Adam Mohr, 2020

Thesis:

Spatial ecology for two subspecies of elk in California

Important spatial ecology questions remain unanswered for two subspecies of elk in California, the Roosevelt and tule elk. For my thesis work I’m studying how these unique elk populations balance the need for forage, water, predator avoidance, and respond to human land-use. I’ll be using a resource selection function framework to determine how these factors influence habitat selection and how habitat selection varies seasonally. My goal is to assist wildlife managers better understand how these elk populations use their environments and to map areas of high habitat suitability.

Sarah Schooler, 2019

Thesis:

Shade trees preserve avian insectivore biodiversity on coffee farms in a warming climate

Cara Appel, 2016

Thesis:

Seasonal habitat selection of the North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) in a coastal dune forest

Nathan Alexander, 2016

Thesis:

Genetic structure and connectivity of the endangered Giant Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys ingens) in a heterogeneous environment

Sharon Dulava, 2016

Thesis:

Fine-scale change detection using unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to inform reproductive biology in nesting Waterbirds

Alyssa Semerdjian, 2019

Thesis:

Evaluation of range-wide occupancy and survey methods for the giant kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ingens)

After graduating from Cal Poly, SLO I worked for a couple of animal behavior studies before turning my attention to small mammal trapping projects. Small mammals make appealing study subjects due to their relatively large numbers and trapability. They play very important but understated roles in their environments and a multitude of ecological questions can be answered using them as subjects (plus they’re totally cute). I am thrilled to be working the giant kangaroo rats (GKR), an important ecosystem engineer in California’s central valley. For my Masters I will be re-mapping GKR’s species range and hopefully investigating the some of the factors that influence GKR populations and the surrounding small mammal community.

Ivy Widick, 2018

Thesis:

Evaluating current and future range limits of an endangered, keystone rodent (Dipodomys ingens)

Pairsa Belamaric, 2019

Thesis:

Direct and/or indirect effects porcupine foraging may have on coastal dune forest ecosystems

California’s north coast has long been home to the North American porcupine, but anecdotal evidence tells us populations are declining in this region. Being an understudied species in western coastal areas – very little is known about how porcupines use local resources or how extirpation may affect coastal dune systems. Previous work in the Bean lab has focused on resource selection and seasonal diet patterns of porcupines in Tolowa Dunes State Park. My research interests are broadly focused on the interactions between mammalian herbivores and plants. Specifically, what drives selection in herbivores and how foraging decisions shape plant community structure and composition. So moving forward in the Tolowa Dunes State Park study system, I hope to apply these interests and contribute to a better understanding of the direct and/or indirect effects porcupine foraging may have on coastal dune forest ecosystems.

Alyssa Marquez, 2019

Thesis:

Response of headwater amphibians to long-term logging impacts and assessing potential for restoration in Redwood National and State Parks

Alyssa is studying the long-term impacts of logging on headwater amphibian populations, specifically occupancy. Her research takes place in two adjacent watersheds in the Redwood National and State Parks in Northern California. One watershed is highly degraded from historic logging practices and the other is a pristine late-seral watershed untouched by logging. Her field work, in combination with various other student and park employee-run studies, will form the baseline for a restoration project aimed at restoring the logged watershed.

Claire Nasr, 2019

Thesis:

Identifying spatial overlap and seasonal variation between human and seabird use along the Trinidad Coast to better predict timing and location of potential disturbance events

Claire graduated in 2012 from UC Santa Cruz, where she earned a B.S. in marine biology. She has participated in a variety of projects concentrated in marine mammal demography, research and conservation. Claire has also dedicated many years serving as an education specialist, leading diverse groups of K-12 students outside, instilling concepts in marine ecology and natural history. Much of her work has involved living and working on remote islands and international field stations researching marine vertebrates including leopard sharks, humpback whales, pinnipeds (seals and sea lions) and seabirds. Some locations have included the Southeast Farallon Island, the Pribilof Islands in the Bering sea, Maui Hawaii, Aсo Nuevo State Park, Santa Cruz island in the Channel Islands, and Corsica in the Mediterranean. Claire's thesis is focused on identifying spatial overlap and seasonal variation between human and seabird use along the Trinidad Coast to better predict timing and location of potential disturbance events. She additionally works with the Seabird Protection Network and The California Coastal National Monument - part of the Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System.