Jaime Collazo, PhD
Assistant Unit Leader - North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Research Interests
- Demographic Processes and Conservation
- Species-habitat relationships
- Endangered Species Conservation
Teaching Interests
- Hierarchical Species-Habitat Modeling
- Tropical Avian Biology
Professional Experience
Assistant Unit Leader, North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 1991-
Education and Certifications
PhD-Iowa State University
MS-University of Idaho
BS-Universtity of Puerto Rico
Science and Products
Advancing Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for High Elevation and Endangered Lowland Coquí Frogs in the U.S. Caribbean
Amphibians in the US Caribbean, like the well-known coquí frog, are particularly vulnerable to human-caused climate change. Coquí frogs are represented by 17 species across Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands and include several mountainous and coastal species that are threatened by extreme heat and drying, loss of coastal freshwater marshes through saltwater intrusion, or both. Over the...
Webinar: Climate Adaptation Science to Support Amphibian Conservation in the U.S. Caribbean
View this webinar to learn more about a climate-informed adaptation strategy for vulnerable species in the Caribbean.
Informing Conservation Management Decision-Making at Coastal National Wildlife Refuges
Coastal National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) provide a myriad of beneficial services, including buffering storm surge, improving water quality, supporting commercial fisheries, and providing habitat for imperiled wildlife and plants. Yet in the last century, coastal ecosystems in the eastern U.S. have been severely altered by human development activities as well as sea-level rise and more...
Assessing Climate-Sensitive Ecosystems in the Southeastern U.S.
The southeastern U.S. contains a unique diversity of ecosystems that provide important benefits, including habitat for rare wildlife and plants, improved water quality, and recreation opportunities. Understanding how climate change will affect these ecosystems is vital for knowing how best to protect them and the services they supply. The goal of this project was to assess the climate...
SERAP: Assessment of Climate and Land Use Change Impacts on Terrestrial Species
Researchers from North Carolina State University and the USGS integrated models of urbanization and vegetation dynamics with the regional climate models to predict vegetation dynamics and assess how landscape change could impact priority species, including North American land birds. This integrated ensemble of models can be used to predict locations where responses to climate change are...
SERAP: Modeling of Global and Land Use Change Impacts
The Southeastern United States spans a broad range of physiographic settings and maintains exceptionally high levels of faunal diversity. Unfortunately, many of these ecosystems are increasingly under threat due to rapid human development, and management agencies are increasingly aware of the potential effects that climate change will have on these ecosystems. Natural resource managers...
SERAP: Comprehensive Web-based Climate Change Projections: Downscaled Maps and Data
A team of USGS and academic researchers developed a comprehensive web-based dataset of high-resolution (or ‘downscaled’) climate change projections, enabling scientists and decision-makers to better assess climate related ecosystem impacts. The research team implemented a three-part plan to provide high resolution climate data for the impact modeling community. First, a database was...
Southeast Regional Assessment Project (SERAP): Assessing Global Change Impacts on Natural and Human Systems in the Southeast
The Southeastern United States spans a broad range of physiographic settings and maintains exceptionally high levels of faunal diversity. Unfortunately, many of these ecosystems are increasingly under threat due to rapid human development, and management agencies are increasingly aware of the potential effects that climate change will have on these ecosystems. Natural resource managers...
Physiological Analysis of Eleutherodactylus Specimens in West-Central Puerto Rico, 2021-2022
Amphibians are vulnerable to extinction owing, partly, to altered physiological processes induced by projected global warming and drying. Understanding the mechanisms behind their responses is essential to formulate adaptation strategies for their conservation. Puerto Rico harbors 15 endemic Eleutherodactylus frogs considered vulnerable to extinction due to poor vagility and sensitivity...
Filter Total Items: 53
Applying portfolio theory to benefit endangered amphibians in coastal wetlands threatened by climate change, high uncertainty, and significant investment risk
The challenge of selecting strategies to adapt to climate change is complicated by the presence of irreducible uncertainties regarding future conditions. Decisions regarding long-term investments in conservation actions contain significant risk of failure due to these inherent uncertainties. To address this challenge, decision makers need an arsenal of sophisticated but practical tools...
Authors
Mitchell Eaton, Adam Terando, Jaime A. Collazo
High-quality, chromosome-level reference genomes of the viviparous Caribbean skinks Spondylurus nitidus and S. culebrae
New World mabuyine skinks are a diverse radiation of morphologically cryptic lizards with unique reproductive biologies. Recent studies examining population-level data (morphological, ecological, and genomic) have uncovered novel biodiversity and phenotypes, including the description of dozens of new species and insights into the evolution of their highly complex placental structures...
Authors
Danielle Rivera, James B. Henderson, Athena W. Lam, Nathan J. Hostetter, Jaime A. Collazo, Rayna C. Bell
Multiple records of the introduced parthenogenetic Smooth-scaled Tegulet, Gymnophthalmus underwoodi Grant 1958, in Puerto Rico
The introduction of invasive species to islands can be devastating to local biota. While many invasive species’ successful colonization of new habitats can be attributed to features like high fecundity or low mate selectivity, parthenogenetic species pose a unique threat in their ability to reproduce asexually at high rates. The Smooth-scaled Tegulet (Gymnophthalmus underwoodi), first...
Authors
Danielle Rivera, Jan P. Zegarra, Alberto R. Puente-Rolon, Nahíra Arocho-Hernandez, Nathan J. Hostetter, Jaime A. Collazo, Rayna C. Bell
Contemporary record and photographs of the rarely seen and poorly known Mona Blindsnake, Antillotyphlops monensis (Schmidt, 1926), with comments on its ecology and conservation
No abstract available.
Authors
Danielle Rivera, Jan P. Zegarra, Cielo E. Figuerola-Hernández, Nahíra Arocho-Hernández, Nathan J. Hostetter, Jaime A. Collazo, Rayna C. Bell
Modeling and estimating co-occurrence between the invasive Shiny Cowbird and its Puerto Rican hosts
Invasive species threaten island biodiversity globally. For example, the Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) parasitizes many of Puerto Rico’s endemic species, particularly in the open forests in the island’s southwest. Less is known, however, about cowbird parasitism in the agro-ecological highlands, which contain a patchwork of forests, shaded-coffee plantations, and coffee farms...
Authors
Philip T. Patton, Krishna Pacifici, Jaime A. Collazo
Estimating bee abundance: Can mark-recapture methods validate common sampling protocols?
Wild bees are essential pollinators in natural and agricultural systems, but populations of some species have declined. Efforts to assess the status of wild bees are hindered by uncertainty in common sampling methods, such as pan traps and aerial netting, which may or may not provide a valid index of abundance across species and habitats. Mark-recapture methods are a common and effective...
Authors
Emma L. Briggs, Christopher Baranski, Olivia Munzer Schaetz, Gabriela Garrison, Elsa Youngsteadt, Jaime A. Collazo
Statistical methods used in research concerning endangered and threatened animal species of Puerto Rico: A meta-study
A concern about statistics in wildlife studies, particularly of endangered and threatened species, is whether the data collected meet the assumptions necessary for the use of parametric statistics. This study identified published papers on the nine endangered and six threatened species found only on Puerto Rico using five different databases. The results from the Zoological Record...
Authors
S.J. Rivera, K.M. Alpi, Jaime A. Collazo, M.K. Stoskopf
Linking demographic rates to local environmental conditions: Empirical data to support climate adaptation strategies for Eleutherodactylus frogs
Conducting managed species translocations and establishing climate change refugia are adaptation strategies to cope with projected consequences of global warming, but successful implementation requires on-the-ground validation of demographic responses to transient climate conditions. Here we estimated the effect of nine abiotic and biotic factors on local occupancy and an index of...
Authors
A.C. Rivera-Burgos, Jaime A. Collazo, Adam Terando, Krishna Pacifici
Climate change is creating a mismatch between protected areas and suitable habitats for frogs and birds in Puerto Rico
Climate change is altering the spatial distribution of many species around the world. In response, we need to identify and protect suitable areas for a large proportion of the fauna so that they persist through time. This exercise must also evaluate the ability of existing protected areas to provide safe havens for species in the context of climate change. Here, we combined passive...
Authors
Marconi Campos-Cerqueira, Adam Terando, Brent Murray, Jaime A. Collazo, Mitchell Aide
The influence of floral resources and microclimate on pollinator visitation in an agro-ecosystem
As agriculture expands to meet the needs of a growing global population, natural ecosystems are threatened by deforestation and habitat fragmentation. Tropical agroforestry systems offer a sustainable alternative to traditional agriculture by providing food for production while also supporting biodiversity and ecosystem services. Previous studies have shown that these systems may even...
Authors
S.G. Prado, Jaime A. Collazo, M.H. Marand, R.E. Irwin
Coffee plantations, hurricanes and avian resiliency: Insights from occupancy, and local colonization and extinction rates in Puerto Rico
Insights on impacts and resiliency of avian species with respect to hurricanes in the Caribbean have largely focused on responses measured in protected habitats. We assessed avian responses in non-protected habitat, specifically shade-restored coffee plantations, because their structural complexity retains many attributes of secondary forests, and may contribute to landscape scale...
Authors
Amarilys D. Irizarry, Jaime A. Collazo, J. Vandermeer, I. Perfecto
Survey design optimization for monitoring wildlife communities in areas managed for federally endangered species
In wildlife communities composed of federally endangered species, there are often several species of conservation concern that have not yet warranted federally mandated protection. These species often need continued monitoring to inform the direction of future management. While recovering endangered species is an important conservation goal, practitioners are challenged by balancing...
Authors
B.S. Pease, Krishna Pacifici, Jaime A. Collazo
Science and Products
Advancing Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for High Elevation and Endangered Lowland Coquí Frogs in the U.S. Caribbean
Amphibians in the US Caribbean, like the well-known coquí frog, are particularly vulnerable to human-caused climate change. Coquí frogs are represented by 17 species across Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands and include several mountainous and coastal species that are threatened by extreme heat and drying, loss of coastal freshwater marshes through saltwater intrusion, or both. Over the...
Webinar: Climate Adaptation Science to Support Amphibian Conservation in the U.S. Caribbean
View this webinar to learn more about a climate-informed adaptation strategy for vulnerable species in the Caribbean.
Informing Conservation Management Decision-Making at Coastal National Wildlife Refuges
Coastal National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) provide a myriad of beneficial services, including buffering storm surge, improving water quality, supporting commercial fisheries, and providing habitat for imperiled wildlife and plants. Yet in the last century, coastal ecosystems in the eastern U.S. have been severely altered by human development activities as well as sea-level rise and more...
Assessing Climate-Sensitive Ecosystems in the Southeastern U.S.
The southeastern U.S. contains a unique diversity of ecosystems that provide important benefits, including habitat for rare wildlife and plants, improved water quality, and recreation opportunities. Understanding how climate change will affect these ecosystems is vital for knowing how best to protect them and the services they supply. The goal of this project was to assess the climate...
SERAP: Assessment of Climate and Land Use Change Impacts on Terrestrial Species
Researchers from North Carolina State University and the USGS integrated models of urbanization and vegetation dynamics with the regional climate models to predict vegetation dynamics and assess how landscape change could impact priority species, including North American land birds. This integrated ensemble of models can be used to predict locations where responses to climate change are...
SERAP: Modeling of Global and Land Use Change Impacts
The Southeastern United States spans a broad range of physiographic settings and maintains exceptionally high levels of faunal diversity. Unfortunately, many of these ecosystems are increasingly under threat due to rapid human development, and management agencies are increasingly aware of the potential effects that climate change will have on these ecosystems. Natural resource managers...
SERAP: Comprehensive Web-based Climate Change Projections: Downscaled Maps and Data
A team of USGS and academic researchers developed a comprehensive web-based dataset of high-resolution (or ‘downscaled’) climate change projections, enabling scientists and decision-makers to better assess climate related ecosystem impacts. The research team implemented a three-part plan to provide high resolution climate data for the impact modeling community. First, a database was...
Southeast Regional Assessment Project (SERAP): Assessing Global Change Impacts on Natural and Human Systems in the Southeast
The Southeastern United States spans a broad range of physiographic settings and maintains exceptionally high levels of faunal diversity. Unfortunately, many of these ecosystems are increasingly under threat due to rapid human development, and management agencies are increasingly aware of the potential effects that climate change will have on these ecosystems. Natural resource managers...
Physiological Analysis of Eleutherodactylus Specimens in West-Central Puerto Rico, 2021-2022
Amphibians are vulnerable to extinction owing, partly, to altered physiological processes induced by projected global warming and drying. Understanding the mechanisms behind their responses is essential to formulate adaptation strategies for their conservation. Puerto Rico harbors 15 endemic Eleutherodactylus frogs considered vulnerable to extinction due to poor vagility and sensitivity...
Filter Total Items: 53
Applying portfolio theory to benefit endangered amphibians in coastal wetlands threatened by climate change, high uncertainty, and significant investment risk
The challenge of selecting strategies to adapt to climate change is complicated by the presence of irreducible uncertainties regarding future conditions. Decisions regarding long-term investments in conservation actions contain significant risk of failure due to these inherent uncertainties. To address this challenge, decision makers need an arsenal of sophisticated but practical tools...
Authors
Mitchell Eaton, Adam Terando, Jaime A. Collazo
High-quality, chromosome-level reference genomes of the viviparous Caribbean skinks Spondylurus nitidus and S. culebrae
New World mabuyine skinks are a diverse radiation of morphologically cryptic lizards with unique reproductive biologies. Recent studies examining population-level data (morphological, ecological, and genomic) have uncovered novel biodiversity and phenotypes, including the description of dozens of new species and insights into the evolution of their highly complex placental structures...
Authors
Danielle Rivera, James B. Henderson, Athena W. Lam, Nathan J. Hostetter, Jaime A. Collazo, Rayna C. Bell
Multiple records of the introduced parthenogenetic Smooth-scaled Tegulet, Gymnophthalmus underwoodi Grant 1958, in Puerto Rico
The introduction of invasive species to islands can be devastating to local biota. While many invasive species’ successful colonization of new habitats can be attributed to features like high fecundity or low mate selectivity, parthenogenetic species pose a unique threat in their ability to reproduce asexually at high rates. The Smooth-scaled Tegulet (Gymnophthalmus underwoodi), first...
Authors
Danielle Rivera, Jan P. Zegarra, Alberto R. Puente-Rolon, Nahíra Arocho-Hernandez, Nathan J. Hostetter, Jaime A. Collazo, Rayna C. Bell
Contemporary record and photographs of the rarely seen and poorly known Mona Blindsnake, Antillotyphlops monensis (Schmidt, 1926), with comments on its ecology and conservation
No abstract available.
Authors
Danielle Rivera, Jan P. Zegarra, Cielo E. Figuerola-Hernández, Nahíra Arocho-Hernández, Nathan J. Hostetter, Jaime A. Collazo, Rayna C. Bell
Modeling and estimating co-occurrence between the invasive Shiny Cowbird and its Puerto Rican hosts
Invasive species threaten island biodiversity globally. For example, the Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) parasitizes many of Puerto Rico’s endemic species, particularly in the open forests in the island’s southwest. Less is known, however, about cowbird parasitism in the agro-ecological highlands, which contain a patchwork of forests, shaded-coffee plantations, and coffee farms...
Authors
Philip T. Patton, Krishna Pacifici, Jaime A. Collazo
Estimating bee abundance: Can mark-recapture methods validate common sampling protocols?
Wild bees are essential pollinators in natural and agricultural systems, but populations of some species have declined. Efforts to assess the status of wild bees are hindered by uncertainty in common sampling methods, such as pan traps and aerial netting, which may or may not provide a valid index of abundance across species and habitats. Mark-recapture methods are a common and effective...
Authors
Emma L. Briggs, Christopher Baranski, Olivia Munzer Schaetz, Gabriela Garrison, Elsa Youngsteadt, Jaime A. Collazo
Statistical methods used in research concerning endangered and threatened animal species of Puerto Rico: A meta-study
A concern about statistics in wildlife studies, particularly of endangered and threatened species, is whether the data collected meet the assumptions necessary for the use of parametric statistics. This study identified published papers on the nine endangered and six threatened species found only on Puerto Rico using five different databases. The results from the Zoological Record...
Authors
S.J. Rivera, K.M. Alpi, Jaime A. Collazo, M.K. Stoskopf
Linking demographic rates to local environmental conditions: Empirical data to support climate adaptation strategies for Eleutherodactylus frogs
Conducting managed species translocations and establishing climate change refugia are adaptation strategies to cope with projected consequences of global warming, but successful implementation requires on-the-ground validation of demographic responses to transient climate conditions. Here we estimated the effect of nine abiotic and biotic factors on local occupancy and an index of...
Authors
A.C. Rivera-Burgos, Jaime A. Collazo, Adam Terando, Krishna Pacifici
Climate change is creating a mismatch between protected areas and suitable habitats for frogs and birds in Puerto Rico
Climate change is altering the spatial distribution of many species around the world. In response, we need to identify and protect suitable areas for a large proportion of the fauna so that they persist through time. This exercise must also evaluate the ability of existing protected areas to provide safe havens for species in the context of climate change. Here, we combined passive...
Authors
Marconi Campos-Cerqueira, Adam Terando, Brent Murray, Jaime A. Collazo, Mitchell Aide
The influence of floral resources and microclimate on pollinator visitation in an agro-ecosystem
As agriculture expands to meet the needs of a growing global population, natural ecosystems are threatened by deforestation and habitat fragmentation. Tropical agroforestry systems offer a sustainable alternative to traditional agriculture by providing food for production while also supporting biodiversity and ecosystem services. Previous studies have shown that these systems may even...
Authors
S.G. Prado, Jaime A. Collazo, M.H. Marand, R.E. Irwin
Coffee plantations, hurricanes and avian resiliency: Insights from occupancy, and local colonization and extinction rates in Puerto Rico
Insights on impacts and resiliency of avian species with respect to hurricanes in the Caribbean have largely focused on responses measured in protected habitats. We assessed avian responses in non-protected habitat, specifically shade-restored coffee plantations, because their structural complexity retains many attributes of secondary forests, and may contribute to landscape scale...
Authors
Amarilys D. Irizarry, Jaime A. Collazo, J. Vandermeer, I. Perfecto
Survey design optimization for monitoring wildlife communities in areas managed for federally endangered species
In wildlife communities composed of federally endangered species, there are often several species of conservation concern that have not yet warranted federally mandated protection. These species often need continued monitoring to inform the direction of future management. While recovering endangered species is an important conservation goal, practitioners are challenged by balancing...
Authors
B.S. Pease, Krishna Pacifici, Jaime A. Collazo