Who Is Doing the Research?
Lee Dyer, Ph.D., is an ecologist with a B.S. in Biochemistry and English from the University of California at Santa Barbara. His Ph.D. thesis work examined interactions between plants, herbivores, and their natural enemies and included work in Costa Rica, Colorado, and California. Dr. Dyer has been a faculty member in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at Tulane University since 2001.
Does Extreme Weather Boost Caterpillar Populations?
Dr. Lee Dyer has been compiling data on the effects of extreme weather events on caterpillar populations for more than a decade. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Dyer is testing his predictions about decreases in parasitoid populations and resulting increases in caterpillar populations after extreme weather events. As a volunteer on this Expedition, you’ll be at the cutting edge of science’s understanding of how global climate change affects biodiversity in a given region.
What Can We Learn from Caterpillar Research?
In more general terms, this research enriches our understanding of caterpillars as important regulators of plant biodiversity and as an important food source for other animals. The more you help uncover about caterpillars and the species that prey on them, the more resource managers can see them as indicators of ecosystem health in areas where they are desired, and the more farmers and others will be able to employ non-toxic measures to contain their populations in areas where they are unwelcome.
Where Do Volunteers Do the Field Work?
Volunteers work in the Pearl River Wildlife Management Area (PRWMA), east of Slidell, LA. PRWMA totals 35,031 acres and is owned by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The terrain is flat, drainage is poor, and the area is subject to annual flooding. The forest cover varies from hardwood to cypress tupelo to an intermediate type marsh.
How Can I Learn More about the Climate Change and Caterpillars Expedition?
Visit the Climate Change and Caterpillars in New Orleans page on the Earthwatch site to find out how to volunteer, when the next team fields, and to see photos from the project.
