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Faculty

Leonard Reitsma

Leonard Reitsma

Department Chair
Professor of Zoology
Graduate Program Coordinator for Biology
Distinguished Teaching Award 2005

Contact phone number: (603) 535-2558
e-mail: leonr@plymouth.edu

Administrative contact: Shaughn Boulton
Administrative contact phone number: (603) 535-3198

Profile
Len is an avian ecologist actively conducting research in both America and the tropics on migratory bird ecology. He has been a professor of biology at PSU since 1992 and during this time has maintained a research program leading to a steady stream of publications. He received his PhD. from Dartmouth in 1990.

Degrees and Education

  • B.S. in Biology, William Paterson University
  • Ph.D. in Biology, Dartmouth College
Research Interests
  • Migratory bird ecology
  • Natural history of New England
  • Conservation of open space
Publications
  • Smith, Joseph. A.M., Leonard R. Reitsma, and Peter P. Marra. 2007. Roosting behavior of Northern Waterthrushes during the non-breeding season. In review, Auk
  • Burson,III, S.L., L. R. Reitsma, and P.D. Hunt. 2005. Conservation implications of multiple habitat use by Northern Waterhrushes during the nonbreeding season. Caribbean Journal of Ornithology 18: 72-76
  • Melissa Elander, Augusta Blackstone, Chad Cleary, Heather Clogston, Katherine Donahue, Michael Hallworth, Heidi Jardin, Jeannie Kornfeld, Kyle Parent, Zachary Taylor, Len Reitsma. Community-based Conservation in East Africa: A Case Study of Western Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. 2005. Interdisciplinary Enviromental Review 7(2): 60-75
  • Hunt, P.D., L. Reitsma, S.L. Burson,III, B.B. Steele. 2005. Spatial and temporal distribution of Northern Waterthrushes among nonbreeding habitats in Southwestern Puerto Rico. Biotropica 37(4): 697-701
  • John Lofstedt, V. Brenner, R. Buchanan, C. Colwell, C. Crawford , T. Crawford, K. Donahue, H. Gooch, A. Lefebvre, R. Lentz, B. Middlekauff, L. Reitsma. 2004. Perennial Anthropogenic Water Sources and Their Interaction with East African Browsers and Grazers: Ndarakwai Ranch, Tanzania: A Case Study. Interdisciplinary Environmental Review. Vol. 5(2):170ff
  • López-Ortiz, R., E. A. Ventosa-Febles, L. R. Reitsma, D.Hengstenberg and W. Deluca. 2002. Increasing nest success in the yellow-shouldered blackbird Agelaius xanthomus in southwest Puerto Rico. Biol. Conservation 108(2): 259-263
  • Reitsma, L., P.D. Hunt, S.L. Burson,III, B.B. Steele. 2002. Site fidelity and ephemeral habitat occupancy: Northern Waterthrush use of Puerto Rican Black Mangroves during the nonbreeding season. Wilson Bulletin 114: 99-105
  • Reitsma, L.R. and C.J. Whelan. 2000. Does vertical partitioning of nest sites decrease nest predation? Auk 117:409-415
  • Steele, B.B. and L.R. Reitsma, C. H. Racine, S. L. Burson, R. Stuart, and R. Theberge. 1997. Differential susceptibility of four waterfowl species to white phosphorus poisoning in an Alaskan salt marsh. Env. Tox. Chem. 16(11): 2275-2282
  • Roebuck, B.D., M.E.Walsh, C.H. Racine, L. Reitsma, B. Steele, S-I. Nam. 1994. Predation on ducks poisoned by white phosphorus: exposure and risk to predators. Env. Tox. Chem. 13: 1613-1618
  • Racine, C.H., M.E. Walsh, B.D. Roebuck, C.M. Collins, D. Calkins, L. Reitsma, P. Buchli, G. Goldfarb. 1992. White phosphorus poisoning of waterfowl in an Alaskan salt marsh. J. Wildlife Diseases 28: 669-673
  • Reitsma, L.R. 1992. Is nest predation density dependent? Tests using artificial nests. Can. J. Zool. 70: 2498-2500
  • Reitsma, L. R., R. T. Holmes, and T. W. Sherry. 1990. Effects of removal of Eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus) and red squirrels (Tamiasciuris hudsonicus) on predation of artificial nests in a northern hardwoods forest. Oikos 57: 375-380
  • Holmes, R. T., T. W. Sherry, and L. Reitsma. 1989. Population structure, territoriality and overwinter survival of two migrant warbler species in Jamaica. Condor 91: 545-561
Associations, Boards and Committees
  • American Ornithological Union
  • Canaan Conservation Commission, Chair
  • American Tree Farmer
  • National Geographic Society
  • National Audubon Society
  • Sierra Club
  • New England Institute for Landscape Ecology, Co-founder and President
Academic Distinctions
  • Distinguished Teacher Award, PSU, 2005
  • Cum Laude, WPU, 1985
Professional Experience
  • Consulting and research in areas of expertise
Plymouth State University, 17 High Street, Plymouth, NH 03264-1595. Main Switchboard: (603) 535-5000.
A member of the University System of New Hampshire. ©2005-2008. All rights reserved.
This page was last revised: 4/18/2008