Austin Dziki

Austin's research focuses on edge effects in Gishwati-Mukura National park in Rwanda, a regenerating second growth forest with partial defaunation. His project is building off of a forest inventory conducted 10 years ago, allowing him to measure changes in the diversity and species composition of tree species within the forest over the last decade. Specific analysis will focus on the differences in species in-growth between the edge and interior of the forest and the regeneration of large seeded, late-successional, animal dispersed tree species. This most recent inventory will allow for many other comparisons between the two time series such as changes in fruit availability for key wildlife species, changes in overall basal area and carbon storage, and overall trajectories in species diversity and patterns in succession.