A broad range of factors can affect the structure of biodiversity in a community. The richness and abundance of species that a community contains are dependent on the environmental and anthropogenic conditions that support or inhibit their persistence. Functional traits and trait diversity can provide additional insights into these processes because environmental filters often act on traits rather than species identities. Functional traits and diversity also indicate important ecosystem functions and services provided by communities of species.
Global patterns of mammal functional diversity
I used the TEAM camera trap network to measure occupancy-based functional diversity of mammal communities in 15 different tropical forest protected areas. In a study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, I found that protected areas with higher plant productivity had higher mammal functional diversity, but that human-induced local extinctions were causing declines in mammal functional diversity
I used the TEAM camera trap network to measure occupancy-based functional diversity of mammal communities in 15 different tropical forest protected areas. In a study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, I found that protected areas with higher plant productivity had higher mammal functional diversity, but that human-induced local extinctions were causing declines in mammal functional diversity
Maintaining functional diversity in protected areas over time
In a study published in Biotropica, I found that functional redundancy may mitigate loss of functional diversity in response to short-term changes in environmental and anthropogenic pressure, such that tropical mammal communities have inbuilt resilience to these changes up to a point
In a study published in Biotropica, I found that functional redundancy may mitigate loss of functional diversity in response to short-term changes in environmental and anthropogenic pressure, such that tropical mammal communities have inbuilt resilience to these changes up to a point
Functional Grouping of Large, Terrestrial, Neotropical Herbivores: Past and Present
Serving as my undergraduate senior thesis, this project looked at how functional categories of large herbivores have changes in Central and South America since the megafaunal extinction at the end of the late Pleistocene.
Advisor: Dr. Malu Jorge, Vanderbilt University
Serving as my undergraduate senior thesis, this project looked at how functional categories of large herbivores have changes in Central and South America since the megafaunal extinction at the end of the late Pleistocene.
Advisor: Dr. Malu Jorge, Vanderbilt University