John Orrock’s research is all about choices and connections.
Orrock, the Wayland E. Noland Distinguished Chair in Integrative Biology, studies ecological interactions at the intersection of spatial ecology, global change and behavioral ecology. In one of his laboratory’s recent projects, his team researched how differing dynamics of a country forest and an urban forest impact the behavior of species like deer and rodents. In an urban forest, the presence of predators like cats and raccoons changes the decisions animal species make in order to survive. For example, in Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine State Forest, invasive plant species like honeysuckle and buckthorn create additional leaf cover to protect species from predators, but also bloom earlier than other types of plants, impacting how early certain species decide to become active in spring.
“You don’t need a fancy brain to make important choices,” Orrock says. “The connections between these choices have important impacts on an animal’s prospects for survival.”
Orrock’s body of research has earned him a place among nine researchers nationwide to earn election to the Ecological Society of America’s (ESA) 2024 class of fellows. The lifetime election honors researchers who have made outstanding contributions to fields that advance or apply ecological knowledge in academics, government, non-profit organizations and the broader society.
“It’s an honor to be considered by my colleagues for the work I’ve done,” says Orrock, who joined UW–Madison in 2010 and shares an appointment in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. “I’m proud and ecstatic that other scientists are excited about the work I do. I just want to do quality science.”
Orrock’s latest work involves surveying eight sites in Wisconsin to measure the impact of climate change on potential spikes in Lyme disease. The ticks that often infect humans with the bacterial disease typically contract it from mice. Working with the National Ecological Observatory Network, Orrock and his team will chart how mouse activity creates hotspots.
“Can I predict animal behavior?” Orrock asks. “If animals are making choices in reliable ways, and I know when ticks and mice come out, we may be able to predict the points at which the risks to humans are the greatest.”