Testing species range limits using remote sensing techniques

Many species on earth are experiencing changes in their geographic distributions as climate change progresses. Ecologists don’t fully understand what limits or promotes a species ability to move in response to global change- factors such as temperature, interactions with other species, and population genetics can all play a role. I am interested in exploring how the availability of habitat might determine how far species can move beyond their current distributions. I am also interesting in how we can use remote sensing (drone) data to ask these types of ecological questions on large spatial scales. During this project, I will be collecting information about habitat availability for an annual plant in the Rocky Mountains using a drone and comparing this data to on-the-ground surveys of the same species to determine how accurately remote sensing data can evaluate habitat availability for a species.

Faculty Supervisor:

Anna Hargreaves

Student:

Partner:

Aeria Solutions Ltd.

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Life Sciences (not health); Sustainability & the Environment; Forestry

University:

McGill University

Program: