A5017399707- Plant and animal studies
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Gut microbiota and health
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Human-Animal Interaction Studies
- Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Urban Green Space and Health
- Animal and Plant Science Education
- Diabetic Foot Ulcer Assessment and Management
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Orthopedic Infections and Treatments
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- interferon and immune responses
- Dermatology and Skin Diseases
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Probiotics and Fermented Foods
- Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
- Urban Agriculture and Sustainability
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Exercise and Physiological Responses
- Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics
- RNA regulation and disease
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
2015-2024
Rutgers Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
2016-2024
Cooper University Health Care
2024
Google (United States)
2016
North Carolina State University
2013-2015
Rice University
2006-2013
Western Washington University
2006
Abstract Cities are uniquely complex systems regulated by interactions and feedbacks between nature human society. Characteristics of society—including culture, economics, technology politics—underlie social patterns activity, creating a heterogeneous environment that can influence be influenced both ecological evolutionary processes. Increasing research on urban ecology biology has coincided with growing interest in eco‐evolutionary dynamics, which encompasses the reciprocal evolution...
The amount of energy consumed within an average city block is order magnitude higher than that in any other ecosystem over a similar area. This driven by human food inputs, but the consequence these resources for urban animal populations poorly understood. We investigated role foods ant diets across urbanization gradient Manhattan using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes. found some—but not all—ant species living Manhattan's most urbanized habitats had δ 13 C signatures associated with...
Citizen science can generate data that would not exist otherwise while increasing public scientific literacy. However, the quality and use of citizen have been criticized in recent ecological literature. We need an approach advances eco‐evolutionary understanding, achieves education goals incorporates participation into as many aspects process possible. collaborated with participants to make new discoveries about distribution ecology ants informing next studies scientists might perform...
Urban green spaces provide ecosystem services to city residents, but their management is hindered by a poor understanding of ecology. We examined novel service relevant urban public health and esthetics: the consumption littered food waste arthropods. Theory data from natural systems suggest that magnitude resilience this should increase with biological diversity. measured removal presenting known quantities cookies, potato chips, hot dogs in street medians (24 sites) parks (21 New York...
An ever expanding body of research investigates the human microbiome in general and skin particular. Microbiomes vary greatly from individual to individual. Understanding factors that account for this variation, however, has proven challenging, with many studies able statistically just a small proportion inter-individual variation abundance, species richness or composition bacteria. The armpit long been noted host high biomass bacterial community, recent have highlighted substantial...
Skin microbes play a role in human body odour, health and disease. Compared with gut microbes, we know little about the changes composition of skin response to evolutionary hosts, or more recent behavioural cultural humans. No studies have used sequence-based approaches consider microbe communities gorillas chimpanzees, for example. Comparison microbial associates non-human primates those humans offers unique insights into both ancient modern features our skin-associated microbes. Here...
Abstract Global urbanisation is rapidly expanding and most of the world's humans now live in cities. Most ecological studies have, however, focused on protected areas. To address this issue, we tested predictions from areas urban ecosystems. Because cities are heterogeneous habitat mosaics which include habitats with varying levels chronic environmental stress, less modified ecosystems about community‐wide responses to variation stress. We sampled ants across Manhattan's mosaic, at sites...
Abstract Aim Invasive ants can have substantial and detrimental effects on co‐occurring community members, especially other ants. However, the ecological factors that promote both their population growth negative influences remain elusive. Opportunistic associations between invasive extrafloral nectary (EFN)‐bearing plants are common may fuel expansion subsequent impacts of native communities. We examined three predictions this hypothesis, compared ant assemblages invaded uninvaded sites...
High-throughput sequencing techniques have opened up the world of microbial diversity to scientists, and a flurry studies in most remote extreme habitats on earth begun elucidate key roles microbes ecosystems with conditions. These same environmental extremes can also be found closer humans, even our homes. Here, we used high-throughput assess bacterial archaeal environments inside human homes (e.g., dishwashers, hot water heaters, washing machine bleach reservoirs, etc.). We focused home...
Abstract Invasions by non‐native insects can have important ecological impacts, particularly on island ecosystems. However, the factors that promote success of invaders relative to co‐occurring non‐invasive species remain unresolved. For invasive ants, access carbohydrate resources via interactions with both extrafloral nectary‐bearing plants and honeydew‐excreting may accelerate invasion process. A first step towards testing this hypothesis is determine whether ants respond variation in...
In complex communities, organisms often form mutualisms with multiple different partners simultaneously. Non-additive effects may emerge among species linked by these positive interactions. Ants commonly participate in both honeydew-producing insects (HPI) and their extrafloral nectary (EFN)-bearing host plants. Consequently, HPI EFN-bearing plants experience non-additive benefits or costs when groups co-occur. The outcomes of interactions are likely to be influenced variation preferences...
The indoor biome is a novel habitat which recent studies have shown exhibit not only high microbial diversity, but also arthropod diversity. Here, we analyze findings from survey of 50 houses (southeastern USA) within the context additional data concerning house and room features, along with resident behavior, to explore how diversity community composition are influenced by physical aspects rooms their usage, as well lifestyles human residents. We found that strongly access outdoors carpeted...
Prior research has demonstrated that fire can be an important structuring force for plant communities in prairies and grasslands. However, investigations of land-management techniques, such as prescribed fire, often overlook responses local fauna, particularly the arthropods. In this study, we examined a previously unappreciated, although potentially important, component ecology by asking, does timing burns alter community structure arthropods? At site Texas Hill Country, used sweep-net...
Exotic species often form beneficial, facultative associations with indigenous species. However, we still have a limited understanding of the influences that these positive may on dynamics and impacts invasions. Highly invasive respond differently than less to resources are exchanged in mutualisms, leading trait-mediated indirect interactions between native via invaders reshape communities. In this study, tested hypothesis highly ant species, Anoplolepis gracilipes, exhibits stronger trait...
Abstract The frequency and intensity of hurricanes are increasing globally, anthropogenic modifications in cities have created systems that may be particularly vulnerable to their negative effects. Organisms living exposed variable levels chronic environmental stress. However, whether stress ameliorates or exacerbates the effects remains an open question. Here, we consider two hypotheses about simultaneous consequences acute disturbances from urbanization for structure urban arthropod...
Abstract Urban areas provide animals with both a unique set of challenges and resources. One the novel resources available in urban is an abundance human food waste. Although it known that many urban-dwelling are consuming waste at some level, there not good understanding nutrients provided by this resource. Given unlikely to resemble animal’s natural diet, could be health consequences for animal In animals, nutritional imbalances can also lead behavioral changes, making important understand...
Urban evolutionary ecology is inherently interdisciplinary. Moreover, it a field with global significance. However, bringing researchers and resources together across fields countries challenging. Therefore, an online collaborative research hub, where common methods best practices are shared among scientists from diverse geographic, ethnic, career backgrounds would make focused on urban more inclusive. Here, we describe freely available hub for toolkits that facilitate in ecology. We provide...
<title>Abstract</title> As urbanization changes our environment, species that share cities must adapt to changing abiotic conditions. Ant found in the most urbanized spaces within urban habitat mosaic cope with altered nutritional landscapes, highly reduced arthropod prey availability and an abundance of high carbohydrate human food-waste. Outside cities, ants who consume high-carbohydrate diets are often more voracious predators relative conspecifics balanced diets. Therefore, we...
Abstract Urban evolutionary ecology is inherently interdisciplinary. Moreover, it a field with global significance. However, bringing researchers and resources together across fields countries challenging. Therefore, an online collaborative research hub, where common methods best practices are shared among scientists from diverse geographic, ethnic, career backgrounds would make focused on urban more inclusive. Here, we describe freely available hub for toolkits that facilitate in ecology....