Research

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-1456-3475, Google Scholar: 50ZWFM0AAAAJ, Web of Science ResearcherID: D-7727-2011
I am currently working on three topics:
1. Drone-based assessment of invasive shrubs in prairie ecosystems.
No publications yet
2. Activity patterns of red and fox squirrels based on camera trapping and combined light-temperature data loggers
Publications in planning
3. Long-term biomass assessment of flying insects across the North American continent
  • Dunn PO, Ahmed I, Armstrong E, Barlow N, Barnard MA, Bélisle M, Benson TJ, Berzins LL, Boynton CK, Brown TA, et al. 2023. Extensive regional variation in the phenology of insects and their response to temperature across North America. Ecology. 104(5):e4036. doi:10.1002/ecy.4036.

Previous research included: 
Diversity, phenology and ecology of coprophilous beetles in SE Michigan.
  • Noriega JA, Hortal J, deCastro-Arrazola I, Alves-Martins F, Ortega JCG, Bini LM, Andrew NR, Arellano L, Beynon S, Davis ALV, et al. 2023. Dung removal increases under higher dung beetle functional diversity regardless of grazing intensification. Nat Commun. 14(1):8070. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-43760-8.
  • Wassmer T, Armstrong E. 2023. Population structure of Phanaeus vindex (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in SE Michigan. J Insect Sci. 23(4):2. doi:10.1093/jisesa/iead050.
  • Wassmer T. 2020. Phenological Patterns and Seasonal Segregation of Coprophilous Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea and Hydrophilidae) on a Cattle Farm in SE-Michigan, United States Throughout the Year. Front Ecol Evol. 8. doi:10.3389/fevo.2020.563532. [accessed 2020 Nov 2]. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2020.563532/full.
  • Wassmer T. 2020. Attractiveness of cattle dung to coprophilous beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea and sphaeridiinae) and their segregation during the initial stages of the heterotrophic succession on a pasture in southeast Michigan. Journal of Insect Science. 20(3). DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieaa040
  • Wassmer T. 2014. Seasonal occurrence (phenology) of coprophilous beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae and Hydrophilidae) from cattle and sheep farms in southeastern Michigan, USA. Coleopterists Bulletin. 68(3):603-618. PDF​​
Remote surveying of fox squirrel activity.
  • Wassmer T, Refinetti R. 2019. Individual daily and seasonal activity patterns in fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) quantified by temperature-sensitive data loggers. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 7:179. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00179
  • Wassmer T, Refinetti R. 2016. Daily Activity and Nest Occupation Patterns of Fox Squirrels (Sciurus niger) throughout the Year. PLoS ONE. 11(3): e0151249. doi: doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0151249
  • Refinetti R, Wassmer T, Basu P, Cherukalady R, Pandey VK, Singaravel M, Giannetto C, Piccione G. 2016. Variability of behavioral chronotypes of 16 mammalian species under controlled conditions. Physiol Behav. 161:53–59. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.04.019. PDF

Sabbatical research in Fall 2018.
  • Wassmer T, Jensen FH, Fahlman A, Murray DL. 2020. Editorial: Ecology and behaviour of free-ranging animals studied by advanced data-logging and tracking techniques. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 8(113). doi: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00113
  • Wassmer T, Murray D, Boutin S, Fahlman A, Jensen FH. 2020. Ecology and behaviour of free-ranging animals studied by advanced data-logging and tracking techniques. Frontiers Media SA. PDF
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Co-authorship with students.
I am very interested to help my students publish their senior research projects. Olivia Smith worked on improving the husbandry of the critically endangered bridled white-eye (Zosterops conspicillatus) at the Toledo Zoo. Olivia developed an ethogram of behaviors of the species and we cooperated in writing a paper on this topic.
  • Smith O, Wassmer T. 2016. An ethogram of commonly observed behaviors of the endangered Bridled White-eye (Zosterops conspicillatus) in a Zoo Setting. Wilson J Ornithol. 128(3):647–653. doi:10.1676/1559-4491-128.3.647. PDF​​

Previous Work
  • Wassmer T. 2004. Body temperature and above-ground patterns during hibernation in European hamsters (Cricetus cricetus L.). J Zool. 262(3):281–288. doi:10.1017/s0952836903004643. PDF
  • Waßmer T. 1998. Die zeitliche Organisation des Winterschlafs beim europäischen Feldhamster (Cricetus cricetus L.). München, Germany: Herbert Utz Verlag.
  • Waßmer T, Wollnik F. 1997. Timing of torpor bouts during hibernation in European hamsters (Cricetus cricetus L.). J Comp Physiol B. 167(4):270–279. doi:10.1007/s003600050074. PDF
  • Waßmer T. 1995. Mistkäfer (Scarabaeidae und Hydrophilidae) als Bioindikatoren für die naturschützerische Bewertung von Weidebiotopen. Zeitschrift für Ökologie und Naturschutz 3(4):135-142.
  • Wassmer T. 1995. Selection of the spatial habitat of coprophagous bettles in the Kaiserstuhl area near Freiburg (SW-Germany). Acta Oecologica 16(4):461-478.
  • Sowig P, Wassmer T. 1994. Resource partitioning in coprophagous beetles from sheep dung: phenology and microhabitat preferences. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Ökologie und Geographie der Tiere 121(2):171-192.
  • Waßmer T. 1994. Seasonality of coprophagous beetles in the Kaiserstuhl area near Freiburg (SW-Germany) including the winter months. Acta Oecologica 15(5):607-631.
  • Wassmer T, Himmelsbach R, Himmelsbach W. 1994. Dungbewohnende Blatthornkäfer (Scarabaeoidea) und Wasserkäfer (Hydrophilidae) aus dem Hessental bei Schelingen im Kaiserstuhl. Mitteilungen des Badischen Landesvereins für Naturkunde und Naturschutz 16:75-83.
  • Wassmer T, Sowig P. 1994. Die coprophagen Käfer der Schafsweide: "Flachsland" am Schönberg bei Freiburg. Veröffentlichungen für Natuschutz und Landschaftspflege in Baden-Württemberg 68/69:355-376.
  • Lyamin O, Wassmer T, Mukhametov LM. 1992. Behavioural sleep in a northern fur seal, Callorhinus ursinus. In: Evans PGH, editor. European research on Cetaceans, Proceedings of the annual conference of the European Cetacean Society. San Remo, Italy: European Cetacean Society. p. 245-249.