Research - Wildlife Science

Increase and disseminate knowledge about wildlife species, populations, and communities and how they relate to ecosystem structure and functioning and respond to environmental changes.

Faculty:
Dr. Andrew DeWoody
Population genetics, molecular ecology and evolution

Dr. John Dunning
Response of wildlife populations to large-scale change, conservation biology, restoration ecology, conservation biology

Dr. ​Jason Hoverman
Herpetology, disease ecology, effect of multiple stressors on community​ dynamics

Dr. Liz Flaherty
Mammalian responses to habitat fragmentation, forest ecology, locomotion costs for arboreal and semi-arboreal mammals, stable isotope ecology, ecophysiology

Dr. Bryan Pijanowski
Land-use modeling & spatial ecology, ecological assessment, natural resource economic impact analysis

Dr. Maria Sepulveda
Ecotoxicology, development and application of molecular biomarkers of exposure and effects to environmental contaminants in vertebrate and invertebrate animal models

Dr. Rob Swihart
Disturbance ecology, effects of habitat fragmentation, spatial modeling of populations & communities

Dr. Rod Williams
Ecology and conservation of amphibians and reptiles, education and outreach, genetics

Dr. Patrick Zollner
Behavioral ecology of ecological landscapes, forest management in changing landscapes, animal movements

Areas of Specialization:

  • Quantitative Ecology
  • Wildlife Management
  • Restoration Ecology
  • Conservation Biology
  • Spatial Ecology
  • Fragmentation Ecology
  • Ecotoxicology
  • Wildlife Nutrition
  • Wildlife Physiology
  • Human Wildlife Interactions
  • Population Ecology
  • Community Ecology

Learn More About Our Research

View our nine research areas along with our world-class faculty.

Purdue centers seek to support and enhance the research and partnership enterprise at Purdue University. The centers are valued and encouraged at Purdue as they create a venue for faculty to come together to pursue common goals. Forestry and Natural Resources have faculty and staff involved in six centers here at the University.

The Department of Forestry and Natural Resources maintains an impressive collection of state-of-the-art research and education facilities. These labs, green houses, and educational facilities are a fundamental component that enables our faculty and students to learn, make new discoveries, and engage our clients in using these discoveries to sustain our nation’s ecosystems and natural resources.​

The mission of the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources is to develop and disseminate knowledge in the natural resource sciences associated with the protection, management, and sustainable use of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. One way the department accomplishes our mission is by owning and managing 24 properties located throughout the state to provide opportunities for research, extension, and education that achieves sustainable use of our natural resources.

See Our Wildlife Science Research Stories

Hellbender eggs, a gilled larvae and an adult hellbender
Researchers Discover Young Hellbender in Blue River

Biologists with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Purdue University recently...

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A buck stands in the snow
Research from DeWoody Lab Aims to Use DNA to Age Wildlife

Dr. Andrew DeWoody and his team will look to determine age of wildlife through DNA degradation...

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An adult eastern hellbender
Help the Hellbender Lab Honored for Conservation Efforts

Dr. Rod Williams and the Help the Hellbender research team have earned three honors in 2023 for...

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Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant's Ben Szczygiel with Chuoy the buoy; the Natural Resources Teachers Institute at the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment; Drs. Bryan Pijanowski and Jingjing Liang with their team doing the can you hear me sign in the forest
FNR Year in Review 2022: The Collaborations

Four research centers and four long-term research projects are housed within the Purdue...

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Mike Saunders with a student on a prescribed fire; Liz Flaherty holding small mammal traps; Paris Collingsworth on a boat
Collingsworth, Flaherty and Saunders Earn Promotions

Purdue FNR congratulates three faculty members on their promotions, which were announced at the...

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Madison Kresse poses in front of a canyon
Meet FNR Outstanding Senior Madison Kresse

Meet outstanding senior Madison Kresse, an FNR Ambassador, and member of the Society of American...

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