Assistant Professor
Email: ralusardi@ucdavis.edu
Office: 1053 Academic Surge
Personal Professional Website:
https://sites.google.com/view/lusardi-lab/research
Research:
Dr. Lusardi is an freshwater research ecologist and applied conservation biologist and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology at the University of California, Davis. He is also Associate Director at the Center for Watershed Sciences. Rob is broadly interested in stream ecology and food web dynamics of rivers and adjacent habitats throughout California and their role in shaping aquatic species response. He uses a combination of field and manipulation experiments and modelling to address the mechanisms underpinning field observations. Specifically, his research examines interactions between water temperature and food availability on the growth and survival of juvenile salmon, how different habitat types influence the costs and benefits of juvenile salmonid rearing, the conservation implications of reintroduction strategies to historical habitats, wetland ecology, and the status and conservation of salmonids throughout California.
Research Areas: Freshwater Ecology, Wetland Ecology, Food web Ecology, Native Fish Conservation, Community Ecology, Aquatic Species Interactions, and Applied Conservation Ecology
Education and Experience:
- BA, Biology, 1998, Hamilton College
- PhD, Ecology, 2015, University of California, Davis
- Postdoctoral Fellow, 2015-2017, Center For Watershed Sciences, University of California, Davis
- Research Scientist Series, 2017-2023, University of California, Davis
- Assistant Professor, 2023-present, University of California, Davis
Current Projects:
Food webs as essential habitat for riverine fishes, spring-fed rivers as climate resilient habitats for coldwater biota, reintroduction of native fishes to historical habitat, Klamath River dam removal science, rural working landscapes and reconciliation ecology, California Environmental Flows Framework, life cycle production models for threatened and endangered species.