Modeling Abiotic Disturbance Patterns and Biotic Community Response

We are investigating the impacts of hurricane and tornado events on landscape structure, ecosystem health and invertebrate movement and diversity in the coastal plains.  As severe weather events may increase in frequency and/or severity due to global climate change, we plan to contribute to an understanding of the interplay between natural disturbance, insect biodiversity and ecosystem health and determine management strategies which facilitate resilience.