In summer 2014, as part of my Master of Research degree at Imperial College London, I designed and performed a study comparing different techniques used in assessing species community composition. I collected my data in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (South Africa), as part of an existing experimental program investigating herbivores response to predation risk and resource availability manipulation. I used a fully-factorial experimental setup, comprised of four sampling plots paired together by type of treatment and habitat composition. I visited each plot on a bi-weekly schedule, counting feces with the help of a local guide and collecting photos from camera traps at the same time. Working at close contact with locals, I developed strong bonds with them and learned a lot about both Zulu and South African culture. I also helped some of the fellow researchers present in the park around the same time as me, engaging in plant phenology surveys and lion collaring.
Matteo Rizzuto
Postdoctoral Associate in the Schmitz lab, developing mathematical models to quantify how animals influence the cycling and storage of carbon in ecosystems.
- School of the Environment,
Yale University, New Haven,
CT, United States - ResearchGate
- Github
- Google Scholar
- ORCID