Lucia Corral

• Ph.D. Natural Resources, Specialization in Applied Ecology
• Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research

Habitat and diet preferences are often considered major aspects of niches differentiation among species; however, partitioning of habitat and resource use temporally is often overlooked in modeling coexistence. The plasticity of temporal activity patterns of individuals may influence the species' response to selective forces and long‐term persisten...

Context Niche theory is frequently used as a framework to integrate environmental variables and species interactions to describe species geographic distribution. Yet, the scale at which species respond to the environment and other species is rarely considered in species distribution modeling. Here we examined the effect of spatial scale on species...

Camera traps are an increasingly popular means to monitor wildlife populations. However, like other techniques for measuring populations, camera traps are subject to sources of error that may bias population estimates. Past studies accounting for detection error have failed to account for a simple but potentially widely pervasive source of environm...

Home range estimation is an important analytical method in applied spatial ecology, yet best practices for addressing the effects of spatial variation in detection probability on home range estimates remain elusive. We introduce the R package “DiagnoseHR,” simulation tools for assessing how variation in detection probability arising from landscape,...

Core Ideas Field‐based conservation CUREs can engage more students in authentic research. Model‐based pedagogy in CUREs allows students to grapple with complexity of scientific research. Post CURE, student assessment shows science skill gains and clarity in professional goals. Post CURE, students are more likely to talk with friends, family, or the...

Understanding patterns of space-use by individuals, their distribution, and how they coexist with ecologically similar species is crucial to address various issues in ecology, evolution, conservation biology, and wildlife management. However, the study of such patterns challenging because the relationship among species and their environment is shap...

We present a hands-on outdoor activity coupled with classroom discussion to teach students about wildlife habitat selection, the process by which animals choose where to live. By selecting locations or habitats with many benefits (e.g., food, shelter, mates) and few costs (e.g., predators), animals improve their ability to survive and reproduce. Bi...

The utilization of species distribution model(s) (SDM) for approximating, explaining, and predicting changes in species’ geographic locations is increasingly promoted for proactive ecological management. Although frameworks for modeling non-invasive species distributions are relatively well developed, their counterparts for invasive species—which m...