December 10, 2025

12:00pm – 1:00pm Hershey Hall 158

Janine Fischer - PhD Exit Seminar
UCLA

" Assessing the Influence of Interspecific Interference Competition on Threatened Heteromyid Species "

Interspecific competition plays a critical role in shaping species’ fitness, habitat use, and long-term persistence, making it an essential consideration in conservation planning. Dominant competitors can exclude subordinate species from preferred habitat types and limit access to vital resources. In this exit seminar, I will explore the consequences and conservation implications of competition between threatened heteromyid species. First, I will discuss my research conducted in collaboration with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, where we provided captive-bred endangered Pacific pocket mice (Perognathus longimembris pacificus) with competitor experience prior to their translocation and evaluated subsequent fitness outcomes. I will then present findings from my work on two sympatric species of kangaroo rat, Stephens’ (Dipodomys stephensi) and Dulzura kangaroo rat (D. simulans), in which we examined their dominance relationship and documented patterns of spatial and behavioral avoidance in the field. Together, these studies reveal how interspecific competition can drive shifts in habitat use and contribute to the displacement of subordinate competitors. My dissertation research demonstrates how competition can reduce the persistence of species, particularly as ongoing habitat loss intensifies competitive pressures. I conclude by providing management recommendations to support the coexistence and recovery of these at-risk species.

 

Zoom Link: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/94783439902

Host: Greg Grether