Dr. Ronald Moen

Ron Moen Photo
Professional Title
Associate Professor

Education

  • Ph.D., 1995, University of Minnesota, Wildlife Conservation
  • M.S., 1988, University of Minnesota, Wildlife, Plant Physiology Minor
  • B.S., 1984, Cornell University, Division of Biological Sciences

About

Personal Website

Curriculum Vitae

My Google Scholar Page

Dr. Moen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology and a Senior Research Associate at the Center for Water and the Environment, Natural Resources Research Institute. He has held graduate faculty appointments in Integrated Biosciences (IBS), Univ. of Minnesota-Duluth since 2004 and Conservation Biology (CB), Univ. of Minnesota-Twin Cities since 2005.

Research

Mammalian ecology is the primary research focus in my laboratory. Research topics include habitat use, movement patterns, physiology, nutrition, and predator-prey interactions, with much of this work involving GPS radiotelemetry.

Current and Future Projects

  • Moose — Ongoing research with graduate students is in several areas, including habitat use with LiDAR, parasites and diseases, deer-moose interactions, predation, and forage availability. Many collaborators are involved in this project (Tribal, MN DNR, County, Federal).
  • American Marten — Habitat analysis using LiDAR in collaboration with MN DNR (John Erb).
  • Canada Lynx — Habitat use, survival, and reproduction in northeastern Minnesota.
  • Climate Change Adaptation Planning — Projecting changes in plants, mammals, and birds for the National Park Service units in the Upper Midwest. Co-PIs: Lee Frelich and Steve Windels.
  • Wood Turtles — Habitat use and nest predation on wood turtles.
  • Northern Long-eared Bat — A new project on distribution, habitat use, and maternity roosts with MN DNR and Superior National Forest.
  • Carnivore monitoring — A new project on techniques to monitor carnivores in Minnesota.

Recent Publications

for full publication list download my c.v.

  • VanderWaal, K.L., S.K. Windels, B.T. Olson, T. Vannatta, and R. Moen. 2015. Landscape influence on spatial patterns of meningeal worm and liver fluke infection in white-tailed deer. Parasitology 142:706-718.
  • Robinson, S., D. Neitzel, R. Moen, J. Umber, K. Hamilton, D. Mulla, U. Munderloh, P. Redig, L. Johnson, K. Smith, C. Turner, M. Craft, K. Pelican. 2015. Disease risk in a dynamic environment: the spread of tick-borne diseases in Minnesota, USA. Ecohealth 12:152-163.
  • Cyr, T., S.K. Windels, R. Moen, and J. Warmbold. 2014. Diversity and abundance of terrestrial gastropods in Voyageurs National Park: Implications for risk of individual moose to Parelaphostrongylus tenuis infection. Alces 50:121-132.
  • McGraw, A.M., J. Terry, and R. Moen. 2014. Pre-Parturition Movement Patterns and Birth Site Characteristics of Moose in Northeast Minnesota. Alces 50:93-103.
  • McCann, N., R. Moen, and T. Harris. 2013. Warm-season heat stress in moose (Alces alces). Canadian Journal of Zoology 91(12):893-898.
  • Moen, R.A., S.K. Windels, and B. Hansen. 2012. Lynx habitat in and near Voyageurs National Park. Natural Areas Journal 32:348-355.
  • Moen, R.A., M.E. Nelson, and A. Edwards. 2011. Using cover type composition of home ranges and VHF telemetry locations of moose to interpret aerial survey results in Minnesota. Alces 47:101-112.
  • McCann, N. and R.A. Moen. 2011. Mapping potential core areas for lynx (Lynx canadensis) using snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) pellet counts and satellite imagery. Canadian Journal of Zoology 89:509-516.
  • Moen, R., J.M. Rasmussen, C.L. Burdett, and K.M. Pelican. 2010. Hematology, serum chemistry, and body mass of free-ranging and captive Canada lynx in Minnesota. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 46:13-22.
Teaching NowPreviously Taught
BIOL 4764, MammalogyBIOL 4802, Evolution
BIOL 5865, Conservation BiologyBIOL 4891, Animal Behavior
BIOL 3987, Biology SeminarIBS 8020, Colloquia (Guest Speaker)
BIOL 3993, Laboratory Teaching ExperiencesIBS 8201, Ecological Processes
BIOL 3994, Undergraduate ResearchIBS 8993, IBS Graduate Seminar
BIOL 3996, Internship in BiologyBIOL 8994, Graduate Research

Current Graduate Students

  • Maria Berkeland. (M.S., Integrated Biosciences).
  • Miranda Galey. (M.S., Integrated Biosciences).
  • Valerie Hinojoza-Hood (M.S., Integrated Biosciences).
  • Anne Patterson. (M.S., Integrated Biosciences). Northern Long-eared bat project.
  • Taylor Velander (M.S., Integrated Biosciences).
  • Rachel Voorhorst (M.S., Integrated Biosciences).

Recent Advisees

  • Michael Joyce. (Ph.D., Integrated Biosciences). American marten habitat use.
  • Amanda McGraw. (Ph.D., Integrated Biosciences). Moose-deer interactions and economic impact.
  • Lauren Terwilleger. (Ph.D., Integrated Biosciences). Lynx movements and habitat use within the home range.
  • Rodrigo Aguirre. (Ph.D., Integrated Biosciences). Mountain lions and humans in Chile.
  • Yvette Ibrahim. (M.S., Integrated Biosciences). Wolf scat analysis for diet composition. Degree expected June 2015.
  • Trevor Vanatta. (M.S., Integrated Biosciences). Liver flukes and aquatic snails. Degree expected December 2015.
  • Tessa Tjepkes. (M.S., Integrated Biosciences). Genetics of moose in Minnesota. Co-Advised with J. Stasburg
  • Jessi Rick. (M.S., Integrated Biosciences). Genetics of wolves in Minnesota. Co-Advised with J. Stasburg
  • Maddy Cochrane. (M.S., Integrated Biosciences). Wood turtle population studies.

Undergraduate Research

Dr. Moen has had between 5 to 15 undergraduate students working in his lab every year since 2003. Opportunities include volunteering, employment, internships, formal classes (BIOL 3993, 3994, 3996), BURST Fellowships, and the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP).