Past projects 

-Point Reyes livestock monitoring via satellite imagery 

Assisted Dr. Lacey Hughey in data collection by using remote sensing to help track livestock and Tule elk movement at Point Reyes National Seashore 

-Steelhead and stream monitoring in Los Padres national forest: 

Worked with UCSB Marine Science Institute and the US Forest Service to sample streams and monitor steelhead trout populations by performing SWAMP protocols and snorkel surveys at various creeks. 

-Crew lead for greater sage grouse project 

Worked with US Geological Survey and the Great Basin Bird Observatory to tag and monitor greater sage grouse populations in Nevada

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Graduate projects at UC Davis 

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Dietary niche overlap of Sierra Nevada red fox with coyote, marten, and bobcat reveals key prey species: 

The Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges contain many high-elevation specialists, including the endangered Sierra Nevada red fox (SNRF; Vulpes vulpes necator). The dietary niche relationships of SNRF with sympatric mesopredators could affect occurrence of SNRFs and therefore represents a fundamental information need for conservation efforts. We investigated the dietary habits of SNRF and their niche overlap with coyotes (Canis latrans), martens (Martes caurina), and bobcats (Lynx rufus) to identify key prey species that facilitate niche partitioning. We predicted that SNRF would exhibit high dietary overlap with coyotes due to their confamilial relationship but would show greater specialization for snow-adapted prey like lagomorphs due to having evolved in the same subalpine ecosystem. We analyzed 789 carnivore scats using DNA metabarcoding with 12SV5 vertebrate and trnL plant primers to identify diet items. Scats were collected from two populations of SNRF (Lassen, Sierra Nevada) and from sympatric coyotes, martens, and bobcats in the Sierra Nevada. In both populations, SNRF diet consisted primarily of pocket gopher (Thomomys spp), deer mouse (Peromyscus sonoriensis), white-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus townsendii) or snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), golden-mantled ground squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis), and American pika (Ochotona princeps). Dietary overlap was higher with coyotes (Pianka's index: 0.89) than with martens and bobcats (Pinaka’s index: 0.56, 0.59). Compared to coyotes, SNRFs more frequently consumed lagomorphs and less frequently consumed large mammals such as mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). We also observed a high frequency of pine (Pinus) in SNRF scats, particularly during winter, possibly deriving from caches of hibernating rodents. Because high overall dietary overlap with coyotes suggests high potential for competition, specialization by SNRFs for snow-adapted lagomorphs and subalpine mast may be critical to partitioning resources sufficiently to promote coexistence.  Because coyotes are ubiquitous, understanding distributions of these food sources may be essential to understanding habitat suitability for SNRF.

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Utilizing eDNA to Assess AIS Expansion in High-Elevation Watersheds:

Climate change and increased anthropogenic connectivity (e.g., roads, trails, boats) have facilitated the spread of invasive species, impacting ecosystems through competition, predation, and habitat degradation (Hellmann et al. 2008, Gallardo et al. 2017). Early detection of aquatic invasive species (AIS) is vital for effective management. Metabarcoding sequencing of environmental DNA (eDNA) from filtered water samples offers a reliable means to detect AIS presence early and simultaneously monitor threatened and endangered aquatic species. Studies utilizing eDNA have demonstrated lower false-negative detection rates compared to traditional survey methods, making it effective for detecting species present in low abundance, such as recently introduced AIS (Zou et al. 2019). 

 

The Lake Tahoe Basin, a high-elevation ecosystem containing many alpine lakes with varying sizes, depths, accessibility, and elevations, provides an ideal setting to study AIS invasion dynamics. Our research plan employs noninvasive eDNA techniques to assess the primary factors influencing AIS spread, specifically aiming to identify factors that facilitate or inhibit AIS expansion in high-elevation ecosystems. We intend to collect data on AIS distribution as well as the presence of native species (e.g. yellow-legged frogs, native fish) throughout the basin. Our goal is to determine whether factors such as high human accessibility, proximity to Lake Tahoe (which has a broad range of AIS compared to smaller alpine lakes), or elevational gradients are most correlated with AIS presence in smaller alpine lakes within the basin. This information can pinpoint alpine lakes that may act as native species refugia from AIS as well as ascertain which alpine lakes are at a heightened risk of AIS invasion in the near future.

 

To achieve a thorough assessment of AIS expansion in the Lake Tahoe basin, our study is centered around two primary objectives: 

1: Use metabarcoding to detect known AIS in Lake Tahoe

2: Use methods tested in Lake Tahoe to test nearby alpine lakes for both native species and AIS

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