William E. Jensen
Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Emporia State University 
Ecology, Wildlife Conservation, Ornithology, Mammalogy
Director, ESU Natural Areas, Schmidt Museum of Natural History
Department of Biological Sciences
Campus Box 4050
Emporia State University
Emporia, KS 66801
(620)341-5339
Ph.D., Biology, Kansas State University (2003)
M.S., Biological Sciences, Emporia State University (1999)
B.S., Fisheries and Wildlife, University of Missouri-Columbia (1996)
Teaching:
I teach courses in Wildlife Management, Natural Resource Policies, Conservation Biology, Field Ecology, Ornithology, and Mammalogy at ESU. Theoretical perspectives are emphasized as well as practical research and management applications. My Ornithology and Mammalogy courses also emphasize field identification and natural history of birds and mammals. Where possible, I incorporate student projects with extracurricular research and wildlife management activities. Past examples include involvement of our Wildlife Management class in preparing recovery plans for species of conservation concern in Kansas.
Research:
My research interests are in the areas of population and behavioral ecology, with taxonomic emphases toward bird and mammal species of conservation concern in the Great Plains. Much of my past and current research explores consequences of woody encroachment in grasslands to bird and mammal populations. I advise Masters-level graduate students within these research areas at ESU. If you are interested in graduate research related to my interests, please contact me. I also welcome opportunities to work with undergraduate students on their ecological research projects. Kansas presents a wonderful diversity of birds, mammals, and ecosystems, including the largest remnant tallgrass prairie in North America, the Flint Hills. ESU students have access to many state and federal properties for their research, in addition to the eight ESU Natural Areas.
I am also serving as Faculty Advisor for the ESU Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society and as ESU's technical representative in the Great Plains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit.
Publications:
Long, A. M., W. E. Jensen, and K. A. With. 2009. Orientation of grasshopper sparrow and eastern meadowlark nests in relation to wind 
direction. Condor 111:395-399. (PDF)
Rahmig, C. R., W. E. Jensen, and K. A. With. 2009. Grassland bird responses to land management in the largest remaining tallgrass prairie.
Conservation Biology 23:420-432. (PDF)
Schook, D. M., M. D.Collins, W. E. Jensen , P. J. Williams, N. E. Bader, and T. H. Parker. 2008. Geographic patterns of song
similarity in the Dickcissel, Spiza americana. Auk 125:953-964. (PDF)
With, K. A., A. W. King, and W. E. Jensen. 2008. Remaining large grasslands may not be sufficient to prevent grassland bird declines.
Biological Conservation 141:3152 –3167. (PDF)
Frey, C. M., W. E. Jensen, and K. A. With. 2008. Topographic patterns of nest placement and habitat quality for grassland birds in the
Flint Hills. American Midland Naturalist 160:220-234. (PDF)
Sandercock, B. K., W. E. Jensen, C. K. Williams, and R. D. Applegate. 2008. Demographic sensitivity of population change in northern bobwhite.
Journal of Wildlife Management 72:970-982. (PDF)
Jensen, W. E. and J. F. Cully, Jr. 2005a. Density-dependent habitat selection by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) in tallgrass prairie.
Oecologia 142:136-149. (PDF)
Jensen, W. E. and J. F. Cully, Jr. 2005b. Geographic variation in Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) parasitism on Dickcissels (Spiza
americana) in Great Plains tallgrass prairie. Auk 122:648-660. (PDF)
Chace, J. S., C. Farmer, R. Winfree, D. Curson, W. E. Jensen, C. Goguen, and S. K. Robinson. 2005. Cowbird (Molothrus spp.) Ecology: a
review of factors affecting the distribution and abundance of cowbirds across spatial scales. Ornithological Monographs 57:45-70. (PDF)
Jensen, W. E. and E. J. Finck. 2004. Variation in edge effects on nesting Dickcissels (Spiza
americana) in relation to edge type of remnant tallgrass
prairie in Kansas. American Midland Naturalist 151:192-199. (PDF)
Herkert, J. R., D. L. Reinking, D. A. Wiedenfeld, M. Winter, J. L. Zimmerman, W. E. Jensen, E. J. Finck, R. R. Koford, D. H. Wolfe, S. K.
Sherrod, M. A. Jenkins, J. Faaborg, and S. K. Robinson. 2003. Effects of prairie fragmentation on the nest success of breeding birds in the mid
continental United States. Conservation Biology 17:587-594. (PDF)
Jensen, W. E., D. A. Robinson, Jr., and R. D. Applegate. 2000. Distribution and population trend of Lesser Prairie-chickens in Kansas. Prairie
Naturalist 32:169-175.
Robinson, D. A., Jr., W. E. Jensen, and R. A. Applegate. 2000. Observer effect on a rural mail carrier survey population index. Wildlife Society
Bulletin 28:330-332. (PDF)
Current graduate students:
My first round of graduate students began their programs in fall 2007. The students and their research foci are listed below:
Ashley Long received her B.S. in Biology from Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin. For her M.S. thesis, Ashley is studying the role of fire in shaping bird communities and demography in the shortgrass prairie of the southern Great Plains. Our collaborator in this endeavor is Dr. Raymond Matlack at West Texas A&M University.
Jeff Miller received his B.S. in Environmental Science and Biology from the University of Dubuque, Dubuque, Iowa. Jeff is examining habitat use by bats in the Red Hills of Kansas and Oklahoma for his thesis.
Jeff Prendergast received his B.S. in Biological Sciences from Emporia State University. Jeff is investigating the effect of mink (Mustela vison) presence on anti-predatory behavior in muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus). Jeff is also the graduate student naturalist for ESU's Natural Areas.