Based in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Florida, our work focuses on understanding how animals, especially birds, provide critical ecological services in tropical forests. In particular, we focus on animal-mediated seed dispersal and its consequences for plant populations. We are interested in how habitat selection, breeding system, mate-search behavior, foraging decisions, body size and sex influence the seed dispersal services provided by animals. We conduct our studies primarily in the biodiversity-rich forests of South America.
Our lab is also broadly interested in the human dimensions of conservation. Here we have studied natural resource use by local communities, community-based environmental monitoring programs, invasive species, how agricultural landscapes can be made more “friendly” for biodiversity, and how global change, including land use and climate change, may impact biodiversity patterns.
Most of the lab is strongly engaged in UF’s Tropical Conservation and Development Program (TCD). For more than 30 years, TCD has recognized that socio-ecological systems are inherently complex and inter-connected. Consequently, solutions to conserving biological diversity and improving human well-being require integrative and novel approaches that transcend traditional academic disciplinary boundaries. Further, it requires individuals with practical skills who embrace working in teams with diverse stakeholders to define, tackle, and solve complex problems. TCD creates the environment to develop inter-disciplinary collaborations in research and education and connects faculty, students, alums, and partners together in a multiplicity of ways.
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