Large predators often have disproportionately large impacts on ecosystems relative to other organisms, yet they have been vastly understudied relative to other taxonomic groups. With most large predators now in decline worldwide, our lab group’s focus is to better understand the physiology, behavior and ecology of predators so as to better inform their management and conservation. Our interests within this space are broad, however our current focus is on three main questions:
1. How do consumers influence population through community response to climate change?
2. What are the impacts of predators on the behavior and population dynamics of their prey, and on the species composition of their communities?
3. How does habitat fragmentation influence predator survival and their interactions with other species?
In practice, we use various methods ranging from purely empirical to purely theoretical to address these questions. Our focus, however, is to combine mathematical models with rigorous field studies both to advance basic understanding and to provide solutions to pressing environmental problems.
Research Focus
Population and community ecology; wildlife conservation; predator-prey dynamics; climate change impacts on biodiversity.
Interests
Population and community ecology; wildlife conservation; predator-prey dynamics; climate change impacts on biodiversity.
