Research Measure: Policy
Funding Type: IRCSET EMPOWER
Funding Year: 2009
Project Type: Post-Doctoral Fellowship
Total Grant-Aid: €83,100
Lead Partner: University College Dublin
Project Summary:
This research aims to combine food web theory with the study of diversity, stability and ecosystem functioning including species interaction with each other in complex ecological networks. Methods for predicting and measuring the strength of species interactions in collaboration are being developed in collaboration with Dr. Mark Emmerson at University College Cork. Ongoing work demonstrates that manipulating species based on the strength of their interactions differentially affects ecosystem functioning and stability. Species extinctions affect food web patterns and processes. The research to date indicates that high levels of species turnover maintain important patterns of size structuring, including body mass-abundance relationships, in spite of cascading changes to ecosystem functioning.
Further information and updates on this research are available from the UCD MarBEE website.