Joseph LarsonJoseph Larson

Professor Emeritus, Wildlife Conservation

Blaisdell House

Email:

Phone: 413-256-8256

Primary Interests

Freshwater Wetland Functions and Values: My research focus is on the biological, hydrological, and geographic characteristics of wetlands as indicators of functions. I apply the results in providing advice to local, state, national and international governmental and non-governmental agencies that implement wetland management and regulatory programs.

Current Projects

Administration of the Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife

Preservation of the Historic Assets of the UMass Amherst campus

Inventory of Town of Pelham Historic Assets

Courses Taught

Wildlife Management Techniques

Wetland Wildlife Management

Wetland Ecology

International Conservation

Positions

Chairman, Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board; Member state Endangered Species Science Advisory Committee; Town of Pelham, Mass. Historical Commission, Community Preservation Committee, Fence Viewer.

Employment Prior to UMass

Wildlife Conservation, Inc.; Assistant to Director, Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife; Maryland Dept. Research and Education; Environmental Institute Univ. of Maryland; US Fish and Wildlife Service Mass. Coop. Wildlife Research Unit.

International Activities

International Union for Conservation of Nature task force re. Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance; World Wildlife Fund, teaching wetland functions and values to staff of Chinese Environmental Protection Agency.

Professional Activities

Sigma Xi, Xi Sigma Pi, Phi Sigma, The Wildlife Society, AAAS, Am. Soc. Mammalogists, AAUP, Ecological Soc. of America, Who’s Who in America

Education

B.S., M.S. Wildlife and Forestry UMass

Ph.D. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Publications

List available on request.

Topics: Wildlife Ecology, Measuring Functions and Values of Freshwater Wetlands, Wetland Ecology (English and Chinese), Ageing of Beaver.

Selected Book Publications

Larson, Joseph S. 2009. Introduction – Methodologies for Wetland Assessment (Introduction to Section IV, Wetland Assessment: How can we measure that wetlands are working?). In Maltby, Edward and Tom Barker (Eds.). 2009. The Wetlands Handbook. Wiley-Blackwell, London and New York. 800 pages.

Leon, Gonzalo, and Joseph S. Larson. 2005. First Massachusetts record of least duckweed (Lemna minuta Kunth), “Newkit”, Nonamesset Island, Gosnold, Massachusetts. Voucher and specimen in University of Massachusetts Herbarium.

Larson, J. S. and G. F. Cramer. 2004. Handbook on fence viewers and laws on fences in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Privately printed. 22 pages.