Haley Arnold

PhD Student

I am a PhD student based at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, under the supervision of Anne Magurran and Amy Deacon. During 2018-2019 I spent a year at The University of the West Indies, Trinidad, conducting fieldwork in active and abandoned cocoa estates.

My main research interests include terrestrial ecology, biodiversity and conservation biology. The aim of my PhD is to examine the consequences of elevated temporal turnover (compositional change) in tree assemblages for forest functioning. As part of my research I have surveyed the tree, ground vegetation, epiphyte, butterfly and bird communities in forests at different stages of secondary succession. I will use this data to look at how changes in the tree species and functional trait diversity affect the forests’ ability to sustain other biota. Through this research I hope to better understand the links between species, functional traits and ecosystem functioning, as well as how changes in tree assemblages mediate forest habitat value.

Environmental protection and conservation are also very important to me and I enjoy being involved in various projects. These include projects to reduce waste by encouraging re-use and recycling, protecting natural areas and enhancing urban environments to better support biodiversity and wildlife, science communication and public engagement, and encouraging behaviour change to reduce our carbon footprint. I hope to support initiatives that help protect the environment and benefit the community both within and out of my academic work.

My PhD is funded by the Harold Mitchell Bequest for Caribbean Research.

Supervisor

Prof Anne Magurran (University of St. Andrews),

Research Interests