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![Portrait of Chris Ray](https://www.colorado.edu/instaar/sites/default/files/styles/small/public/people/ray_chris_0.png?itok=XkXOdM0T)
Bio
Chris Ray studies and models the dynamics of plant and animal populations, focusing especially on threatened species with fragmented populations. Recent projects include hierarchical modeling of point count data on birds in western national parks, analyzing the role of metacommunity dynamics in the assembly of vernal pool plant communities, and modeling the spatial and temporal dynamics of plague in prairie ecosystems. Her long-term project involves research on the American pika, aimed at understanding climatic influences on pre-historic and recent local extinctions of this species throughout western North America.
Awards
- Denver Zoological Conservation Award, Denver Zoo, 2018
Research
My work centers on population biology, with applications in conservation. I like data analysis and modeling but I also like fieldwork, especially at high elevations. In support of long-term research and student mentoring, I have maintained an annual study of pika demography since 1988.
Publications
For additional publications, see Chris's Google Scholar profile.
Stress-associated metabolites vary with both season and habitat across populations of a climate sentinel species
Publication Date: 2022-12-31
Type: Journal Article
Revisiting talus and free-air temperatures after 50 years of change at an American pika (Ochotona princeps) study site in the Southern Rockies
Publication Date: 2022-07-14
Type: Journal Article
Minimum capture-recapture rates and years of banding station operations to obtain reliable adult annual survival estimates
Publication Date: 2022-01-01
Type: Journal Article
No evidence for enzootic plague within black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) populations
Publication Date: 2021-11-01
Type: Journal Article
Temporal vs. spatial variation in stress-associated metabolites within a population of climate-sensitive small mammals
Publication Date: 2021-05-03
Type: Journal Article
Genomic variation in the American pika: signatures of geographic isolation and implications for conservation
Publication Date: 2021-01-21
Type: Journal Article
Microclimate and summer surface activity in the American pika (Ochotona princeps)
Publication Date: 2020-10-01
Type: Journal Article
Vector-Borne Pathogens in Ectoparasites Collected from High-Elevation Pika Populations
Publication Date: 2020-09-01
Type: Journal Article
Patterns of woodboring beetle activity following fires and bark beetle outbreaks in montane forests of California, USA
Publication Date: 2019-07-05
Type: Journal Article
Changes in Perceived Self-efficacy of Physical Therapist Students Following a Pediatric Experiential Learning Opportunity
Publication Date: 2019-01-01
Type: Journal Article
Identification of a contact zone and hybridization for two subspecies of the American pika (Ochotona princeps) within a single protected area
Publication Date: 2018-07-11
Type: Journal Article
Landbird population trends in mountain and historical parks of the North Coast and Cascades Network: 2005–2016 synthesis
Ray C; Saracco JF; Holmgren ML; Wilkerson RL; Siegel RB; Jenkins KJ; Ransom JI; Happe PJ; Boetsch JR; Huff MH...
- Ray C
- Saracco JF
- Holmgren ML
- Wilkerson RL
- Siegel RB
- Jenkins KJ
- Ransom JI
- Happe PJ
- Boetsch JR
- Huff MH
Type: Journal Article
Ochotona princeps (Richardson, 1828) American pika
Type: Chapter
Rodent-Pika Parasite Spillover in Western North America
Publication Date: 2017-09-01
Type: Journal Article
Recent stability of resident and migratory landbird populations in National Parks of the Pacific Northwest
Ray C; Saracco JF; Holmgren ML; Wilkerson RL; Siegel RB; Jenkins KJ; Ransom JI; Happe PJ; Boetsch JR; Huff MH...
- Ray C
- Saracco JF
- Holmgren ML
- Wilkerson RL
- Siegel RB
- Jenkins KJ
- Ransom JI
- Happe PJ
- Boetsch JR
- Huff MH
Publication Date: 2017-07-01
Type: Journal Article
Individual-based analysis of hair corticosterone reveals factors influencing chronic stress in the American pika
Publication Date: 2017-06-01
Type: Journal Article
Replicated landscape genetic and network analyses reveal wide variation in functional connectivity for American pikas
Publication Date: 2016-09-01
Type: Journal Article
Alpine biodiversity and assisted migration: the case of the American pika (Ochotona princeps)
Publication Date: 2015-10-02
Type: Journal Article
Relating Sub-Surface Ice Features to Physiological Stress in a Climate Sensitive Mammal, the American Pika (Ochotona princeps)
Publication Date: 2015-03-24
Type: Journal Article
Parks, pikas, and physiological stress: implications for long-term monitoring of an NPS climate-sensitive sentinel species
Publication Date: 2015-01-01
Type: Journal Article
Quantifying the dominance of local control and the sources of regional control in the assembly of a metacommunity
Publication Date: 2014-08-01
Type: Journal Article
Determinants of pika population density vs. occupancy in the Southern Rocky Mountains
Publication Date: 2014-04-01
Type: Journal Article
A Long-Term Comparison of Hydrology and Plant Community Composition in Constructed Versus Naturally Occurring Vernal Pools
Publication Date: 2013-11-01
Type: Journal Article
The idiosyncrasies of place: geographic variation in the climate-distribution relationships of the American pika
Publication Date: 2013-06-01
Type: Journal Article
Stress hormone concentration in Rocky Mountain populations of the American pika (Ochotona princeps)
Publication Date: 2013-01-01
Type: Journal Article
Pages
Teaching
Current course
- EBIO 3990: Introduction to EBIO Honors
- Course for undergraduates in independent studies moving toward the goal of graduating with Honors in EBIO. Projects focus on collection and analysis of data on the ecology of a microhabitat specialist, the American pika, including field studies and a literature review complimented by statistical analyses.
Outreach
Citizen science
I am involved in two citizen science projects observing pika in Colorado:
The Front Range Pika Project is a citizen science effort in conservation research on the American pika. You can find more information about the project on the CU Outreach & Engagement web site.
PikaNet monitors pikas in the San Juan Mountains through citizen involvement.
Field courses for local nonprofits
I teach courses to benefit local conservation efforts. Examples include courses for the Rocky Mountain Conservancy, the Boulder County Nature Association, and Rocky Mountain Wild.