I examined two amphibian communities to assess factors
that may impact amphibian biodiversity. The results suggest
that the potential factors which influence the maintenance
of amphibian biodiversity are multi-faceted and thus,
attempts to understand these factors must reflect these
complexities.
I investigated factors that influenced the susceptibility
of western toad...
Ultraviolet-B radiation (UVB) is an abiotic stressor in both terrestrial and aquatic systems. The stratospheric ozone layer, depleted due to anthropogenic activities and the cause of elevated UVB at earth's surface over the last four decades, is predicted to recover by 2065. However, UVB levels in aquatic systems may continue...
Aspects of the life history and ecology of the intertidal turf-forming
alga Rhodomela larix (Turner) C. Agardh were examined over a two
year period at several sites on the Oregon coast. Rhodomela occurred
over a broad tidal range and exhibited different growth and morphology
characteristics with respect to tidal height....
Patterns of settlement of larvae and population dynamics
of juveniles are poorly known for coral reef fishes. During
1987 to 1989, I studied these phenomena in the domino
damselfish (Dascyllus albisella), a species endemic to the
Hawaiian Islands. Larvae settle onto branching coral heads
as new recruits (10-15 mm in...
In the past decade, declines in amphibian populations have captured scientific and popular interest. The causes of the declines are likely to be complex and involve interactions between several environmental stressors. Using multifactorial experiments, I investigated the combined effects of several anthropogenic stressors on developing amphibians in Oregon, USA. In...
Careful analysis and thoughtful synthesis will be necessary for expanding the envelope of
ecological understanding. This work is my attempt at communicating both of these, in relation
to three questions about our understanding of the structure and dynamics of biological diversity.
These questions focus on a) advancing our understanding of...
