Species richness varies by orders of magnitude across the globe and so does the richness of endangered species. We are interested in both the macroecological processes causing richness patterns, and the socioeconomic processes determining where biodiversity is threatened.
In central Siberia, old growth forests are threatened by illegal logging. Finding these sites by foot is an overwhelming task, and researchers turn to the skies, using satellites, in their conservation efforts.
The Indochinese tiger (Panthera tigris) is one of the most emblematic animal species on Earth but also one of the most endangered wildlife species globally. A current study is using remote sensing techniques to map the distribution and connectivity of tiger habitat in Thailand, one of the last remaining hotspots for the Indochinese tiger.
After a period of increase, Black-necked Cranes have been in decline at Napahai wetland since 2000. These patterns appear linked to the growth of the nearby city of Shangri-La.
Controlled burning is one of the most effective tools for restoring grasslands and savannas across the Midwest. But there are many more lands needing burning than there are resources available.
Freshwater ecosystems are essential for humans and biodiversity, yet they threatened by human activities. Sebastian Martinuzzi’s study assessed the consequences of future land use change on freshwater ecosystems in the US.
Paul Schilke, MS candidate in the SILVIS Lab, is conducting research in northern Wisconsin to investigate how insects that live around lakes affect the birds that feed on those insects.
Forests of Mexico are under threat due to development, both for urban and agricultural purposes. However, it is not clear the spatial and temporal extent to which this is happening. SILVIS PhD candidate, Carlos Ramirez Reyes is exploring this using remote sensing data, and a novel method, spectral mixture analysis.
Extreme weather events are becoming both more frequent and intense. These events could be shifting bird numbers and their normal distributions in the United States. Ultimately, these weather events could lead to the extinction of highly-sensitive species.
Land use change and forest fragmentation are a worldwide problem. Isabel Rojas-Viada is employing a novel solution by focusing on riparian forest corridors in Chile.
Brooke Bateman examines if fine scale weather data provides more information for modeling bird distributions than long-term climate data.
