A5017220500- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Coastal and Marine Dynamics
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Aeolian processes and effects
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Tropical and Extratropical Cyclones Research
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Climate Change, Adaptation, Migration
- Plant responses to water stress
- Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Disaster Management and Resilience
- Flood Risk Assessment and Management
- Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
- Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes
- Marine animal studies overview
University of Florida
2020-2024
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2023-2024
Mercer University
2024
University of North Carolina Health Care
2023
North Carolina State University
2015-2019
The North Atlantic Basin (NAB) has seen an increase in the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones since 1980s, with record-breaking seasons 2017 2020. However, little is known about how coastal ecosystems, particularly mangroves Gulf Mexico Caribbean, respond to these new "climate normals" at regional subregional scales. Wind speed, rainfall, pre-cyclone forest height, hydro-geomorphology are influence mangrove damage recovery following NAB. previous studies have focused on local-scale...
The green-up of vegetation in spring brings a pulse food resources that many animals track during migration. However, phenology is changing with climate change, posing an immense challenge for species time their migrations to coincide these resource pulses. We evaluated changes from 2002 2021 relation the 150 Western-Hemisphere bird using eBird citizen science data. found has changed within migration routes, and yet most align more closely long-term averages than current conditions. Changing...
Abstract Comprised of 17 named tropical storms, 6 which were major hurricanes, the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season ranked as one most damaging and costly seasons on record. In addition to socio-economic impacts, many previous studies have shown that important coastal ecosystems like mangroves are shaped by severe storms. However, little is known about how cumulative effects storms over entire affect across large regions. We used satellite imagery from Caribbean Gulf Mexico region show...
Abstract Coastal forests sequester and store more carbon than their terrestrial counterparts but are at greater risk of conversion due to sea level rise. Saltwater intrusion from rise converts freshwater-dependent coastal salt-tolerant marshes, leaving ‘ghost forests’ standing dead trees behind. Although recent research has investigated the drivers rates forest decline, associated changes in storage across large extents have not been quantified. We mapped ghost spread North Carolina, USA,...
Abstract Non‐linear and interacting effects of fire severity time since may help explain how pyrodiversity promotes biodiversity in fire‐adapted systems. We built on previous research avian responses to by investigating complex burn influenced community composition across the northern Sierra Nevada, California. conducted point counts from 2009 2015 10 fires that burned between 2000 2014, resulting a chronosequence 1–15 yr post‐fire. estimated severity, fire, non‐linear pre‐fire forest...
Recent research has shown that landscape-level changes, namely habitat loss and fragmentation, can play an important role in determining the distribution of species across a variety ecological systems. However, influence these large-scale factors relation to small-scale factors, such as local vegetation structure or composition, is poorly understood. We used Bachman's Sparrow (Peucaea aestivalis) surrogate measure relative importance Onslow Bight region North Carolina, USA. conducted...
Obtaining sufficient numbers of detections during point counts to make inferences concerning the presence and abundance secretive species, such as many species marsh birds, can be difficult. However, autonomous recording units (ARUs) provide extended survey windows, potentially allowing for more effective detection elusive species. We assessed feasibility using both ARUs point-count surveys monitor Black Rails (Laterallus jamaicensis) Least Bitterns (Ixobrychus exilis), two birds...
A landscape-scale perspective on restoration ecology has been advocated, but few studies have informed with landscape metrics or addressed broad-scale threats. Threats such as urban growth may affect effectiveness in a context. Here, we studied longleaf pine savanna the rapidly urbanizing southeastern United States where habitat-specialist bird, Bachman's sparrow (Peucaea aestivalis), is closely associated vegetation structure and frequent fire. Our objectives were to construct species...
Rising sea levels dramatically alter the vegetation composition and structure of coastal ecosystems. However, implications these changes for wildlife are poorly understood. We aimed to quantify responses avian communities forest change (i.e., ghost forests) in a low-lying region highly vulnerable rising level. conducted point counts sample at 156 forested points eastern North Carolina, USA 2013-2015. modelled community using multi-species hierarchical occupancy model used metrics derived...
Abstract One mechanism by which coastal marshes may persist as sea‐level rises is to expand landward into existing forest, a process known marsh migration. Though recent studies highlight the importance of migration conservation birds associated with marshes, bird responses this transition from forest are poorly understood. To address need, we conducted surveys five focal taxa at 92 points distributed across gradient shoreline marsh–forest interface in one most vulnerable regions rise North...
As coastal land use intensifies and sea levels rise, the fate of forests becomes increasingly uncertain. Synergistic anthropogenic natural pressures affect extent function forests, threatening valuable ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration storage. Quantifying drivers forest degradation is requisite to effective targeted adaptation management. However, disentangling their relative contributions at a landscape scale difficult, due spatial dependencies nonstationarity in...
Abstract Wildlife is increasingly threatened by a suite of anthropogenic factors including climate change, habitat loss from human development, and invasive species. These threats are particularly pronounced on islands where species more likely to go extinct. To better understand how native might respond these threats, we compared use between the endangered silver rice rat (SRR) Oryzomys palustris natator black Rattus rattus across multiple scales. We used specialized camera trap design...
Black rats ( Rattus rattus ) are one of the most widespread invasive animals and have been implicated in decline species representing several wildlife taxa, particularly on islands. However, their impact more closely related species, i.e. rodents, via competition is less well-understood. Using diet similarity as a metric for food resources, we used stable isotopes to compare diets two populations black endangered rice Oryzomys palustris natator sanibeli southern Florida, USA. Specifically,...
Mid-sized mammals (i.e., mesomammals) fulfill important ecological roles, serving as essential scavengers, predators, pollinators, and seed dispersers in the ecosystems they inhabit. Consequently, declines mesomammal populations have potential to alter processes fundamentally change ecosystems. However, characterized by high functional redundancy, where multiple species can fulfil similar may be less impacted loss of mesomammals other vertebrates. The Greater Everglades Ecosystem southern...
Abstract Megaherbivores play a critical role in the ecology of African savannas and grasslands. In addition, these systems are forecast to experience more frequent severe droughts as product changes global climate. Thus, continued conservation megaherbivores their associated ecosystems will require better understanding how respond drought by shifting movement, diet social behaviour. We address this need investigating factors affecting abundance common hippopotamus ( Hippopotamus amphibius ;...
Abstract Understanding how species will respond to a rapidly changing global climate is requisite conserving biodiversity. Though habitat losses from human development and land use change remain the most critical threats biodiversity globally, some regions, such as low-lying islands, are particularly vulnerable effects of change. Despite this vulnerability, there may be opportunities for imperiled on islands adapt climate-induced sea level rise. To understand response rising seas influence...