Dr. MICHAEL L. MORRISON 
Adjunct Professor
Wildlife Biology 

Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 1975, B.S. Zoology

Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 1977, M.S. Wildlife Science

Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 1982, Ph.D. Wildlife Science

Current Projects / Research Interest
My primary research focus involves exploring factors that determine the distribution and abundance of terrestrial animal species, with emphasis on birds and small mammals (including bats); I also conduct some work on amphibians and reptiles. Much of my effort falls under the general rubric of wildlife-habitat relationships, although many of my studies delve into the mechanisms underlying the general patterns of habitat use, including studies of foraging behavior, resource selection, and breeding success. I am also working in the field of ecological restoration, emphasizing the identification of factors necessary for successful occupancy by terrestrial vertebrates.

Recent and ongoing studies, many of which involve graduate student research and collaborative relationships with other scientists, include:

• Factors determining the breeding success of birds nesting in montane meadows
• Demography of the willow flycatcher in the Sierra Nevada
• Impacts of disturbance on the northern goshawk in the Lake Tahoe region
• Population trends, interspecific relationships, and spatial distribution of the endangered Fresno kangaroo rat
• Evaluation of the response of wildlife to watershed restoration in the Lake Tahoe basin
• Flora and fauna surveys of the Spring Mountains and vicinity, southern Nevada
• Distribution and habitat use of bats
• Development of call-recognition methodologies for bird and bat identification
• Behavior of wildlife in wind-energy developments

I am also assisting the Great Basin Institute, Nevada Conservation Corps (GBI/NCC), of the University of Nevada, Reno to expand work in wildlife ecology and restoration. GBI/NCC involves undergraduates and recent graduates in a variety of field studies, including restoration, flora and fauna surveys, and other conservation work.

Additional Links
The Great Basin Institute

Contact Information

PO Box 816, Bishop, CA 935157

email Michael Morrison

Phone
775-233-8630

Selected Publications
Morrison, M.L., B.G. Marcot, and R.W. Mannan. In press. Wildlife habitat relationships:
concepts and applications. Third edition. Univ. of Wisconsin Press, Madison.

Hoover, S.L., and M.L. Morrison. 2005. Behavior of red-tailed hawks in a wind turbine development. Journal of Wildlife Management 69:150-159.

Gottesman, A.B., P.R. Krausman, M.L. Morrison, and Y. Petryszyn. 2004. Movements and home range of brush mice. Southwestern Naturalist 49:289-294.

Bombay, H.L., M.L. Morrison, and L.S. Hall. 2003. Scale perspectives in habitat selection and animal performance for willow flycatchers (Empidonax traillii) in the central Sierra Nevada, California. Studies in Avian Biology 26:60-72.

Cain, J.W., M.L. Morrison, and H.L. Bombay. 2003. Predator activity and nest success of willow flycatchers and yellow warblers. Journal of Wildlife Management 67:600-610.

Morrison, M.L. K.S. Smallwood, and L.S. Hall. 2003. Creating habitat through plant relocation: lessons from valley elderberry longhorn beetle mitigation. Ecological Restoration 21:95-100.

Morrison, M.L. 2002. A proposed research emphasis to overcome the limits of wildlife-habitat relationship studies. Journal of Wildlife Management 65:613-623.

Morrison, M.L., and A. Averill-Murray. 2002. Evaluating the efficacy of manipulating cowbird parasitism on host nesting success. Southwestern Naturalist 47:236-243.
Morrison, M.L. 2002. Wildlife Restoration: Techniques for habitat analysis and animal monitoring. Island Press, Washington, DC.
Morrison, M.L., W.M. Block, M.D. Strickland, and W.L. Kendall. 2001. Wildlife study design. Springer-Verlag, New York, N.Y.