Morgan Hughes | PhD Student

PhD Student

Morgan Hughes

During her PhD at PMI, Morgan will combine her experiences in bat research, genetic research and tropical dry-forest conservation.

She will be investigating the seasonal dynamics and landscape ecology of bat communities in the highly fragmented Tumbesian and Marañon dry-forests of Peru. After more than a year sampling the bat communities in protected areas across four regions of Peru, she will compare the seasonal changes, habitat use and genetic differentiation to understand how bats cope with seasonal drought in this highly fragmented landscape. The results will help identify critical habitats and ecological corridors.

She will work directly with government agencies and nonprofits to ensure that the results can be directly applied to improve conservation in the region. Following her PhD she hopes to continue research in Latin America.