Research
Our fellows work in research teams to advance skills and solve environmental problems through hands-on experience.
Projects
Research Across Ecuador and Beyond
Overview The Center for Tropical Research conducts cutting edge research in the Amazon and the Andes to complement our primary focus on the Chocó. In these projects, CTR combines the…
Using Pond Hydroperiod to Attenuate the Spread of Invasive Tiger Salamander Alleles
Awardee: Robert Cooper. Robert is using pond hydroperiod to attenuate the spread of non-native alleles through the range of the endangered California tiger salamander.
Valley Oak Conservation in a Changing Climate
Rapidly changing climate in California and around the world has the potential to cause a mismatch between the environmental conditions that plants are adapted to and the environmental conditions they…
Biodiversity Restoration: Giving Sage Hill a Physical, Educational, and Digital Presence
Sage Hill, a biodiversity hotspot home to many California native plants, has huge potential to serve as an educational and recreational spot for the UCLA community, as well as a…
Developing a model for sustainable ebony production and logging in Cameroon
Students: Sarah Casey, Kenyon Chow, Diana Krichevsky, Abigail Mejia, Emily Parker Advisor: Kevin Njabo Clients: Taylor Guitars Our Team We are the UCLA Undergraduate Research Team for Sustainable Ebony Production in Cameroon,…
Impacts of Kelp Forests on Ocean Acidification in Santa Monica Bay
Research suggests that as humans continue releasing carbon dioxide into our atmosphere our oceans are changing in ways that may drastically affect marine life.
Reducing Rodenticide Use on UCLA Campus through the Use of Alternative Sustainable Methods
Our goals are to reduce the usage of rodenticide on campus which can have deleterious effects on the local ecosystems. To do this we have piloted a pest-proof trash collector…
Avian Influenza Virus in North American Migratory Birds
Overview The UCLA Center for Tropical Research (CTR) is at the forefront of research and surveillance of avian influenza virus (bird flu or avian flu) in wild birds. CTR has…
Avian Malaria
Malaria parasites use vertebrate hosts for the asexual stages of their life cycle and Dipteran vectors for both the sexual and asexual development, but the literature on avian malaria parasites remains biased towards bird-parasite associations. Our work samples vectors/birds to provide information about status of infection of both host and vector.
Biodiversity Atlas
Southern California harbors some of the highest levels of biodiversity on the continent, yet is also home to millions of humans that compete for wildlife space and resources. In order to best balance these often competing components, researchers at the Center for Tropical Research are helping to construct a Los Angeles Biodiversity Atlas.
Bird Genoscape Project
The Center for Tropical Research recently launched the Bird Genoscape Project, an effort to map the population-specific migratory routes of 100 species of migratory songbirds by harnessing the power of genomics.