Erin Barding, Ph.D.
Area(s) of Expertise: Wildlife ecology & management
Area(s) of Expertise: Wildlife ecology & management
Dr. Barding is interested in many areas of biology, but her research has focused on wildlife ecology and management. She researched the effects of meso-carnivores on nesting birds in Illinois for her MS, and her Ph.D. research centered on the food habits, reproductive physiology, and management of river otters in Kentucky. Even though her research has largely focused on mammals, she holds a special place in her heart for herpetofauna. She has been a part of research teams studying black bears, chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer, amphibian and reptile population surveys, ruffed grouse, passerines, bats, and she is proud to say she has extensive experience searching for, classifying, and dissecting animal scat.
Together with Dr. Smith, students in our lab at UNG research the ecology and evolution of parasitic, polyembronic wasps (Copidosoma) and their looper hosts (Chrysodeixis includens and Trichoplusia ni).
Barding, E.E. and Lacki, M.J. 2015. Occurrence of Nematodes (Dracunculus spp.) in Reintroduced River Otters in Kentucky. Journal of the Kentucky Academy of Science. In Press.
Barding, E.E. and Lacki, M.J. 2014. Demographic and Reproductive Characteristics of Reintroduced River Otters in Kentucky: Implications for Population Growth. American Midland Naturalist 172(2): 338-347.
Barding, E. E. and Lacki, M. J. 2012. Winter diet of river otters in Kentucky. Northeastern Naturalist 19(2):157-164.
Lacki, M.J. and Barding, E.E. 2011. Research on North American River Otters in Kentucky: Recovery, Ecological Impacts and Population Dynamics. Kentucky Woodlands Magazine 6(3): 16-17.
Barding, E. E., Lacki, M. J., and Patton, L. 2010. Recovery of the river otter to Kentucky. Proc. Annu. Conf. Southeast. Assoc. Fish and Wildl. Agencies 64:112-117.
Barding, E. E. and T. A. Nelson. 2008. Raccoons use habitat edges in Northern Illinois. American Midland Naturalist 159 (2): 394-402.
Dr. Barding was raised in the Chicago area and has been gradually moving south for the past 15 years. She has lived in central Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, and she is very pleased to finally have made it to the “real south”. She enjoys camping, fishing, herping, birding, golf - basically anything that involves the outdoors! She is excited to live in such a beautiful place and loves to explore the area with her husband, Lane.