Research Statement

I am interested in using a food-web perspective to explore the effects of anthropogenic activities on ecosystem structure and function, and how to promote the continued existence of natural communities. Specifically, for my dissertation research I propose to investigate how patterns of species interactions relate to community structure, especially with regard to ecosystem stability, resistance, and resilience. Previous research based on theoretical and mathematical models suggests that skewed distributions of weak to intermediate interaction strengths are an important component of community stabilization. Asymmetric energy paths mapping to strong and weak compartments, coupled by higher order predators, have also been identified as stabilizing structures. However, few quantitative investigations of interaction strengths from experimental field studies are available to corroborate proposed relationships between the structure of interaction strengths in food webs and community persistence. Accordingly, a central objective of my research will be to investigate, in an experimental setting, how patterns of interaction strengths influence persistence in communities with multiple trophic levels. I am particularly interested in the influence of these structures on ecosystem function. For my dissertation research I will rely on a combination of field studies and computational modeling, building on previous field experiments conducted at Yale-Meyers Forest under the supervision of Os Schmitz.

Please refer to my website for more information:
www.cbc.yale.edu/people/schmitz