Research
Trophic Island Biogeography:
MacArthur and Wilson's classic model synthesizes a range of biogeographical processes to describe the regulation of diversity, but does not account for trophic interactions. We are testing how regional and local factors affect food web assembly in fragmented landscapes, focusing on insect-plant interactions in tallgrass prairie. (Head PI: Eric Harvey)

The Evolution of Spatial Pattern in Assembling Communities:
Most populations are non-randomly distributed, reflecting interactions between stochastic and deterministic niche-based processes that operate at a range of spatial and temporal scales. Using multi-hectare assembly experiments, we are testing how trophic dynamics, stochastic priority effects, and species sorting drive the evolution of spatial pattern in plant communities.