Ph.D. Project

For my PhD dissertation, I am interrested to show that in order to preserve biodiversity, we need to fully understand how this biodiversity is distributed in space. All over the tropics, habitat loss means biodiversity loss, especially in humid lowland rainforest. Then, knowing this, we also need to understand the dynamic underneath habitat loss. The region I am interrested in (the Panama Canal corridor), includes both species-rich tropical rainforests and a strong human presence ( Panama City and it's surrounding hold more then 1.3 million habitants). Therefore, we have a unique example for which biodiversity is facing a strong population and socio-economic expansion. Knowing these, we can model and predict habitat loss and it's eventual effect on biodiversity in the near future.

Bibliography

Rompré, G., W. D. Robinson, A. Desrochers, and G. Angehr. in press. Environmental correlates of avian diversity in lowland Panama rainforests. Journal of Biogeography.

Robinson, W.D., G. Rompré, & T.R. Robinson, 2005. Videography of Panama bird nests shows snakes are principal predators. Ornitologia Neotropical 16: 187-195.

Rompré, G. 2003. Successful nesting of the sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus) in a longleaf pine stand in southern Alabama. Alabama Birdlife 49:10-13

Rompré, G., & R. McNeil, 1994. Seasonal changes in day and night foraging of willets in northeastern Venezuela. Condor 96:734-738.