endangered species, their movements, and assessments of human communities, with spatial models
endangered species, their movements, and assessments of human communities, with spatial models
Iara Lacher is a landscape ecologist and program lead with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Changing Landscapes Initiative. She has an interdisciplinary background in policy and environmental management, which she leverages into applied biodiversity and conservation research on the factors that influence the distribution and diversity of species across landscapes.
climatic responses of native plant species and the use of species distribution models
Discover animals, habitats and conservation through engaging virtual programs with a Zoo educator.
Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns, cause and effect, systems and system models
Smithsonian scientists work alongside community members in Northwestern Virginia to evaluate the impacts of land-use change on wildlife, ecosystem services and community health.
Land-use Modeling Scientific models are used to examine observable patterns, such
All seasons on the prairie are special. But spring is just a little more special than the rest, as every day birds return for summer breeding season.
Researchers like me spend huge amounts of time building mathematical models of things
In the Peruvian Amazon of Madre de Dios, natural ecosystems provide essential services to local communities. Smithsonian scientists are partnering with stakeholders to evaluate the region’s biodiversity and devise scenarios for future sustainable development.
Using computer models and existing information, CCS quantifies the changes in ecosystems
Challenge How can scientists produce research on environmental topics impacting local communities that decision makers in those communities can trust? In August 2016, scientists from the Changing Landscapes Initiative collaborated with community leaders in Northwestern Virginia to answer that question. This case study shows how CLI researchers combined community knowledge with scientific data to create a set of future scenarios designed to help planners make important land use choices.
future scenarios and what life would look like in each scenario Produce land-use models
A lifelong goal to save animals led Smithsonian fellow Molly Corder to find ways to protect critically endangered black rhinos from extinction threats.
The zookeepers I worked with there were some of the first role models I had as women
What has 7-month-old western lowland gorilla Moke been up to? Read all about it in the latest keeper update!
Moke laughs, too, and models his laughter after that of his favorite pal!
Melissa Ingala is a biologist cross-appointed with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Center for Conservation Genomics and the National Museum of Natural History’s Department of Vertebrate Zoology. Her research strives to understand the contribution of gut bacteria (the microbiome) to dietary ecology and evolution in mammals. Her research integrates microbiology, ecology, and evolutionary biology to understand how animals adapt to nutritional challenges, both during the past and into the future. Ingala’s projects include:
of bacteria, viruses, and protists associated with bats, as well as innovative models
