Renee Bellinger

renee.bellinger@oregonstate.edu

Research Interests:

I am interested in the application of molecular genetic information to conservation and management of animal species that are threatened with extirpation and/or extinction. Molecular genetic information can be used to evaluate population substructure and gene flow, which is integral for developing species management plans aimed at maximizing or maintaining natural genetic diversity. Intraspecific phylogeography can provide valuable insight as to whether a species has historically been panmictic or is comprised of several unique lineages. These unique ‘evolutionary significant units’ (ESU’s) can then be strategically managed. Pacific salmon provide an excellent opportunity to study the influence of phylogeny on the evolution of different life history traits. Vicariant events and various behavioral adaptations, such as multiple run times and amount of straying/homing of pacific salmonids, weaves a complex tapestry of spatial and temporal relatedness. 

The research I am currently focused on will be to assist in describing the distribution of genetic diversity of Chinook and Coho salmon within their range. On the Chinook side, Dr. Michael Banks and I are collaborating with several other laboratories to develop a microsatellite baseline for genetic stock identification. This baseline data will have several applications, including real-time management of fisheries stocks and furthering our understanding of the spatial distribution of stream and ocean-type Chinook in the high seas. On the Coho side, I am assisting PhD student Marc Johnson in selecting microsatellites and genotyping individual fish. I am presently employed as a Research Associate, but hope to begin my own PhD research soon.

Publications:

Bellinger, M. R., S. M. Haig, E. D. Forsman , and T. D. Mullins. Taxonomic relationships among Phenacomys voles inferred by cytochrome-b. In press, Journal of Mammalogy.

Bellinger, M. R., S. M. Haig, and R. S. Wagner. Phylogenetic relationships among the torrent salamanders (Genus: Rhyacotriton). In preparation.

Miller, M. P, M. R. Bellinger, S. M. Haig, and E. D. Forsman. A detailed examination of genetic structure and diversity across the range of the red tree vole (Phenacomys longicaudus): effects of historical climate change, habitat connectivity, and vicariance in the Pacific Northwest. In preparation.

Kvitrud, M. A., S. D. Riemer, R. F. Brown, M. R. Bellinger, and M. A. Banks. Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) and salmon prey: Genetics presents hard numbers for elucidating predator-prey dynamics. In review, Marine Biology.

Johnson, J. A., M. R. Bellinger, J. Toepfer, and P. Dunn. Temporal changes in allele frequencies and low effective population size in greater prairie-chickens. Molecular Ecology 13:2617-2630.

Bellinger, M. R., J. A. Johnson, J. Toepfer, and P. Dunn. 2003. Loss of genetic variation in Greater Prairie Chickens following a population bottleneck in Wisconsin, U. S. A. Conservation Biology 17:717-724 (pdf).

Unpublished Reports:

Bellinger, M. R., S. M. Haig, T. D. Mullins, and E. D. Forsman. 2001. Taxonomic identity and population structure in the red tree vole. Northwest Forest Plan FY 2002 Research Update (21 pp). USGS – BRD Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, Oregon. Internal report.

Netter (Bellinger), M. R., E. H. Paxton, and M. K. Sogge. 1999. Banding and movements of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher at Roosevelt Lake and San Pedro River/Gila River confluence, Arizona - 1998 Summary Report (48 pp). USGS-BRD Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Colorado Plateau Field Station, Flagstaff, Arizona. Annual summary report.

Conference Presentations:

Bellinger, M. R. Loss of Genetic Variation in Wisconsin Greater Prairie Chickens Following a Population Bottleneck. Oral presentation at American Ornithologists’ Union Meeting, Seattle, Washington, 15 – 18 August 2001.

Professional Affiliations:

2004 - 2005 Corvallis Audubon Society Board Member at Large
2001 - present Corvallis Audubon Society
1999 - present American Ornithological Union
1999-2000 - Wisconsin Society of Ornithology