Dr. Amy Dunham
Welcome to our group at Rice University!
Department of Biosciences, Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Department of Biosciences, Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Collectively we are a group of ecologists interested in tropical ecology and conservation biology. Our work focuses on evolutionary, population, and community ecology and is often applied to conservation issues in tropical rainforests.
Much of our current research is conducted in Madagascar, but team members have also worked in Central Africa, Ecuador and Peru.
As a tropical community ecologist, my interests have focused primarily on the interactions of species in complex tropical forests and especially in relation to anthropogenic disturbances. A large focus in recent work has been understanding the ecosystem processes influenced by vertebrates in hyperdiverse tree communities including seed dispersal, disturbance, trophic cascades, carbon storage, and soil processes.
We welcome community members from diverse backgrounds and experiences including different socioeconomic backgrounds, races, ethnicities, countries of origin, gender identities and sexualities, religions, and disabilities.
Much of our current research is conducted in Madagascar, but team members have also worked in Central Africa, Ecuador and Peru.
As a tropical community ecologist, my interests have focused primarily on the interactions of species in complex tropical forests and especially in relation to anthropogenic disturbances. A large focus in recent work has been understanding the ecosystem processes influenced by vertebrates in hyperdiverse tree communities including seed dispersal, disturbance, trophic cascades, carbon storage, and soil processes.
We welcome community members from diverse backgrounds and experiences including different socioeconomic backgrounds, races, ethnicities, countries of origin, gender identities and sexualities, religions, and disabilities.
DUNHAM LAB NEWS
March 2025- Congrats to Julieanne Montaquila on her Garden Club of America Tropical Botany Fellowship to study the ecology of endemic mistletoes in Madagascar!
January 2025- Our Malagasy collaborator, and Phd student at U. Antananarivo, Zo Fenosoa, led a new paper on the role of lemur gut passage on mistletoe seed germination in Madagascar !
December 2024- Eric Wuesthoff wins outstanding talk award for his presentation at the EEB Graduate Student Symposium.
December 2024- A new paper lead by former lab member, Dr. Jadelys Tonos is now out in Functional Ecology about how movement and foraging decisions frugivores make determine patterns of seed dispersal.
December 2024- Former lab member, Dr Therese Lamperty's final dissertation chapter was published in the journal, Molecular Ecology about the effects of loosing large frugivores through defaunation on genetic spatial structure of seedlings.
October 2024 Former lab member, Dr. Onja Razafindratsima, will receive Rice's School of Natural Sciences Alumni Excellence Award! See article here!
August 2024- Former lab member, Dr. Jadelys Tonos, just started a job as an assistant professor at San Francisco State University
August 2024- Eric Wuesthoff was awarded an NSF INTERN award for a collaborative internship with the Houston Zoo and their partners in Madagascar. (a first at Rice!)
March 2024- Julieanne Montaquila received a grant from The Dr. Abigail Ross Foundation for Applied Conservation to fund her work 'Exploring the Role of Canopy-dwelling Parasitic Mistletoes in the Regeneration and Biodiversity of a Malagasy Rainforest'
March 2024- Eric Wuesthoff was recognized with a School of Natural Sciences Graduate Teaching Award and the 2024 Biosciences Leadership Award for his service to the university and department.
February 2024- Congratulations to undergraduate researchers, Bell Scherick and Brendan O'Loughlin on their Wagoner Awards for international research in Madagascar!
January 2025- Our Malagasy collaborator, and Phd student at U. Antananarivo, Zo Fenosoa, led a new paper on the role of lemur gut passage on mistletoe seed germination in Madagascar !
December 2024- Eric Wuesthoff wins outstanding talk award for his presentation at the EEB Graduate Student Symposium.
December 2024- A new paper lead by former lab member, Dr. Jadelys Tonos is now out in Functional Ecology about how movement and foraging decisions frugivores make determine patterns of seed dispersal.
December 2024- Former lab member, Dr Therese Lamperty's final dissertation chapter was published in the journal, Molecular Ecology about the effects of loosing large frugivores through defaunation on genetic spatial structure of seedlings.
October 2024 Former lab member, Dr. Onja Razafindratsima, will receive Rice's School of Natural Sciences Alumni Excellence Award! See article here!
August 2024- Former lab member, Dr. Jadelys Tonos, just started a job as an assistant professor at San Francisco State University
August 2024- Eric Wuesthoff was awarded an NSF INTERN award for a collaborative internship with the Houston Zoo and their partners in Madagascar. (a first at Rice!)
March 2024- Julieanne Montaquila received a grant from The Dr. Abigail Ross Foundation for Applied Conservation to fund her work 'Exploring the Role of Canopy-dwelling Parasitic Mistletoes in the Regeneration and Biodiversity of a Malagasy Rainforest'
March 2024- Eric Wuesthoff was recognized with a School of Natural Sciences Graduate Teaching Award and the 2024 Biosciences Leadership Award for his service to the university and department.
February 2024- Congratulations to undergraduate researchers, Bell Scherick and Brendan O'Loughlin on their Wagoner Awards for international research in Madagascar!
