Wild at heart

A researcher's passion for Louisiana wildlife

By Craig Gautreaux

LSU AgCenter researcher Michael Chamberlain does his best work outside the confines of his office. Whether working to improve the plight of the Louisiana black bear or study the effect of the red imported fire ant on native species, Chamberlain is eager to discover how Louisiana wildlife interacts with other animals, with people, and with the environment.

Chamberlain serves as an assistant professor in the School of Renewable Natural Resources. His duties include field research on a variety of animal species in Louisiana, teaching courses to undergraduate students, and overseeing nine graduate students. He derives his energy through his life-long passion for wildlife biology.

"From the time I was 6 years old, I knew that I wanted to go into wildlife biology, and then, when I went to college, I became interested in why animals do what they do. From that point I funneled myself into wildlife research," Chamberlain said.

After graduating from Virginia Tech, Chamberlain did his post-graduate work at Mississippi State University, completing his Ph.D. work in 1999. Chamberlain arrived at LSU in 2000 with the goal of designing and coordinating research on wildlife communities in Louisiana and across the country.

And there are few places better to do wildlife research than the "Sportsman's Paradise." Not only is there diversity in Louisiana wildlife, but the citizens of the state are avid participants in both hunting and fishing. According to data compiled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the LSU AgCenter, the wildlife and fisheries industry has a total economic value of more than $2.2 billion.

Chamberlain has dedicated much of his research to animals that have a cultural and historical significance in Louisiana. For this reason, he has developed projects focusing on the Louisiana black bear and the northern bobwhite quail.

For some time, scientists have struggled to establish populations of the threatened Louisiana black bear in areas designated as suitable habitat. Chamberlain suggested trying a unique reintroduction plan that has enjoyed success where other plans have failed.

"We're moving adult females from their winter dens with their newborn cubs. This had not been attempted on a threatened species. We've figured out that it is a good technique to relocate bears. Previous attempts to relocate bears had failed because the bears simply turned around and walked back home."

Quail hunting has long been a part of Southern culture. Unfortunately, the numbers of the northern bobwhite quail are diminishing at an alarming rate. While the species is not listed as threatened, Chamberlain is concerned that the northern bobwhite quail is at a crossroads because of significant habitat loss.

"Bobwhites are a by-product of the tenant farming system of decades ago. Habitat loss has taken two forms, the mechanization of agriculture and the intensification of the forest products industry. Both of those have resulted in landscapes being simplified from a bobwhite's perspective, a general reduction of habitat throughout their range. The bobwhite is facing a landscape that is completely unfamiliar, and they are having a hard time adjusting."

Much of Chamberlain's time is spent doing research in the field, and this translates into many hours away from his office in the Renewable Natural Resources building on the LSU campus. He feels that long-term research projects yield more reliable data. With accurate information, Chamberlain is more confident in the recommendations he makes to agencies responsible for managing Louisiana's wildlife resources.