research

climate change &
Rare antelope 

Recently, rare antelope populations have declined in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. This chapter focuses on declines in roan (Hippotragus equinus), sable (Hippotragus niger), tsessebe (Damaliscus lunatus) and eland (Taurotragus oryx) from the 1980s to mid-2000s. Can we say that these animals respond in similar ways to their environment? Or should their declines be managed individually?

In my first dissertation chapter, I explore how these animals interact with each other, other large herbivores, and other environmental factors that drive spatial heterogeneity of forage and water availability across the park. ​With this analysis, I can then start to answer even bigger questions, like: How will these interactions change in the future? In a climate that's growing ever-drier with climate change, what will this community look like in 20 or 50 years?

heat stress in a changing climate

Antelope on African savannas will need to deal with a drier climate and rising temperatures over the coming years. In this chapter, I study how different heat tolerances and thermoregulation strategies affect roan and gemsbok activities and movements on a daily and seasonal basis. 

This study focuses on landscape usage by roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus) and gemsbok (Oryx gazella) in eastern Namibia. This critical habitat is regularly filled with tiny, ephemeral waterholes in the spring, which allow mammals access to broad swathes of lush vegetation inaccessible in the dry season.

My third chapter rests on the incredible maps of ephemeral waterholes that a Duke and WWF joint team (including myself) published in Environmental Research Letters in October of 2022. For a more engaging and visual look at the project, Duke MEM Eliza Carter ('23) created a beautiful ArcGIS Story Map this fall as well.

roan, gemsbok, and fencing, oh my!

Antelope encounter manmade fencing on African savanna landscapes all the time. These fences exist to help control disease spread, poaching, predation, and more. But how effective are these fences at restricting the movements of large mammals?