Roberto Brenes

Department of Zoology
Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Degree Program

Advisor: Karen Lips, Ph.D.

Program: Ph.D

Specialty: Herpetology (Larvae)

Research Work Abstract

My doctorate research emphasizes in the ecological role of amphibian larvae in Neotropical mid elevation stream ecosystems and the post-extinction effects in trophic food webs and energy flow. My research it’s been conducted in two sites located in central Panama. The project it is related to the amphibian decline occurring all over the world. The main objective of the project is to compare the effects in trophic food webs of a site that suffer an extinction event (Fortuna, Chiriquí) and other site where no extinction event had occurred yet (El Copé, Coclé).

Publications

Lips, K. R.; F. Brem; R., Brenes; J. D., Reeve; R. A., Alford; J., Voyles; C., Carey; L., Livo; A. P., Pessier; J. P., Collins. 2006. Emerging infectious disease and the loss of biodiversity in a Neotropical amphibian community. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.103 (9):3165-3170.

Whiles, M.; K. R., Lips ; C., Pringle; S. S., Kilham; R. J. Bixby; R., Brenes; S., Connelly; J. C., Colon Gaud; M., Hunte-Brown; A. D., Huryn; C., Montgomery; S., Peterson. 2006. The consequences of amphibian population declines to the structure and function of Neotropical stream ecosystems. Frontiers in Ecology. 4(1): 27-34.

Brenes, R. and Neil B. Ford. 2006. Seasonality and movements of the Gulf Coast Waterdog (Necturus beyeri) in East Texas. Southeastern Naturalist 51(2).

Gray, M. J., L. M. Smith, and R. Brenes. 2004. Effects of agricultural cultivation on demographics of southern high plains amphibians. Conservation Biology 18:1386-1377.

Gray, M. J., L. M. Smith, and R. Brenes. 1999. Spatial and temporal dynamics of amphibians using playa wetlands on the southern high plains of Texas. Texas Tech University, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Research Highlights. 30:27

Contact Information

E-mail: tadpole@siu.edu

Office Number and Phone: LSII 333 -- Tel: (618) 453-4117

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