Louisiana Staff Member
Dr. Drew Fowler
Assistant Unit Leader
Email: dfowler@usgs.gov
Faculty Email: dfowler@agcenter.lsu.edu
Faculty Website
Biography
Dr. Fowler joined the Louisiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit in 2022 and serves as an Assistant Unit Leader and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the School of Renewable Natural Resources at Louisiana State University. Prior to joining the Louisiana Unit, Dr. Fowler received his M.S. degree from Louisiana State University, his PhD from the University of Missouri, and was a research scientist at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. His overarching research efforts focus on the ecology and management of wetland dependent birds, particularly waterfowl, as well as the management and conservation of diverse wetland systems. In addressing the effects of anthropogenic impacts to wetlands, Dr. Fowler takes a process-based approach to understand biotic and abiotic drivers that influence wetland function and how wetland dependent taxa in turn respond. Dr. Fowler has interests in teaching Wetland and wildlife ecology, Waterfowl ecology and management, and Applications of stable isotope ecology.
Areas of Expertise
Landscape Ecology, Wetland Ecology, Wildlife Management
Taxon Groups Studied
Gamebirds, Nongame Fish/Wildlife, Waterfowl
| Research Publications | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| Paukert, C., E. Webb, D. Fowler, and C. Hilling. 2021. Harvest as a Tool to Manage Populations of Undesirable or Overabundant Fish and Wildlife Species. Pages 249 to 262 in: L. Powell and K. Pope, editors. Harvest of Fish and Wildlife: New Paradigms for Sustainable Management. CRC Press. | June 2021 |
| Fowler, D.N., K.J. Kuechle, B.A. Woodall, M.P. Vrtiska and E.B. Webb. 2018. Evaluating indices of lipid and protein contentin lesser snow and Ross' geese during spring migration. Wildlife Society Bulletin 42: 295-303. | June 2018 |
| Fowler, D.N., E.B. Webb, and M.P. Vrtiska. 2020. Condition Bias of Decoy-Harvested Light Geese During the Conservation Order. The Journal of Wildlife Management 84:33-44. | January 2020 |
| Fowler, D.N., E.B. Webb, M.P. Vrtiska and K.A. Hobson. 2020. Winter carry over effects on spring body condition in a long distant migrant and implications for survival: a test using lesser snow geese. Avian Conservation and Ecology | December 2020 |
| Fowler, D. N. S.L. King, and D. C. Weindorf. 2014. Evaluating Abiotic Influences on Soil Salinity of Inland Managed Wetlands and Agricultural Croplands in a Semi-Arid Environment. Wetlands 34:1229-1239. | June 2014 |
| Fowler, D,N, Winiarksi, J,M, Pollentier, C,D, and R.C. Gatti. 2023. The influence of landscape composition and configuration on breeding pair abundance of blue-winged teal and mallards in Wisconsin. Wildlife Society Bulletin. | Abstract | January 2024 |
|
Fowler DN, Webb EB, Baldwin FB, Vrtiska MP, Hobson KA (2018) A multi-isotope (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S, δ2H) approach to establishing migratory connectivity in lesser snow geese: Tracking an overabundant species. PLoS ONE 13(8): e0203077. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0203077 | Abstract | Publisher Website |
August 2018 |
| Presentations | Presentation Date |
|---|---|
| Winiarksi, J. M., D.N. Fowler, M.D. Palumbo, and J.N. Straub. 2022. Comparing expert and data-driven seasonal waterfowl distributions to inform conservation strategies: a case study in Wisconsin. Annual Meeting, The Wildlife Society, Spokane, Washington, 6-10 November 2022. | November 2022 |
| Stemaly, S, Hobson, K, Ringelman, K, and D.N. Fowler. 2024. Breeding origins of waterfowl harvested in Louisiana derived from band recoveries and stable isotope (δ<sup>2</sup>H) measurements of feathers. 9<sup>th</sup> North American Duck Symposium. Portland OR, 5 -9 February 2024. | February 2024 |
| Owen, R.K., D. Fowler, E.B. Webb, K.W. Goyne, and D. Haukos. Playas to Potholes: How will climate change impact soil biogeochemistry in Great Plains prairie wetlands? | January 2019 |
| Moran, L.L.K., A. Lipford, D.N. Fowler, J.A. Nyman, and S.L. King. 2025.Water level dynamics affect displacement and home ranges of secretive marshbirds among seasons. Waterbird Society Annual Meeting, San Jose, Costa Rica. | January 2024 |
| Luukkonen, B, Winterstein, S, Hayes, J, Coluccy, D, Fowler, P, Lavretsky, B, O’Neal, A, Shipley, and J Simpson. 2024. Great Lakes mallard movements and population dynamics. 9<sup>th</sup> North American Duck Symposium. Portland OR, 5 -9 February 2024. | February 2024 |
| Luukkonen, B, Winterstein, S, Hayes, D, Fowler, D, and P. Lavretsky. 2023. Great Lakes mallard genetics and movement ecology. Annual Meeting, The Wildlife Society, Louisville KY 5 – 9 November 2023. | November 2023 |
| Greenawalt, A.,T, Riecke, D.N. Fowler, and B. Sedinger. Do harvest regulations, wood duck abundance, and hunter effort affect wood duck hunting mortality in the Great Lakes states? Annual Meeting, The Wildlife Society, Spokane, Washington, 6-10 November 2022. | November 2022 |
| Goodenough, K and D, Fowler. 2024. Spatiotemporal variation in space-use of mallard and northern pintails wintering in southwest Louisiana. 9<sup>th</sup> North American Duck Symposium. Portland OR, 5 -9 February 2024. | February 2024 |
| Gehrke, A, Ringelman, K. M., and D.N. Fowler. 2024. Factors influencing field selection by mallards and northern pintails within rice-crawfish dominated agriculture in southwest Louisiana. 9<sup>th</sup> North American Duck Symposium. Portland OR, 5 -9 February 2024. | February 2024 |
| Fowler, D.N., S.L. King, D.C. Weindorf, and J. Vradenburg. 2018. Evaluating Abiotic Influences on Soil Salinity of Inland Managed Wetlands and Agricultural Croplands in a Semi-Arid Environment. Society of Wetland Scientists Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado | May 2018 |
| Fowler, D.N, M.P. Vrtiska, and E.B. Webb. 2018. Selective harvest: evaluating differences in body condition of lesser snow and Ross's Geese during spring migration by harvest technique during the Light Goose Conservation Order. 14th North American Arctic Goose Conference. Lincoln, NE. 14 - 17 March, 2018. | March 2018 |
| Fowler, D.N, K.A. Hobson, M.P. Vrtiska, and E.B. Webb. 2018. Do nutrient acquisition strategies differ among spring migrants depending on breeding area destination? A test using lesser snow geese. 14th North American Arctic Goose Conference. Lincoln, NE. 14 - 17 March, 2018. | March 2018 |
| Fowler, D.N, J.L. Dooley, M.D. Weegman, R.F. Rockwell, M.P. Vrtiska, and E.B. Webb. 2018. Evaluating heterogeneous adult survival among subpopulations in midcontinent lesser snow geese. 14th North American Arctic Goose Conference. Lincoln, NE. 14 - 17 March, 2018. | March 2018 |
| Fowler, D. N., M. P. Vrtiska, and E. B. Webb. 2017. Selective harvest: evaluating differences in body condition of lesser snow and Ross’s Geese by harvest technique during the Light Goose Conservation Order. 2017 Annual Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference, Lincoln, Nebraska. February 5-8. | February 2017 |
| Fowler, D. N., M. P. Vrtiska, and E. B. Webb. 2016. Does body condition of lesser snow and Ross’s Geese harvested during the Light Goose Conservation Order differ from the general population? Oral presentation. 2016 Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society, Raleigh, North Carolina. October 15-19. | October 2016 |
| Fowler, D. N., J. M. Winiarski, and K. A. Hobson. Evaluating natal / molt origins of non-banded ducks harvested in the northern Mississippi Flyway using stable isotope techniques. Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture Waterfowl Symposium, Memphis, Tennessee, 4-6 October 2022. | October 2022 |
| Fowler, D. N., E. B. Webb, K. A. Hobson, and M. P. Vrtiska. 2016. Using Isotopic Signatures of Arctic and Sub-arctic Nesting Colonies to Determine Breeding Origin of Harvested Lesser Snow Geese. 7th North American Duck Symposium, Annapolis, Maryland, 1-5 February 2016. | February 2016 |
| Fowler, D. N, Webb, E. B., Hobson, K. A., and M. P. Vrtiska. 2018. Shifting regional habitat use improves body lipid content: Winter carry over effects on spring body condition in a long distant migrant . North American Duck Symposium, Winnipeg, MB, August 26-30. | August 2019 |
| Fowler, D. N, Webb, E. B., Hobson, K. A., and M. P. Vrtiska. 2018. Ghosts of habitat past or future? The role of wintering and breeding locations on spring body condition in a long distant migrant. Annual Meeting, The Wildlife Society, Cleveland, Ohio, 7-11 October 2018. | October 2018 |
| Fowler, D, N., M. P. Vrtiska, K. A. Hobson and E. B. Webb. 2017. Do nutrient acquisition strategies among spring migrants differ depending on breeding area destination? A test using lesser snow geese. Annual Meeting, The Wildlife Society , Albuquerque, NM, 23-27, 2017. | September 2017 |
| Fowler, D, N. and S. L. King. 2024. Levers and switches that influence the conservation value of rice agriculture for waterfowl and other wetland dependent birds. 9<sup>th</sup> North American Duck Symposium. Portland OR, 5 -9 February 2024. | February 2024 |
| Fowler, D, N. and S. L. King. 2023. Levers and switches that influence the conservation value of rice agriculture for wetland dependent birds. Annual Meeting, The Waterbird Society, Ft. Lauderdale FL, 9 - 13 October 2023. | October 2023 |
| Fowler, D, N. and S. L. King. 2023. A changing system: levers and switches that influence the role of rice agriculture for wetland dependent birds. Annual Meeting, Society of Wetland Scientists, Spokane WA, 27 - 30 June 2023. | June 2023 |
| Fowler, D, N, Masto, S Stemaly, A Keever, M Schummer, P Lavretsky, A Blake-Bradshaw, C, Highway, J, Feddersen, H, Hagy and B, Cohen. 2024. Integrating GPS telemetry and <i>δ</i><sup>2</sup>H isoscapes to identify breeding ground fidelity and dispersal by mallards. <b> </b>9<sup>th</sup> North American Duck Symposium. Portland OR, 5 -9 February 2024. | February 2024 |
| Fowler, D, M. P. Vrtiska and E. B. Webb. 2015. Which geese are being harvested? Body condition of lesser snow (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) and Ross’s Geese (C. rossii) harvested by different methods during the Light Goose Conservation Order. North American Arctic Goose Conference, Winnipeg, MB, CA, 15-17 April 2015. | April 2015 |
| Ferraro, E, Ringelman, K. M., and D.N. Fowler. 2024. Effects of Auditory Disturbance on Mallard and Northern Pintail Behavior in Southwest Louisiana. 9<sup>th</sup> North American Duck Symposium. Portland OR, 5 -9 February 2024. | February 2024 |
| Fara, L, Beatty, W, Koneff, M, Fowler, D, Finger, T, Landolt, K, Finley, B, Ruhser, J, Gray, B, Houdek, S, Wright, A, and G, Marchel. 2024. Visibility correction factors for multiple species of waterfowl using an aerial remote sensing approach. 9<sup>th</sup> North American Duck Symposium. Portland OR, 5 -9 February 2024. | February 2024 |
| Edwards, J.W., E.B. Webb, D.N. Fowler, P. Link and B. Leach. Environmental factors influencing blue-winged teal spring migration initiation and subsequent migratory movements. 9th North American Duck Symposium, Portland, Oregon. February 2024 | February 2024 |
| Edwards, J.W., E. B. Webb, D. N. Fowler, P. T. Link, and C. Nicolai. 2025. Surfing the 'Mucky' Blue Wave: Is blue-winged teal nonbreeding season resource selection influenced by fine-scale variation in wetland availability? Annual conference of the Waterbird Society. January 6 -9, 2025. San Juan, Costa Rica. | January 2025 |
| Edwards, J. W., E. B. Webb, D. N. Fowler, P. T. Link, and C. Nicolai. 2025. Surfing the Blue Wave: Is blue-winged teal resource selection influenced by fine-scale variation in wetland availability?. 2025 Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference, January 19-22, 2025. St. Louis, Missouri. | January 2025 |
| Drake, V. L ., K. M. Ringelman, and D. N. Fowler. Development of an aerial waterfowl survey for northeastern Louisiana. Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture Waterfowl Symposium, Memphis, Tennessee, 4-6 October 2022. | October 2022 |
| D.N. Fowler, E.I. Johnson, O. Best, R. Temple, and J. Olszak. 2025. High frequency, high resolution movement data of the Limpkin (<i>Aramus guarauna</i>) in Southwest Louisiana. Annual conference of the Waterbird Society. January 6 -9, 2025. San Juan, Costa Rica. | January 2025 |