Grantee Research Project Results
Tests of Population Census and Animal-Habitat Models for Conservation
EPA Grant Number: U915343Title: Tests of Population Census and Animal-Habitat Models for Conservation
Investigators: Airame, Satie
Institution: University of Chicago
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: January 1, 1998 through December 31, 2000
Project Amount: $44,345
RFA: STAR Graduate Fellowships (1998) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Academic Fellowships , Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , Fellowship - Ecology
Objective:
The main objectives of this research project are to: (1) determine the level of detail necessary to understand and predict fluctuations in amphibian species' occurrences and abundances; and (2) develop population projection models from increasingly detailed data (population censuses, animal-habitat relationships, and population demography) for amphibian species in primary forest and agricultural land on the island of Borneo.
Approach:
I will compare different levels of resolution across studies of species' occurrence and abundance from: (1) population censuses; (2) habitat use and availability; and (3) habitat-specific demography to determine the contribution of each study to understanding and prediction of population dynamics. I will use amphibian census data from historical records and current surveys to project short- and long-term population trends. I will develop amphibian-habitat models based on empirical data from populations in primary forests, where the abundance and quality of habitat and the behavior of amphibians are not altered by human activities. I will test amphibian-habitat model predictions with empirical data from populations in agricultural areas. Demographic data from representative species will be used to determine whether or not predictions from population censuses and the amphibian-habitat models correlate with species' performance.
The results of this research project will be used to determine the correlation between species' performance and predictions from census and amphibian-habitat models.
Supplemental Keywords:
fellowship, populations, population census, animal-habitat models, conservation, amphibian species, Borneo, population dynamics, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Geographic Area, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Monitoring/Modeling, Environmental Monitoring, Ecology and Ecosystems, International, amphian population model, conservaton, animal model, forest ecosystem, population census, ecological models, population models, BorneoProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.