Environment, Ecology, and Biology Projects
AERC specializes in environment, ecology, and biology projects. Our research portfolio includes wildlife monitoring, habitat surveying, and management recommendations from around the Pacific region. Learn more about our ecology projects below.
Avian Research
Avian Nest Survey
How do birds affect military training? And how does military training affect birds, specifically those identified as Species Of Special Concern?
Large Bird Survey
AERC researchers look for nests from above and below to monitor nesting success on JBER, and contribute to the multi-office Alaska Landbird Monitoring Survey.
Tricolor Blackbird Survey
Land managers on Edwards Air Force Base in California balance recreation with conservation to protect an endangered blackbird.
Fish Research
Juvenile Salmon Diet Investigation
What do JBER's smallest salmon snack on? Biologists went to the creek to find out. The answers will help land managers protect salmon habitat on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
Otter Lake Salmon Recording
Cook Inlet's endangered belugas consume salmon that hatch on base. The pod's long-term health depends on understanding how many salmon reach the inlet.
Beluga Whale Dietary Study
UAA welders helped construct a new fish weir that AERC placed in the Sixmile water system to better understand local salmon populations.
Salmon Abundance
AERC researchers developed new techniques to measure and monitor salmon diversity on Eagle River, providing land managers with more details on the population.
Mammal Research
Little Brown Bat Survey
AERC completed the first study of little brown bats on base to protect the threatened species from spreading White Nose Disease.
Moose Management
Moose hunting has cultural, financial, and lifestyle benefits for Alaskans. An AERC surveys looked for ways to improve their habitat.
Plant Research
Invasive Plant Remediation
Invasive species can disrupt ecology and recreation on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Researchers survey hotspots on base and remove dozens of invasive wildflowers and plants.
Rare Plant Inventory
Researchers traveled miles of military land searching for plants deemed rare to Alaska, and species identified by Alaska Native communities as culturally important.
Wake Island Invasives
AERC staff arrived on Wake Island to assess and remove invasive ironwood, which had overgrown military monuments and historic sites from World War II.
Insects and Others
Spruce Beetle Forestry Management
A continuous survey of spruce beetle outbreaks helps land managers treat the trees and plan for future wildfires.
Tree Snail Conservation and Genetics
Endemic tree snails are disappearing from Hawaii. AERC studied snail genetics to find new habitat for the multiple endangered species. (Photo: Tech. Sgt. Michael Holzworth, DMA Pacific)
Fort Wainwright Wildlife Survey
Biologists monitored everything from birds to bats to wood frogs to inform management plans on the US Army installation east of Fairbanks.