Eric M. Schauber
Professor
I am interested in the causes and consequences of fluctuating animal populations within the broader context of ecological communities. These fluctuations can lead to changes in the magnitude of community interactions such as predation, competition, and disease transmission. A mechanistic understanding what causes booms and busts in animal abundance may allow humans to predict ecological consequences and make management and conservation decisions accordingly. Some of my major areas of current research are: Space-use and Disease Dynamics in White-tailed Deer, Conservation Biology of the Eastern Woodrat, Population Viability of Swamp Rabbits, and Ecological Role of Generalist Predators.
Education
Ph.D., University of Connecticut
Courses taught
ZOOL 468 Wildlife Biology Principles, ZOOL 530 Wildlife Diseases, ZOOL 577 Population Ecology, ZOOL 581 Zoological Literature
Areas of interest
Wildlife Ecology
Selected Recent Publications
Lesmeister, D., C. Nielsen, E. Schauber, and E. Hellgren. 2015. Spatial and temporal structure of a mesocarnivore guild in midwestern North America. Wildlife Monographs, In press.
Schauber, E. M., C. K. Nielsen, L. J. Kjær, C. W. Anderson, and D. J. Storm. 2015. Space use, group dynamics, and contact patterns among white-tailed deer: implications for disease transmission. Journal of Mammalogy, SPECIAL FEATURE: Interactions Between Mammals and their Pathogens, In press.
Crawford, J. C., R. D. Bluett, and E. M. Schauber. 2015. Conspecific aggression by beavers (Castor canadensis) in the Sangamon River Basin in central Illinois: correlates with habitat, age, sex and season. American Midland Naturalist 173:145-155.
Tosa, M. I., E. M. Schauber, and C. K. Nielsen. 2015. Familiarity breeds contempt: proximity loggers reveal female white-tailed deer avoiding close contact with near neighbors. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 51:79-88. DOI 10.7589/2013-06-139.
Wolf, A. J., E. C. Hellgren, E. M. Schauber, V. Bogosian III, R. T. Kazmaier, D. C. Ruthven IV, and R. W. Moody. 2014. Vital-rate sensitivity in urban and wildland populations of Texas horned lizards (Phrynosoma cornutum). Population Ecology 56:619-631. DOI 10.1007/s10144-014-0450-5.
Bluett, R. D., and E. M. Schauber. 2014. Estimating abundance of adult Trachemys scripta with camera traps: accuracy, precision, and probabilities of capture for a closed population. Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science. 107:19-24.
Anderson, C., C. K. Nielsen, C. Hester, R. Hubbard, J. Stroud, and E. M. Schauber. 2013. Comparison of indirect and direct methods of distance sampling for estimating density of white-tailed deer. Wildlife Society Bulletin 37:146-154.
Crawford, J. C., C. K. Nielsen, E. M. Schauber, C. L. Roy, L. K. Berkman, P. A. Scharine, and L. Rubert. 2012. Ecology and management of the swamp rabbit at the edge of its range in southern Illinois. Endangered Species Update 26:64-69.
Bluett, R.D., E. M. Schauber, C. K. Bloomquist, and D. A. Brown. 2011. Sampling assemblages of turtles in central Illinois: a case study of capture efficiency and species coverage. Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science 104:127-136.
Rubert, L., E. M. Schauber, C. K. Nielsen, and P. D. Scharine. 2011. Feasibility of public-private partnerships for swamp rabbit conservation. Transactions of Illinois State Academy of Science, 104:93-104.
Scharine, P. D., C. K. Nielsen, E. M. Schauber, L. Rubert, and J. C. Crawford. 2011. Occupancy, detection, and habitat associations of sympatric lagomorphs in early-successional bottomland hardwood forests. Journal of Mammalogy 92:880-890.
Anderson, C. W., C. K. Nielsen, D. Storm, and E. M. Schauber. 2011. Modeling habitat use of deer in an exurban landscape. Wildlife Society Bulletin 35:235-242.
Nielsen, C. K., J. L. Swan, and E. M. Schauber. 2011. Record of a sixteen-year-old white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Carbondale, Illinois: a brief note. Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science 104:147-149.
For more information on my research program, please see my lab webpage.