My research interests center on the impacts of aquatic and terrestrial habitat quality (at local and landscape scales) on pond-breeding amphibians and freshwater turtles--two of the most endangered vertebrate taxa worldwide. I have used a wide range of methods---from molecular analyses and small-scale behavioral studies to large, landscape-scale field experiments---to study the ecological implications of habitat alteration for herpetofauna.
Current projects stem from long-term monitoring of salamanders and freshwater turtles in southern New Hampshire, as well as networked research through the NSF-funded Ecological Research as Education Network (EREN).
Past research includes: the effects of landscape composition on the genetic population structure of salamanders; the importance of aquatic vegetation structure in mediating biotic interactions of pond-breeding amphibians; differential growth, locomotor performance, and survival of amphibians through multiple life stages; and the importance of wetland hydroperiod and upland forest buffers for the health of vernal pool-breeding amphibian communities. By observing how populations and communities respond along environmental gradients (e.g., hydroperiod, canopy cover, urbanization), and in the presence of multiple stressors (e.g., predation pressure, pesticide exposure), we can: (1) deepen our understanding of how systems function; (2) make predictions about how communities will respond to future environmental alterations caused by global climate change and changes in land use; and (3) inform ongoing conservation efforts.
