The focus of my research program is to understand the importance of spatial dynamics to communities and populations, examining ideas that are central to biodiversity maintenance and conservation. 1. Do traits of beetle species and their short term responses predict their extinction risk after 23 years of habitat fragmentation? Is there an extinction debt? How well does metacommunity theory describe community disassembly? This work is set within the Wog Wog habitat fragmentation experiment in southeastern Australia. The project is funded by NSF. 2. How does spatial heterogeneity in the environment affect the invasibility of communities and the risk of extinction of resident native species? 3. Can we use phylogenetic diversity (a proxy for niche differences between species) to help us understand how native and exotic species coexist? Do different mechanisms operate at different spatial scales? Are heterogeneity in the environment and site productivity important?
keywords
Community ecology; persistence of species and communities in heterogeneous, fragmented, and disturbed landscapes; extinction, invasion and community assembly
EBIO 1010 - Introduction to Quantitative Thinking for Biologists
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2020
Focuses on the collection, visualization and analysis of data that are relevant for advancing critical thinking, student-directed learning, and the development of quantitative analysis skills, with an emphasis on using R and examples from ecology and evolutionary biology.
EBIO 1220 - General Biology 2
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2019 / Spring 2021
Provides a concentrated introduction to organisms, homeostasis, development, behavior, and ecology. Emphasizes fundamental principles, concepts, facts,and questions. Intended for science majors. Recommended prerequisite: EBIO 1210 (minimum grade C-).
EBIO 2040 - Principles of Ecology
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2020
Lecture and laboratory. Introduces principles of ecology, emphasizing patterns and processes at various levels of biological organization. Scope global, but examples often from local environment. Laboratory emphasizes techniques of field biology. Uses animals and/or animal tissues. Recommended prerequisites: EBIO 1030 and EBIO 1040 and EBIO 1050 or EBIO 1210 and EBIO 1220 and EBIO 1230 and EBIO 1240 (minimum grade C-). Same as EBIO 2640 and ENVS 2000.
EBIO 4990 - EBIO Honors Thesis Research
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2018 / Fall 2019
To be taken during the final academic year prior to graduation. Consists of the final phase of honors research and thesis preparation under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Recommended prerequisites: minimum 3.3 GPA and a declared EBIO major and approval by departmental Honors program.
