We investigate how ecosystem responses to global change drivers are mediated by biotic processes. Specifically, we study how ecosystem function is influenced by mutualisms, competition, consumers, and alterations in abiotic resource availability. Projects in our lab examine a diverse suite of global change drivers, such as nutrient deposition and runoff, consumer loss, altered climatic regimes, and species invasions. We use a variety of techniques to investigate ecosystem responses to global change agents, including long-term experiments, observational data collection, and statistical data synthesis.
We work across a broad range of sites within the United States, studying species invasions in California grasslands, rangeland sustainability in Montana, Wyoming, and Kansas, grassland dynamics in Kansas, forest dynamics in Maryland, and soybean agriculture in Maryland.
Recent Happenings:

April 2023: Rachael Brenneman and Zachary Bunch presented posters at the UNCG Graduate Student Expo!
January 2023: We're so proud that Rachael Brenneman received the Linda Carlisle Graduate Fellowship for her academic excellence. Way to go Rachael!
January 2023: We're excited to have Zachary Bunch join the lab as a new master's student, as well as undergraduate researchers Holly Cha, Kyla Grant, Jayda Gresham, Zaria McKoy, Wudeh Saidykhan, and Zion York! The lab is growing quickly!
September 6, 2022: Sarah Gora joins the team as a new lab technician! We're excited to get the lab organized together.
August 14-18, 2022: ESA annual meeting comes around again! We had lots of fun with friends and colleagues discussing great science!
August 1, 2022: Welcome to our newest graduate students, Rachael Brenneman and Shelby Williford!
August 2022: We are excited to join the Biology Department at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro!
find more here
January 2023: We're so proud that Rachael Brenneman received the Linda Carlisle Graduate Fellowship for her academic excellence. Way to go Rachael!
January 2023: We're excited to have Zachary Bunch join the lab as a new master's student, as well as undergraduate researchers Holly Cha, Kyla Grant, Jayda Gresham, Zaria McKoy, Wudeh Saidykhan, and Zion York! The lab is growing quickly!
September 6, 2022: Sarah Gora joins the team as a new lab technician! We're excited to get the lab organized together.
August 14-18, 2022: ESA annual meeting comes around again! We had lots of fun with friends and colleagues discussing great science!
August 1, 2022: Welcome to our newest graduate students, Rachael Brenneman and Shelby Williford!
August 2022: We are excited to join the Biology Department at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro!
find more here