Craig Sklarczyk

Title: PhD Student
Email: cas1333@msstate.edu

Hi, my name is Craig I am a PhD student at Mississippi State University. I grew up in Riverview, Michigan and attended Michigan State University where I got my bachelors degree in both Wildlife Management and Forestry. While at MSU (Michigan State) I work on numerous research projects including determining the biomass in trees, the effects of American Kestrel in blueberry fields, and mapping threatened Yellow-Billed Cuckoo populations in Idaho. I received my masters from Mississippi State researching how forest patterns as a result of forest management practices influenced the abundance of avian species in managed pine forest. For my PhD, I study under Dr. Evans researching important refugia for pollinators in agricultural systems and managed pine forest, as well as how forest management practices such as herbicide application, site prep, and stand thinning effect plant communities and how that effect higher trophic levels. My other project focuses on tracking Yellow-billed Cuckoo movement through managed pine forest and how we better facilitate movement via Stream Management Zones for declining avian species in managed pine forest. I am interested in viewing all my projects through a landscape ecology lens and how broad-scale theory can help our declining species. In my free time I enjoy many outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, birding and disc golf. In the future I hope to continue researching non-game species and sustainable forest practices.