Jeff Martin
Assistant Professor of Bison Biology and Management and SDSU Extension Bison Specialist
Biography
Dr. Jeff Martin is assistant professor of bison biology and management in the Department of Natural Resource Management and Extension bison specialist with SDSU Extension located at the West River Research and Extension Center in Rapid City. His research is interdisciplinary across wildlife biology, climatology and human dimensions to answer questions of wildlife conservation and production in a changing world. Dr. Martin's research on bison is at the nexus of two paradigms: changing climate and changing cultural values. His goal is to merge understanding of conservation science with direct stakeholder engagement to improve conservation for wildlife across working and natural lands. He explores both direct and indirect drivers and consequences of body size change using bison from the Great Plains as a focal species. Dr. Martin's research aims to include bison manager interests that represent these sectors of private, public, Tribal and NGO bison herds.
Education
- Ph.D. in wildlife sciences | Texas A&M University | 2020
- M.S. in geosciences (vertebrate paleontology) | East Tennessee State University | 2014
- B.S. in geology | East Tennessee State University | 2012
Academic and Professional Experience
Academic Interests
Academic Interests
- Bison
- Climate change
- Thermoregulation
- Translocations
- Body size change
- Wildlife conservation
- Livestock and grassland sustainability
- Vertebrate paleontology
- Food sovereignty
Academic Responsibilities
Translocations of animals expose them to novel environments, including climate, forage and diseases. Combining my research topics helps to better inform when, where and how best to move animals. Also, studying thermoregulation of bison helps better understand responses to extreme weather like heat waves, blizzards and drought.
Committees and Professional Memberships
- American Society of Mammalogists
- The Wildlife Society
- Ecological Society of America
- British Ecological Society of America
- National Bison Association
- Western Bison Association
- Minnesota Bison Association
Work Experience
20 years experience working with bison
Research and Scholarly Work
Areas of Research
- Bison
- Ecophysiology
- Thermography
- Evolution
- Ecology
- Adaptation
- Climate change
- Body size change
Awards and Honors
- Young Explorer, The Explorers Club
- Honorary Lifetime Member, Western Bison Association
- Graduate Student of the Year (2014), Department of Geosciences, East Tennessee State University
Grants
- Rolex-Explorers Grant, The Explorers Club
