ORCID

0009-0002-8132-7306

Keywords

Everglades, Climate, Panther, Deer, Genomics, Spatial

Abstract

Climate change and urbanization are resulting in rapid shifts in ecosystems. The effects of these changes are complex, and understanding how species respond is critical for predicting their impacts on genetic diversity and evolution, as well as changes in habitat suitability. Species can respond to these changes in two major ways: through behavioral or genetic adaptation, or by moving to more suitable habitat as conditions change. Adaptive genetic change, in particular, can support behavioral and physiological responses that enable species to persist in novel or changing environments, and understanding these changes can help predict how species will respond to anthropogenic or climatic pressures. Additionally, identifying and characterizing the conditions that have historically defined suitable habitat is useful for projecting future conditions and anticipating change. In this dissertation, I examined the impact of these changes in four taxa. First (Chapter 2), I explored how naturally occurring and anthropogenic landscape features predicted patterns of genetic diversity and structure in a population of Puma concolor in Arizona. Next (Chapter 3), I examined whether urbanization in the Florida Keys was selecting for genetic variants in Key deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium) that were associated with adaptation to urban environments or domestication in other species. Finally (Chapter 4), I focused on two species in the Greater Everglades, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and Florida panthers (Puma concolor coryi), and examined how responses to future change were influenced by patterns of environmental adaptation and habitat suitability. I implemented a risk assessment for individuals of both species across the Greater Everglades using data derived from genetic variants associated with environmental variables, as well as models of current and future habitat suitability. These results provide an applied assessment of the impacts of environmental change on these species, with the goal of informing their management as well as that of others.

Completion Date

2026

Semester

Spring

Committee Chair

Fitak, Robert

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Biology

Format

PDF

Document Type

Dissertation

Identifier

DP0053281

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