Life in the L.A. River
With the imminent revitalization of the L.A. River, the city’s landscape is about to transform. But how will the restoration project impact life in and around the river?
Projects
Live fuel moisture: understanding a critical fire behavior trait
La Kretz Postdoc Dr. Alex Pivovaroff studies the physiological mechanisms that control live fuel moisture in our Santa Monica Mountains.
Long-distance Movements and Resource Use by Hornbills in Cameroon
The recent discovery by UCLA Center for Tropical Research (CTR) scientists that the large-bodied frugivorous hornbills (Ceratogymna sp., Fig. 1) of Central Africa make long-distance movements (Fig. 2) highlights their…
Managing Sea Level Rise in Coastal Wetlands
Coastal wetlands are among the most vulnerable ecosystems on the planet. Pressured in many cases by human development from the land, they also now face pressures due to sea level…
Mapping Evolutionary Processes Under Climate Change
The Partnership for International Research and Education project seeks to develop an integrated framework for conserving central African biodiversity under climate change that is both evolutionary-informed and grounded in the socioeconomic constraints of the region.
Modeling Oceanic Hypoxia and Acidification in the California Current System
The following scientific questions will be addressed: (1) How do the cycles of carbon, oxygen, and nutrients function in the CCS in the presence of large-scale natural variability and anthropogenic…
Modeling Rangewide Metapopulation Viability and Persistence of the Endangered Tidewater Goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi): Implications for Long-term Conservation and Management
Awardee: Brenton Spies, Ph.D. candidate. Brenton's work is directed towards implementing aspects of the US Fish & Wildlife Service Recovery Plan in order to determine the best approach for long-term conservation and sustainability of the tidewater goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi).
Oppenheim Lecture Series
The Oppenheim Lecture Series has been established at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability through a generous gift by Patricia Oppenheim and her family in memory of Rudi Oppenheim.This…
Preserving an Enigma: The Impact of Habitat Fragmentation on Rockfowl (Picathartes) in Central Africa
One of the most elusive and enigmatic birds of the African rainforests is the rockfowl (Picathartes sp., Fig. 1). The two species that comprise the whole family are listed as…
Rainforest Biodiversity and Speciation
Region:Africa (Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast), Australia, South America (Ecuador) These projects seek to understand the mechanisms important in generating rainforest biodiversity. Results from research on birds in Cameroon and…
Rainforest Restoration and Seed Dispersal
Region: South America (Ecuador) Africa (Cameroon) These long-term studies examine the role of birds and primates as seed dispersers in the maintenance of tree diversity in West African and Neotropical…
Research Program
In collaboration with our partner agencies, the La Kretz Center supports field and laboratory-based research projects that address fundamental problems with direct management implications for conservation science in California. Although…