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Food webs map the flows of energy and materials through ecosystems. In the real world these networks are complex and dynamic, but share patterns across a wide range of systems. I am interested in the origin of those patterns (through community processes and speciation), what happens when they are disrupted (by invasion, extinction and eutrophication), and the consequences they have for ecosystem processes.
Research themes:
The role of omnivory in food web dynamics
Working with Jonathan Shurin (University of British Columbia), Brian Starzomski (Dalhousie University) and Martin Hemberg (Harvard) we are exploring the importance of omnivory (feeding at more than one trophic level) in the dynamics of real food webs.
Projects:
- MSc Sam Harrison (with Christian Kull, Geography) ‘The role of invasive vs native crayfish – social perceptions and ecological realities.’
Patterns and passage of toxins through food webs
The movement of toxins through food webs has long been of interest to ecologists. I concentrate on sub-lethal effects of toxins, and the consequences these have for energy transfer and community interactions in complex food webs.
Projects:
- PhD Alissa Monk 'Trophic transfer of contaminants in marine food webs'.
- Hons Kylie Owen ‘Trophic ecology of dolphins’
Consequences of non-random changes in biodiversity on ecosystem function
Most research on the effects of species loss has used random species deletions as a tool. In reality changes in species number are due to invasion or to the loss of rare species. I am interested in the effects of invaders and the loss of rare species on patterns of energy flow and nutrient transformations in complex food webs.
Projects:
- PHD Susie Ho (with Nick Bond) 'Effects of invasive mosquito fish (Gambusia) on food web structure and dynamics'
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