Research Themes

Persist or Perish?

I am a wildlife ecologist interested in understanding why some populations persist, while others perish in the face of novel stressors. These insights can help us learn about the contexts of population resiliency. If we learn about what makes some populations more resilient than others, we can leverage this information to assist and inform conservation actions for those that are less resilient. My training is interdisciplinary and my research uses a variety of techniques and approaches across ecological fields. Scroll below for more information on the types of questions I answer.

How are vital rates affected by novel stressors?

I use data from marked individuals to better understand the effects of various stressors on natural populations. These data allow the estimation of population parameters of interest, including population growth rate, abundance, survival, and recruitment. These parameters can ultimately provide support for whether variation in population resilience exists.

See: 

Hardy, B., E. Muths, B. Lambert, S. Schneider, W.C. Funk, and L. Bailey (2023) Compensatory recruitment unlikely in high-elevation amphibian populations challenged with disease. Journal of Applied Ecology 60: 121-131 

Are host-pathogen dynamics different among populations?

Because I predominantly work with species affected by pathogens and parasites as their novel stressors, experimental data are important for making inference on host-pathogen dynamics. These experiments can elucidate differences in host tolerance or resistance to disease and predict which populations may be more resilient. 

See:

Hardy, B., E. Muths, W.C. Funk, and L. Bailey (In-Press) Quantifying intraspecific variation in host resistance or tolerance to a lethal pathogen. Journal of Animal Ecology.

How do individuals assess their risk of infection?

Individual metrics can reveal the actual mechanisms by which populations are more or less resilient and can include immunological, physiological, or behavioral approaches. I am currently studying how individuals perceive their risk of infection and their physiological and behavioral responses.

See: Coming soon from my work with Dr. Patricia Lopes!

How are host populations genetically related and how does this contribute to their vulnerability?

I have previously spent time in the areas of molecular ecology and population genomics to better understand population vulnerability. While I am not actively working in this area, perspectives from the field of evolutionary ecology broadly often show up in my ongoing research. 

See:

Trumbo, D., B. Hardy, H. Crockett, E. Muths, B. Forester, R. Cheek, S. Zimmerman, S. Corey-Rivas, L. Bailey, and W.C. Funk (In Press) Conservation genomics of an endangered montane amphibian reveals low population structure, low genomic diversity, and selection pressure from disease. Molecular Ecology 

Hardy, B., K. Pope, and E. Latch (2021) Genomic signatures of demographic declines inform conservation action of an imperiled amphibian. Animal Conservation 24: 946-948 

Does management action X, Y, or Z actually work?

All of the above lines of inquiry are essential for informing conservation and management actions. I investigate the efficacy of these management actions in hopes of improving conservation outcomes and testing conservation solutions. 

See:

Hardy, B., K. Pope, J. Piovia-Scott, R. Brown, and J. Foley (2015) Itraconazole treatment reduces prevalence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and increases overwinter field survival of juvenile Cascades frogs. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 112: 243-250