ongoing projectsSeed production of California oaks and the effect on seed fate
Based at the UC Berkeley Hastings Natural History Reservation, this project investigates the proximate drivers of masting in California oaks, as well as the effect of variable seed crops on seed predator and disperser behavior. Read more... Foraging, scatter-hoarding and seed dispersal by island scrub-jays In collaboration with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, this project investigates the behavior of Santa Cruz Island Island's endemic jay species, Aphelocoma insularis, and how its scatter-hoarding behavior affects the passive restoration of oak habitat. Using telemetry, behavioral observations, and planting experiments, we explore the ecological role of the jays' acorn foraging behavior, and its variation with acorn crops. Read more... Reproductive ecology and restoration of island scrub-oak Quercus pacifica, the scrub-oak endemic to California's Channel Islands dominates the islands' chaparral ecosystem which is recovering from 150 years of human activity. In order to understand the reproductive dynamics underlying the habitat recovery, we study the spatial and temporal variation of acorn production on Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa islands. Read more... past projects... Traditions in Common Marmosets This project investigated the role of social conformity in maintaining traditions in groups of primates. Read more... Social learning in Kea For my master's thesis, I attempted to figure out if Kea (the crazy NZ parrots) benefit from social information in a two-action task. Read more... |