Research Summary:
The field of ecology, and from my perspective especially the fields of community and ecosystem ecology, are in a state of tremendous and exciting change. In part this is due to improved methods and theories that are revitalizing the field from an academic perspective. But this is also largely driven by changes in the motivations and goals of scientists who are increasingly interested in questions that have implications (or even applications) in solving pressing environmental issues. My goals are: to conduct research that will serve to better integrate our knowledge of ecological processes that will facilitate environmental issues, and to contribute to efforts at making scientific approaches to ecology more accessible to society at large.