Aaron Johnston, Ph.D.
Aaron Johnston studies extinction dynamics and microrefugia of the American pika as a Mendenhall Fellow with Erik Beever. He is also an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences at the University of Washington.
Research Interest
Aaron is broadly interested in wildlife research that advances ecological theories and management of natural resources. His previous studies have involved a wide range of taxa in terrestrial and aquatic systems for investigations on rare species, invasive species, interspecific competition, forest management, and grazing effects on wildlife. Aaron is especially excited about innovative approaches to wildlife research facilitated by new remote-sensing technologies that describe habitat features across landscapes at high spatiotemporal resolutions. His recent studies on tree squirrels, red tree voles, and pikas have explored novel applications of airborne LiDAR that improved habitat modeling and hypothesis testing for these species. His current study involves developing new models for microtopography, microclimate, phenology, and snowpack dynamics from land-, air-, and space-based sensors to advance understanding of pika distributions and responses to climate change.
