Research

Understanding Extinction Risk and Species Persistence in a Changing World

Unprecedented changes in globalization, the climate, and land use, have caused widespread ecology changes leading to species endangerment an disappearance, especially on islands. We ask questions about population dynamics, animal behavior, genetics, and landscape ecology to understand extinction risks. Particularly for birds - we really like birds. We combine field work, mathematical models, GIS, and technology to answer our questions and evaluate conservation strategies.

General Research Topics

• Conservation of Endangered Hawaiian Waterbirds
• Landscape Ecology
• Animal Behavior, Physiology, and Conservation
• Extinction Risk and Population Viability

View supplementary publication materials for these projects >

Current Research

People in my lab are working on a variety of problems related to the extinction and persistence of small, isolated populations of vertebrates (mostly birds), and on understanding factors driving population declines on islands and mainland populations. My recent and current graduate students work or worked on a variety of conservation issues, including the effects of urbanization and landscape alterations on wetland bird communities; understanding the distribution, abundance, and microgenetic patterns of the endangered Hawaiian gallinule; and the vulnerability of wetlands and wetland birds in the Caribbean.
Read summaries of my current students' research, and links to their web pages.