BEHAVIORAL LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY
& CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
RESEARCH
I am a behavioral landscape ecologist with a focus in field-based studies with conservation applications. I have a strong interest in questions at the intersection of landscape ecology and animal behavior (i.e., behavioral landscape ecology) such as animal movement ecology in heterogeneous and changing landscapes. In particular, I am excited about and motivated to understand the implications of research in behavioral landscape ecology for the conservation of special status species in the face of climate change and other anthropogenic environmental stressors.
Current projects
MASTER'S THESIS (2016-2022)
An integrative study in the behavioral landscape ecology of Sherman's fox squirrels: implications for animal conservation in a changing world
Co-advisers: Dr. Bob McCleery and Dr. Mike Conner
Research project webpage
Previous projects
MASTER'S THESIS (2013-2015)
Effects of wildfire on spatial variation in animal foraging on lodgepole pine seeds and potential implications for post-fire forest regeneration in the northern Rockies
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Adviser: Dr. Monica Turner
Recent grants and scholarships
2020
African Safari Club of Florida Scholarship
University of Florida Doris Lowe and Earl and Verna Lowe Scholarship
University of Florida Courtney A. Tye Memorial Graduate Student Scholarship
2019
University of Florida (UF) Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Graduate Travel Grant
UF Graduate Student Council Travel Grant
2018
University of Florida (UF) Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Graduate Travel Grant
UF Graduate Student Council Travel Grant
2013-2018
National Science Foundation
Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
2016
University of Florida (UF) Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Graduate Travel Grant
UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Travel Grant
Howard Hughes Research Scholars (HHRS) Program (2007-2010)
The effects of human landscape modification on amphibian movement and habitat choice
North Carolina State University
Mentor: Dr. Nick Haddad
NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program (2009)
Distribution and infection patterns of the chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) affecting boreal toads of southeast Alaska
University of Alaska Southeast
Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Moore
Previous project involvement
The Carrizo Plain Ecosystem Project
University of California - Berkeley
SRS Corridor Experiment
North Carolina State University
Atrytonopsis new sp.1, aka “The Crystal Skipper”
North Carolina State University
Rearing St. Francis satyr caterpillars
North Carolina State University
Connectivity for Rare Animals in Longleaf Pine Woodlands
North Carolina State University
FAQs
What is landscape ecology?
Landscape ecology (sometimes also called spatial ecology) is a sub-discipline of ecology that is interested in understanding the causes and consequences of spatial heterogeneity (i.e., variation) in ecological patterns and ecological processes. There are two components to landscape heterogeneity: composition (e.g., how much of a certain type of habitat is present) and configuration (the spatial arrangement, e.g., of that certain type of habitat). For example, understanding both the amount of farmland area and its spatial arrangement may be important to explaining nutrient cycling in rivers due to the contribution of nutrients from agricultural runoff.
What is behavioral ecology?
Behavioral ecology refers to the study of the ecological and evolutionary causes of animal behavior with the general goal of understanding the fitness consequences of behavior. There are many different areas of research within behavioral ecology, which focus on topics like competition for resources, parental care, mating systems, social behavior, and communication. Understanding the behavior of animals can help explain many ecological patterns and processes.