Food web structure and dynamics across space and time
Abstract
Energy and material harvesting are the most fundamental processes for living organisms. These processes occur in consumer–resource interactions, which provide the backbone of ecological and evolutionary dynamics as all organisms must acquire resources to survive and reproduce. In this talk, I will provide a broad overview of my research program, which focuses on how energy and matter constrain the structure and functioning of ecological systems. The first project I will discuss focuses on the effects of nitrogen and phosphorous deposition on the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems. I will also talk about the energetic and material costs of spider web-building processes and spider-prey interactions. Finally, I will discuss how integrating paleoecological inference with isotope geochemistry can help understand the dynamics of ancient and modern communities and food webs across temporal and spatial scales.
Food web structure and dynamics across space and time
Energy and material harvesting are the most fundamental processes for living organisms. These processes occur in consumer–resource interactions, which provide the backbone of ecological and evolutionary dynamics as all organisms must acquire resources to survive and reproduce. In this talk, I will provide a broad overview of my research program, which focuses on how energy and matter constrain the structure and functioning of ecological systems. The first project I will discuss focuses on the effects of nitrogen and phosphorous deposition on the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems. I will also talk about the energetic and material costs of spider web-building processes and spider-prey interactions. Finally, I will discuss how integrating paleoecological inference with isotope geochemistry can help understand the dynamics of ancient and modern communities and food webs across temporal and spatial scales.