Christopher Rota

Christopher Rota is an Associate Professor in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Resources at West Virginia University's Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. As Program Coordinator for Wildlife and Fisheries Resources, he specializes in applied vertebrate ecology with a focus on developing advanced statistical techniques to analyze ecological datasets.

His research spans wildlife population dynamics, habitat interactions, and conservation strategies. Recent publications highlight collaborations on national camera-trap surveys (SNAPSHOT USA), mammal responses to human activity, spatial ecology of pests, and statistical methodologies for wildlife monitoring.

Current projects examine impacts of energy extraction on mule deer mortality, post-mining habitat selection by black bears, wetland restoration effects on small mammals, and migratory connectivity in Canada Warblers. His group integrates field data with computational models to address conservation challenges.