Disturbance and Global Change Ecology, Urban Ecology, Community and Population Ecology, Floristics, Natural History Collections
I study the ecological processes that shape plant diversity and distributions across various scales of organization--from individual plants, to populations, to entire communities. My research questions often fall under the umbrella of disturbance ecology. For example, I have studied how biological invasions, herbivory, drought, and fire affect plant populations and communities. I work in both wild and urban systems. Two recent urban ecology projects include an assessment of how naturally occurring vegetation may shape the function of green stormwater infrastructure, and what environmental factors determine tree planting success along an urban greenway. I also contribute to Denver Botanic Gardens’ natural history collections by integrating specimen-collecting into my ecological research projects and via floristic surveys.