My research employs behavioral ecology to address issues in conservation biology. By studying behavior, we can learn important information that can be applied to the conservation of threatened and endangered species and to the management and extirpation of invasive species. My students and I are pursuing two main projects in my lab:
(1) testing the assumptions of marine reserve design using the queen conch (Strombus gigas) as a model and
(2) studying the behavioral ecology of an introduced pest, the brown marmorated stinkbug (Halyomorpha halys).
Other projects that we are pursuing include a collaboration with Dr. Amy Faivre in studying the faunal response to management techniques to restore a former Christmas tree farm to an open meadow, developing conservation education tools with the American Museum of Natural History, and working with the Wildands Conservancy to study the impact of bank restoration on a section of the Little Lehigh Creek.
Testing the Assumptions of Marine Reserve Design
Fisheries around the world are severely threatened by overfishing. At least 50% of the world’s fisheries are considered overfished or fished at capacity. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), a discrete geographic area designed to protect species and habitats, are being used more and more to manage and conserve fisheries, primarily by restricting or eliminating harvesting of the fisheries. MPAs are also assumed to replenish fished areas through migration out of the MPA of adults/juveniles (“spill-over effect”) and dispersal of larvae (“dispersal effect”). That is, MPAs will act as source populations of recruits and maintain the unprotected, harvested populations. While the use of MPAs to protect and replenish marine fisheries is increasing, the “spillover” and “dispersal” assumptions of MPAs have rarely been tested, especially for invertebrates.
I am working with Cedar Crest College students to test these assumptions by studying the dispersal behavior of queen conch larvae and adults. Presently, we are developing a technique to tag queen conch eggs so that we can recover larvae and determine their dispersal patterns. We are also collaborating with Dr. Rich Kliman and his students to study the gene flow patterns among queen conch populations. The field component of this project is conducted at the School for Field Studies Center for Marine Resource Studies in South Caicos (Turks and Caicos Islands, BWI).
Behavioral Ecology of the Brown Marmorated Stinkbug, Halyomorpha halys.
This species of stinkbug is originally from South Korea, China and Japan. It first appeared in the US in 1996 in the Lehigh Valley. Recent evidence suggests that H. halys may become a major agricultural pest. We already know that it is a major nuisance pest. During mid fall, houses and buildings become inundated with adults that are searching for a place to overwinter. We are collaborating with the USDA to study its ecology and behavior with the ultimate goal to develop strategies to manage/extirpate this invasive pest.
Questions that students are pursuing in my lab include determining the stinkbug's host plants, studying the environmental factors that trigger diapause (overwintering), whether adults are attracted to conspecifics during mid autumn in order to form overwintering aggregations and the behavioral mechanisms that allow this to happen, and studying the stinkbug's reproductive behavior. We are especially interested in determining whether females mate before diapause or wait until after they emerge in late spring and whether sperm precedence occurs.
Another project we are conducing is a study of the faunal (animal) response to the restoration of a meadow habitat at the Acopian Center for Conservation Learning at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. Several habitat types are found at the 43 acre site, including deciduous forest fragments, an abandoned Christmas tree farm grading into open field, and a small wetland seep. Through succession, the open fields are gradually filling in with woody species, some of which are non-native invasive species Dr. Amy Faivre and her students are conducting a study to identify the best mowing and cutting regime that will decrease invasive woody species, and maintain or increase native herbaceous species diversity and abundance. We are interested in determining if and how the mammal, insect, and bird communities respond to the various management strategies and the subsequent restoration of the field habitat.
I am collaborating with the American Museum of Natural History in New York City on the development of conservation teaching modules as part of their Network of Conservation Educators and Practitioners program. The goals of this program are to:
- “Create a global network for the broad exchange of information and strategies among conservation educators and practitioners,"
- "Create and disseminate student-active teaching and learning modules that emphasize the application of critical thinking to conservation problems," and
These modules target American colleges (graduate and undergraduate programs), colleges in developing nations, conservation practitioners, and community stakeholders.
- "Develop regional and national centers to increase mentoring and capacity building opportunities and house additional educational resources for practical training in biodiversity conservation” (http://research.amnh.org/biodiversity/ncep/).
The Wildlands Conservancy is restoring a 800 m section of theLittle Lehigh Creek to a more nartural state. We are conducting pre-project environmental assessments of the river to develop a baseline of river characteristics. We are sampling benthic macroinvertebrates (an index of water quality), documenting stream bank physiognomy, and monitoring water chemistry. This assessment will continue during the restoration, which includes bank stabilization and floodplain re-establishment, and post restoration to determine how the restoration effects the river ecosystem.
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