2016 Mentors and Projects

Postdoctoral Fellow (Restoration Ecology) Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development

Bird community changes during tropical forest restoration, Costa Rica (2009-2015). Reid is a postdoctoral fellow in restoration ecology in MBG’s Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development; his research interests include the effects of forest restoration projects on bird populations. Birds are both beneficiaries and benefactors of tropical forest restoration. Many bird species are threatened by habitat loss, which can be countered by forest restoration. At the same time, birds also contribute to forest restoration by dispersing seeds and consuming herbivorous arthropods. Under. Reid’s guidance, the prospective student will analyze a six-year dataset of bird observations collected at thirteen restoration sites in southern Costa Rica. This dataset is well-suited to investigate the influences of different forest restoration techniques and landscape context on bird abundance, diversity, and community composition, as well as how these influences may change over time. Students without a background in basic statistics will need a strong disposition to learn.