Assistant Professor of Quantitative Wildlife Ecology
Website: http://www.cfc.umt.edu/LukacsLab
Ph.D. 2005. Fishery and Wildlife Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
M.S. 2001. Fishery and Wildlife Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
B.S. 1999. Wildlife Biology, University of Montana, Missoula, MT.
My research interests focus on development and application of quantitative methods to ecological problems, primarily in wildlife population dynamics. I strive to connect ecological theory to wildlife management problems and in doing so improve wildlife management and test ecological theory. My work crosses a broad spectrum of taxa from rare seabirds to hunted ungulates. My current projects include ungulate population dynamics modeling and population ecology of Kittlitz’s murrelets in Icy Bay, AK.
Prior to joining UM, I served as Biometrician for the Colorado Division of Wildlife for more than five years. In that role I provided statistical support to both research and management biologists. I developed an understanding of the types of quantitative support wildlife management agencies need and how to convey those ideas to wildlife managers. I also work closely with wildlife management agencies to develop computer software that brings the forefront of quantitative methods to the fingertips of wildlife managers.
Lukacs, P. M., J. A. Gude, R. E. Russell, and B. B. Ackerman. In Press. Evaluating cost-efficiency and accuracy of hunter harvest survey designs. Wildlife Society Bulletin.
Pavlacky, D. C., J. A. Blakesley, G. C. White, D. J. Hanni, and P. M. Lukacs. In Press. Hierarchical multi-scale occupancy for monitoring wildlife populations. Journal of Wildlife Management.
Bergman, E. J., B. E. Watkins, C. J. Bishop, P. M. Lukacs, and M. Lloyd. 2011. Biological and Socio-Economic Effects of Statewide Limitation of Deer Licenses in Colorado. Journal of Wildlife Management 75: 1443–1452.
Kissling, M. L, P. M. Lukacs, S. B. Lewis, S. M. Gende, K. J. Kuletz, N. R. Hatch, S. K. Schoen, and S. Oehlers. 2011. Distribution, abundance, and changes in populations of the Kittlitz’s Murrelet in Southeast Alaska. Marine Ornithology 39: 3–11.
Lukacs, P. M., M. L. Kissling, M. Reid, S. M. Gende, and S. B. Lewis. 2010. Testing assumptions of distance sampling on a pelagic seabird. Condor 112: 455–459.
Wolfe, L. L., M. M. Conner, C. L. Bidwell, P. M. Lukacs, and M. W. Miller. 2010. Select liver mineral concentrations and chronic wasting disease status in mule deer from northcentral Colorado. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 46: 1029–1034.
Devineau, O., T. M. Shenk, G. C. White, P. F. Doherty Jr., P. M. Lukacs, and R. H. Kahn. 2010. Evaluating the lynx reintroduction programme in Colorado: patterns in mortality. Journal of Applied Ecology 47: 524–531. Paper selected as the Editor’s Choice for the issue.
Lukacs, P. M., K. P. Burnham, and D. R. Anderson. 2010. Model selection bias and Freedman’s paradox. Annals of the Institute of Statistical Mathematics: Special Issue of AISM in Honor of Dr. Hirotugu Akaike.62: 117–125.
Lukacs, P. M., G. C. White, B. E. Watkins, R. H. Kahn, B. A. Banulis, D. J. Finley, A. A. Holland, J. A. Martens, and J. Vayhinger. 2009. Separating components of variation in survival of mule deer in Colorado. Journal of Wildlife Management 73: 817–826.
Dreher, B. P., G. J. M. Rosa, P. M. Lukacs, K. T. Scribner, and S. R. Winterstein. 2009. Interaction between genotyping error and subsampling non-invasive hair samples affects estimates of black bear abundance. Journal of Wildlife Management 73: 1184–1188.
Schorr, R. A., P. M. Lukacs, and G. L. Florant. 2009. Body mass and winter severity as predictors of overwinter survival in Preble's meadow jumping. Journal of Mammology 90: 17–24.
