D'Andrea Lab

Welcome to the D'Andrea Lab! 

We study how species interactions create order in complex ecosystems. Our research addresses questions concerning the key mechanisms behind species coexistence in highly biodiverse communities such as tropical forests. We investigate the relative roles of deterministic and stochastic forces in shaping biodiversity and influencing species coexistence, and what species traits can reveal about the forces underlying ecological dynamics.

We use modeling approaches to ask how elements of biological complexity impact species diversity and trait structure. Specifically, we draw on mathematical, statistical, and computational tools to examine how outcomes of competitive dynamics in species assemblages are affected by immigration, regional diversity, genetic mutations, multidimensional niche space, intraspecific variation, demographic structure, and environmental spatial structure.

One area of focus has been to demonstrate the generality of a phenotypic pattern of coexistence, whereby competing species cluster by traits. Another area of focus explores the anatomy of niche structure in forests based on the spatial distribution of trees. A third area of interest is in understanding emergent neutral behavior in niche-differentiated species assemblages.

Our ultimate goal is to advance ecological theory linking community assembly processes to macroecological patterns, and confront this theoretical framework with data. We are especially concerned with high-diversity systems such as tropical forests, where we need to better understand how stochastic and deterministic forces interact to shape communities and maintain biodiversity. 

Our lab is housed in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University on Long Island, New York. We are affiliated with the Institute of Advanced Computational Science at SBU.

If you are interested in doing research in theoretical community ecology and want to learn more about how ecological interactions shape biodiversity patterns in nature, make sure to explore the Lab page. If you believe we are a good fit, contact the PI. 

Lab philosophy: current and prospective lab members, please refer to our Lab Philosophy document for a set of guidelines regarding what is expected of you and me during your journey in the lab.