Bio:
Marcelo Jorge was Born in São Paulo, Brazil and moved to the United States at an early age. He lived all over the eastern United States and spent his formative years in Crystal Lake, IL. He attended Miami University (OH) in which he earned his Bachelors of Science in Zoology with a Neuroscience minor and a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology as well as conducted independent undergraduate research on house cricket (Acheta domesticus) social dominance behavior as a factor influencing neurogenesis. He then worked for three years at a variety of American Zoological Association (AZA) accredited institutions as an animal keeper and trainer. He returned to academia and earned his Masters of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences from Virginia Tech. His thesis investigated the impact of fire on the wildlife (i.e. mammals and bird) communities of a pyric landscape in North Florida using passive sampling techniques. After his Masters, he has collaborated across a wide range of projects including: bat response to fire in North Florida, Arapaima (Arapaima gigas) resource selection in the Amazon river, Brazilian coastal fisheries harvest estimation, and Southwestern United States bat activity prior to white-nose syndrome. Marcelo’s research interests include predator-prey interactions, community ecology and applied science to benefit land managers. His PhD project will focus on understanding how Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) impact Arkansas deer populations and behaviors using both passive and active sampling techniques under the mentorship of Dr. Richard Chandler, Dr. Gino D’Angelo, and Dr. Michael Chamberlain. His work aims to provide recommendations to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission as well as other CWD positive states on the monitoring and managing a deer herd with CWD. In his spare time, Marcelo enjoys board games, taking his dog “Sequoia” into the forest, and as a new hunter, engaging in everything from squirrel to deer hunting and hopes to start trapping as well.
Website: https://mjorge7.wixsite.com/marcelo
Research interests:
Predator-Prey Interactions, Spatial Ecology, Applied Wildlife Research, Infectious Disease, and Prescribed Fire.
Poster Presentations
Kappel NS*, Jorge MH, Garrison EP, Conner LM, Cherry MJ. Examining Predator Avoidance Behaviors in White-tailed Deer in Northern Florida, Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources 50th Annual Alumni Association Reunion. October 18, 2019, Blacksburg, Virginia. I Presented this as a representative example of the product of a successful undergraduate mentored product.
Kappel NS*, Jorge MH, Garrison EP, Conner LM, Cherry MJ. Examining Predator Avoidance Behaviors in White-tailed Deer in Northern Florida. Invited to present poster at: Dennis Dean Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship Conference, April 19, 2019, Moss Art Center, Blacksburg, VA
Kappel NS*, Jorge MH, Garrison EP, Conner LM, Cherry MJ. Examining Predator Avoidance Behaviors in White-tailed Deer in Northern Florida. Poster presented at: Virginia Chapter: The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting; 2019 Feb 4-6, Waynesboro, VA
Gillison TL*, Jorge MH, Garrison EP, Conner LM, Cherry MJ. Spatial and Temporal Partitioning Among Florida Mesopredators in Response to a Novel Predator. Poster presented at: Virginia Tech Undergraduate Research Forum, 2018, Blacksburg, VA
Kappel NS*, Jorge MH, Garrison EP, Conner LM, Cherry MJ. Examining Predator Avoidance Behaviors in White-tailed Deer in Northern Florida. Poster presented at: Virginia Tech Undergraduate Research Forum, 2018, Blacksburg, VA
Jorge MH, Garrison EP, Conner LM, Cherry MJ. Linking Wildlife Communities to Prescribed Fire on Camp Blanding Joint Military Installation in Northern Florida. Work in Progress Poster presentation. The Wildlife Society National Annual Meeting, 2017, Albuquerque, NM.
Jorge MH, Killian K. Development of agonistic behavior in male crickets: Does the immune system play a role? Poster presented at: Animal Behavior Conference Indiana University; 2012; Bloomington, IN.
Jorge MH, Killian K. Chemical cues that trigger courtship behavior lead to elevated aggression of male crickets. Poster presented at: Miami University Undergraduate Research Forum; 2011; Oxford, OH.
Jorge MH, Killian K. Development of agonistic behavior in male crickets: Does the immune system play a role? Poster presented at: Miami University Undergraduate Research Forum; 2011; Oxford, OH.
* Undergraduate Mentored Projects
Oral Presentations
Jorge MH, Garrison EP, Conner LM, Cherry MJ. Fire History Influences Predator Abundances in a Pyric Landscape. Oral presentation. The Wildlife Society National Annual Meeting, 2019 Sept 29-Oct 3, Reno, NV.
Jorge MH, Garrison EP, Conner LM, Cherry MJ. Linking Wildlife Communities to Prescribed Fire on Camp Blanding Joint Military Installation in Northern Florida. Oral presentation. Virginia Chapter: The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, 2019 Feb 4-6, Waynesboro, VA.
Publications
Jorge, M.H., Garrison, E.P., Conner, L.M. and Cherry, M.J., 2020. Fire and land cover drive predator abundances in a pyric landscape. Forest Ecology and Management, 461, p.117939.
Submitted Manuscripts
Jorge, M.H., Sweeten S.E., Freeze S.R., True M.C., St. Germain M.J., Taylor H., Gorman K.M., Cherry M.J., Garrison E.P., Ford W.M. Winter roost selection of Lasiurine tree bats in a pyric landscape of the southeastern Coastal Plain with emphasis on the Seminole bat (Lasiurus seminolus), Forest Ecology and Management
Jorge, M.H., Sweeten S.E., Freeze S.R., True M.C., K.M., Cherry M.J., Garrison E.P., Ford W.M. Fire, land cover, and temperature drivers of bat activity in winter, Fire Ecology
Jorge, M.H., Garrison, E.P., Conner, L.M. and Cherry, M.J., Avian species richness in a frequently burned ecosystem: a link between pyrodiversity and biodiversity, Ecosphere
Undergraduate Mentoring
Nina Kappell B.S., Virginia Tech:
Examining Predator Avoidance Behaviors in White-tailed Deer in Northern Florida
Tyvante Gillison B.S., Virginia Tech:
Spatial and Temporal Partitioning Among Florida Mesopredators in Response to a Novel Predator
