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Neal Wilkins, Ph.D. Director, Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources Professor of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Texas Cooperative Extension Voice: (979) 845-7726, Fax: (979) 845-0662 nwilkins@tamu.edu |
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Education
Ph.D. (Wildlife Ecology) University of Florida, 1992
M.S. (Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences) Texas A&M University, 1987
B.S. (Forestry) Stephen F. Austin State University, 1984
Professional Employment and Academic Appointments
- Director, Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, 2006-present
- Associate Department Head (Extension), Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences Dept., TAMU, 2001-2006
- Extension Wildlife Specialist, Texas Cooperative Extension, 1998-2006
- Professor, Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences Dept., TAMU, 2006-present
- Associate Professor, Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences Dept., TAMU, 2001-2006
- Assistant Professor, Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences Dept., TAMU, 1998-2001
- Wildlife & Fisheries Program Manager, Port Blakely Tree Farms, L.P., Seattle, WA, 1992-1998
- Research Scientist, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, USDA Forest Service, 1991-1992
- Research Assistant, Dept of Wildlife & Range Sciences, University of Florida, 1989-1991
- Extension Assistant, Dept of Forestry, Wildlife & Fisheries, University of Tennessee, 1987-1989
- Research Assistant, Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences Dept., TAMU, 1984-1987
- Assistant Field Station Director, School of Forestry, Stephen F. Austin State University, 1981-1983
- Firefighter, Angeles National Forest, USDA Forest Service, California, 1981
Administrative Duties
As Director, provide leadership for programs developed through the Institute of Renewable Natural Resources. The Institute engages Texas Agrilife Research and Extension in inter-disciplinary programs to meet statewide natural resource needs. As Associate Departement Head in Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences, provided leadership for the largest and most productive wildlife and fisheries Extension program in the nation.
Professional Interests
Overall professional interests include the application of research and extension to solve natural resource problems through strong science, clear policy and effective outreach. Much of this work is dedicated to conservation and management of natural resource values on private lands through a combination of science, outreach and policy innovation. Specific topics include 1) wildlife habitat management across commercial farms, ranches, and forestlands; 2) implementation and monitoring of landscape-scale initiatives for habitat restoration and recovery of endangered species across private lands; 3) application of spatially-explicit models to support land management and natural resource conservation efforts; and 4) development and testing of market-based incentives for affecting conservation outcomes on private lands.
Academic Accomplishments Summary (Career to date)
| Refereed Publications | 20 |
| Book Chapters | 1 |
| Technical Publications | 23 |
| Edited Proceedings | 11 |
| Grants and Contracts | $5.75 M |
Selected Refereed Publications (Past 8 Years)
Campomizzi, A.J., J.A. Butcher, S.L. Farrell, A.G. Snelgrove, B.A. Collier, K.J. Gutzwiller, M.L. Morrison, and R.N. Wilkins. 2008. Conspecific attraction is a missing component in wildlife modeling. Journal of Wildlife Management. (Volume 72: Accepted and In Press).
Birnbaum, J. S., K. O. Winemiller, L. Shen, C. L. Munster, B. P. Wilcox, and R. N. Wilkins. 2007. Associations of watershed vegetation and environmental variables with fish and crayfish assemblages in headwater streams of the Pedernales River, Texas. River Research Applications. 23:979-996.
Wagner, M.W.*, U.P. Kreuter, R.A. Kaiser, and R.N. Wilkins. 2007. Collective action and social capital of wildlife management associations. Journal of Wildlife Management. 71(5):1729-1738.
Kjelland, M.E.*, U.P. Kreuter, G.A. Clendenin, R.N. Wilkins, X.B. Wu, E,G. Afanador, and W.E. Grant. 2007. An ecological framework and empirical assessment of land ownership fragmentation in Texas. Environmental Management. 40:231-244.
Rollins, D., B.J. Higginbotham, K.A. Cearley, R.N. Wilkins. 2007. Appreciating feral hogs: extension education for diverse stakeholders in Texas. Human—Wildlife Conflicts 1(2):192-198.
Wagner, M.W.*, R. Kaiser, U. Kreuter, and R.N. Wilkins. 2007. Managing the Commons Texas Style: Wildlife Management and Groundwater Associations on Private Lands. Journal of the American Water Resources Association. 43(3):698-711.
Magness, D.R.*, R.N. Wilkins, and Sallie J. Hejl. 2006. Relationships between golden-cheeked warbler occurrence and landscape size, composition, and structure. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 34(2):473-479.
Goldstein, M.I., R.N. Wilkins, and T.E. Lacher. 2005. Spatio-temporal responses of reptiles and amphibians to timber harvest treatments. Journal of Wildlife Management. 69(2):525-539.
Lopez, R. R.*, A. Lopez, R. N. Wilkins, C. Torres, R. Valdez, J. G. Teer, and G. Bowser. 2005. Changing Hispanic demographics: challenges in natural resource management. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 33(2):553-564.
Olenick, K.L., J. R. Conner, R. N. Wilkins, U.P. Kreuter, and W.T. Hamilton. 2004. Economic Implications of Brush Treatments to Improve Water Yield in Two Texas Watersheds. Journal of Range Management. 57:337-345.
Lopez, R. R.*, N. J. Silvy, R. N. Wilkins, P. P. Frank, M. J. Peterson, and M. N. Peterson. 2004. Habitat use patterns of Florida Key deer: implications of vegetation change. Journal of Wildlife Management. 68(4):900-908.
Olenick, K.L.*, R.N. Wilkins, and J.R. Conner. 2004. Increasing off-site water yield and grassland bird habitat through brush management and ecological restoration practices: Prioritizing sub-basins within the Edwards and Twin Buttes watersheds (TX,USA). Ecological Economics. 49:469-484.
Van Tassell, L., J.R. Conner, A. Seidl and N. Wilkins. 2002. Grassland Dynamics. Choices (a Journal of the American Agricultural Economics Association) 17,2 (Spring 2002): 24-25.
Wilkins, R.N., and N.P. Peterson. 2000. Factors related to amphibian occurrence and abundance in headwater streams draining second-growth Douglas-fir forests in southwestern Washington. Forest Ecology and Management. 139: 79-91.
Grialou, J.A., S.D. West, and R.N. Wilkins. 2000. The effects of forest clearcut harvesting and thinning on terrestrial salamanders. Journal of Wildlife Management. 64(1) 105-113.
Adams, C.E., R.N. Wilkins, and J.L. Cook. 2000. A Place to Hunt: Organizational changes in recreational hunting, using Texas as a Case Study. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 28(4):788-796.
* Denotes graduate students chaired, co-chaired, or committeed
Selected Technical Publications (Past 8 Years)
Wilkins, N., R. A. Powell, A. A. T. Conkey, and A. G. Snelgrove. 2006. Population status and threat analysis for the Black-capped Vireo. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University.
Weir, E. and R.N. Wilkins. 2005. Spatial Relations of Aquatic Bird Species, Irrigation Systems, Water Reservoirs and Natural Areas in the Lower Rio Grande Basin. Rio Grande Basin Initiative Report. Texas Water Resources Institute. 26 pp.
Hays, K.B., M. Wagner, F. Smeins, and R.N. Wilkins. 2004. Restoring Native Grasslands. Texas Cooperative Extension Publication L-54561.
Wilkins, R.N. J. Cathey, and R. Eyeington. 2004. Riparian Fauna. In Response of Stream and Riparian Biota of the Pedernales River Basin to Variation in Landscape Features and Vegetation Cover. Final Completion Report Submitted to the US Army Corps of Engineers. Texas A&M University System, TAES.
Wilkins, R.N., A. Hays, D. Kubenka, D. Steinbach, W. Grant, E. Gonzalez, M. Kjelland, and J. Shackelford. 2003. Texas Rural Lands: Trends and Conservation Implications for the 21st Century. Final Summary Report of the Texas A&M Rural Land Fragmentation Project. Texas Cooperative Extension Publication B6134.2
Gil, K. and R.N. Wilkins. 2003. Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species of the RioGrande/Rio Bravo Basin: A Bibliography. Texas A&M University, Texas Water Resources Institute, Technical Report 214.
Seidl, A. R.N. Wilkins, L. Van Tassell, and R. Conner. 2001. Colorado Grassland trends. Agricultural and Resource Policy Report. Colorado State University Cooperative Extension. APR 01-06.
Conner, R. A. Seidl, L. VanTassell, R.N. Wilkins. 2001. United States Grasslands and Related Resources: An Economic and Biological Trends Assessment. Prepared under contract from The Nature Conservancy.
Allison, S. and R.N. Wilkins. 2001. Ecology and Management of the Endangered Houston Toad (Bufo houstonensis): A Topical Index and Annotated Bibliography. Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University. 63pp.
Wilkins, R.N., R.D. Brown, R.J. Conner, J. Engle, C. Gilliland, A. Hays, R.D. Slack, and D.W. Steinbach. 2000. Fragmented Lands: Changing Land Ownership in Texas. The Agriculture Program, Texas A&M University. 10pp.
1Awarded Outstanding Popular Article for 2004 by the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society.
2Awarded Outstanding Technical Article for 2003 by the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society.
