Elisabeth (Lisa) Webb, PhD

Cooperative Professor

School of Natural Resources

Contact Information

Email webbli@missouri.edu
Phone 573-882-2591
Address 302 Anheuser Busch Natural Resource
Contact

Bio

Lisa Webb is an applied wildlife and wet land ecologist with a research program focused on understanding spatial ecology of wetland-dependent organisms. Since joining the MO CFWRU and University of Missouri, she has developed a collaborative, interdisciplinary research program focused on understanding the role of spatial habitat configuration and composition in influencing distributions, behaviors, movements and fitness of wetland-dependent taxa. Webb is particularly interested in investigating the mechanistic relationships and spatial processes of animal distributions, with an emphasis on understanding how these relationships are altered by management practices, anthropogenic activities and land use change. Her research incorporates field and lab experiments with remote-sensing tools, simulation modeling and quantitative methods to answer novel, applied wildlife research questions from local to continental scales. Underlying all the research questions is the motivation to inform science-based management and conservation decisions.

Education

  • Ph.D., 2006, Texas Tech University

Research

  • Waterfowl Ecology and Management, Migration Ecology and Habitat Use of Water Birds, Wetland Ecology, Conservation and Management

Research Summary

  • The focus of Webb’s waterfowl and wetland ecology research program is to quantify the factors that influence habitat quality, use and body condition of wetland birds during migration.
  • Current topics that Webb and her graduate students are researching include: 1) Factors influencing body condition and nutrient reserves of waterfowl during spring migration; 2) Energetic carrying capacity and water bird use of WRP lands in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley 3) Effects of the Light Goose Conservation Order on waterfowl behavior and habitat use during spring migration 4) Assessing wetland habitat quality for water birds using plasma metabolite concentrations

Selected Publications

  • Beatty, W.S., E.B. Webb, D.C. Kesler, L.W. Naylor, A.H. Raedeke D.D. Humburg, J.M. Coluccy and G.J. Soulliere. In press.
    An empirical test of a continental management strategy: do landscape energetic models predict waterfowl space use during the non-breeding period? Journal of Wildlife Management.
  • Dinges, A.J., E.B. Webb and M.P. Vrtiska. 2015.
    Effects of the Light Goose Conservation Order on non-target waterfowl distribution during spring migration. Wildlife Biology 21:88-97.
  • Tapp, J.L. and E.B. Webb. 2015.
    Aquatic invertebrate response to habitat management at Wetland Reserve Program easements in the lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Wetlands 35:183-192.
  • Williams, C.K., B.D. Dugger, M.G. Brasher, J.M. Coluccy, D.M. Cramer, J.M. Eadie,M.J. Gray. H.H. Hagy, M. Livolsi, S.R. McWilliams, M. Petrie, G.J. Soulliere, J.M. Tirpak and E.B. Webb. 2014.
    Estimating energetic carrying capacity for migrating and wintering waterfowl: Considerations, pitfalls and improvements. Wildfowl 4:407-435.
  • Dinges, A.J., E.B. Webb, M.P. Vrtiska, C.H. Nilon, and S.A. Wilhelm Stanis. 2014.
    Migratory bird hunter opinions regarding future management strategies for controlling light goose populations. Wildlife Society Bulletin 38:728-733.
  • Davis, J.B., E.B. Webb, R.M. Kaminski, P.J. Barbour and F.J. Vilella. 2014.
    Comprehensive framework for ecological assessment of the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Southeastern Naturalist 13:G66-G81.
  • Beatty, W.S., D.C. Kesler, E.B. Webb, A.H. Raedeke, L.W. Naylor, and D.D. Humburg. 2014.
    The role of protected area wetlands in waterfowl habitat conservation: implications for protected area network design. Biological Conservation 176:144-152.
  • Beatty, W.S., E.B. Webb, D.C. Kesler, A.H. Raedeke, L.W. Naylor, and D.D. Humburg. 2014.
    Landscape effects on mallard habitat selection at multiple scales during the non-breeding season. Landscape Ecology 29:989-1000.
  • Kesler, D.C., A.H Raedeke, J.R. Foggia, W.S. Beatty, E.B. Webb, D.D. Humburg, and LW. Naylor. 2014.
    Effects of satellite transmitters on captive and free-ranging mallards. Wildlife Society Bulletin 38:557-565.
  • Beatty, W.S., D.C. Kesler, E.B. Webb, A.H. Raedeke, L.W. Naylor, and D.D. Humburg. 2013.
    Quantitative and qualitative approaches to identifying migration chronology in a continental migrant. PLoS ONE 8(10):e75673.
  • Tidwell, P.R., E.B. Webb, M.P. Vrtiska, and A.A. Bishop. 2013.
    Diet and food selection of female mallards and blue-winged teal during spring migration. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 4:63-74.
  • Olmstead, V.G., E.B. Webb, and R.W. Johnson. 2013.
    Moist-soil seed biomass and species richness on Wetland reserve Program easements in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Wetlands 33:197-206.
  • Webb, E.B., L.M. Smith, M. Vrtiska, and T.G. LaGrange. 2010.
    Effects of local and landscape variables on wetland bird habitat use during migration through the Rainwater Basin. Journal of Wildlife Management 74:109-119.