Ecological determinants of diversity in plant metacommunities: the importance of species interactions and stochasticity in heterogeneous landscapes

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A fundamental goal in ecology is to understand and explain why most ecosystems contain a high diversity of species. This diversity is particularly striking when species change from one location to another, be it meters or kilometres away. My research aims to understand the processes that lead to this diversity. Many traditional studies have associated diversity with varying environmental conditions (such as different soil types), or with limited seed dispersal preventing some species from arriving in some areas. My research addresses these hypotheses, as well as other ideas about how interactions among species and random chance can cause different species to occur in different locations. In particular, my research consists of using and developing mathematical models that predict how different processes lead to diversity, and then testing these models with experiments in natural settings. The goal of this research is to further our understanding of basic ecology. This understanding then leads to applied solutions to questions about how to control invasive species or how to conserve endangered species.