Andrew (Andy) Little

Contact Information
My Story
Publications
Background
Grants
Advising
Courses Taught

Contact Information

Title	Landscape and Habitat Management Ecologist \| SNR Extension Coordinator
Faculty Rank	Associate Professor
Address	306 South Hardin Hall 3310 Holdrege Street Lincoln NE 68583–0973 East Campus
Phone	office: 402-219-1913 fax: 402-472-4915
E-mail	alittle6@unl.edu
Vitae	Download file

Contact Preference

My Story

Hi, I'm Andrew Little, and I'm an assistant professor of Landscape and Habitat Management with the School of Natural Resources.

My primary research focus is improving the ability of wildlife conservationists and managers to understand wildlife-habitat relationships in an increasingly human-dominated landscape. I study the ecology and management of ungulates, mesopredators, and gamebirds; wildlife-habitat relationships; landscape ecology; and predator-prey ecology.

As a Nebraska Extension and research scientist, my goals are to create innovative solutions to the growing wildlife conservation and management needs in a multi-functional Nebraska landscape where there are competing interests for agricultural production, wildlife conservation, and ecosystem services.

Andrew speaking to Extension group — Andrew (front right) is explaining to members of a Georgia hunting club about how to properly conduct a deer population survey using trail cameras.

A little history about myself ...

I grew up near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in a small farming community. At a young age, I developed a strong passion for natural resource conservation. I spent many days afield with my father hunting and fishing, and learning about our natural world. My father was previously a Water Quality Specialist with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection agency, which is where I garnered an appreciation for our natural resources including the importance of water conservation and management.

During high school, I became an active member in 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA), which helped strengthen my passion for natural resource conservation, particularly from the agricultural perspective. In 2004, I was honored to receive one of the highest awards from the FFA organization, the American FFA degree, which is given to members who have demonstrated a high level of commitment to FFA and have made significant accomplishments in their supervised agricultural experiences.

I later attended The Pennsylvania State University where I received my bachelor's degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. After college, I worked for the Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit as a forestry technician. I then moved on to the Smithsonian Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, Virginia, where I served as an ecology intern. I worked on a variety of research projects including evaluating the influence of land-use patterns on deer-vehicle collisions.

Andrew Little and nice catch — Andrew is shown with buck #6 from his M.S. research in Oklahoma where he evaluated the influence of hunting pressure on adult, male white-tailed deer behaviors. Note: deer #6 was under sedation and was successfully released following capture.

I continued to recognize the importance of natural resource conservation through my internship projects and decided to attend graduate school at Mississippi State University. Interestingly, my master's research combined my passion for natural resource conservation and deer hunting where I had the opportunity to evaluate the behavioral responses of hunting pressure on deer behavior. See my Publications tab to learn more about what we found.

After completing my master's degree, I began working at Ducks Unlimited as a Geographic Information Systems Technician. I assisted with managing the southern United States GIS database for Ducks Unlimited and worked with engineers and biologists on programs such as the Conservation Easement Priority program. While working at Ducks Unlimited, the biologists I interacted with regularly, instilled a desire in me to continue my education and pursue a doctorate in wildlife ecology.

In January 2012, I began my Ph.D. at the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources-University of Georgia where my researched focused on evaluating Eastern wild turkey nest site selection and survival, female turkey habitat selection and survival in frequently-burned longleaf pine savannas. After completing my doctorate, I moved into a Post-Doctoral Research Scientist position at the University of Georgia where I served as University liaison between the Warnell School and Georgia Department of Natural Resources-Wildlife Resources Division and coordinator of collaborative wildlife research projects. I later moved into a Senior Research Associate role where I continued my liaison duties and helped manage complex long-term DNR-WRD data sets. I also organized and moderated a day-long Georgia DNR Wildlife Research Symposium each year to facilitate distribution of latest research to state agency biologists and administrators.

On July 1, 2018, I began my new role as an Assistant Professor in the School of Natural Resources.

Feature Stories

WildAg Podcast Goes Live (5/10/2024)

Selected Publications

Edge AC, Rosenberger JP, Yates CJ, Little AR, Killmaster CH, Johannsen KL, et al. (2023) White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawn survival and the influence of landscape characteristics on fawn predation risk in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, USA. PLoS ONE 18(8): e0288449. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0288449	Online
Noonan, M., Martinez-Garcia, C., Fleming, C. H., DeFigueiredo, B. G., Ali, A. H., Attias, N., Belant, J. L., Beyer, Jr., D. E., Berteaux, D., Bidner, L. R., Boone, R., Boutin, S., Brito, J., Brown, M., Carter, A., Castellanos, A., Castellanos, F. X., Chitwood, C., Darlington, S., de la Torre, J. A., Dekker, J., DePerno, C., Droghini, A., Farhadinia, M., Fennessy, J., Fichtel, C., Ford, A., Gill, R., Goheen, J. R., Oliveira-Santos, L. G. R., Hebblewhite, M., Hodges, K. E., Isbell, L. A., Janssen, R., Kappeler, P., Kays, R., Kaczensky, P., Kauffman, M., LaPoint, S., Lashley, M. A., Leimgruber, P., Little, A. R., Macdonald, D. W., Masiaine, S., McBride, Jr., R. T., Medici, E. P., Mertes, K., Moorman, C., Morato, R. G., Mourão, G., Mueller, T., Nelison, E. W., Pastorini, J., Patterson, B. D., Pereira, J., Petroelje, T. R., Piecora, K., Power, R. J., Rachlow, J., Ranglack, D. H., Roshier, D., Safford, K., Scott, D. M., Serrouya, R., Songer, M., Songsasen, N., Stabach, J., Stacy-Dawes, J., Swingen, M. B., Thompson, J., Tucker, M. A., Velilla, M., Yarnell, R. W., Young, J., Fagan, W. F., Calabrese, J. M. The search behavior of terrestrial mammals. Nature Ecology and Evolution.	Online
Rosenberger, J.P., A.R.Little, A.C.Edge, C.J. Yates, D.A.Osborn, C.H. Killmaster, K.L. Johnnsen, K.V. Miller, G.J. D'Angelo. 2022. Resource selection of deer hunters in Georgia's Appalachian Mountains. Wildlife Society Bulletin e1356. https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1356	Online
Sullivan D. J., A. R. Little, M. L. Poteet, B. A. Collier, and M. J. Chamberlain. 2022. Selection of landcover types by translocated female eastern wild turkeys in east Texas. Wildlife Society Bulletin e1282. https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1282	Online
Tendle, A., Little, A., Hasan, M., Scott, S. (2022). Self-supervised learning in the twilight of noisy real-world datasets. Proceedings of the 21st IEEE International Conference on Machine Learning and Applications
Little, A. R. (2021). The Biology of Agroecosystems. Lincoln:. 3310 Holdrege St
Quebedeaux, K. B., Little, A., Nibbelink, N. P., D'Angelo, G. J., Killmaster, C. H., Miller, K. V. 2019. Variation in white-tailed deer antler size: the effects of age, landscape composition, and physiographic province. Journal of the Southeastern Associa	Online
Quebedeaux, K. B., Little, A., Nibbelink, N. P., D'Angelo, G. J., Killmaster, C. H., Miller, K. V.. Variation in white-tailed deer antler size: the effects of age, landscape composition, and physiographic province. Journal of the Southeastern Association	Online
Little, A. R., G. J. D'Angelo, C. H. Killmaster, K. L. Johannsen, and K. V. Miller. 2018. Understanding deer, bear, and forest trends in the northern Georgia mountains: the value of long-term data. Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wil	Online
Little, A. R., L. M. Conner, M. J. Chamberlain, N. P. Nibbelink, and R. J. Warren. 2018. Adult bobcat(Lynx rufus) habitat selection in a longleaf pine savanna. Ecological Processes DOI: 10.1186/s13717-018-0129-5	Online
Pollander, K. M., A. R. Little, J. W. Hinton, M. E. Byrne, G. D. Balkcom, and M. J. Chamberlain. 2018. Seasonal Habitat Selection and Movements by Mottled Ducks. Journal of Wildlife Management.	Online
Little, A. R., A. Hammond, J. A. Martin, K. L. Johannsen, and K. V. Miller. 2017. Population growth and mortality sources of the black bear population in northern Georgia. Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 4:130-138.	Online
Yeldell, N. A., B. S. Cohen, A. R. Little, B. A. Collier, and M. J. Chamberlain. 2017. Nest site selection and survival of Eastern wild turkeys in a pyric landscape. Journal of Wildlife Management 81:1073-1083.	Online
Little, A. R., J. F. Benson, M. J. Chamberlain, L. M. Conner, and R. J. Warren. 2016. Survival and cause-specific mortality of female Eastern wild turkeys in 2 frequently-burned longleaf pine savannas. Wildlife Biology 22:238-245.	Online
Little, A. R., M. J. Chamberlain, L. M. Conner, and R. J. Warren. 2016. Habitat selection of female Eastern wild turkeys in 2 frequently-burned pine savannas. Journal of Wildlife Management 80:1280-1289.	Online
Little, A. R., N. P. Nibbelink, L. M. Conner, M. J. Chamberlain, and R. J. Warren. 2016. Eastern wild turkey nest site selection in 2 frequently-burned pine savannas. Ecological Processes 5:4. DOI 10.1186/s13717-016-0051-7.	Online
Little, A. R., S. L. Webb, S. Demarais, K. L. Gee, S. K. Riffell, and J. A. Gaskamp. 2016. Hunting intensity alters movement behaviour of white-tailed deer. Basic and Applied Ecology 17:360-369.	Online
Marantz, S. A., J. A. Long, S. L. Webb, K. L. Gee, A. R. Little, and S. Demarais. 2016. Impacts of harvest risk on spatial behavior of white-tailed deer. Canadian Journal of Zoology 10.1139/cjz-2016-0125.	Online
Gross, J. T., A. R. Little, B. A. Collier, and M. J. Chamberlain. 2015. Space use, daily movements, and roosting behavior of male wild turkeys during spring in Louisiana and Texas. Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 2:	Online
Streich, M. M., A. R. Little, M. J. Chamberlain, L. M. Conner, and R. J. Warren. 2015. Habitat characteristics of Eastern wild turkey nest and ground-roost sites in 2 longleaf pine forests. Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Ag	Online
Little, A. R., M. M. Streich, M. J. Chamberlain, L. M. Conner, and R. J. Warren. 2014. Eastern wild turkey reproductive ecology in frequently-burned longleaf pine savannas. Forest Ecology and Management 331:180-187.	Online
Little, A. R., S. Demarais, K. L. Gee, S. L. Webb, S. K. Riffell, J. A. Gaskamp, and J. Belant. 2014. Does human predation risk affect harvest susceptibility of white-tailed deer during hunting season? Wildlife Society Bulletin 38:797-805.	Online
Webb, S. L., J. A. Gaskamp, K. L. Gee, S. Demarais, and A. R. Little. 2011. Design of an underwater telemetry antenna for locating and retrieving submerged radiocollars. Wildlife Society Bulletin 35:101-104.	Online

Background

Education

Degree	Major	Institution	Year Awarded
Doctorate of Philosophy	Wildlife Ecology	University of Georgia	2015
Master of Science	Wildlife Ecology	Mississippi State University	2011
Bachelor of Science	Wildlife and Fisheries Science	Pennsylvania State University	2006

Affiliations

Awards

Title	Awarded by	Year Awarded
Great Plains Fellow	Center for Great Plains Studies - UNL	2018
Outstanding Wildlife Technical Paper of the Year	Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies	2018
E. L. Cheatum Distinguished Graduate Student	University of Georgia	2015
Stoddard-Burleigh-Sutton award for excellence in ornithology	University of Georgia	2015
Archie E. Patterson Scholarship	University of Georgia	2014

Professional Organizations

Name	Position
The Wildlife Society	Member (2006-Present)

Websites

SNR Program Areas

Applied Ecology

Grants

Currently this page only displays grants that were awarded on 1/1/ 2009 to the present. If a grant was awarded prior to 1/1/ 2009 and is still active, it will not be displayed on this page.

Grant Title	Evaluating the Spatial Distribution of Potentional Wild Turkey Nest Predators in Western Nebraska
Starting Date	07/24/2024	Investigator(s) Andrew Little
Ending Date	12/31/2026
Funding Level	$70,875.00
Funding Agency	National Wild Turkey Federation

Grant Title	The Utility of Ring-Necked Pheasants (Phasianus Colchicus) as an Umbrella Species in Ag Landscapes (UCARE: Kol Tafka)
Starting Date	05/03/2024	Investigator(s) Andrew Little
Ending Date	05/01/2025
Funding Level	$3,600.00
Funding Agency	Internal - 24-25 UCARE

Grant Title	Pronghorn Movement Ecology and Resource Selection in the Nebraska Sandhills (Additional Funding)
Starting Date	03/21/2024	Investigator(s) Andrew Little
Ending Date	08/31/2024
Funding Level	$12,550.00
Funding Agency	Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

Grant Title	Natural Resources Conservation Connection Points Workshop
Starting Date	02/26/2024	Investigator(s) Andrew Little
Ending Date	07/31/2024
Funding Level	$3,000.00
Funding Agency	ARD Strategic Funding

Grant Title	Nebraska Farmers and Farmland Owners Attitudes of Targeted Conservation
Starting Date	04/26/2023	Investigator(s) Andrew Little
Ending Date	06/30/2023
Funding Level	$42,448.00
Funding Agency	Nebraska Environmental Trust

Grant Title	Evaluating Reproduction, Harvest, Timing of Season, Connectivity, and Spatial Ecology of Wild Turkeys in Nebraska
Starting Date	09/15/2022	Investigator(s) Sarah Sonsthagen Andrew Little
Ending Date	12/31/2026
Funding Level	$1,885,893.00
Funding Agency	Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

Grant Title	Pronghorn Movement Ecology and Resource Selection in the Nebraska Sandhills (Additional Funding)
Starting Date	08/05/2022	Investigator(s) Andrew Little
Ending Date	08/31/2023
Funding Level	$25,000.00
Funding Agency	Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

Grant Title	Improving Midwestern Agricultures Environmental, Social, and Economic Footprint with Prairie Strips (Additional Funding)
Starting Date	01/04/2022	Investigator(s) Andrew Little
Ending Date	12/31/2023
Funding Level	$50,746.00
Funding Agency	Iowa State University

Grant Title	Improving Midwestern Agricultures Environmental, Social, and Economic Footprint with Prairie Strips
Starting Date	07/01/2021	Investigator(s) Andrew Little
Ending Date	12/31/2021
Funding Level	$23,897.00
Funding Agency	Iowa State University

Grant Title	Nebraska Farmers and Farmland Owners Attitudes of Targeted Conservation (Additional Funding)
Starting Date	04/08/2021	Investigator(s) Andrew Little
Ending Date	06/30/2022
Funding Level	$109,999.00
Funding Agency	Nebraska Environmental Trust

Grant Title	Identifying and Prioritizing Habitat for Pheasant Conservation and Mgt in Agriculturally Dominated Landscapes
Starting Date	03/10/2021	Investigator(s) Andrew Little
Ending Date	12/31/2025
Funding Level	$699,940.00
Funding Agency	Nebraska Games and Park Commission

Grant Title	Pronghorn Movement Ecology and Resource Selection in NE Sandhills
Starting Date	01/05/2021	Investigator(s) Andrew Little
Ending Date	08/31/2023
Funding Level	$175,000.00
Funding Agency	Nebraska Games and Park Commission

Grant Title	Nebraska Farmers and Farmland Owners Attitudes of Targeted Conservation
Starting Date	06/29/2020	Investigator(s) Andrew Little Christopher Chizinski
Ending Date	06/30/2021
Funding Level	$104,971.00
Funding Agency	Nebraska Environmental Trust

Grant Title	Precision Conservation - Increase Farm Profitability While Conserving Soil, Water, and Wildlife
Starting Date	05/14/2020	Investigator(s) Andrew Little
Ending Date	06/30/2021
Funding Level	$19,975.00
Funding Agency	UNL Collaborative Initiative Planning Grant

Grant Title	NE NCCPI to Crop Yield Relationship
Starting Date	09/30/2019	Investigator(s) Andrew Little
Ending Date	09/30/2022
Funding Level	$151,396.00
Funding Agency	USDA/NRCS

Advising

Graduate Programs

Master of Applied Science

Master of Science in Natural Resource Sciences
including specializations in

Applied Ecology
Geographic Information Systems

Doctorate of Philosophy in Natural Resource Sciences
including specializations in

Applied Ecology

Courses Taught

Course Number	Course Title	Fall Even Years	Fall Odd Years	Spring Even Years	Spring Odd Years	Summer Session	Cross Listing
NRES 233	Wildlife Field Techniques Lab	X	X

Contact Information

Contact Preference

My Story

A little history about myself ...

Feature Stories

Selected Publications

Background

Education

Affiliations

Awards

Professional Organizations

Websites

SNR Program Areas

Grants

Investigator(s)

Investigator(s)

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Investigator(s)

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Investigator(s)

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Advising

Courses Taught