Scott McMurry, Regents Professor
Environmental Stressors, Wildlife Toxicology, Animal Behavior
Ph.D., 1993, Oklahoma State University
Email: scott.mcmurry@okstate.edu
website: http://scottmcmurry.wix.com/stmcmurry
Specific Interests
My research interests center on how stressors in the environment influence wildlife. I view stressors broadly to include environmental contaminants, habitat alteration, climate, and others. Most of my projects include both a field and laboratory component. Over the past several years I have been fortunate enough to work with a variety of wildlife species in numerous terrestrial and aquatic systems throughout North America and Central America. Recently, the bulk of my work has focused on the influence of anthropogenic stressors (pollutants and sediments) on amphibians in playa wetlands, particularly how agricultural activities effect amphibian community composition, amphibian immunity, exposure to chemicals, and chemical effects on behavior. This work is in collaboration with other members of the department and we continue with many of these studies at sites ranging from Texas to Nebraska.
I am always happy to discuss graduate school opportunities with interested students. Most of my projects support Research Assistantships, and Teaching Assistantships are usually available as well. If you are interested in working in my lab, please feel free to contact me.
Selected Publications
- Smith, L. M., D. A. Haukos, S. T. McMurry, T. LaGrange, and D. Willis. 2011. Ecosystem services provided by playas in the High Plains: potential influences of USDA conservation programs. Ecological Applications, 21 Supplement: S82-S92.
- Johnson, L. A., D. A. Haukos, L.M. Smith, and S.T. McMurry. 2011. Loss of playa wetlands caused by reclassification and remapping of hydric soils on the Southern High Plains. Wetlands 31: 483-492. DOI 10.1007/s13157-011-0177.
- Tsai, J.-S., L. S. Venne, S. T. McMurry, and L. M. Smith. 2012. Local and landscape influences on plant communities in playa wetlands. Journal of Applied Ecology 49:174-181.
- McMurry, S. T., L. E. Jones, P. N. Smith, G. P. Cobb, T. A. Anderson, M. B. Lovern, S. B. Cox, and X. Pan. 2011. Accumulation and effects of octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) exposure in the green anole (Anolis carolinensis). DOI 10.1007/s10646-011-0791-1.
- O'Connell, J. L., L. A. Johnson, L. M. Smith, S. T. McMurry, and D. A. Haukos. 2012. Influence of land-use and conservation programs on wetland plant communities of the semi-arid United States Great Plains. Biological Conservation, 146:108-115.
- Scollon EJ, Carr JA, Rintoul DR, McMurry, ST, Cobb GP. 2012. Metabolism and distribution of p,p'-DDT during flight of the white-crowned sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 31(2):336-346.
- Tsai, J.-S., L. S. Venne, L. M. Smith, S. T. McMurry, and D. A. Haukos. 2012. Influence of local and landscape characteristics on avian richness and density in wet playas of the Southern Great Plains, USA. Wetlands 32:605-618.
- Belden, J., B. Hanson, S. McMurry, L. Smith, and D. Haukos. 2012. Assessment of the effects of farming and conservation programs on pesticide deposition in High Plains wetlands. Environmental Science and Technology, 46:3424-3432.
- Venne, L. S., J. S. Tsai, S. B. Cox, L. M. Smith, and S. T. McMurry. 2012. Amphibian community richness in cropland and grassland playas in the Southern High Plains, USA. Wetlands 32:619-629. DOI 10.1007/s13157-012-0305-9.
- Hooser, E. A., J. B. Belden, L. M. Smith, and S. T. McMurry. 2012. Acute toxicity of three strobilurin fungicide formulations and their active ingredients to tadpoles. Ecotoxicology, DOI 10.1007/s10646-012-0899-y.
- Smith, L. M., D. A. Haukos, and S. T. McMurry. 2012. High Plains Playas, pp. 299-311 in Wetland Habitats of North America (D. P. Batzer and A. H. Baldwin, eds.). University of California Press, Berkeley, Pp. 389.