William Severud

Title

Assistant Professor

Office Building

Edgar S. McFadden Biostress Lab

Office

143

Mailing Address

McFadden Biostress Laboratory 143
Natural Resource Management-Box 2140B
University Station
Brookings, SD 57007

Biography

I am a Certified Wildlife Biologist® and as such, I aim to conduct research to inform wildlife management. My research group investigates questions surrounding animal health and how disease, movement and predator-prey interactions influence population dynamics, especially of large mammalian species. Students in my lab use a variety of field methods, including the use of GPS collars, conservation detection dogs and sampling of soils, plants and animal tissues. Students also work closely with Tribal natural resource agencies to address issues affecting subsistence and culturally important species (bison, moose, white-tailed deer, bighorn sheep).

Education

B.A. in biology | Carleton College
M.S. in biology | Northern Michigan University
Ph.D. in natural resources science and management - Wildlife Ecology and Management | University of Minnesota

Academic Interests

Wildlife management
Population dynamics
Spatial and movement ecology
Disease
Predator-prey interactions

Academic Responsibilities

NRM 230: Natural Resource Management Techniques
WL 411/411L: Principles of Wildlife Management and Lab
WL 417/517/417L/517L: Large Mammal Ecology and Management and Lab
WL 425/525/425L/525L: Wildlife Disease and Lab
WL 491: Independent Study
WL 714: Population Dynamics
NRM 791: Independent Study: Wildlife Bayesian Statistics
NRM 792: Special Topics: Tribal Fish and Wildlife Management
WL 798: Thesis
WL 898: Dissertation

Committees and Professional Memberships

The Wildlife Society
American Society of Mammalogists

Publications

Severud, W. J., T. M. Kautz, J. L. Belant, and S. A. Moore. 2023. Mineral licks as a potential nidus for parasite transmission. Food Webs 36:e00299.
Struck, M., W. J. Severud, Y. M. Chenaux-Ibrahim, E. J. Isaac, J. L. Brown, S. A. Moore, and T. M. Wolf. 2023. Refining the moose serum progesterone threshold to diagnose pregnancy. Conservation Physiology 11:coad003.
Severud, W. J., M. Petz Giguere, T. Walters, T. J. Garwood, K. Teager, K. M. Marchetto, L. G. R. Oliveira-Santos, S. A. Moore, and T. M. Wolf. 2023. Terrestrial gastropod species-specific responses to forest management: Implications for Parelaphostrongylus tenuis transmission to moose. Forest Ecology and Management 529:120717.
Severud, W. J., D. Wolfson, J. Fieberg, and D. E. Andersen. 2022. Sandhill crane colt survival in Minnesota. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 13:1–8.
Severud, W. J., S. S. Berg, C. A. Ernst, G. D. DelGiudice, S. A. Moore, S. K. Windels, R. A. Moen, E. J. Isaac, and T. M. Wolf. 2022. Statistical population reconstruction of moose (Alces alces) in northeastern Minnesota using integrated population models. PLOS ONE 17:e0270615.
Candler, E. M., W. J. Severud, D. E. Beyer Jr, B. Frawley, and J. K. Bump. 2022. Untrapped potential: Do bear hunter cameras accurately index nontarget species? Conservation Science and Practice 4:e570.
Tischler, K. B., W. J. Severud, R. O. Peterson, J. A. Vucetich, and J. K. Bump. 2022. Aquatic areas provide high nitrogen forage for moose (Alces alces) in Isle Royale National Park, Michigan, USA. Alces 58:75–90.
Lala, F., P. I. Chiyo, P. Omondi, B. Okita-Ouma, E. Kanga, M. Koskei, L. Tiller, A. W. Morris, W. J. Severud, and J. K. Bump. 2022. Influence of infrastructure, ecology, and underpass-dimensions on multi-year use of Standard Gauge Railway underpasses by mammals in Tsavo, Kenya. Scientific Reports 12:5698.

Department(s)

Image for Department of Natural Resource Management
Department of Natural Resource Management