath Bird Observatory.
March 13, 2019
New research improves our capacity to identify and manage quality habitat for wildlife
In our latest paper - published in Ecology and Evolution - we introduce "Informed indices", a simple, powerful, and better way to use diversity estimates to identify and manage valuable habitats for wildlife.
January 17, 2019
New research investigating links between visual constraints and bird sensitivity to forest degredation
Our latest publication in Oikos assessed the relationship between sensitivity to second growth forest and pupil diameter as indirect test of the visual constraints hypothesis in Amazonian birds.
January 10, 2019
Our research is one the most viewed artcles in PeerJ!
Our research investigating lost and vagrant birds was on of the top 5 most viewed Animal Behavior and Population Biology PeerJ articles published in 2018
December 21, 2018
New publication details our investigation into warbler vagrancy on the West Coast
Why do some birds get lost and become vagrants? Check out our latest research addressing the question. Our analysis was based on banding data & Stanley Harris's meticulous archival of vagrant birds in northern California
December 01, 2018
Jared delivered invited lecture at Ohio State University
Jared delivered an invited lecture at Ohio State University's School of Environment and Natural Resources where he presented on his ongoing research with Biodiversity Initiative in Equatorial Guinea, central Africa.
October 22, 2018
Highlights from bird banding at the Ford Forest Center
Despite some fall snow, students from Jared's Wildlife Habitat course safely captured and processed a number of resident birds at the Ford Forest Center, located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Click here to view highlight captures.
September 01, 2018
Jared invited to deliver keynote at Alabama Ornithological Society's Fall Meeting
Alabama Ornithological Society will be hosting Jared as keynote speaker during their 2018 fall meeting, October 12th through October 14th, Dauphin Island, Alabama. He will be presenting on exploration and conservation in Equatorial Guinea.
April 21, 2018
Jared awarded 2018 Louisiana Ornithological Society President's Award
The Louisiana Ornithological Society (LOS) announced that Jared Wolfe will receive the 2018 President's Award during their annual meeting in Cameron Parish. The award recognizes Jared's contributions to bird monitoring and education in Louisiana.
March 16, 2018
Review of our Tropical Molt book in Journal of Field Ornithology
Thoughtful review from Peter Pyle in the Journal of Field Ornithology highlighting the strengths of our work, as well as differences in opinion regarding theory that have yet to be resolved. From the last paragraph of the review, "For this and many other reasons, I consider this an absolute must for any student of either avian molt or avian tropical systems, and it has already become one of the eight or so most critical molt-reference works within immediate reach of my desk."
PhD fellowship at LSU for Africa research
Announcing a fantastic fellowship opportunity for a PhD in Phil Stouffer's Lab at LSU. The successful applicant would perform ornithological research on our (Biodiversity Initiative's) long-term study plots in Equatorial Guinea. The fellowship is available to Americans of underrepresented groups (i.e., sorry white guys). Click here to learn more.
February 02, 2018
Biodiversity Initiative intern finishes second field season
Biodiversity Initiative's intern successfully completed his second field season near Equatorial Guinea's new capital city, Oyala.
January 08, 2018
Africa field season begins
Official beginning of field season with Biodiversity Initiative in Equatorial Guinea, central Africa. In addition to our bird crew, we are working with entomologists and bat biologists to better understand community structure in our long-term study plots.
December 12, 2017
Wolfe and Johnson among highest cited JFO research in past 2 years
Our research documenting migratory connectivity of Prothonotary Warbler was featured as one of the highest cited publications in Journal of Field Ornithology within the past two years.
December 06, 2017
Wildlife Society interview about Hawaii research
Read Jared's interview with the Wildlife Society about his recent publication in Ecology detailing the effects of climate on plant and bird phenology in Hawaii.
November 14, 2017
Hawaii Tribune Herald published an article about our Hawaii research
The Hawaii Tribune Herald published an article detailing our findings that climate has cascading effects on Hawaiian plant phenology and avian breeding and molt seasonality.
December 05, 2017
Symposium accepted for AOS 2018!
Our molt migration symposium proposal was accepted for the upcoming AOS meeting in Tucson.
October 30, 2017
Molt book now available through Amazon!
“Molt in Neotropical Birds: Life History and Age Criteria” is now available for purchase through Amazon.
November 10, 2017
USFS press release for Hawaii research
USDA Forest Service issued an official press release about our recent publication in Ecology where we studied the effects of climate on avian food resources and subsequent breeding and molting seasonality.
September 29, 2017
Hawaii research published in Ecology!
Our Research examining the effects of climate on Hawaiian birds has been published in Ecology.
September 14, 2017
Jared wrote a guest blog for KBO
Read about how Klamath Bird Observatory’s international training program shaped bird monitoring throughout Central and South America in Jared's guest blog
September 01, 2017
Molt migration research published in Ecology & Evolution
We used long-term banding data to assess small-distance post-breeding movements to molting grounds throughout the Klamath-Siskiyou Bioregion. The full paper is available in Ecology and Evolution.
January 01, 2020
"Informed indices" research featured in Klamath Bird Observatory blog
Check out Klamath Bird Observatory's latest blog post detailing our "informed indices" concept - a better way to measure wildlife diversity.