Species Invasions

The mechanistic effects behind the impact of introduced trout on mosquito populations. 

Nonnative trout have led to evident reductions in the native invertebrate fauna of alpine lakes in the Eastern Sierra Nevada. This has reduced the abundance of predatory invertebrates that consume mosquito larvae. We're investigating this relationship and habitat metrics to uncover the mechanisms driving adult mosquito populations around lakes with and without fish. 

Palmyra Atoll terrestrial food web response to rainforest realignment.

Palmyra Atoll is a remote atoll in the central Pacific, uninhabited except for research and conservation personnel, making it an ideal natural laboratory for understanding community interactions and developing best conservation management practices. Invasive black rats were eradicated from the atoll in 2011, and management intervention to realign forest canopies from Coconut palm-dominated to Native broadleaf forests began in 2019, with over one million trees treated to date. We’re using population assessments, stable isotope analyses, and diet DNA analyses to understand the impacts of these management interventions on the terrestrial food web.