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Range Cattle Research & Education Center

Range Cattle Research & Education Center

Dr. Hance Ellington

Assistant Professor, Grazinglands Wildlife Specialist

Research and Extension Programs

  • Research Focus (40%)

    Our research program integrates a variety of field and analytic approaches to ask questions about the tactics individual animals use to persist in challenging environments, and behavioral and demographic responses of wildlife populations to this persistence.

    • Movement and population ecology of rangeland wildlife – we examine how environmental conditions influence the movement behavior and the population demographics of rangeland wildlife.
    • Wildlife-Livestock interactions – we investigate the drivers behind negative wildlife-livestock interactions (e.g., calf loss or disease transmission) and explore solutions for reducing wildlife-livestock conflict.
    • Rangeland ecology – we explore the role of rangelands (both natural and grazed) in promoting and maintaining biodiversity at a variety of spatial scales.
    • Invasive species management – we monitor the impact of invasive species, such as the wild pig, on the productivity and biodiversity of rangeland ecosystems and we develop and test management and mitigation strategies for reducing damage.
  • Extension Focus (60%)

    Our extension program is science-based, often informed by our research program, with two main focuses:

    • Managing human-wildlife conflict – we help to educate the public on how to manage wildlife conflict (e.g., calf predation or wild pig damage) by presenting the science behind the issues through a variety of mediums. We also help interested parties develop the skillset needed for wildlife conflict management (e.g., predator identification or wild pig removal methods) through interactive demonstrations and technical workshops.
    • Promoting sound stewardship of wildlife and their habitats – we help educate the public on the benefits of rangelands (both natural and grazed). We will also work with landowners to develop strategies on how to manage grazed rangeland for biodiversity and work with stakeholders to develop conservation plans at larger scales to help promote regional biodiversity.

'Caught on Camera'

A monthly feature with images collected from RCREC game cameras mounted throughout the property.

2024

2023

2022

2021

Contact

Range Cattle Research & Education Center
3401 Experiment Station
Ona, FL 33865
Phone: (863) 374-7049
e.ellington@ufl.edu

  • Education
    • Ph.D., Trent University, Environmental and Life Sciences, 2015.
    • M.Sc., Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Biology, 2010.
    • B.Sc., Ohio State University, Wildlife Management, 2007.
  • Employment
    • Assistant Professor, University of Florida, Range Cattle Research and Education Center, Ona, FL, July 2020 to Present
    • Post-doctoral Researcher, Ohio State University, School of Environment and Natural Resources, Columbus, OH
      September 2015 – July 2020
    • Post-doctoral Researcher, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Department of Biology, St. John’s, NL, Canada
      March 2017 – March 2019
  • Membership in Professional Societies
    • The Wildlife Society
  • Publications