R. Scott Lutz

Associate Professor

A 232 Russell Labs
1630 Linden Drive
Madison, WI 53706

Phone: 608/263-8979

Email: rslute@wisc.edu

Background

I taught at Iowa State University and taught and developed my graduate student research program at Texas Tech University before coming to UW-Madison in 1995.

Responsibility

I teach Wildlife Investigational Techniques, Population Dynamics, and a Ways of Knowing class. I'm also a Faculty Fellow at Chadbourne Residential College.

My graduate students and I investigate a number of natural resource issues. Generally, our research searches for links between habitat use and population demography. We work on a wide variety of avian species that include gamebirds, forest songbirds, and threatened shorebirds.

Professional Affiliations

Member: The Wildlife Society; American Ornithologists' Union; Ecological Society of America. Editor-The Wildlife Society; Member: The Wildlife Society, Working Group on College & University Education (1994); Graduate faculty at Iowa State University (1988-89), Texas Tech University (1989-1995).

Publications

1. Christopher K. Williams, R.S. Lutz, and R. D. Applegate. 2002. Optimal group size in northern bobwhite coveys. Animal Behaviour. (In Press)
2. Scalf, J. D., B. E. Jamison, R. S. Lutz, and R. R. Cox, Jr. 2002 Using an electronic compass to determine telemetry azimuths. Wildlife Society Bulletin. (In Press)
3. Knetter, J. M., R. S. Lutz., R. K. Murphy, and J. R. Cary. 2002. A multi-scale investigation of piping plover productivity on great plains alkali lakes, 1994-2000 Wildlife Society Bulletin. (In Press)
4. Hansen, L. A., N. E. Mathews, R. W. Hansen, B. VanderLee, and R. S. Lutz. 2001. Genetic Structure in Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) on the Southern High Plains. Western North American Naturalist. Mammalogy.
5. Allen, C. A., R. S. Lutz, T. Lockley, R. Phillips, and S. Demarais. 2001. Impact of the non-indigenous ant, Solenopsis invicta, on Loggerhead shrike and native insect abundance. Journal of Agricultural and Urban Entomology (In Press).
6. Knetter, J. M., R. K. Murphy, and R. S. Lutz. 2001. Initial movements of juvenile piping plovers, Charadrius melodus, from natal sites in northwestern North Dakota. Canadian Field Naturalist 115:352-353.
7. Wojcik, D. P., C.R.Allen, R.J.Brenner, D.A. Focks, E.A.Forys, D.P.Jouvenaz, R.S.Lutz. 2000. Red imported fire ants:Impact on biodiversity and updated management techniques. American Entomologist. 47:16-23.
8. VanderLee, B., and R.S. Lutz. 2000. Dose-tissue relationships for dieldrin in nestling black-billed magpies. Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology 65(4):427-434.
9. Williams, C. K., R. S. Lutz, R. D. Applegate, and D. H. Rusch. 2000. Habitat use and survival of northern bobwhite in Kansas cropland and rangeland ecosystems during the harvest season. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 78:1562-1566.
10. Williams, C. K., W. R. Davidson, R. S. Lutz, and R. D. Applegate. 2000. Diseases and parasites of an eastern Kansas northern bobwhite population. Journal of Avian Diseases 44: 953-956.
11. Hennen, R., and R. S. Lutz. 2000. Rio Grande turkey hen survival in southcentral Kansas. 8^th National Turkey Symposium, Augusta, Georgia (In Press).
12. Williams, C. K., R. D. Applegate, R. S. Lutz, and D. H. Rusch. 2000. A comparison of raptor densities and habitat use in Kansas cropland and rangeland ecosystems. Journal of Raptor Research (In Press).
13. VanderLee, B. A., R. S. Lutz, L. A. Hansen, and N. E. Mathews. 1999. Effects of supplemental prey, vegetation, and time on success of artificial nests. Journal of Wildlife Management 63:1299-1305.
14. Frank, R. A., and R. S. Lutz. 1999. Productivity and survival of Great Horned Owls exposed to dieldrin. The Condor:101:331-339.
15. R. S. Lutz, and D. L. Plumpton. 1999. Philopatry and nest site reuse by burrowing owls: implications for management. Journal of Raptor Research33:149-153.
16. Giuliano, W. M., R. S. Lutz, and R. Patino. 1998. Influence of rainfall on northern bobwhite and scaled quail abundance and breeding success. Texas Journal of Science (In Press)
17. Allen, C. R., S. Lutz, and S. Demarais. 1998. Ecological impacts of the invasive non-indigenous ant, Solenopsis Invicta, on native invertebrates: The wheels on the bus. Transaction Of North American Natural Resources Conference. Orlando, FL 61:56-65
18. Giuliano, W. G., R. Patiño, and R. S. Lutz 1998 Comparative reproductive and physiological responses of northern bobwhite and scaled quail to water deprivation. Comparative Biochemistry & Physiology. 119A:781-786.
19. Allen, C. R., S. Demarais, and S. Lutz. 1997. Impact of red imported fire ant population reduction on white-tailed deer fawn recruitment. Journal of Wildlife Management. 61:911:916.
20. Van't Hul, J. T., R. S. Lutz, and N. E. Mathews. 1997. Vegetation and bird community response to prescribed burning on a coastal barrier island. Journal of Range Management 50:346-350.
21. Giuliano, W. M., R. S. Lutz, and R. Patiño. 1996. Reproductive responses of adult female northern bobwhite and scaled quail to nutritional stress. Joournal of Wildlife Management. 60:302-308.
22. _____, C. R. Allen, R. S. Lutz, and S. Demarais. 1996. Effects of red imported fire ant exposure on northern bobwhite chick survival and body mass. Journal of Wildlife Management. 60:309-312.
23. Miller, M. S., D. J. Buford, and R. S. Lutz. 1995. Survival of Rio Grande wild turkey hens in southcentral Kansas during the reproductive season. Journal of Wildlife Management. 59:766-770.
24. Rhodes, O. J., Jr., D. Buford, M. S. Miller, and R. S. Lutz. 1995. Genetic structure of reintroduced Rio Grande Turkeys in Kansas. Journal of Wildlife Management. 59:771-775.
25. Allen, C. R., R. S. Lutz, and S. Demarais. 1995. Red imported fire ant impacts on northern bobwhite. Ecological Applications 5:632-638.
26. Giuliano, W. M., R. S. Lutz, and R. Patiño. 1995. Physiological effects of water stress on northern bobwhite reproduction. Physiological Zoology. 68:262-276.
27. Giuliano, W. M., R. S. Lutz, and R. Patiño. 1995. A simulated insect diet as a water source for quail: effects on body mass and reproduction. Comparative Biochemistry & Physiology. 111A:299-302.
28. Allen, C. R., R. S. Lutz, and S. Demarais. 1994. Red imported fire ant impact on wildlife: An overview. Texas Journal of Science. 46:51-59.
29. Lutz, R. S., J. S. Lawrence, and N. J. Silvy. 1994. Nesting ecology of Attwater's prairie-chicken. Journal of Wildlife Management. 58:230-233.
30. Plumpton, D. L., and R. S. Lutz. 1994. Sexual size dimorphism, mate choice, and productivity of burrowing owls. Auk 111:724-726.
31. Buford, D. J., M. S. Miller, and R. S. Lutz. 1994. Rio Grande wild turkey sexual behavior in a roost. Bird Behavior. 10:53-54

Description of Recent Research Projects

Upland gamebird ecology and management

Professor Lutz and his students have worked to understand the relationships between population ecology and habitat use in several species of galliformes. Their work with bobwhite and scaled quail focused on the influence of water, energy, and protein stress on reproductive performance of these species. He and his students also explored the impact of an exotic insect, the red imported fire ant, on populations of bobwhite. In this work, they combined laboratory experiments with large-scale field experiments. Professor Lutz and his students have worked with wild turkeys in Texas and Kansas to better understand habitat use, hen survival, and population genetics.

Ecotoxicology

Professor Lutz and his students are investigating the relationships between dieldrin residue levels and the ecology of black-billed magpies and great-horned owls. They are evaluating the use of these species as biomonitors of environmental contamination.

Population ecology

Professor Lutz and several students have worked with a small population of burrowing owls in Colorado. They intensively trapped and color-banded birds to explore habitat use, foraging ecology, and the relationships between site fidelity and reproductive parameters.

Graduate Students in Progress

Matt Lechmaier M.S. (Scott Lutz)

"Wild turkey survival and abundance in west-central Wisconsin"

Updated: 2008.05.07