Research
We study how ecological communities assemble, function, and change. To do this, we ask how species traits - particularly those related to energy use and growth - determine how species interact and the properties of their communities - such as their diversity and stability. Our goal is to find general rules for how organisms interact and general mechanisms that explain what communities look like. This information not only helps to understand the world around us, but is also important to anticipate how natural systems will respond to environmental change.
Our model system is marine phytoplankton — these tiny algae are key players in ocean productivity and carbon uptake. On this system, we combine approaches from ecology, physiology and experimental evolution to track metabolism and growth at different scales, and their relationship with species traits and interactions.
Our model system is marine phytoplankton — these tiny algae are key players in ocean productivity and carbon uptake. On this system, we combine approaches from ecology, physiology and experimental evolution to track metabolism and growth at different scales, and their relationship with species traits and interactions.
Metabolic plasticity to species interactions
Metabolic rate affects how much energy and resources organisms consume. Therefore metabolism is also linked to how organisms grow and interact. Most of what we know about metabolism is determined on single species and ecologists often use this information to make inferences about communities. But do the same metabolic rules apply on species in isolation and species in communities? The answer is probably no. We are using different types of experiments to measure how metabolism changes when organisms interact and test if we can formally quantify these effects to better predict biodiversity and community productivity.
Metabolic rate affects how much energy and resources organisms consume. Therefore metabolism is also linked to how organisms grow and interact. Most of what we know about metabolism is determined on single species and ecologists often use this information to make inferences about communities. But do the same metabolic rules apply on species in isolation and species in communities? The answer is probably no. We are using different types of experiments to measure how metabolism changes when organisms interact and test if we can formally quantify these effects to better predict biodiversity and community productivity.
The predictability of community assembly and stability
Species differ in many traits, beyond metabolic rate. Some of these trait differences are captured by life history theory and the fast-slow continuum of the pace of life. These differences in traits, such as size, growth rate, energy use, should ultimately affect communities but scaling up species traits to community properties is challenging because there are many levels of complexity in between (e.g., species interactions). We use controlled experiments to manipulate different aspects of biodiversity and environmental conditions. By tracking both species traits and dynamics we ask which traits are most important to predict species dominance and community assembly, and how does trait diversity affects the stability of communities to environmental disturbance.
Species differ in many traits, beyond metabolic rate. Some of these trait differences are captured by life history theory and the fast-slow continuum of the pace of life. These differences in traits, such as size, growth rate, energy use, should ultimately affect communities but scaling up species traits to community properties is challenging because there are many levels of complexity in between (e.g., species interactions). We use controlled experiments to manipulate different aspects of biodiversity and environmental conditions. By tracking both species traits and dynamics we ask which traits are most important to predict species dominance and community assembly, and how does trait diversity affects the stability of communities to environmental disturbance.
Evolution in and of communities
Predicting evolution in multispecies communities is notoriously difficult. In a community, multiple competitors can present different selective pressure so it is difficult to anticipate which traits are favoured. We leverage the rapid life cycle of phytoplankton to track the trajectory of species metabolism, size and competitive ability in communities to determine how species evolve and explain changes in community assembly and functioning.
Predicting evolution in multispecies communities is notoriously difficult. In a community, multiple competitors can present different selective pressure so it is difficult to anticipate which traits are favoured. We leverage the rapid life cycle of phytoplankton to track the trajectory of species metabolism, size and competitive ability in communities to determine how species evolve and explain changes in community assembly and functioning.
Funding
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