Research interests
General interests:
trophic interactions, invertebrates and ecosystem services, biodiversity and ecosystem function, philosophy in ecology
How do different characteristics of food web members affect ecosystem processes and services?
Even though extinction rates are very high, there is not a basic understanding of how particular species and groups of species affect the ecosystem functioning. I am interested in how particular species and trophic interactions affect ecosystem processes, and subsequently the services provided to humans by ecosystems. I have explored this question by conducting a review for a very broad taxonomic group (Invertebrates and ecosystem services), and have conducted manipulations to determine how specific species affect rainforest processes (Consumer effects on rainforest processes).
What is the relative importance of factors that regulate foodweb structure?
We are currently experiencing a global biome crisis, where entire biomes are becoming extinct. One of the most imperiled biomes is temperate grasslands, where only 0.1% of historic acreage is remaining. Many grasslands are currently highly managed, but mostly for native plant diversity. This assumes a diverse plant community supports higher trophic levels, which are often conservation targets. I am interested in the relative importance of factors that structure higher trophic levels in these systems.
Philosophy of science interests:
What is the role of philosophy in ecology?
A researcher must firmly ground hypotheses firmly in a theoretical context to pursue an individual’s scientific interests. As such, it is critical that researchers must have a firm understanding of theory and its components. I was able to pursue the relationship of ecology and philosophy during grad school and a wonderful interdisciplinary postdoc opportunity at Florida State.
Ecological interests:
My ecological interests lie in the interface of community and ecosystem ecology. In particular, my research can fit under two general questions, described below. To address these questions, I use a combination of natural and manipulative field experiments coupled with analytical chemistry, molecular biology techniques, and theoretical models. Click on links to see specifics about any particular project.