Some Contributions

We have made substantial contributions to multiple collaborative fields including integrative approaches to understanding the causes and consequences of biodiversity, the impacts of global change on biotic communities, novel methods in chemical ecology, the ecology of infectious disease, and advancing theory in plant-animal interactions. In addition to working in a variety of tropical ecosystems, such as paramo, cloud forests, and lowland wet forests, We have also conducted research in temperate forests, deserts, alpine vegetation agricultural fields, lakes, cliffs, and urban habitats. Our research has contributed to filling knowledge gaps related to the diversity and community ecology of chemically mediated ecological interactions in natural and managed systems. Several of our papers have helped provide clarity to important issues about how ecological specialization evolves and how it varies across different spatial gradients. All of our research is highly collaborative, integrates field and laboratory work with analytical, simulation, and statistical modeling, and addresses prominent theoretical questions.

Contributions to methodology and synthesis have included introducing modern methods in organic chemistry to enhance studies of chemical ecology (e.g., Dyer and Jeffrey 2021 – Plant-Animal Interactions, Dyer et al. 2018 – Nature Reviews Chemistry, Massad et al. 2017 – Ecology, Richards et al. 2015, PNAS) as well as numerous syntheses, new ideas and meta-analyses related to plant-insect interactions and chemical ecology (e.g., Dyer and Forister 2018 – Current Opinion in Insect Science, Smilanich et al. 2016 – New Phytologist, Forister et al. 2012 – Ecology, Massad and Dyer 2010 – Arthropod-Plant Interactions, Dyer and Coley 2001 – Multitrophic Level Interactions).

Most of our empirical research in natural systems consists of collaborative projects across the Americas (Canada to Brazil) and contributions include:

1. Quantifying trophic interactions across large abiotic gradients to examine associations between diversity, dietary specialization, temperature, precipitation, and latitude (e.g., Sudta et al. 2022 – Ecology Letters, Dyer 2018 – American Journal of Botany, Forister et al. 2015 – PNAS, Rodriguez et al. 2010 – Ecology Letters, Dyer et al. 2007 – Nature).
2. Quantifying herbivory, insect parasitism rates, and parasite-herbivore diversity for entire forests and examining effects of climate change on these variables as well as the contributions of global change to insect declines (e.g., Wagner et al. 2021 – PNAS, Salcido et al. 2020 – Scientific Reports, Stireman et al. 2005 – PNAS, Gentry and Dyer 2002 – Ecology).
3. Understanding evolution of model plant and insect genera and chemically mediated coevolution between them (e.g., Uckele et al. 2021 – Scientific Reports, Parks et al. 2020 – Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Jahner et al. 2017 – Evolution, Wilson et al. 2012 – Journal of Evolutionary Biology, Dyer and Palmer 2004 – Piper)
4. Studying the role of plant allelochemicals in mediating community interactions in living and detrital food webs (e.g., Philbin et al. 2021 – Journal of Ecology, Maynard et al. 2020 – Ecology, Richards et al. 2010 – J. Chemical Ecology, Dyer et al. 2004 – Ecology, Dyer and Letourneau 2003 – Ecology Letters)
5. Quantifying networks of interactions and experimentally testing for important indirect effects such as trophic cascades and Janzen-Connell effects of consumers in diverse terrestrial communities (e.g, Dell et al. 2019 Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Dyer et al. 2010 – Ecology, Dyer and Letourneau 2004 – Ecology, Dyer and Letourneau 1999 – PNAS).

Our projects in agricultural or applied systems involve work with mosquitoes or large manipulative experiments in alfalfa fields and banana plantations to examine interactions between soil microbes, plant biomass, plant chemistry, herbivores, and secondary consumers (e.g., Lumpkin et al. 2020 – Journal of Medical Entomology, Dyer et al. 2013 PLOS ONE, Pearson et al. 2008 – Environmental Entomology; Dyer et al. 2004 Ecology of Predator-Prey Interactions, Dyer and Gentry 1999 – Ecological Applications).