Dr. Blake Grisham

Research Interests

I hold the position of Associate Professor of Wildlife Management at Texas Tech University in the Department of Natural Resources Management. I received my Ph.D. from Texas Tech University (Wildlife, Aquatic, and Wildlands Science), an M.S. from Louisiana State University (Wildlife Ecology), and a B.S. from Arkansas State University (Wildlife Biology). I have been a faculty member at NRM since 2013. My research centers on incorporating weather and climate data into ecological field studies, with emphasis on ground-nesting birds, and more recently, disease ecology of upland game birds and ungulates. I have secured funding to study multiple species, including sandhill cranes, lesser prairie-chickens, northern bobwhite, scaled quail, axis deer, waterfowl, purple martins, wild turkey, and grassland songbirds. I currently study sandhill cranes, Rio Grande wild turkeys, lesser prairie-chickens, and purple martins at their distribution level in the United States.  My research expertise for all species includes population demography, habitat selection and management, and biostatistics.

Service

In February 2023, I was inaugurated as the President of the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society (TCTWS). I have been an active member of the state chapter since 2008, the first time I moved to Texas. I am also an active member of The Wildlife Society (National Parent Organization) and am the faculty advisor to The Wildlife Society at Texas Tech (TTU TWS). In 2022, TTU TWS was named Student Chapter of the Year at both the state and national levels, the latter being the first for the student professional society. My Presidential term with TCTWS is year 3 of a 4-year term, which started as Vice President in 2021 and President-Elect in 2022.  In 2023, The Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society was named national chapter of the year by TWS under my presidency, the second in the same number of years. I have served on the following advisory teams for the endangered lesser prairie-chicken: Member - Science Advisory Team, Lesser Prairie-Chicken Interstate Working Group, (Invited) 2012–2014; Scientific Oversight Committee for Development of Lesser Prairie-Chicken Range-Wide Management Plan, (Nominated and Appointed by Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Lesser Prairie-Chicken Advisory Committee) 2012–2013; Science Advisor - Lesser Prairie-Chicken Species Status Assessment Science Team, (Invited by United States Fish and Wildlife Service) 2014–2016; Science Advisor – Lesser Prairie-Chicken Range-Wide Management Plan (Nominated and Appointed by Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Lesser Prairie-Chicken Advisory Committee), 2014–2016; 2019–current.  

Courses Taught

1. NRM 4408  Wildlife Population Dynamics
2. NRM 5309  Population Estimation/Dynamics
3. NRM 4309/5315  Range-Wildlife Habitat Management

Recent Publications

1. Johnson M.^, R. Cox, B. Grisham, D. Lucia, M. Barnes .2021. Airborne eDNA Reflects Human Activity and Seasonal Changes on a Landscape Scale. Frontiers of the Environmental Science. 8:563431. doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2020.563431
2. Donnelly J., S. King, J. Knetter, J. Gammonley, V. Dreitz, C. Nowak, B. Grisham, D. Collins. 2021. Water Scarcity Drives Ecological Bottlenecks in Continental Migration Networks Supporting Greater Sandhill Cranes. Ecosphere. Ecosphere 12:1 1-22, 10.1002/ecs2.3543
3. Buchholz, M.*, E. Wright, B. Grisham, R. Bradley, T. Arsuffi, and W. Conway. 2021. Characterization of the Prion Protein Gene in Axis Deer (Axis Axis) and Implications for Susceptibility to Chronic Wasting Disease. Prion 15:1, 44-52, 10.1080/19336896.2021.1910177
4. Portillo-Quintero, C., B. Grisham, D. Haukos, C. Boal, C. Hagen, Z. Wan, N. Menkiti. 2021. Trends of Lesser Prairie-Chicken Habitat Extent and Distribution on the Southern High Plains. Remote Sensing 14(15):3780, DOI:10.3390/rs14153780
5. Schilder, L., L. Heintzman, N. McIntyre, S. Harryman, C. Hagen, C. Boal, B. Grisham. 2022. Landscape Connectivity for Lesser Prairie-Chickens in Texas and New Mexico. Journal of Wildlife Management 1-17, https://doi.org/10.1002/j wmg.22146
6. Buchholz, M., E. Wright, B. Grisham, T. Arsuffi, and W. Conway. 2023. Low Genetic Diversity among Introduced Axis Deer: Comments on the Genetic Paradox and Invasive Species. Journal of Mammalogy https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyad008
7. Buchholz, M.J., W. Conway, B. Grisham, T. Arsuffi, and M. Lockwood. 2023. Density of Axis Deer in Texas: Implications for Management of Native White-tailed Deer and Associated Habitats. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management https://doi.org/10.3996/JFWM-22-036
8. Black, A., K. Bondo, A. Mularo, A. Hernandez, Y. Yu, C. Stein, A. Gregory, D. Haukos, B. Grisham, Z. Lowe, and J. DeWoody. 2023. A Highly Contiguous and Annotated Genome Assembly of the Endangered Lesser Prairie-Chicken. Genome Biology and Evolution 15(4), 10.1093/gbe/evad043
9. Collins, D., M. Boggie, K. Kruse, C. Conring, P. Donnelly, W. Conway, B. Grisham. 2023. Limited Roost Sites Influence Habitat Selection of Sandhill Cranes in Arizona and California. Waterbirds. Accepted.