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Ground-breaking Research by STAR Fellow
Not only was EPA STAR fellow, Thomas R. Gillespie, PhD, selected as a finalist for this year's Society for Conservation Biology's Student Award, but as a result, his research was featured in the August 27th edition of Science Magazine (Vol. 305). Many distinguished scientists with years of experience have not yet been published in this prestigious journal. Yet Dr. Gillespie received this honor for his work on forest fragmentation and disease prevalence in sub-Saharan primates, research which he conducted while a doctoral student.
Ecologists have long known that forest fragmentation is detrimental to many species. As a result of deforestation, loss of habitat and food sources can lead to declines in many vulnerable populations. However, Dr. Gillespie's research was the first to link forest fragmentation with increased primate disease. Dr. Gillespie made this discovery while he was an EPA-funded fellow at the University of Florida, where he was investigating the "Effects of Human Disturbance on Primate-Disease Dynamics."
As a Society for Conservation Biology Student Award finalist, Dr. Gillespie was invited to present his research at the Society's Annual Convention, July 30-August 2, in New York City. The Society for Conservation Biology selects its finalists based on the relevance of the student's research to conservation, its scientific merit, and research abstract presentation. In addition to an invitation to speak at the Annual Convention, each student finalist also receives a monetary award.
Dr. Gillespie's presentation concerned one component of his doctoral research and was entitled, "Forest Fragmentation Alters Parasite Dynamics in African Primate Populations." In this study, Gillespie investigated the effects of forest fragmentation on gastrointestinal parasite infection risk in red colobus (or leaf-eating) monkeys residing in Uganda's Kibale National Park. Dr. Gillespie measured the concentration of parasites on tree leaves and ground-level vegetation and also in the monkeys' feces. He discovered a greater number of parasites in forest fragments than in pristine areas. In addition, red colobus parasite infection rates were higher in forest fragments compared with rates in red colobus in largely untouched areas.
Interestingly, infection rates in black-and-white colobus remained unchanged regardless of habitat condition. Gillespie attributed this phenomenon to differences in food stress due to the greater dietary flexibility of black-and-white colobus compared with red colobus. Red colobus typically consume a highly diverse diet (i.e., > 42 species), and their density can be predicted from the abundance of trees for which they eat. Such broad dietary requirements might predispose red colobus to food stress in forest fragments, where the necessary plant species are not available. In contrast, the black-and-white colobus require a diet with little diversity (i.e., < 25 species with 3 species accounting for 69% of their diet). They are clearly capable of persisting on a monotonous diet dominated by readily available tree species.
Dr. Gillespie's research is particularly timely because the red colobus is an endangered species. The decrease in population of this monkey correlates with an increase in deforestation practices, primarily for small-scale commercial enterprises, such as charcoal and brick production, beer brewing, and alcohol distillation. During the last 3 years, the number of red colobus in forest fragments dropped by 20%. Dr. Gillespie speculated that the increased infection rate and higher mortality rate in the red colobus might be caused by the introduction of new parasites by encroaching humans. In addition, deprivation of food and habitat caused by deforestation renders the red colobus more susceptible to infection.
Dr. Gillespie received his PhD in 2004 and MS in 2000 in zoology from the University of Florida. Currently, he is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Department of Veterinary Pathobiology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He was an EPA STAR fellow from 2001-2004 and a University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Fellow from 1997-2000. In addition to being a Society for Conservation Biology finalist this year, he is the recipient of several awards and honors including the following: 1999 Society for Conservation Biology Student Award Honorable Mention, 1998 National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship Honorable Mention, Highest Teaching Rating by student and teacher evaluations, six University of Florida travel grants, 1992 Illinois State Senate General Assembly Merit Scholarship, and 1992 Northern Illinois Academic-Industrial Consortium Fellowship. Dr. Gillespie has authored or coauthored 9 peer-reviewed publications.
For more information, contact Estella Waldman at waldman.estella@epa.gov.