H. Resit Akçakaya
Professor My research focuses on developing and applying quantitative methods to address questions in conservation biology and environmental risk assessment. ![]()
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Jannet Vu
Ph.D. Candidate I am interested in understanding how spatiotemporal changes in the environment affect species persistence and ecosystem function. My current research is focused on understanding how intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence the behavior, movement and seed dispersal effectiveness of the black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata) in Kianjavato. By leveraging a suite of quantitative modeling tools, I aim to uncover the proximate causes of seed disperser movement and their consequences on the spatial distribution of seeds and seedling recruitment. Understanding how animals respond to their environment and, subsequently, how that may influence their contributions to seed dispersal is becoming increasingly important as population decline and defaunation threatens to degrade this ecosystem function. |
Anna Thonis
Ph.D. Candidate My dissertation research uses a combination of field and computational methods to study competition, demography, and distributions of Puerto Rico's ten Anolis lizard species. I am in the field for several months per year catching lizards and collecting data. When not in the field, I use single- and multi-species distribution models (SDMs) to explore patterns of habitat suitability for all ten Puerto Rican anole species. In addition to catching lizards, I enjoy playing volleyball, hiking, photography, cooking/baking, and doing my nails. |