I’ve often felt confused and overwhelmed by the complexity and intricacy of demographic models. However, I’ve tried to develop my skills as a quantitative ecologist in order to better understand and predict demographic rates of wildlife populations. I believe that an understanding of these processes is critical for successful applied ecology and conservation biology. Additionally, communicating these processes and model structures can be challenging, where many relatively simple ideas are hidden behind layers of formulas, likelihoods, computer code, and jargon. I seek to develop effective ways to communicate how these models work, and how we can use them to understand biological processes and benefit wildlife populations.

Representative Publications

  1. Riecke TV, Fay R, Hegelbach J, Ravussin P-A, Arrigo D, Schaub M. (2025) Estimating latent individual demographic heterogeneity using structural equation models. Ecology, 106

  2. Eisaguirre JM, Lohman MG, Frye GG, Johnson HE, Riecke TV, Williams PJ (2025) Estimating spatially explicit survival and mortality risk from telemetry data with thinned point process models. Ecology Letters, 28, e70092.

  3. Riecke TV, Williams PJ, Behnke TL, Gibson D, Leach AG, Sedinger BS, Street PA, Sedinger JS (2019) Integrated population models: model assumptions and inference. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 10, 1072-1082.

  4. Riecke TV, Leach AG, Gibson D, Sedinger JS (2018) Parameterizing the robust design in the BUGS language: Lifetime carry-over effects of environmental conditions during growth on a long-lived bird. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 9, 2294-2305.