Honors Thesis Defense: Ryan McGoldrick

Ryan McGoldrick will defend his thesis for the College’s Integral Honors Program: “Evidence for Arthropodivore Population Changes with Increasing Temperatures at La Selva Biological Station 1997-2024.” Analysis of bird data from La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica from 1997 through 2024 showed significant impacts of temperature or precipitation on relative abundance for 20 species. All the bird species listed as either Near Threatened or Vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature were significantly impacted by temperature or precipitation changes. These results suggest climate change cannot be ruled out as a potential driver of tropical bird population declines.