Integrative Ecology and Coexistence Lab

Integrative Ecology & Coexistence Lab

Led by Dr. Joey Hinton Ph.D. and WCC research associate Sunny Murphy, the WCC's Integrative Ecology and Coexistence Lab focuses on the ecology, management, and conservation of mammalian carnivores. Within this context, IECL develops high-quality research at WCC by conducting research on four broad topics: 1) mechanisms that govern the distributions and population dynamics of carnivore species, 2) addressing ecological and evolutionary questions at large spatial and temporal scales, 3) assessing strategies used for population recovery, and 4) the taxonomy and evolution of canids in North America. Scientists at IECL will draw on their experiences in these disciplines and use existing research collaborations with partners to develop innovative ecological research. These topics have both theoretical and applied relevance and are well-suited for influencing conservation policies and engaging the public in advocacy.

IECL Mission

IECL Vision

IECL Values

Knowledge. We uplift and engage with different ways of knowing, including Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), as well as local generational and community knowledge, alongside academic sciences.

Decentralization. We understand the exclusionary legacy of the North American Model of conservation and advocate for the decentralization of wildlife management and conservation in pursuit of interspecies justice contextualized by a broader diversity of cultural awareness.

Collaboration. Human-wildlife relationships are complex, just as the systems in which they exist. We advocate interdisciplinary approaches to investigating ecological and social-ecological dynamics.

WCC-IECL: WHO WE ARE

Dr. Joseph W. Hinton

Senior Research Scientist

Joey is WCC’s senior research scientist and earned his PhD from the University of Georgia. His research focuses on the conservation and management of canids, specifically red wolves and coyotes. Joey often conducts field research involving morphometrics, mark-recapture methods, radio-tracking techniques, and GPS/GIS applications to understand population dynamics and distribution. His ongoing projects include the ecology and conservation of in situ and ex situ red wolf populations, the ecology and management of coyotes, and assessing the ecology and taxonomy of Gulf Coast canids along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana.

Jazmin "Sunny" Murphy

Research Associate

Colleen O'Donnell

Conservation Scientist

Colleen O'Donnell, MSc is passionate about wildlife and is particularly interested in the science of reintroductions and how it can be used to stop extinctions and restore ecosystem function. Her background is in species conservation, sustainable and wildlife-friendly livelihoods, habitat restoration, community-based climate adaptation, and combating wildlife crime. She has worked on species and with communities in African forests, mountains, wetlands, and savannas and in the high-mountain peatlands of the Himalayas and Andes. When she's not working to save Red Wolves, you can find her belting out Moana songs with her 5 year old, planting native plants in her community, or watching out for foxes in her backyard. She is currently working on her PhD in the Environmental Science and Technology Department at the University of Maryland. She earned a bachelors in biology from the University of Notre Dame and a Masters in sustainable development from the University of London SOAS.

WCC-IECL: WHAT WE DO

UPDATES FROM THE FIELD

GET INVOLVED!

The Wolf Conservation Center Integrative Ecology & Coexistence Lab (WCC-IECL) is supporting people-powered wildlife programs in the US. We focus on coyotes and the animals with which they have significant overlap, such as deer.

To do this, we need to know how many coyotes are in our study area. We also need to know where they live, their activity patterns, and what they eat. At the same time, we will get to know how people feel about their local coyotes to support coexistence.

Want to get involved? Learn about the coyotes in this study by helping out with our wildlife camera photos!

GET INVOLVED!

Publications

Red wolf ancestry on Galveston Island, TX (2022)

Red wolf ancestry on Galveston Island, TX (PDF)

The study found that there are coyotes on Galveston Island and the mainland of Texas with significant red wolf ancestry, and some individuals have retained unique genetic variation from the red wolf founding population. The population on Galveston Island has at least four family groups, and coyotes are highly related but not genetically depauperate. The presence of red wolf ancestry could benefit future conservation efforts by using novel reproductive techniques and de-introgression strategies to recover lost genetic variation and reduce inbreeding within the species.

Recursive use of home ranges and seasonal shifts in foraging behavior by a generalist carnivore (2022)

Ecology And Evolution 2022 Youngmann Recursive Use Of Home Ranges And Seasonal Shifts In Foraging Behavior By A... (PDF)

Coyotes have colonized the southeastern United States, filling the void left by the extirpation of larger predators. They prey on white-tailed deer and other small mammals, birds, and vegetation, and their foraging behavior is essential for understanding their impact on prey and other carnivores. A study tracking 41 coyotes across Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina using GPS collars revealed that they preferred open land and avoided roads, while selecting for forest edges except from April to June when they foraged within interior forests. This behavior may increase predation on vulnerable white-tailed deer fawns in the spring. The study also suggests that road-killed carcasses are an unlikely source of deer in coyotes' diets year-round, as they avoid roads during foraging.

A model-based estimate of winter distribution and abundance of white-tailed deer in the Adirondack Park (2022)

White-tailed deer distribution and abundance in Adirondack (PDF)

In the Adirondack Park region of northern New York, white-tailed deer and moose coexist, with moose populations being vulnerable and low-density. Researchers estimated 16,352 white-tailed deer in the park, with densities influenced by proximity to human activity and climate factors. Climate change may favor white-tailed deer over moose, potentially leading to increased competition for resources and disease spread, emphasizing the need for management strategies that account for these environmental conditions.