Elisabeth Kalko

Biography

Elisabeth Klako is the associate professor in the smith sonian tropical research institute natural history of vertebrates with the ultimate goal of understanding the ecological and evolutionary patterns of their diversity. In particular, I have selected bats (Chiroptera) for the focus of my research. Among terrestrial vertebrates, bats are especially well-suited because they are distributed worldwide, highly speciose, and unsurpassed in ecological diversity among mammals. These characteristics are best manifested in tropical forests, where more than 100 species may coexist, and where bats have evolved a wide range of foraging strategies and diets. There, bats play indispensable roles by dispersing large quantities of seeds, pollinating flowers, and controlling insect populations.

Research Interest

His research interest includes the divided into four main areas: (1) case studies of bat species interacting with other organisms, (2) comparisons of behavior, physiology, and ecology of sympatric bat species, (3) comparative community studies, and (4) museum studies on taxonomy and systematics of bats.n the "top-down" approach I am comparing species assemblages of bats from different sites to identify biotic and abiotic factors that promote diversity and shape community composition of bats on local, regional, and ultimately global scales. Through its long history of bat research, BCI has become the site of the best-characterized tropical bat community worldwide. I am particularly interested in monitoring long-term dynamics in selected communities.