Welcome to the Crawford lab!

Our group studies how diverse ecological communities form and what function diversity plays in ecological processes. We do this by addressing how interactions among plants and between plants and other above- and below-ground organisms shape communities and mediate ecosystem functions. This work takes on a variety of different forms – from manipulative field and greenhouse experiments to long-term observational studies. Current research themes include the effects intra- and inter-specific diversity on population dynamics, community diversity, and ecosystem functions; the effects of plant-microbe interactions on community and ecosystem development; and soil-mediated indirect effects of invasions.