Waterfowl Ecology
All of my research thus far has been centered around breeding waterfowl and the ways in which the habitats they use influence their population processes. My master's research focused on Cinnamon Teal (Spatula cyanoptera) breeding ecology in the San Luis Valley of Colorado (under the direction of Dr. Bill Kendall), and resulted in some of the few existing estimates of nest survival specific to Cinnamon Teal. I am interested in the adaptive nature of the decisions individuals make during the breeding season and how they scale up to affect population-level processes. I will continue to explore this concept during my PhD, and will assess how breeding season productivity goes on to affect demographic rates throughout the annual cycle. |
Population Dynamics
I am interested in the various ways environmental forces (often those mediated by anthropogenic change) influence specific vital rates and the demographic processes to which they contribute. How specific vital rates influence overall population growth can direct managers to important management strategies and can start to describe the evolution of various life history patterns and behaviors. |