Stephanie Copeland

Research

I am interested in how anthropogenic changes to landscapes and host communities impact arthropod vector (tick and mosquito) populations. I have worked on this topic at the Tejon Ranch Exclosure Experiment, investigating how topographic climate differences, the addition of cattle, and the loss of large herbivores impact tick presence and abundance. Now, I continue this investigation in the Sierra Nevada alpine, determining how the addition of nonnative trout and human recreational presence affect mosquito seasonality and abundance. In the future, I plan to further this work by investigating the phenology and spread of West Nile Virus due to agricultural landscaping and variations in avian movement.