BRS: Jonah Piovia-Scott "Understanding variation in the effects of predators and pathogens on ecological communities"

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abstract: Predators and pathogens can have dramatic effects on the diversity and abundance of lower trophic levels. Here, I present results from ongoing research on such top-down effects in two different study systems. First, I explore how resource pulses, physical disturbance, and predator adaptation drive variation in the top-down effects of lizard predators on island food webs. Second, I investigate the effects of a invasive fungal pathogens on North American amphibians. I will conclude with a general discussion of how particular ecological circumstances create windows of opportunity for strong top-down effects in food webs.