معرفی
Mark Ford is an Associate Professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment. He serves as Unit Leader for the Cooperative Research Unit. Ford holds a B.S. from the University of Tennessee (1987), M.S. from Mississippi State University (1989), and Ph.D. from the University of Georgia (1994).
His research focuses on land management interactions with wildlife habitats, particularly bats (e.g., northern long-eared, Indiana bats), Appalachian northern flying squirrels, spotted skunks, and red spruce restoration. Key projects include bat responses to prescribed fires, military land management, and climate change impacts on DoD installations. Cooperators include U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and state wildlife agencies.
Publications span bat ecology, fire effects, and conservation strategies, with recent work addressing white-nose syndrome impacts. His work combines field studies, acoustic monitoring, and spatial modeling to inform wildlife management practices. Ford teaches Wildlife Habitat Management in the Appalachians and collaborates on interdisciplinary projects linking ecology, forestry, and conservation.
Grants and funding sources include the Joint Fire Sciences Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Army Environmental Quality. His research emphasizes practical solutions for biodiversity conservation in managed landscapes.
