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Spatial
Modeling -- As a postdoctoral scholar with Drs. James Westervelt and
Bruce Hannon, I participated in a unique, interdisciplinary approach to
dynamic spatial modeling. We
integrated ecological knowledge gained by field biologists and land managers
with state-of-the-art hardware and software to model the effects of natural
and human-induced impacts on endangered vertebrate species inhabiting federal
lands. The overall goal of these projects was to provide tools that could
be used by land managers to ensure the long-term viability of endangered
species. The feasibility of the approach was demonstrated for a desert tortoise
population at Fort Irwin, CA. More rigorous models were later developed
for black-capped vireos and golden-cheeked warblers at Fort Hood, TX. Spatial
and temporal dynamics of habitat management and landuse practices were shown
to have substantial effects on the long-term viability of endangered species.
As an extension to the Fort Hood models, I recently developed an individual-based,
spatially-explicit model to capture the behavior and daily movements of
brown-headed cowbirds. This model supported efforts targeted at reducing
the negative effects of brood parasitism on endangered species and other
passerines. Together, these projects have given me confidence in the feasibility
of applying realistic, spatially-explicit models towards conservation issues.
This research also illustrates how processes operating at different temporal
and spatial scales can be integrated. Specifically, I investigate how individuals
respond to broad-scale factors such as landscape structure or landuse practices,
and then I study how these responses, in turn, influence population, metapopulation,
and community dynamics. I believe that such an approach provides a powerful,
unifying paradigm for ecology that I can apply to a wide variety of ecosystems
and landscapes. Because it provides a framework for understanding processes
operating at different scales, I plan to continue using this research approach
to predict how diverse systems will respond to natural and human-induced
changes. In contrast to some theoreticians who only develop models, I am
eager to test the assumptions and conclusions of simulation models in natural
systems. Ecology as a whole benefits from strong relationships among modelers,
field researchers, and managers.
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