The group of scientists that make up the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found in 2007 that the warming of Earth’s climate is unequivocal and largely due to human activity. Earth’s climate has changed in the past, though the recent magnitude and pace of changes are unprecedented in human existence....
Species declines and extinctions have been recorded across taxa as evidence of an ongoing global biodiversity crisis. Amphibians are at the forefront of these declines with nearly one third of amphibian species estimated to be at risk of extinction. While many factors contribute to population declines and extinctions, the role...
Explosively erupting volcanoes and megathrust earthquakes (Mw 8+ magnitude) occur at subduction zones and adjacent volcanic arcs. Volcanic eruptions are observed occurring close in time to megathrust earthquakes in the historical record from at least the 18th century CE to present in locations globally, including Japan in 1707 CE (Chesley...
Under-5 mortality has decreased globally, but millions of children still die every year. In Bangladesh, respiratory infection and diarrheal disease remain leading causes of morbidity and mortality for children under-5, despite incredible progress in the past three decades. Immune system development begins in utero and continues into adulthood. Toxic environmental...
Biochar has shown promise as a soil amendment for improvement of agricultural and forest productivity, remediation of heavy metals, and sequestration of carbon, but has not yet been adopted for widespread use in any of these applications. By assessing the production potential as a carbon sequestration tool, and the stability...
In response to concern over a lack of diversity in STEM postsecondary programs, institutions of higher education across the nation have promoted opportunities for undergraduate research. Such opportunities have been shown to enrich student experiences and success, especially for students from historically underrepresented groups. While these benefits have been fairly...
Large dams and their respective reservoirs can provide renewable energy and water security, but also profoundly alter riverine ecosystems. In the Pacific Northwest, dams and reservoirs cause discontinuities in river networks that have been particularly problematic for anadromous fishes. As barriers to the upstream and downstream migration of anadromous fishes,...
Earth is experiencing unprecedented biodiversity loss. Amphibians are at the forefront of this biodiversity loss, with species declines estimated to be more severe than those of birds and mammals. Amphibian population declines and extinctions are driven by a number of factors including climate change, habitat destruction, contaminants and disease but...
This dissertation uses manipulative experiments to explore amphibian-Bd infection dynamics. Although there has been almost two decades research since the discovery of Bd, many questions still remain regarding what conditions mediate chytridiomycosis virulence. My research shows how certain host and pathogen factors can influence disease virulence. Identifying how host and...
Animals can be naturally exposed simultaneously to multiple stressors. These include habitat changes, contaminants, diseases, invasive species, parasitism, and predation. Exposure to various combinations of biotic and abiotic stressors may induce behavioral changes that affect the way an individual interacts within its environment.Like other groups of organisms, amphibians are exposed...