Dr Desley Whisson

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor of Applied Science - Biology (with Distinction)
Queensland Institute of Technology, Australia. 1987

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
January 1995 – present: Extension Wildlife Specialist, Vertebrate Pest Ecology, 
Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis 

October - December 1994: Consultant
Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage, Queensland, Australia. 
Computer analyses of floristic data, and rare and threatened mammal databases as part of the Cape York Peninsula Land Use Study. 

June - September 1994: Part-time lecturer (biological data handling)
School of Life Science, Queensland University of Technology, Australia. 

April 1993 - April 1994: Visiting Research Fellow
Instituto de Biologia, Departmento de Zoologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. 
Consultant on a diversity of rodent and bird pest problems in Mexico. 

1987 - 1992: Research Fellow
Queensland University of Technology. 
Management of a project to provide a practical, cost-effective and environmentally-acceptable management strategy for the control of rodents in sugarcane growing areas of North Queensland. 

Current Position: As a statewide extension specialist, I am responsible for conducting and reporting applied research and extending research-based information related to the management of vertebrate pests, primarily those causing conflicts with agriculture, public health or natural resource management. Information is extended to pesticide applicators, Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators and the general public primarily through seminars and workshops, publications (peer-reviewed and popular articles, conference proceedings), and the mass media. 

Research Projects:
Evaluation of bird hazing devices for use in oil spill situations (in collaboration with the Department of Fish and Game, and United States Geological Survey). 

Management strategies for Belding’s ground squirrel in alfalfa (Statewide IPM Program). 

Anticoagulant baiting strategies for control of the California ground squirrel (California Vertebrate Pest Control Research Advisory Committee). 

Best Management Practices for California ground squirrel control (California Vertebrate Pest Control Research Advisory Committee). 

Assessment of zinc phosphide bait for control of the California ground squirrel. (California Vertebrate Pest Control Research Advisory Committee). 

Mathematical models for improved management of rodent pests (Hatch Act) 

Evaluation of the effectiveness of an immunocontraceptive for managing ground squirrel and meadow vole populations 

Evaluation of the effectiveness of Flight Control bird repellent for reducing black bird damage to wild rice. (Wild Rice Commodity Board) 

Evaluation of coyote urine as a repellent to deer (Center for Pest Management, University of California) 

Professional Society Memberships
1995-present: The Wildlife Society

2000: The Wildlife Society Wildlife Damage Management Working Group, Board Member

1995-present: The Vertebrate Pest Council: Program Co-Chair, 2000: 19th Vertebrate Pest Conference; Program Chair, 1999: California Vertebrate Pest Workshops; Program Co-Chair, 1998: 18th Vertebrate Pest Conference

1995-present: Participant, WCC-95: Western Coordinating Committee for the Control of vertebrate pests in agriculture, forestry and public lands. Secretary, 1996; Vice-Chair, 1997; Chair, 1998

1999: Secretary, California Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators’ Association 

Selected publications:
Whisson, D. in press. Integrated management of rodent pests. An. Inst. Biol. Univ. Nat. Auton. Mex. 

Whisson, D. in press. Estimating the density of animal populations. An. Inst. Biol. Univ. Nat. Auton. de Mex .

Whisson, D., S. Orloff, and D. Lancaster.  in press. The economics of managing Belding’s ground squirrels in alfalfa in northeastern California. Proceedings of Conference on “Human conflicts with wildlife: economic considerations. Fort Collins, CO. 1-3 August 2000. National Wildlife Research Center. 

Whisson, D. 2000. Vertebrate Pest Management, in A Handbook for Organic Apple Growers. Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Publication No. 3403, 72pp. 

Whisson, D. and J. Y. Takekawa. 2000. Testing the effectiveness of a device for scaring waterbirds from oil spills in the San Francisco Bay estuary. Waterbirds 23(1):56-63. 

Whisson, D. 1999. Modified bait stations for California ground squirrel control in endangered kangaroo rat habitat. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 27(1):172-177. 

Whisson, D., S. B. Orloff, and D. L. Lancaster. 1999. Alfalfa yield loss from Belding’s ground squirrels in northeastern California. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 27(1)178-183. 

Whisson, D. and G. Giusti. 1998. Vertebrate Pests. Book Chapter in: Cover cropping in vineyards: A grower’s handbook. Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Publication No. 3338, Pages 126-131. 

Whisson, D. 1996. The effect of two agricultural techniques on populations of the canefield rat (Rattus sordidus) in sugarcane crops of north Queensland. Wildlife Research 23:589-604.

Conference Papers:
Whisson, D. A., T. P. Salmon and W. P Gorenzel. 2000. Minimal risk anticoagulant baiting strategies for California ground squirrels. Proceedings of the 19th Vertebrate Pest Conference, C.C. Crabb (ed.) 6-9 March, San Diego, California. 

Salmon, T. P., D. Whisson, and W. P. Gorenzel. 2000. Control of California ground squirrels with zinc phosphide. Proceedings of the 19th Vertebrate Pest Conference, C.C. Crabb (ed.) 6-9 March, San Diego, California. 

Avery. M., D. Whisson, and D. Marcum. 2000. An evaluation of the effectiveness of Flight Control bird repellent for reducing black bird damage to wild rice. Proceedings of the 19th Vertebrate Pest Conference, C.C. Crabb (ed.) 6-9 March, San Diego, California. 

Whisson, D. 1998. Biological control of vertebrate pests. California Conference on Biological Control. June 10-11, 1998, University of California, Berkeley. 

Whisson, D. 1998. Modified bait stations for control of California ground squirrels in endangered kangaroo rat habitat. Proceedings of the 18th Vertebrate Pest Conference. C. Crabb (ed.) 2-5 March, Costa Mesa, California. 

Moore, T. and D. Whisson. 1998. Risks associated with the legalization of exotic predators such as the European ferret Mustela putorius furo in California. Proceedings of the 18th Vertebrate Pest Conference. C. Crabb (ed.) 2-5 March, Costa Mesa, California. 

Whisson, D. and J. Y. Takekawa. 1997. Field trials to determine the effectiveness of an aquatic hazing device on waterbirds in San Francisco Bay, California. Effects of Oil on Wildlife Conference. Monterey. November 4. 

Whisson, D. 1997. Control of rodent pests in alfalfa. Proceedings of the California Alfalfa Symposium, Visalia, California. December 7, 1997.

Whisson, D. and B. Villa-C. 1996. The pocket gopher as a pest in Mexico. Proceedings of the 17th Vertebrate Pest Conference. C. Crabb (ed.) 5 - 8 March, Rohnert Park, California. 

Giusti, G., D. Whisson and W. P. Gorenzel. 1996. Managing cover crops in vineyards to minimize wildlife damage. Proceedings of the 17th Vertebrate Pest Conference. C. Crabb (ed.) 5 - 8 March, Rohnert Park, California. 

Whisson, D. 1996. Biology and control of vertebrate pests in alfalfa. Proceedings of the Nevada Regional Alfalfa Symposium. Reno, NV. February 6, 1996.