简介

I am an ecologist interested in the influence of environmental variability and disturbance on biological communities and ecosystems. My research group generally utilizes the rich record of environmental variability preserved in the sediments of peatlands and lakes, although we often couple these studies with investigations of contemporary and historical ecology. Much of the research of our group is designed to address pressing issues in global change, with recent and ongoing projects focused on understanding past drought variability, the effects of moisture variability on forest and wetland ecosystems, the processes controlling peatland development, and interactions among deforestation, drought, and wildfire. In addition, our group has a history of studying the ecology and biogeography of testate amoebae, a group of moisture-sensitive, shell-producing protists. Recent and current projects include the development and refinement of paleohydrological calibration datasets, assessing the role of short-term environmental variability and light intensity in structuring testate amoeba communities, and understanding the causes of restricted biogeographic distribution patterns. These efforts are primarily focused on refining and extending the use of these organisms as environmental and paleoenvironmental indicators.