Research
Mechanisms promoting population resilience in the face of change
Wildlife are experiencing widespread changes in response to increased human impacts on their habitat. I am most interested in identifying why these changes contribute to demographic shifts that result in declining ranges and population growth rates. We use natural and manipulative experiments to test how independent changes in an organism's environment alters their behaviors and therefore contributes to larger-scale effects. We hope that these studies will contribute to allowing coexistence between humans and wildlife.
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Collaborators: Kevin Fouts (Sewanee)
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Press: There’s a secret wildlife wonderland hidden in the US — and it’s in danger
Forest loss threatens unique wetlands
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​Article spotlight: Increased interspecific aggression at warmer temperatures
Headwater stream community regulation
While biotic interactions have long been a focus of ecological study of headwater stream communities, little is understood about how these interactions vary with the environmental gradients found within stream networks. These questions are particularly troubling because these communities regulate stream function and represent a community highly sensitive to climate change. We pair field-based observations with mechanistic evaluations in ex-situ experiments on headwater invertebrates and vertebrates.
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Collaborators: Josh Ennen (REWI), Jon Davenport (App State), Ben Holt (Baylor School), Shawna Fix (SARP), Jocelyn Stalker (TNACI)
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Press: Rising temperatures and an underwater drama​
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Salamander study: Climate change can affect fragile East Tennessee salamanders​​
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Study says climate change leads to fat salamanders
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See more about our work in collaboration with the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute!
Ecology of amphibians and reptiles on the Cumberland Plateau
While the southern Cumberland Plateau is the southern portion of the contiguous Allegheny Plateau and the southern highlands, little is known about this ecoregion. With thin, sandy soils, water is only temporary and species that occur elsewhere have adjusted to a highly ephemeral landscape. This includes different communities and habitat selection behaviors. We seek to understand how amphibians and reptiles thrive in this unusual high-elevation habitat.
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Collaborator: Kevin Fouts (Sewanee), Jon Evans (Sewanee)​
Ecology of diamondback terrapins on Kiawah Island
Diamondback terrapins are the only estuarine turtle found in the United States, and they were a frequently harvested species until studies recognized the rapid declines they have experienced. Since 1983, the Kiawah Terrapin Project has been sampling terrapins and documenting their declines and potential recovery. We are grateful to the over 450 researchers have been involved with the project, and all the local residents that love these turtles. Current questions involve understanding their population declines and investigating mitigating mechanisms.
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Collaborators: Whit Gibbons (UGA), Jeff Lovich (USGS), Cris Hagen (TSC), Thomas Rainwater (Clemson), Leigh Anne Harden (Benedictine), Andrew Grosse (SC DNR), Tony Mills (Spring Island Nature Center, Coastal Kingdom), Meg Hoyle (Botany Island Ecotours), Kiawah Island Naturalists
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Press: Diamondback terrapins are in serious decline: a forty-year study sheds light on why
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Find out more about this remarkable project here.
Amphibian ecology in wastewater
New wastewater treatment solutions are needed to address pharmaceutical and personal care products that remain after conventional treatment. The Sewanee Constructed Wetland is a prototype of one potential solution, but the question remains - How do amphibians fare when they live and breed in these artificial wetlands? We ask questions about carryover effects, design choices, competition, ecology, and microbiomes.
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Collaborators: Deborah McGrath (Sewanee), Donny Walker (MTSU), Kevin Fouts (Sewanee)
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Press: From waste to wetlands: a small town solutions to water scarcity
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Learn more about the constructed wetlands here!
Developing inclusive cultures in STEM
National-level statistics demonstrate that current academic systems fail to recruit, retain, and support students of underrepresented groups, which translates to a less diverse and innovative workforce. Progressive, evidence-based approaches that improve STEM education impact students' interest, sense of self-efficacy and belonging, and persistence in these disciplines and are sorely needed. At Sewanee, I co-lead an effort about Being Human in STEM, which includes a course offered for the first time in 2024. I am also a trained facilitator for the Inclusive Teaching in STEM course and curious to explore evidence=based practices for inclusive mentoring and advising. Please be in touch if this is an area of interest!
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Collaborators: Kate Cammack (Sewanee)
Sewanee Split Creek Observatory
The critical zone is one where humans, biology, chemistry, geology, hydrology, etc all come together and influence one another. At Sewanee, we are asking questions about how global forcing factors affect the critical zone and what our impacts are on the globe. In our incipient phases, we are seeking partners to build on our work. With a new canopy tower, meteorological station, weir, and incoming measures of salamanders, tree physiology, and bedrock fracturing, we hope to understand and demonstrate human impacts and nuanced connections in the biosphere.
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Collaborators at Sewanee: Deb McGrath, Tom Powell, Keri Watson, Max Dahlquist, Chris Van de Ven, Nate Wilson, Kevin Fouts
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