RESEARCH

When we lose one or more species from an ecosystem, the job of those organisms may no longer be performed, or may not be performed as well as before.  As our role as humans in the managing of ecosystems increases, we need to know how biodiversity contributes to our well-being.

I am interested in how the loss of plant diversity (due to grazing and agriculture) impacts grassland ecosystems.  I am particularly interested in the role of grasslands in regulating water movement and grasslands as a reservoir for insect diversity. What are the cascading effects of biodiversity loss across trophic levels, particularly from plants to insects? What is the function of grassland plants in the regulation, storage and release of water?  What is the contribution of plant diversity to these hydrological functions? 

PAST EXPERIENCE

My research experience includes bee pollination, mosquito life history, and plant succession in high-altitude grasslands.  I have worked as a middle school science teacher and science curriculum developer.