McMurry Lab
Current Research
We do a good bit of collaborative research across many venues and with a variety of organisms. The central question of how stressors influence wildlife and ecosysem processes drives most of the work. The following are examples of present studies currently in progress.
Amphibians & Playas
The Southern High Plains are among the more intensively cultivated agricultural regions in Texas which leads to concerns for water quality, playa degredation, and plant and animal populations that inhabit these regions. These studies are designed to look at the field exposure of agrochemicals to apmhibian populations.
Burying Beetles
This current project is aimed at discovering factors contributing to the decline of the endangered American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus). This involves both field and laboratory investigations to identify biological, environment and habitat requirements as well as potential threats to remaining American burying beetle (ABB) populations in Oklahoma. We are also looking at ideal feeding and reproduction preferences of ABB, and the behavior exhibited when those particular set of criteria are not available.
Amphibians & Toxicants
Impacts of chemicals applied to agricultural areas are only moderately understood despite their proposed role in enigmatic amphibian declines. Agricultural fields cover wide spands of land worldwide and contain ephemeral pools that provide breeding habitat for resident amphibians. These animals are at risk of exposure to agrochemicicals. Our research looks at the effects of toxicant exposure and the fate of chemicals in various amphibian species.
