Jeffrey R. Dunk

Lecturer, Department of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences

Contact Information:

Office: Natural Resources (NR) Building, Room 111

Phone: (707) 826-4140 extension 3

E-mail: jrd2@humboldt.edu

Personal Statement:

I have been teaching at Humboldt State University since 1993. Over this time I have tried to refine my teaching to more effectively communicate with students. One of my teaching goals is to help students to become critical thinkers. I have found that teaching has made me a much more critical thinker. I believe that faculty members should inspire their students to become better, more responsible, and more engaged citizens, as well as competent professionals in their fields of choice. Nearly a half century ago, Aldo Leopold stated that “one of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds.” Time in, and attention to, the landscapes I have lived, worked, and recreated in has proven this to be somewhat true. However, witnessing the enthusiasm and dedication with which so many of our students approach their academic and personal lives is inspirational to me. Similarly, many of the people in the communities of the north coast of California are working hard to reduce and eliminate the wounds Leopold wrote of. Being a part of this university and broader community has taken the “alone” out of the equation. How can we integrate our consideration for people, economies, and the particular ecology of the world’s many locations and move into the future thoughtfully and responsibly? I strive to contribute to the answers.

For much of my career I was a “strict” ornithologist, though often emphasizing the ways that birds interacted with their habitat. In the past six years my research has diversified taxonomically to include terrestrial salamanders and mollusks, carnivores, lichens, bryophytes, and fungi. During this “diversified” time my research has primarily revolved around rare species distributional modeling, assessing species’ habitat associations, and evaluating what factors contribute to hotspots of biological diversity – primarily within the Pacific Northwest of the United States. I also have a study looking at the effects of off-highway vehicles on Northern Goshawks. All of my work has a strong applied aspect. That is, I work closely with land managers to ensure that the research questions that I address are of interest and importance to them.

Specialty Area:

Ecology, Rare Species Conservation, Species Distributional Modeling

Education/degrees:

• B.S. Wildlife, Humboldt State University
• M.S. Natural Resources, Wildlife Emphasis, Humboldt State University.

Courses Taught:

• NRPI 105 (formerly 110) – Natural Resources Conservation
• NRPI 210 – Public Land Policy and Management
• NRPI/ENRS 400 – Inscape and Landscape
• NRPI 420 – Ecosystem Analysis
• NRPI 430 – Natural Resource Management in Parks
• Freshman Interest Group Seminar: Exploring Natural Resources SP 120
• Freshman Interest Group Seminar: Human Dimensions of Natural Resources SP 120

Recent Publications:

Zielinski, W. J., C. Carroll, and J. R. Dunk. 2006. Using landscape suitability models to reconcile conservation planning for two key forest predators. Biological Conservation.

Welsh, H. H., J. R. Dunk , and W. J. Zielinski . 2006 . Developing and applying habitat models using forest inventory data: an example using a terrestrial salamander. Journal of Wildlife Management 70:671-681.

Dunk , J. R ., W. J. Zielinski, and H. H. Welsh . 2006. Evaluating reserves for species richness and representation in northern California . Diversity and Distributions 12:434-442.

Zielinski, W. J., R. T. Truex, J. R. Dunk, and T. Gaman . 2006. Using forest inventory data to assess fisher resting habitat suitability in California . Ecological Applications 16:1010-1025.

Stauffer, H. B., C. J. Zabel, and J. R. Dunk . 2005. Application of empirical Bayesian statistical analysis to habitat association modeling of the northern spotted owl in California : new statistical methods for wildlife research. In C. J. Ralph and T. D. Rich, Eds. Bird Conservation Implementation and Integration in the Americas : Proceedings of the Third International Partners in Flight Conference. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-GTR-191 787-794.

Dunk, J. R., W. J. Zielinski, and H. Preisler. 2004. Predicting the occurrence of rare mollusks in northern California Forests. Ecological Applications 14:713-729.

Zabel, C. J., J. R. Dunk, H. B. Stauffer, L. M. Roberts, B. R. Mulder, and A. Wright. 2003. Northern spotted owl habitat models for research and management application in California. Ecological Applications 13:1027–1040.>

Smith, R. N., S. H. Anderson, S. L. Cain and J. R. Dunk. 2003. Nest-site selection and reproductive success of red-tailed hawks. Journal of Raptor Research 37:219-227.

Dunk, J. R., W. J. Zielinski, J. Perrochet, K. West, J. Ford, K. Schlick, and K. Schmidt. 2002. Distributions of Survey and Manage mollusks in relation to Forest Service land allocation status in northern California. Northwest Science 76:249-256.

Zabel, C. J., L. R. Roberts, B. R. Mulder, H. B. Stauffer, J. R. Dunk, K. Walcott, M. Gersch, B. Woodbridge, A. Wright, G. Goldsmith, and C. Keckler. 2002. A collaborative approach to adaptive management at a large landscape scale. Chapter 19. In, M. Scott, et al., eds. Predicting Species Occurrences in Time and Space: Issues of Scale and Accuracy. Island Press, Covelo, California.

LaHaye, W., R. J. Gutiérrez, and J. R. Dunk. 2001. Natal Dispersal of the spotted owl in southern California: Dispersal profile of an insular population. Condor 103:691-700.

Steinberg, S. L., J. R. Dunk, and T. A. Comet. 2000. In Hoopa Territory: A guide to natural attractions and human history of the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation and surrounding areas. Hoopa Valley Tribal Council. 174 pp.

Fitzpatrick, B. L. and J. R. Dunk. 1999. Ecogeographic variation in size of red-tailed hawks in Western North America. Journal of Raptor Research 33:305:312.

Smith, R. N., S. L. Cain, S. A. Anderson, J. R. Dunk, and E. S. Williams. 1998. Blackfly induced mortality of Red-tailed Hawks. Auk 115:368-375