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Iulian Gherghel, M.S. student. Major advisor: Monica Papeș. Ecological niche models, Conservation Biology, Evolutionary Ecology, Community and Landscape Ecology, Herpetology.
B.Sc. 2011, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University, Iași, Romania. Email: iulian.gherghel@okstate.edu Personal website: iuliangherghel.wix.com/personal |
Specific Interests
I am interested in niche conservancy theory, evolution and structure of ecological niches, species spatial and environmental distribution patters. In addition, I am also interested in frequency-dependent selection and its role in speciation and maintaining the phenotypic diversity and understanding the climate role in species niche evolution and divergence. From a more applied point of view, I am interested in the impact of salt used to de-ice the roads on amphibian communities and osmoregulation in amphibian egg clutches; efficiency of protected areas in the context of global changes, with a special emphasis on effects of global warming; the impact of traditional agriculture on amphibian and reptiles species and the impact of the amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytridium dendrobatidis).
Selected publications
- Gherghel I., Strugariu A., Ambrosa I.M., Zamfirescu S.R. (2012): Updated distribution of hybrids between Lissotriton vulgaris and Lissotriton montandoni (Amphibia: Caudata: Salamandridae) in Romania. Acta Herpetologica 7 (1): 49-55.
- Zamfirescu S.R., Strugariu A., Zamfirescu O., Gherghel I. (2012): In situ confirmation of the occurrence of the critically endangered Moldavian meadow viper (Vipera ursinii moldavica) in the Ciritei Valley (Iasi County, Romania). North-Western Journal of Zoology 8 (2): 378-381.
- Strugariu A., Zamfirescu S.R., Gherghel I., Sahlean T.C. (2011): Unusual early parturition in temperate region viviparous snakes during the atypically hot summer of 2007. Herpetologica Romanica 5: 43-49.
- Strugariu A., Zamfirescu, R.S., Gherghel I., Sahlean T.C., Moraru V., Zamfirescu O. (2011): A preliminary study on population characteristics and ecology of the critically endangered meadow viper Vipera ursinii in the Romanian Danube Delta. Biologia 66 (1): 175-180. DOI: 10.2478/s11756-010-0146-z
- Strugariu A., Gherghel I., Ghira I., Covaciu-Marcov S.D., Mebert K. (2011): Distribution, habitat preferences and conservation of the dice snake (Natrix tessellata) in Romania. Mertensiella 18: 272-287. ISBN: 978-3-9812565-4-3. (Book chapter)