Graduate Student - Masters

Biology

Florida International University (Miami, FL)

Maureen Donnelly

Effects of mammal extirpation on leaf litter communities and dynamics in a tropical wet forest.

I will examine the effects of disturbance caused by collared peccaries on leaf litter communities at La Selva Biological Station (Costa Rica). Existing mammal exclosures will be utilized to determine how mammal presence/absence affects reptiles, amphibians, and arthropods that are found in the leaf litter, and potential effects on leaf litter decomposition and nutrients. Changes to the leaf litter depth may be extremely important at La Selva in light of global amphibian declines and the recent discovery that leaf litter amphibian and reptile communities have declined over 75% at La Selva. Peccaries are likely very important ecosystem engineers in Neotropical forests, but outside of La Selva, peccary populations have been severely reduced throughout the Neotropics by habitat loss, hunting, and diseases. At the local scale, my research will evaluate one of the potential causes of reptile and amphibian decline at La Selva. Additionally, the study will provide vital insights to the effects of mammal extirpation on forest ecosystems throughout Central and South America.