Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy Day

media release: Bobcats in the Midwest and Beyond

Learn about the life history, population, and landscape ecology of bobcats based on long-term field studies in Iowa. Intensive sampling and tracking enabled study of the reproduction, survival, and population trends. The results included the importance of diverse habitats to successful dispersal as the species recolonized landscapes where they were once uncommon. Learn how genetic data from across the continent revealed not only current sub-populations, but also how lineages expanded after the last ice age. Ongoing research in the Upper Midwest is revealing the linkages between bobcat populations in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, helping to inform conservation and management in the region.

Dr. William (Bill) Clark, is emeritus professor of wildlife ecology from Iowa State University, where he taught for 35 years. His research focused on population dynamics and landscape ecology of animal species ranging from endangered snails in the Driftless to bobcats across the continent. He has collaborated with academicians as well as federal and state biologists in ecosystems as varied as western deserts, Canadian wetlands, and the agricultural landscapes of the Midwest, including with biologists from Wisconsin. He now lives in Cross Plains and is active in conservation organizations in Wisconsin.