Daniel Gorczynski- Ecology PhD Candidate - What's New?

Field season in Madagascar

3/5/2023

Conducted data collection in Ranomafana, Madagascar using the Microsoft HoloLens to assess the relationship between forest floor vegetation structure and mammal diversity, as well as quantify the impact of extreme weather events on forest floor structure. Had a great time meeting new collaborators and friends!

Increased overlap of ecologically similar species with higher human density

9/30/2022

In our new open access paper in Global Change Biology, we find higher spatial overlap of mammal species with similar functional traits in tropical forest protected areas with higher surrounding human density than in more isolated protected areas. Huge thanks to the TEAM Network for collaboration on this one. Check out the article here

Global food web degradation since the Pleistocene

8/26/2022

In a new paper led by Dr. Evan Fricke in Science, we found substantial degradation in food webs since before the Megafaunal extinction at the end of the Pleistocene. Check out the press release here

Using the Microsoft HoloLens for ecology

7/22/2022

In a new article published in Methods in Ecology and Evolution, we test the Microsoft HoloLens and our new application, VegSense, for its ability to measure forest floor vegetation structure. Check out the press release here

Field Season in Udzungwa Mountains National Park

12/22/2021

Just completed a one and a half month field season in Udzungwa Mountains National Park of Tanzania. I conducted vegetation surveys to understand how it relates to the occupancy of different species of mammals. Keep an eye out for our results, coming soon!

The diversity of mammals' roles in tropical forests is impacted by anthropogenic disturbance and plant productivity

2/26/2021

In a recently published article in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, we found that mammal functional diversity (the variety of traits and ecological roles in a community of animals) increases with the productivity of plants in the forest, but decreases with human-induced extinction. And we got the journal cover! Check out the article here and some press coverage:
-Conservation International
-Rice University News

Paper published in Biotropica

9/10/2020

So excited to see my first paper published in Biotropica! The study shows that functional diversity in a tropical mammal community in a protected area can be maintained over the course of a decade, possibly due to the high functional redundancy we find in the same community. Check it out here: along with some press releases!
-Rice University
-National Park Traveler
-Treehugger

Awarded Lewis and Clark fund for Exploration and Field Research and NSF GRFP Honorable mention

4/30/2020

Very honored to receive these awards! The Lewis and Clark grant provides funding for a project I have planned for Udzungwa National Park in Tanzania and the GRFP Honorable mention was based on my thesis proposal.

Awarded Northrop Grumman Conservation International Technology for Conservation Grant

10/9/2019

I received this grant to fund my PhD research, using remote sensing to study the relationship between vegetation structure and large mammal communities in tropical rainforests. Field work will involve traveling to TEAM sites around the world including Bukit Barsian in Indonesia! I am so thrilled to get this opportunity.

Field Trip Summer 2019: Tanzania and Madagascar

7/15/2019

Traveled to Udzungwa National park in Tanzania and Ranomfana National Park in Madagascar to assess TEAM sites for potential future fieldwork. Presented at the Association for Tropical Biology meeting in Antananarivo. Check out some cool pics here!