Faculty/Staff Directory

Ellen

Audia

audiael@gvsu.edu

• Affiliate Professor

3440d KHS

616-331-8583

Movement/Spatial Ecology, Landscape Ecology, Wildlife Ecology, Geographic Information Systems

The Wildlife Society
American Society of Mammologists

NRM 250Natural Resource Measurements and Mapping
NRM 377 Project Design and Seminar
NRM 450 Applied Spatial Analysis of Natural Resources
NRM 495 Senior Project and Seminar: SWS Senior Project and Seminar

As a wildlife and spatial ecologist, I study how wildlife and ecosystems respond to environmental change. More specifically, my research focuses on how disturbance and landscape change affect animal movement, habitat selection, distributions, and overall ecosystem function. I am particularly interested in anthropogenic land use change and its impact on wide-ranging species that are navigating mosaics of native and altered habitats. By leveraging fundamental ecological concepts to answer applied questions, I seek to develop insights that inform conservation planning and promote human-wildlife coexistence.

Ph.D., Agricultural Sciences, Southern Illinois University
M.S., Wildlife Ecology, Iowa State University
B.S., Natural Resources Management and Mathematics, Grand Valley State University

Audia, E.M., Buckman, K.M., Gorman, N.T., Weber, A., Pease, B.S., Nielsen, C.K., Bastille-Rousseau, G. (2025). Daily and monthly movement patterns shape bobcat home range size in two different landscapes. Landscape Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-025-02280-0

Larreur, M.R.., Remmers, J.J., Audia, E.M., Suriyamongkol, T., Buckman, K.M., Pershyn, N.A., Pease, B.S., Bastille-Rousseau, G., and Nielsen, C.K. (2024). Drivers of nine-banded armadillo occupancy and expansion near the edge of their northern range. Journal of Mammalogy, 106(3):658-70. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyae158

Woller-Skar, M., Locher, A., Audia, E.M. (2024). Carbon storage in rare ecosystems relative to their encroaching forests in western Lower Michigan. PloS one, 19(6), e0305394.

Olafasakin, O., Audia, E.M., MbaWright, M., Tyndall, J.C., and Schulte, LA. (2024). Technoeconomic and life cycle analysis of renewable natural gas derived from anaerobic digestion of grassy biomass: A US Corn Belt watershed case study. GCB Bioenergy, 16(6), e13164.

BastilleRousseau G., Crews, S.A., Donovan, E.B., Egan, M.E., Gorman, N.T., Pitman, J.B., Weber, A.M., Audia, E.M., Larreur, M.R., Manninen, H., and Blake, S. (2023). A multiproperty assessment of intensity of use provides a functional understanding of animal movement. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.14274

Ferin, K.M., Balson, T., Audia, E.M., Ward, A.S., Liess, S., Twine, T.E., and VanLoocke, A. (2023). Field-scale analysis of miscanthus production indicates climate change may increase the opportunity for water quality improvement in a key Iowa watershed. GCB-Bioenergy. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.13078

Audia, E.M., Schulte, L.A., and Tyndall, J.C. (2022). Measuring changes in financial and ecosystems service outcomes with simulated grassland restoration in a Corn Belt watershed. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 382.

Audia, E.M., Schulte, L.A., and James, D.E. (2021). Mapping the Soil Vulnerability Index across broad spatial extents to guide conservation efforts. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 76(2):44A-50A. https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.2021.1015A

Woller-Skar, M.M., Locher, A., Audia, E.M., and Thomas, E.W. (2021). Changing Water Levels in Lake Superior, MI (USA) Impact Periphytic Diatom Assemblages in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Water 13(3):253. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13030253

Audia, E.M., Woller-Skar, M.M. and Locher, A. (2021). Crowd-sourced data link land use and soil moisture to temperature and relative humidity in southwest Michigan (USA). Theor Appl Climatol 143, 341–348. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-020-03429-4

Audia, E.M., Buckman, K.M., Pease, B.S., Nielsen, C.K., Bastille-Rousseau, G. Sex- and age- specific responses of bobcats to forest edge habitats and roads. 105^th Annual American Society of Mammologists Meeting. June 2026. Norfolk, VA, USA.

Audia, E.M., Buckman, K.M., Weber, A.M., Gorman, N.T., Pease, B.S., Nielsen, C.K., Bastille-Rousseau, G. Daily and monthly movement shape bobcat home range size in two different landscapes. GIS Day. November 2025. Springfield, IL, USA.

Audia, E.M., Buckman, K.M., Pease, B.S., Nielsen, C.K., and Bastille-Rousseau, G. Space use and habitat selection of a recolonized bobcat population. 85th Annual Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference. January 2025. St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

Audia, E.M., Tyndall, J.C., Schulte, L.A., Valcu-Lisman, A., and Swenson, D. Jointly promoting environmental and economic objectives in Corn Belt agriculture through spatial optimization. International Association of Landscape Ecology – North America (IALE-NA). April 2021. Virtual.

Audia, E.M., Schulte, L.A., and James, DE. Mapping the Soil Vulnerability Index across broad spatial extents to guide conservation efforts. Iowa Water Conference. April 2021. Virtual.

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