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Dr. Geoff Smith
| Affiliation: | Faculty |
| Title: | Associate Professor, Amphibian Ecologist |
| Office: | 513 Talbot Hall |
| Email: |
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| Phone: |
740-587-6374
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| Fax: | 740-587-5634 |
Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1995
B.A. in Biology from Earlham College, 1990
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Academic Positions
Associate Professor, Department of Biology at Denison University, 2006 - present
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology at Denison University, 2000 - 2006
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology at William Jewell College, Liberty, MO, 1997 - 2000
Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Biology at Earlham College, Richmond, IN, 1996 - 1997
Research
As an ecologist, my research focuses on extending our understanding of how the environment, in the broadest sense of the word, can influence individuals, populations, and communities. More specifically, my research at Denison seeks to understand how human alterations of the environment can affect populations and communities, and in particular, how they are affecting amphibian populations and communities. My current research can be divided into two major project lines: 1) studies examining factors that may influence amphibian individuals, populations, and communities, and 2) studies looking at what factors may influence the distributions and abundance of terrestrial salamanders. Both project lines seek to contribute to our understanding of the basic ecology of amphibians and to our understanding of human impacts on the environment.
I also collaborate with a colleague at the Universidad Nacional Autonomia de Mexico to study the ecology of Mexican reptiles and amphibians, and with a colleague at Earlham College (John Iverson) to study the ecology of turtles in Dewart Lake in northern Indiana and iguanas in Bahamas.
I am very interested in including students in my research (List of Past and Current Student Researchers in my Lab).
Grants
2002 Stressor effects on amphibian larval communities: Integrated experiments on the effects of nitrate. Declining Amphibian Populations Task Force Seed Grant. $1710. with Jessica Rettig
Publications
Russo, G., A. Chou, J.E. Rettig, and G.R. Smith. 2008. Foraging responses of mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) to items of different sizes and colors. Journal of Freshwater. v. 23 p. 677-678
Smith, G.R., K.G. Temple, H.A. Dingfelder, and D.A. Vaala. 2006. Effects of nitrate on the interactions of the tadpoles of two Ranids (Rana clamitans and R. catesbeiana). Aquat. Ecol. . v. 40 no. p. 125-130
Iverson, J.B., S.J. Converse, G.R. Smith, and J.M. Valiulis. 2006. Long-term trends in the demography of the Allen Cays Rock Iguana (Cyclura cychlura inornata): Human disturbance and density-dependent effects.. Biol. Conserv. . v. 132 no. p. 300-310
Smith, G.R., J.B. Iverson, and J.E. Rettig. 2006. Changes in a turtle community from a northern Indiana lake: a long-term study
. J. Herpetology. v. 40 no. p. 180-185
Smith, G.R., K.G. Temple, D.A. Vaala, and H.A. Dingfelder. 2005. Effects of nitrate on the tadpoles of two Ranids (Rana catesbeiana and R. clamitans). Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.. v. 49 no. p. 559-562
Smith, G.R., and J.A. Lemos-Espinal. 2005 . Comparative escape behavior of four species of Mexican Phrynosomatid lizards. Herpetologica. v. 61 no. p. 225-232
Smith, G.R., H.A. Dingfelder, and D.A. Vaala. 2004 . Asymmetric competition between Rana clamitans and Hyla versicolor tadpoles. Oikos. v. 105 no. p. 626-632
Presentations
Smith, G.R., C.J. Dibble, and J.E. Rettig. 2008. Small fish, big effects: The impacts of mosquitofish and ammonium nitrate on tadpoles, zooplankton, and phytoplankton. Ecological Society of America. Milwaukee, WI
Rettig, J.E. and G.R. Smith. 2008. Double duty courses: Using an ecology course to fulfill a general education requirement for oral communication. Ecological Society of America annual meeting. Milwaukee, WI
Dibble, C.J., J.E. Rettig, and G.R. Smith. 2008. Relative strength of top-down and bottom-up effects in a simple aquatic food web that includes an invasive fish. Ecological Society of America annual meeting. MIlwaukee, WI
Rettig, J.E., and G.R. Smith. 2006. Class research projects in ecology courses: Methods to un-?can? the experience. Ecological Society of America meeting. Memphis , TN
Smith, G.R., and A.A. Burgett. 2004. Effects of productivity and community composition on experimental tadpole communities. Ecological Society of America meeting. Portland , OR
Smith, G.R., J.E. Rettig, and H.A. Dingfelder. 2003 . Stressor effects on amphibian larval communities: Integrated experiments on the effects of nitrate. Annual Year-end Workshop of the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative, US Geological Survey. Austin, TX
Fraker, S.L., and G.R. Smith. 2003 . The effects of exposure to organic wastewater contaminants on African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) and northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens) tadpoles. Midwest Ecology and Evolution Conference. Akron , OH
Smith, G.R., H.A. Dingfelder, and D.A. Vaala. 2002 . Asymmetric competition between the tadpoles of two anurans, Rana clamitans and Hyla versicolor. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists/ Herpetologists' League/Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles meetings. Kansas City, MO
Involvement
Professional Memberships
American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
British Herpetological Society
Ecological Society of America
The Herpetologists' League
Natural History Society of Maryland
The Ohio Academy of Science
Sigma Xi
Societas Europeae Herpetologica
Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles
Southwestern Association of Naturalists
Fellowships and Honors
National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship
Presidential Fellowship, University of Nebraska
Professional Service
Editor, Journal of Herpetology 2006 - 2008(Associate Editor from 1998-2005)
Reviewer: Acta Oecologica, American Midland Naturalist, Amphibia-Reptilia,Applied Herpetology, Biological Conservation, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Caribbean Journal of Science, Chemosphere, Conservation Biology, Contemporary Herpetology, Copeia, Ecological Applications, Environmental Science and Technology, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Ethology, Ecology & Evolution, Functional Ecology, Hamadryad, Herpetologica , Herpetological Journal, Herpetological Natural History, Herpetological Review, Journal of Animal Ecology, Journal of Herpetology, Journal of Zoology, Oecologia, Phyllomedusa, Southwestern Naturalist, Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences, Western North American Naturalist
Reviewer for National Science Foundation
Committee to revise SSAR Herpetological Circular No. 23 on the standard English and Spanish names for the Mexican herpetofauna
Buell Award Judge, Ecological Society of America
