Dr. Catherine Cardelús, Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies, and Jeremy Quirós Navarro, PhD student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut, received a $19000 award to study a newly discovered phenomenon of multi-mammal latrines in the rainforest canopy. The rainforest canopy is a biodiversity hotspot, with most research focused on species presence but we know little about their interactions. Cardelús and Quirós Navarro will use traditional ecological methods, camera traps, and cutting-edge environmental DNA analysis to document latrine use patterns and their impacts on canopy ecosystem processes in fragmented and unfragmented systems. This research builds upon Dr. Cardelús' extensive expertise in canopy nutrient dynamics and Quirós Navarro's discovery of these multi-species latrines in Costa Rica.
