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Invasive species are considered a major threat to biodiversity and human-well being because they disrupt ecosystems, outcompete native species, and cause significant environmental and economic damage. Invasive species have been shown to reduce native biodiversity, as well as impact infrastructure and major economic activities such as agriculture, fisheries, and forestry. They may also have direct impacts to human health. Invasive species management and control has been estimated to cost approximately $1.3 trillion per year globally (Diagne, et al., 2021). My projects focus on the impacts of invasive species on native terrestrial vertebrate communities (mammals and game birds) and the ecological mechanisms that drive these impacts.
Free-ranging dogs in mountain ecosystems of Central America
My research in Central America is addressing how free-ranging dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), considered an invasive species, are impacting terrestrial wildlife communities in biodiverse, human-dominated landscapes. Studies have shown that free-ranging dogs may have indirect negative impacts on native wildlife by altering their spatial and temporal behavior, thereby limiting their access to crucial resources. Free-ranging dogs may also have direct impacts through disease transmission and attacks. However, there are gaps in our knowledge of this issue. Particularly, we don't understand how this social invasive carnivore is interacting with native carnivores and other terrestrial vertebrates in mountain ecosystems of Central America. My studies are taking a multi-disciplinary approach to help us understand and mitigate the impacts of free-roaming dogs on biodiversity and human well-being.
Potential coyote-dog hybrid in the Central Volcanic Chain of Guatemala
Free-ranging dogs detected by camera traps in the Central Volcanic Chain of Guatemala
Feral Pigs in Southwest Florida
Feral pigs (Sus Scrofa) in Florida have significant socio-economic impacts as agricultural pests and by outcompeting native game species such as the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). My research program aims to fill gaps in our knowledge of how native terrestrial wildlife (mammals and game birds) in Southwest Florida shift their temporal and spatial behavior in response to feral pigs. We are also collecting data on feral pig soil disturbance to understand how these events are distributed across the landscape.
Feral pig at Myakka River State Park, FL. Picture by Elizabeth Markel.
Feral pig soil disturbance at Myakka River State Park, FL. Feral pigs disturb the soil when they root and wallow in it. This leads to erosion, further spread of invasive species, and damage to agricultural crops and infrastructure.
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