Dr. Peter Arcese

The Arcese lab addresses a wide range of questions related to the ecology and evolution of small populations and the indirect effects of humans on the ecology, evolution and conservation of bird, mammal and plant populations. Our island ecosystem offers a large range of study sites that allow us to document the direct and indirect impacts of human land use and commensal species and the persistence of small plant and animal populations, and to develop management plans to ameliorate these effects on biodiversity loss.  Ongoing work in our lab address questions about the influence of inbreeding and small population size on individual and population fitness, the dispersal strategies of birds and mammals, the effects of land use on the persistence of native plant populations, and the integrity of native plant communities and spread of invasive species. Our research takes place over study periods stretching from 1 to 100s of years via the use of museum specimens, stable isotope analysis and historical landscape reconstruction using traditional knowledge and historic land cover data.