Landscape Genetics
This project will evaluate the current metapopulation dynamics and population genetics of prairie dogs. By using molecular techniques, in combination with detailed spatial data, I will be able to: 1) compare levels of genetic diversity between species, 2) evaluate the effect of habitat fragmentation and disease epidemics on allelic diversity and heterozygosity, and 3) compare rates of gene flow across spatial scales. This work is in collaboration with
Dr. Liliana Davalos at Stony Brook University.
Conservation
A consequence of repeated ezpizootics, like plague, can be a significant reduction in genetic diversity. Given the pace and magnitude of anthropogenic environmental change, and the concomitant rise in wildlife disease worldwide, it is critical to understand how the interaction between genetic and environmental drivers affects disease risk in wild populations. Prairie dogs experience significant anthropogenic stressors in their environment raising the risk for compromised immunity as a result of physiological stress. This research program combines population genetics and environmental monitoring to better account for disease dynamics in Gunnisons prairie dogs.This work is in collaboration with
Dr. Liliana Davalos at Stony Brook University.
