Current Research Projects
Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) of the Cameroonian Highlands
The Cameroonian Highlands, situated within the Congo Basin and Upper Guinean Forests ecosystems, is one of the most biologically diverse regions on the planet, but is highly threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, defaunation, and climate change. Several important montane areas in this region are Mt. Cameroon, Mt. Kupe, Mt. Oku, Rumpi Hills, Takamanda, and the Bamenda Highlands. Although these Afromontane areas contain especially rich flora and fauna with exceptionally unique species, the insect diversity in this locale is largely unexplored and poorly documented. The few insect diversity studies conducted in Cameroon involves agriculturally important species and important disease vectors, but very little is known about more species-rich groups, such as dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae), that perform important ecosystem services.
I am interested in 1) documenting the dung beetle diversity in the Cameroonian Highlands, 2) examining the role of montane areas in driving the diversification of Onthophagus fuscidorsis, Catharsius lycaon, and Neosisyphus angulicollis beetles, 3) examining the impacts of large mammal hunting on dung beetle communities, and 4) understanding the effect of environmental variation on community composition and phylogenetic diversity.
The Cameroonian Highlands, situated within the Congo Basin and Upper Guinean Forests ecosystems, is one of the most biologically diverse regions on the planet, but is highly threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, defaunation, and climate change. Several important montane areas in this region are Mt. Cameroon, Mt. Kupe, Mt. Oku, Rumpi Hills, Takamanda, and the Bamenda Highlands. Although these Afromontane areas contain especially rich flora and fauna with exceptionally unique species, the insect diversity in this locale is largely unexplored and poorly documented. The few insect diversity studies conducted in Cameroon involves agriculturally important species and important disease vectors, but very little is known about more species-rich groups, such as dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae), that perform important ecosystem services.
I am interested in 1) documenting the dung beetle diversity in the Cameroonian Highlands, 2) examining the role of montane areas in driving the diversification of Onthophagus fuscidorsis, Catharsius lycaon, and Neosisyphus angulicollis beetles, 3) examining the impacts of large mammal hunting on dung beetle communities, and 4) understanding the effect of environmental variation on community composition and phylogenetic diversity.
Selected Previous Research Projects
Buddhism and biodiversity conservation in Southeast Asia
PIs: Dr. David J. Lohman and Dr. Marina Fernando
In summer 2011, I received a City Seeds fellowship from the City College of New York to participate in a study that sought to investigate the relationship between Buddhism and biodiversity conservation in Southeast Asia. I went as a field assistant to Sri Lanka and Thailand to assist in surveying birds and butterflies in forest monasteries and surrounding villages in Sri Lanka and to assist in interviewing forest temple monks and villagers in both countries. The goals of this project were to (1) quantify perceptions of biodiversity of Buddhist monks and residents near forest monasteries, (2) replicate in Sri Lanka the Thai study on the value of Buddhist temples/monasteries as oases of biodiversity, and (3) convene workshops in Thailand and Sri Lanka that bring conservation biologists together with Buddhist monks, abbots, and other stakeholders to discuss the role of Buddhism in changing conservation attitudes in the country. For more information on this project and relevant publications, visit the Lohman Lab webpage.
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Phylogeography of a widespread tropical butterfly Melanitis leda (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae)
PI: Dr. David J. Lohman
Southeast Asia (SEA) has a complex geological history. One of the important geologic processes that is responsible for creating the major geologic features of SEA was the collision between the tectonic plates of the Indian subcontinent and Eurasia. This process began about 50 million years ago and continues to the present day. Fluctuations in sea-levels have resulted in the appearance and disappearance of land, causing many organisms to become isolated.
The butterfly species Melanitis leda has an unusually wide distribution--from Africa to Oceania. This unusually broad distribution suggests that M. leda might be more than one species. Most other species in the genus have restricted distributions. Such an extensive distribution provides a framework for determining the range of environmental demands that a particular species must and can adapt to, in addition to elucidating possible ecological factors responsible for shaping their life history patterns.
While working on this project, I have used M. leda as my model organism and employed molecular techniques such as DNA extractions, polymerase chain reactions (PCRs), PCR clean-ups, and sequence editing to gather data to answer the following questions: (1) How has Southeast Asia's insular geography and complex geological history affected genetic differentiation of the area's biodiversity? (2) Are there any cryptic species? and (3) Have isolated islands been colonized multiple times?
The butterfly species Melanitis leda has an unusually wide distribution--from Africa to Oceania. This unusually broad distribution suggests that M. leda might be more than one species. Most other species in the genus have restricted distributions. Such an extensive distribution provides a framework for determining the range of environmental demands that a particular species must and can adapt to, in addition to elucidating possible ecological factors responsible for shaping their life history patterns.
While working on this project, I have used M. leda as my model organism and employed molecular techniques such as DNA extractions, polymerase chain reactions (PCRs), PCR clean-ups, and sequence editing to gather data to answer the following questions: (1) How has Southeast Asia's insular geography and complex geological history affected genetic differentiation of the area's biodiversity? (2) Are there any cryptic species? and (3) Have isolated islands been colonized multiple times?