Research
My research interests broadly span ecology and evolutionary biology in the context of forest resilience. Below are various projects I am involved with. Click on one to learn more!
01
My Master's thesis research; an assessment of the accuracy of global scale products for estimating tree carbon in working landscapes and an evaluation of tree carbon and beef production synergies and trade-offs for both livelihoods and the ecosystem. PI: Heather Griscom; Support: Cinquegrana Presidential Award, JMU
02
Legacies of deforestation and forest degradation in the Amazonian agricultural frontier: impacts on biodiversity, the carbon cycle and water resources (PELD-Tang)
This project investigates how land-use change in the Amazon-Cerrado ecotone disrupts forest and stream ecosystems—altering climate, biodiversity, and ecosystem functions—with long-term, poorly understood consequences. PI: Paulo Brando; Support: CNPq/Brazil.
Photo by Paulo Brando
03
Photo by Paulo Brando
Living on the edge: plant-animal interactions and the cascading impacts of Amazon forest fragmentation
This project explores how tree functional diversity and natural disturbances shape the resistance and resilience of Amazonian forests, aiming to understand the mechanisms, such as plant-animal interactions, that govern forest responses to climate extremes and ecological change. PI: Paulo Brando; Support: NSF/FAPESP.