Exper-net: Experimental Network Ecology and Restoration

Knowledge of the effects of climate and land-use change on species richness, composition and interactions, and in turn, ecosystem services largely comes from observational studies. This makes restoration difficult because mechanisms underlying patterns in observational studies are often hard to uncover without well-conceived experiments. Unfortunately, such experiments are still quite limited, especially in restoration and network ecology. We are conducting a series of experiments including: evaluation of hummingbird behavior to removal of key plant species; pollination limitation and effectiveness of key plant species; and germination trials of key plant species. Our results will be used to inform restoration projects in the region.