Community and evolutionary ecology in the Anthropocene
Interactions between plants and herbivores have long been a cornerstone of ecological and evolutionary research. As the world enters the Anthropocene, however, the nature of these interactions (and their effects on ecosystem processes) has fundamentally changed. Research in the lab focuses on understanding how species interactions are shaped by a rapidly changing world, and how changes in the abundance and diversity of plants and herbivores affects the structure, function, and resilience of the world's ecosystems. Areas of particular interest include the study of plant defenses, positive plant-plant interactions, megaherbivore extinction, and human-wildlife-livestock co-existence. This work typically relies upon classic community ecology approaches in tropical and temperate ecosystems, but has also employed remote sensing, mathematical modeling, and chemical and molecular ecology methods, among others. To learn more about our work, click on the links above.
The Coverdale Lab will officially open its doors in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame in Fall 2023. Funded positions for students and postdocs to join the lab will be advertised on the Join Us page, but inquiries from folks interested in pursuing externally funded opportunities to join the lab are always welcome.
The Coverdale Lab will officially open its doors in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame in Fall 2023. Funded positions for students and postdocs to join the lab will be advertised on the Join Us page, but inquiries from folks interested in pursuing externally funded opportunities to join the lab are always welcome.