From 2012 to 2015, California experienced the most extreme drought the area has seen in the past 1,200 years, and drought is expected to increase in frequency and intensity for this region. To understand how ecological communities respond to such drought, I and colleagues evaluated the response of over 400 species living in a grassland … More Ecological response to extreme drought
A bear tears into an ant nest to consume the juvenile ants within. (Photo credit: J. B. Grinath) My work shows that black bears can benefit plants by eating ants, which may be important for maintaining the ecosystems in which these interaction occur. Below are some links to press highlighting this research and bringing attention … More What bears do in the woods…
Spittlebugs (Clastoptera sp.) produce frothy wastes that are slurped up by predatory insects, such as this wasp and lady beetle. (Photo credit: J. B. Grinath) During my time at the Carrizo Plain, CA, I made some novel observations of predatory insects consuming the waste products of spittlebugs. As depicted above, spittlebugs produce masses of … More Spittlebugs may facilitate a plant-arthropod community
