Research Projects
My research interests involve exploring the consequences of anthropogenic disturbances and pressures on Earth's biodiversity. More generally, my interests align with conservation biology, global change, population ecology, coastal ecosystems, species at risk, and ecosystem functioning. Below are my research projects that are currently in progress or completed.
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During my master's, I am working with Dr. Alex Moore and Dr. Chris Harley to investigate the role of ocean acidification in altering the vulnerability of coastal marine invertebrates to additional stressors in BC.
In progress
With the Davies Lab at UBC, I am investigating the anticipated loss of global bird biodiversity using predictive modelling of functional traits and phylogeny.
In progress
I investigated whether pre-existing competitive differences developed in allopatry influence the competitive outcome of species pairs following coevolution in sympatry. To explore this inquiry, I coupled a competition experiment with evolutionary simulations to predict changes in competitive differences between three species pairs of duckweed (Lemna minor, Lemna minuta, and Spirodela polyrhiza) from allopatric to sympatric populations.
Despite the observed divergence in stabilizing differences between pairs, coinciding with diverging niches of classic theory, I provide empirical evidence of convergence from fitness differences in promoting species coexistence. In particular, I demonstrated evidence of three species pairs with differing pre-existing competitive differences that evolved to increase coexistence upon coevolution in sympatry.
Dyer, J. (2024). Divergence and convergence of competitive differences via character displacement [Bachelor's thesis, University of British Columbia]. UBC Open Collections, Undergraduate Research. http://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0443955
Predicting climate-related habitat loss for the American pika (Ochotona princeps) in Alberta’s Rockies
The American pika (Ochotona princeps) is one of many alpine species at risk under a changing climate. Given their limited dispersal abilities, vulnerability to thermal stress, and already high-elevation habitat, the American pika may be the poster child for climate-induced extirpation in the Canadian Rockies. Using the new Presence-only Prediction (MaxEnt) tool in ArcGIS Pro, we predicted changes to their suitable habitat in Alberta’s Rockies.
Dyer, J. & Mueller, P. (April 20, 2022). American Pikas Are Facing the Heat of Climate Change. ArcGIS StoryMaps. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b26ed26ac0944d5793b4729d6962dee9