This National Science Foundation Project Grant award of $500,179 supports research under the Biological Sciences federal grant program (CFDA 47.074) to be conducted from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2025 by the University of California Santa Cruz.
The research will examine how two related alpine songbird species, the brown-capped rosy-finch and Sierra Nevada gray-crowned rosy-finch, have combined movement, evolutionary adaptation, and behavioral adjustment strategies to persist in extreme high-altitude environments over time. The project will integrate field survey data on current coping strategies across each species' elevation range with climate change projections and historical data from museum specimens to develop an integrated statistical model forecasting future responses incorporating movement, evolution, and changes to behaviors such as annual parenting and diet timing.
Key deliverables include tailored reports and data products for state and federal wildlife management agencies to enable uptake of findings and modeling approaches into decision-making. The award will also support research internships for four undergraduate students each year and training of one graduate student and two postdoctoral fellows.
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