L. Scott Johnson

Professor

Department of Biological Sciences         

Towson University

Towson, MD 21252 USA

    

(410) 704-2587 (office)                     

(410) 704-2405 (fax)

sjohnson “at” towson.edu

 

 

Education

B.A., Biology, St. Olaf College, 1981

M.S., Zoology, Northern Arizona Univ., 1985

Ph.D. Ecology, University of Calgary, 1992

 

 

                         proudly Canadian!

 

 

At the newly discovered dinosaur (theropod) track site, Red Gulch area, Shell, Wyoming

 

Courses taught at Towson University:

 

BIOL 202 – Introduction to Ecology,

                     Evolution and Behavior

 

BIOL 371 – Animal Behavior

 

BIOL 456 – Ornithology

 

BIOL 484 – Discussion Seminar in

                    Ecology, Evolution,  

                   Behavior, and Conservation

 

BIOL 456 student in action, during one of the laboratories for this course.

 

Fields of Specialization: Animal Behavior, Ornithology, Behavioral Ecology

 

Research Interests: I am broadly interested in the reproductive biology and behavior of birds. Over the past 15 years, I have studied a wide variety of topics including:

 

Ø     functions of song

Ø     nestling growth and development

Ø     effects of ectoparasites on nestlings

Ø     parental care

Ø     the process of nest-leaving (fledging)

Ø     adaptive value of different egg shapes

Ø     role of calcium availability in limiting

          reproductive output

Ø     evolution of plumage colouration

Ø     criteria that females use in

         choosing mates

Ø     causes and consequences

        of polygynous mating

Ø     extra-pair mating behavior

Ø     manipulation of offspring

       sex ratios by females

Ø     ovicide and infanticide

Ø     effect of breeding at high altitudes

        on life history strategies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do field work during the summer in northern Wyoming at sites in the Bighorn Mountains near the town of Sheridan.

 

 

 

 

 

Almost all my research is done in close collaboration with students at Towson University. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most of my research has involved one model species, the House Wren. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, I also have worked with the

 Tree Swallow and recently began a series of projects involving the Mountain Bluebird.

 

 

House Wren

 (Troglodytes aedon)

 

Mountain Bluebird

(Sialia currucoides)

Master’s Theses Supervised:

 

Chaitali Dutta, 1996,  Extent of Skeletal Development at the Time of Fledging

                                        in the House Wren. 

 

Stephen Czapka, 1998, Consequences of Mate Sharing for First-mated Females

                                              in the Polygynous House Wren

 

Bonnie Hicks, 2001, Effects of Relative Timing of Breeding on Extra-Pair Mating

                                          Activity in the House Wren

 

Brian Morrison, 2001, Response of Parent House Wrens to Ectoparasitism of their

                                         Offspring by Hematophagous Blowfly Larvae

 

Mike Newhouse, 2006, Reproductive success of House Wrens in Suburban

                                        and Rural Land-use Areas

 

Susan Balenger, 2007, The Relationship Between Male Coloration and

                                       Paternity of Offspring in Mountain Bluebirds

 

Anne Balogh, 2007, Survival of the Gray Catbird in Suburban Environments

 

 

Potential Research Topics (for Undergraduates and Graduate Students):

 

¨     Calcium assimilation efficiency of nestling songbirds

¨     Effect of calcium supplementation on reproductive success in songbirds

¨     Male paternity success after usurping the mate of another male

¨     Adaptive value of lining one’s nest with feathers

¨     Effect food and heat-supplementation on egg size at high elevations

¨     Effect of blood-feeding ectoparasites on red blood cell quality

¨     Effect of nest cavity size on clutch size

¨     Relationship between color and parental quality in bluebirds

¨     Numbers of ectoparasites in natural cavities vs. man-made nest boxes

           and much, much more

 

Publications:  *denotes undergraduate student collaborator      

                                 #denotes graduate student collaborator

 

Johnson, L.S., J.L. Brubaker#, B.G.P. Johnson, & B.S. Masters. (In press). Evidence for a maternal effect benefiting extra-pair offspring in a Wyoming population of the house wren. Journal of Avian Biology

 

Johnson, L.S., C.F. Thompson, S.K. Sakaluk, M. Neuhäuser, B.G.P. Johnson, S.S. Soukup#, S.J. Forsythe#, & B.S. Masters. (In press). Extra-pair young in house wren broods are more likely to be male than female.  Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B.

 

Masters, B.S., B.G.P. Johnson, C.J. Neely*, K.L. Williams*, & L.S. Johnson. (In press) “Compatible alleles” and extra-pair paternity: conclusions depend on the microsatellite loci used. The Condor (Journal of the Cooper Ornithological Society)  

 

Balenger, S.L.#, L.S. Johnson, H. Mays, B.S. Masters. (In press).  Extra-pair paternity in the socially monogamous mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides) and its effect on the potential for sexual selection. Journal of Avian Biology.

 

Balenger, S.L., L.S. Johnson, and B.S. Masters. 2009.  Sexual selection in a socially monogamous bird: male color predicts paternity success in the mountain bluebird, Sialia currucoides.  Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 63: 403-411.

 

Johnson, L.S., J.L. Brubaker*, and B.G.P. Johnson. 2008. How males in the house wren, a cavity-nesting songbird, discover that eggs have hatched and transition to provisioning nestlings. Behaviour 145: 781-1796.

 

Forsman, A.M., L.A. Vogel, S.K. Sakaluk, B.G. Johnson, B.S. Masters, L.S. Johnson, C.F. Thompson. 2008. Female house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) increase the size, but not immunocompetence, of their offspring through extra-pair mating.  Molecular Ecology 17: 3697-3706.

 

Newhouse, M.J.#, P.P. Marra, and L.S. Johnson. 2008.  Reproductive success of house wrens in suburban and rural landscapes.  Wilson Journal of Ornithology 120:99-104.

 

Balenger#, S.L., Johnson, L.S., *Brubaker, J. and *Ostlind, E.  2007.  Parental effort in relation to structural plumage coloration in the mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides).  Ethology 113: 838-846. 

 

Johnson, L.S., J.L. Brubaker*, S.L. Balenger#, and E. Ostlind*.  2007. Effect of altitude on male parental expenditure in Mountain Bluebirds (Sialia currucoides): are higher altitude males more attentive fathers?  Journal of Ornithology 148: 9-16.

 

Shawkey, M., S. Balenger#, G. Hill, L.S. Johnson, A. Keyser, L. Seifferman. 2006. Mechanisms of change in structural plumage colouration among bluebirds (Sialia spp.). Journal of the Royal Society Interface 3: 527-532.

 

Johnson, L. S., L. E. Wimmers, B. G. Johnson, R. Molinaro*, R. C. Milkie*, B. S. Gallagher* and B. S. Masters,. 2005.  Sex manipulation within broods of house wrens: a second look.  Animal Behaviour 70: 1323-1329.

 

Masters, B.S., B.G. Hicks#, L.S. Johnson, and L.A. Erb#. 2003. Genotype and extra-pair paternity in the house wren: a rare male effect?  Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B, Biological Sciences. 270: 1393-1397.

 

Johnson, L.S., L. E. Wimmers, S. Campbell*, and L. Hamilton*. 2003. Growth rate, size, and sex ratio of last-laid, last-hatched offspring in the Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor.  Journal of Avian Biology 34:35-33.

 

Johnson, L.S., B.G. Hicks# and B.S. Masters. 2002. Increased cuckoldry as a cost of breeding late in the house wren, Troglodytes aedon.  Behavioral Ecology 13(5):670-675.

 

Albrecht, D.A. and L.S. Johnson 2002. Manipulation of offspring sex ratio by second-mated female house wrens.  Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B 269(1490) 461-465.  

 

#Morrison, B.L. and L.S. Johnson. 2002. Effect of nestling ectoparasites on parental feeding rates in the House Wren.  The Condor (Journal of the Cooper Ornithological Society). 104: 183-187.

 

Johnson, L.S., J.E. Leyhe* and C. Werner. 2001. The shape of eggs in different-sized clutches of the house wren (Troglodytes aedon).  Canadian Journal of Zoology 79: 1527-1531

 

*O’Brien, E., B. L. Morrison#, and L.S. Johnson. 2001. Assessing the effects of haematophagous ectoparasites on the health of nestling birds: haematocrit vs. haemoglobin levels in house wrens parasitized by blow fly larvae. Journal of Avian Biology  32: 73-76.

 

*Lago, K., L. S. Johnson, and D. J. Albrecht. 2000. Growth of late-hatched, competitively disadvantaged nestling house wrens relative to their older, larger nestmates. Journal of Field Ornithology 71: 676-685.

 

#Czapka, S.J. and L. S. Johnson. 2000. Consequences of mate sharing for first-mated females In a polygynous songbird, the house wren.  Wilson Bulletin (Journal of the Wilson Ornithological Society) 112: 72-81.

 

Johnson, L. S. and J. Wise#. 2000. Wintering grounds of North American house wren as revealed by band recoveries. Journal of Field Ornithology 71:501-505.

 

#Dutta, C., L. S. Johnson, D. Larkin, and L.P. Mangurian. 1998. Extent of skeletal development at the time of fledging in house wrens.  The Condor (Journal of the Cooper Ornithological Society) 100: 568-573.

 

Johnson, L.S. 1998. House Wren (Troglodytes aedon).  In: The Birds of North America No. 380. (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds). The Birds of North America, Inc.,  Philadelphia, PA.

 

*Ziolkowski, D., L. S. Johnson, K. M. Hannam, and W. A. Searcy. 1997. Coordination of female nest attentiveness with male song output in the cavity-nesting house wrens (Troglodytes aedon). Journal of Avian Biology 28: 9-14.

 

Johnson, L. S. and W. A. Searcy. 1996. Female attraction to male song in house wrens (Troglodytes aedon).  Behaviour 133: 357-366.

 

Johnson, L. S. 1996. Removal of old nest material from the nesting sites of house wrens: effects on nest site attractiveness and ectoparasite loads. Journal of Field Ornithology 67: 212-221.

 

Johnson, L. S. and R. M. R. Barclay.  1996. Effect of supplemental calcium on the reproductive output of a small passerine bird, the house wren Troglodytes aedon.  Canadian Journal of Zoology 74:278-282.

 

Johnson, L. S. and L. S. Kermott. 1994. Nesting success of cavity‑nesting birds using natural cavities.  Journal of Field Ornithology 65: 36‑51.

 

Johnson, L. S., L. H. Kermott, and M. R. Lein. 1994. Territorial polygyny in house wrens: are females sufficiently compensated for the costs of mate sharing? Behavioral Ecology 5: 98-104.

 

Johnson, L. S. and W. A. Searcy. 1993. Female choice, nest site quality, and polygyny in the house wren Troglodytes aedon.  Ethology 95: 265-277.

 

Johnson, L. S. and L. H. Kermott. 1993. Why is reduced male parental assistance detrimental to the reproductive success of secondary females in the house wren (Troglodytes aedon)?  Animal Behaviour 46: 1111-1120.

 

Johnson, L. S., L. H. Kermott, and M. R. Lein. 1993. The cost of polygyny in the house wren Troglodytes aedon.  Journal of Animal Ecology 62: 669‑682.

 

Johnson, L. S. and D. J. Albrecht. 1993. Does the cost of polygyny in house wrens include reduced male assistance in defending offspring? Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology 33: 131-136

 

Johnson, L. S. and D. A. Albrecht. 1993. Effects of haematophagous ectoparasites on nestling house wrens, Troglodytes aedon: who pays the cost of parasitism?  Oikos 66: 255-262.

 

Johnson, L. S., M. S. Merkle, and L. H. Kermott. 1992. Experimental evidence for the importance of male parental care in monogamous house wrens. The Auk 109: 662-664.

 

Johnson, L. S. and L. H. Kermott. 1992.  Why do male house wrens feed their incubating mates so rarely?  American Midland Naturalist 127:200-203.

 

Johnson, L. S., M. D. Eastman, and L. H. Kermott. 1991. Effect of ectoparasitism by larvae of the blow fly, Protocalliphora parorum (Diptera: Calliphoridae) on nestling house wrens, Troglodytes aedon. Canadian Journal of Zoology 69: 1441‑1446.

 

Kermott, L. H., L. S. Johnson, and M. S. Merkle. 1991. Experimental evidence for the function of mate replacement and infanticide by males in a north‑temperate population of house wrens. The Condor 93: 630-636.

 

Johnson, L. S. and L. H. Kermott. 1991. Effect of nest-site supplementation on polygynous behavior in the house wren.  The Condor 93: 784-787.

 

Johnson, L. S. and L. H. Kermott. 1991. The functions of song in male house wrens (Troglodytes aedon).  Behaviour 116: 190-209.

 

Johnson, L. S. and L. H. Kermott. 1990. Possible causes of territory takeovers in a north-temperate population of house wrens.  The Auk 107: 781‑784.

 

Johnson, L. S. and L. H. Kermott. 1990. The structure and context of female song in a north-temperate house wren population.  Journal of Field Ornithology 61: 273-284.

 

Kermott, L. H. and L. S. Johnson. 1990.  Brood adoption and apparent infanticide in a north-temperate house wren population.  Wilson Bulletin 102: 333-336.

 

Johnson, L. S. and L. H. Kermott. 1989. Territorial intrusions in the house wren Troglodytes aedon: evidence for the sperm competition hypothesis.  Ornis Scandinavica 20: 89-92.

 

Eastman, M. D., L. S. Johnson and L. H. Kermott. 1989. Ectoparasitism of nestling house wrens Troglodytes aedon by larvae of the blow fly Protocalliphora braueri (Hendel).  Canadian Journal of Zoology 67: 2358-2362.

 

Johnson, L. S. 1987. Pattern of song type use for territorial defence in the Plain Titmouse Parus inornatus. Ornis Scandinavica 18: 24-32.

 

Johnson, L. S., J. M. Marzluff and R. P. Balda. 1987. Handling of pinon pine seeds by the Clark's Nutcracker.  The Condor 89: 117-125.

 

Johnson, L. S. 1983. Effect of mate loss on song performance in the Plain Titmouse. The Condor 85: 378-380.