

Marcus Blum
Asst. Research Scientist
marcus.blum@ag.tamu.edu (979) 314-5166 Curriculum VitaeAs an assistant research scientist for the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, Marcus's research focuses primarily on game and large mammal species such as bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk, pronghorn, and moose. He uses a combination of frequentist, machine learning, and Bayesian analyses to study animal behavior, movement, competition, nutrition, and population demographics within a variety of ecosystems.
Prior to joining NRI, Marcus received a bachelor's degree in Range and Wildlife Management from Texas A&M University Kingsville. Following his undergraduate, he moved west and studied mule deer migrations and the influence of mining for his master's and bighorn sheep reproductive ecology, nutrition, and movement for his doctorate at the University of Nevada, Reno. He also worked with mule deer movements and chronic wasting disease as a postdoctoral scholar at Utah State University.
Outside of work, Marcus spends most of his time with his wife and daughter on their property outside of College Station. He also enjoys hunting, fishing, working on his ranchette, and spending as much time outdoors as possible.
Peer-Reviewed Publications
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Effects of large-scale gold mining on habitat use and selection by American pronghorn
Feb 2024
Osterhout, M.J., K.M. Stewart, B.F. Wakeling, C.A. Schroeder, M.E. Blum, J.C. Brockman, and K.T. Shoemaker. 2024. Effects of large-scale gold mining on habitat use and selection by American pronghorn. Science of the Total Environment, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170750.
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Comparing contemporary models to traditional indices to estimate abundance of desert bighorn sheep
Oct 2023
Blum, M.E., F.E. Buderman, J.R. Bennett, K.M. Stewart, M. Cox, and P.J. Williams. 2023. Comparing contemporary models to traditional indices to estimate abundance of desert bighorn sheep. The Journal of Wildlife Management, e22517.
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Changes in selection of resources with reproductive state in a montane ungulate
Apr 2023
Blum, M.E., K.M. Stewart, K.T. Shoemaker, M. Cox, B.F. Wakeling, T.E. Dilts, J.R. Bennett, and V.C. Bleich. 2023. Changes in selection of resources with reproductive state in a montane ungulate. Movement Ecology, 11:20.
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Improved topographic ruggedness indices more accurately model fine-scale ecological patterns
Mar 2023
Dilts, T.E., M.E. Blum, K.T. Shoemaker, P.J. Weisberg, and K.M. Stewart. 2023. Improved topographic ruggedness indices more accurately model fine-scale ecological patterns. Landscape Ecology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-023-01646-6.
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Variation in diet of desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni): Tradeoffs associated with parturition
Jan 2023
Blum, M.E., K.M. Stewart, M. Cox, K.T. Shoemaker, J.R. Bennett, B.W. Sullivan, B.F. Wakeling, and V.C. Bleich. 2022. Variation in diet of desert bighorn sheep around parturition: tradeoffs associated with parturition. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, doi: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1071771.