Skip to main content

Toni Lyn Morelli

Staff
Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey

Research Interests

After her Ph.D., Toni Lyn Morelli obtained a National Science Foundation Bioinformatics Postdoctoral Fellowship, collaborating with Steve Beissinger and Craig Moritz on an extension of the Grinnell Resurvey Project; she continues these collaborations examining climate refugia under funding she obtained from the California Landscape Conservation Cooperative. She has also worked for the U.S. Forest Service, both as a research ecologist at the Pacific Southwest Research Station and as the Technical Advisor to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In her role as USGS Research Ecologist for the NE CSC, Toni Lyn uses geospatial analysis, species distribution modeling, occupancy modeling, and population and landscape genetics techniques to facilitate natural resource management and habitat and species conservation in the face of climate and land use change.  Currently she is investigating how climate change is affecting boreal communities in the northeastern United States.

If you want to know more about Toni Lyn's previous research, including her work with lemurs, follow this link to a comic of her research.

    Expertise

    • Landscape and species conservation
    • Climate adaptation
    • Translational ecology
    • Mammal vulnerability
    • Decision analysis

    Education

    Ph.D.: Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 2008
    B.S.: Zoology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

    Affiliations

    U.S. Geological Survey
    Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center

    Media Coverage

    North American Wildlife 

    African Biodiversity 

    Sugar Maple 

    Interactions With Invasive Species

    Others

    Publications

    Lessons learned in knowledge co-production for climate-smart decision-makingClimate change and maple syrup: Producer observations, perceptions, knowledge, and adaptation strategiesGlobal environmental changes more frequently offset than intensify detrimental effects of biological invasions
    Abiotic stress and biotic factors mediate range dynamics on opposing edgesHabitat use as indicator of adaptive capacity to climate changeTranslational invasion ecology: bridging research and practice to address one of the greatest threats to biodiversityIdentifying climate‐resistant vernal pools: hydrologic refugia for amphibian reproduction under droughts and climate changeRISCC Management Challenge: Embracing the Future--Promoting Adaptation and Resilience to Invasive Species and Climate ChangeToward climate change refugia conservation at an ecoregion scaleManaging interactions between invasive species and climate changeMulti‐species occupancy models: review, roadmap, and recommendationsIncorporating climate change into invasive species management: insights from managersInteractive range-limit theory (iRLT): An~extension for predicting range shiftsMapping Climate Resistant Vernal Pools of the Northeastern U.S.Mapping Climate Change Resistant Vernal Pools in the Northeastern U.S.Regional Invasive Species & Climate Change Management Challenge: Taking Action by Managing Invasive Species in the Context of Climate ChangeClimate‐change refugia: biodiversity in the slow laneVernal Pool Inundation ModelsMapping Climate Change Resistant Vernal Pools in the Northeastern U.S.Final Report: Examining the mechanisms of species responses to climate change: Are there biological thresholds?Sugar maple responses to climate change: We'll boil it down for youRegional Effort on Invasive Species and Climate Change (RISCC) ManagementClimate RefugiaAdjusting the lens of invasion biology to focus on the impacts of climate-driven range shiftsEmpowering well-informed decisions: Making invasion science accessible for policy and management (S&T)Double Trouble: Understanding Risks from Invasive Species + Climate ChangeFinal Report for USGS-NECSC and USFS-NRS Cooperative Research on Climate-Vulnerable Habitats and Species in the NortheastFinding the sweet spot: Shifting optimal climate for maple syrup production in North AmericaIncorporating climate change into invasive species management: insights from managersLocal climate determines vulnerability to camouflage mismatch in snowshoe haresHow climate change could affect farming in New EnglandChapter 7 : Ecosystems, Ecosystem Services, and Biodiversity. Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: The Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume IIFinal Report for Climate Effects on the Culture and Ecology of Sugar MapleLooking beyond wildlife: using remote cameras to evaluate accuracy of gridded snow dataNew England and northern New York forest ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis: a report from the New England Climate Change Response Framework projectClimate Change and the Backyard GardenerBalancing research and service to decision makersClimate change refugia and habitat connectivity promote species persistenceDeveloping a translational ecology workforceErosion of refugia in the Sierra Nevada meadows network with climate changeFoundations of translational ecologyNavigating translational ecology: creating opportunities for scientist participationVulnerabilities to climate change of Massachusetts animal species of greatest conservation needThe connections between invasive species and climate changeManaging Climate Change Refugia for Climate AdaptationNortheast Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change (RISCC) Management Workshop ReportWhen Does Choice of Downscaling Method Matter in Decision Making? A Case Study with Maple Syrup ProductionIntegrating Climate Change into Northeast and Midwest State Wildlife Action Plans
    See All (45 more)