Clay’s work focuses on the estimation of animal population abundance and occupancy, particularly how landscape metrics shape animal distribution. He also classifies land cover using GIS and field inventories to document Michigan’s high-quality natural communities and rare species. He is currently a Ph.D. student in the Michigan Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Michigan State University, where his research focuses on plant and animal community responses to prescribed fire and mechanical treatments in upland oak ecosystems in southern Michigan.

TSN Conference 2026

January 22nd, 2026 (Thursday) // 10:15 am – 11:15 am // Red Cedar Room // The Restoration of Midwestern Oak Ecosystems // Oak ecosystems cover a broad zone from the Eastern deciduous forests to the Great Plains, including a mosaic of forests, woodlands, and savannas in southern Michigan. Unfortunately, these ecosystems and the species they support are imperiled due to fire suppression and other human-caused ecosystem changes. In turn, oak ecosystem restorations that employ prescribed fire and other management techniques are widespread. But, how well do these approaches work for achieving goals such as open canopy structure, oak regeneration, and high ground layer plant diversity? We provide an overview of Midwestern oak ecosystems, including their ecology and natural history, threats, and approaches to restoration. We then describe findings and ongoing projects from our research, evaluating the efficacy of different restoration approaches, including a multi-state survey and projects in southern Michigan. We conclude by considering what we view as important open questions in oak ecosystem restoration.