| Asst. Adjunct Professor/Director Canid Diversity and Conservation Unit Center for Veterinary Genetics Dept. Population Health and Reproduction Old Davis Rd./One Shields Avenue Davis, CA 95616-8744 Tel 530-754-9088 bnsacks@ucdavis.edu |
Asst. Professor Dept. Biological Sciences California State University, Sacramento 6000 J. St. Sacramento, CA 95819 Tel 916-278-2546 bsacks@csus.edu |
Education
Ph.D. Ecology (2002). University of California, Davis, CA.
Dissertation topic: Ecology of canine heartworm in California coyotes
M.S. Wildlife Biology (1996). University of California, Berkeley, CA.
Thesis topic: Ecology and behavior of coyotes in relation to sheep predation
B.S. Biology (1991). University of Maryland, College Park, MD.
Research Interest
Much of my research is motivated by curiosity about the relationships between individual behavior and population-level processes, including the historical roles played by behavioral plasticity and adaptation in the evolution of niche specialization. I work primarily on canids but also occasionally other mammals and birds as well. Most recently, I have pursued these interests by studying how populations become organized on real landscapes both in ecological and evolutionary time. The research, thus far conducted primarily on canid systems as part of the Canid Diversity and Conservation Project within the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at UC Davis, has involved observation of individual movements in relation to habitat via radiotelemetry as well as use of molecular genetic approaches to elucidate how such behavior at the individual level translates to geographic patterns of population genetic structure on regional and multiregional scales. Additionally, I work on and am interested in a broad range of ecological and evolutionary questions concerning birds and mammals, some of which are summarized below. Regardless of the question, I find working with students and peer collaborators enhances the quality, value, and enjoyment of the research.