Agricultural and Life Sciences (IFAS)
Rangeland Wildlife Ecology Lab
Led by Hance Ellington · Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
What we study
The lab studies wildlife behavior and habitat use in Florida, using field observations, surveys, and AI tools. They research how animals respond to hurricanes and human activities.
What working here is like
- Fieldwork
- Computational
- Wild animals
- Coding helps
- Projects
- 2
- Papers
- 5
Current projects
How wildlife respond to tropical cyclones
The lab studies short-term survival tactics and long-term recovery of wildlife after hurricanes.
AI misidentifications in ecological data
They analyze how AI errors in wildlife monitoring affect data accuracy.
Summaries are written by AI in plain language from public symposium abstracts and may be imperfect.
Recent papers, explained
- Use of Nest Boxes by Eastern Bluebirds in Rural South-Central Florida
2026 · Southeastern Naturalist
Tests nest box designs for Eastern Bluebirds, finding wood boxes work better than plastic in rural areas.
- Coyote denning behavior in urban environments: An argument for more forests in cities
2026 · Urban forestry & urban greening
Finds coyotes in urban areas prefer dens in forests, not near human development.
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- Nocturnal at Noon? Addressing False Positives in Activity Pattern Data
2026 · Ecology and Evolution
Fixes errors in wildlife activity data by using human-verified records to correct false positives.
- SNAPSHOT USA 2024: Year 6 of the Coordinated National Camera Trap Survey of the United States
2026 · Global Ecology and Biogeography
Tracks mammal populations across the U.S. using camera traps to study land use and climate effects.
- How wildlife respond to tropical cyclones: short‐term tactics and long‐term impacts
2026 · Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society
Shows how wildlife survive hurricanes by moving, staying put, or avoiding storms.
Plain-language summaries are AI-written and reviewed by us; check the paper for details.
How to reach out
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