Gabrielle Rimok
Project
The effects of spatial patterns of climate on the structure of global anuran communitiesAmphibians are currently experiencing a 6th mass extinction. With climate change, we can expect to lose amphibians faster than anticipated. I am specifically interested in the the way anurans (frogs and toads) move in space and time and how climate change will affect this. I will be testing the hypothesis that spatial patterns in climate are related to anuran distribution, and in particular to the distribution of specialists and generalists to compose local communities. I will also be assessing how future anuran communities will reassemble given the predicted changes in spatial distribution of climates. Increases in spatial homogeneity should select for specialists while a decreases in homogeneity should select for generalist species. With the findings generated by this research, I hope to contribute to a larger understanding of anuran biogeography and spatial ecology, as well as the application and creation of conservation strategies for speices most at risk of climate change.
