La Kretz postdoctoral researcher Dr. Joseph Curti is interested in the impacts that anthropogenic stressors have on urban bat species. Urbanization is a major force shaping modern distributions of native species, and associated anthropogenic stressors (e.g, artificial light at night and noise) are increasing steadily every year. Research on the ecological impacts of these stressors is generally constrained to how they vary horizontally across the landscape, despite evidence that the vertical air column (the aerosphere) is critical habitat for a range of organisms and ecosystem processes. Bats are an excellent system to investigate three-dimensional responses to urban stressors because they are mobile flying animals that have varying sensitivity to light and sound disturbance, according to their traits. Dr. Joseph Curti’s research will specifically ask 1) in what ways do bat functional groups respond to anthropogenic gradients in the vertical niche, 2) do noise and light stressors interact to influence vertical variability in bat activity and foraging behavior, and 3) are these results generalizable across multiple manifestations of urban centers in California. By studying the relationships of bat traits and variation in anthropogenic stressors in the novel context of vertical strata, Joey will be able to make recommendations for applied mitigation measures to resource managers and policymakers working in cities.
Research Project | 2024