I am pursuing a career in evolutionary biogeography with an emphasis in montane ecosystems. My goal is to understand how species distributions, traits, and interactions are influenced by environmental challenges. In this pursuit, I hope to discover how climate and topography drive evolution, and to use our understanding to improve conservation of montane ecosystems. I received my Bachelors of Science in Wildlife and Wildlands conservation from Brigham Young University in 2023, and recently completed a Master鈥檚 in Biology at the University of Miami, where I employed geospatial analysis, ecological principles, and sociological perspectives to understand the effects of changing climate and ecosystem disruption in the high Andes.
PhD research
My PhD at 羞羞视频 will focus on the evolution of freeze tolerance in Aotearoa-New Zealand native insects. Several distinct alpine lineages have developed the remarkable ability to survive freezing solid. This ability may be linked to microbes living inside the insects, which can change how and when freezing occurs. This process is carried out by ice nucleating agents, compounds that alter the temperature and structure of ice formation. My thesis will employ bioinformatic and experimental methods to investigate whether three separate alpine insect lineages have independently arrived at the same solution by each producing unique ice nucleating agents (classical convergent evolution), or whether they all employ the same gut microbes to do the job (horizontal transfer).
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Research Reports:
2023 Haley B. Johnston, Sydney Wadsworth, Loreen Allphin. 鈥淔inal Report: Population Distribution Monitoring, and Conservation Status of The Frisco Clover, Trifolium Friscanum at the Desert Experimental Range of Utah鈥� (unpublished)
Publications:
2024 McCracken, Kevin G., Haley B. Johnston, Katherine A. McCracken, Riley M. Olson, Jose Antonio Otero Soberon, Renzo Hernan Turpo Aroquipa, and Luis Alza. "Comparability of hemoglobin concentration measurements from the HemoCue Hb201+ and Hb801 in birds and a mammal with and without nucleated red-blood cells." Journal of Field Ornithology 95, no. 3.
2023 Knighton, Leah N., Steven L. Petersen, Gail H. Collins, Loreen Allphin, Neil C. Hansen, Haley B. Johnston, and Russell B. Rader. "Hydrologic restoration of anthropoentically altered springs in the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in the Great Basin, USA." Journal of Arid Environments 211 (2023): 104944.
2022 Ryan G. Howell, Kaylee Draughon, Haley B. Johnston, Melissa Myrick, Val J. Anderson, Dennis L. Eggett, Steven L. Petersen. 鈥淓valuating changes in horse behavior as a response to small unmanned aerial vehicles.鈥� Rangelands 44.2 (2022); pp121-128.
2021 Nic Anderson, Mikiah Carver, Ryan Howell, Haley B. Johnston, Tommy Krebs, Ryan J. Shields, Steven L. Petersen. 鈥淩angeland ecology & management Highlights.鈥� Rangelands 43.4 (2021): 178-180.
2020 James D. Johnston, Megan E. Hawks, Haley B. Johnston, Laurel A. Johnson, John D. Beard. 鈥淐omparison of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Cookstoves and Wood Cooking Fires on PM2.5 Trends in Brick Workers鈥� Homes in Nepal鈥� International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17.16 (2020): pp5681
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