Brudvig Restoration Ecology Lab

Research in the Brudvig Lab seeks to inform the process of ecosystem restoration - the repair of ecosystems damaged by humans. To do this, we work to unite fundamental ecological theory with the practice of ecological restoration to develop and test approaches for restoring damaged ecosystems. At the same time, we use restored ecosystems to test fundamental ecological questions, such as the controls over community assembly and the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Our work takes place in Midwestern prairies and oak savanna as well as Southeastern longleaf pine ecosystems, focusing on plant populations and communities, plant-animal interactions, and aspects of ecosystem functioning.