Research

Macroecology and Global Change

Macroecology is the study of ecological processes at very broad spatial scales: by leveraging pre-existing datasets that cover massive spatial and temporal extents, we are able to answer pressing questions in global change and conservation. Broadly, we ask how climate and landcover change impact species’ ranges and diversity. This can include questions about effects of pesticides, short and long-term climate trends, and habitat loss and connectivity, among others. While this work often focuses on well-studied insects like bees, butterflies, and dragonflies, we also exploring patterns in birds and mammals.

Example Publications

Soroye, P., T. Newbold. J. T. Kerr. 2020. Climate change contributes to widespread declines among bumble bees across continents. Science 367: 685-688. Link

Sirois-Delisle, C., J. T. Kerr. 2021. Climate change aggravates non-target effects of pesticides on dragonflies at macroecological scales. Ecological Applications: 32. Link

Koppel, O., J. T. Kerr. 2022. Strong phenological shifts among bumblebee species in North America can help predict extinction risk. Biological Conservation 272: 109675. Link

Landscape and Metacommunity Ecology

While this type of research is done at a much smaller scale than our macroecology work, designing and conducting our own field surveys allows us to ask questions about the impacts of global change that can’t be answered with existing data. We have tended to pursue topics like landscape change, habitat connectivity, and plant availability for pollinators, but many other lines of inquiry are possible. Recently we have become particularly interested in microclimates, and how small-scale climate extremes can have important impacts on species and communities. Observing our study organisms in the field is always encouraged, and can give us a new perspective on our macroecological research.

Example Publications

Crandall, K. E., V. Milien, J. T. Kerr. 2024. High-resolution environmental and host-related factors impacting questing Ixodes scapularis at their northern range edge. Ecology and Evolution 14.2: e10855. Link

Gordon, S., J. G. A. Martin, J. T. Kerr. 2024. Dispersal mediates trophic interactions and habitat connectivity to alter metacommunity composition. Ecology: e4215. Link

Ednie, G., J. T. Kerr. 2022. High resolution thermal remote sensing and the limits of species tolerance. PeerJLife: 10. Link