Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in a Changing World

The goal of our research is to better understand the relationships among pollinator biodiversity, environmental change, and the ecosystem services pollinators provide (i.e., pollination). We work to advance the science of ecology and contribute to evidence-based conservation. Individual lab members work on research questions of their choice and in a variety of systems worldwide, but all of us use pollinators and/or pollination as a model system. Are more species needed to provide ecosystem services across larger scales of space and time? Do we need to preserve biodiversity generally in order to maintain ecosystem services, or are only a few dominant species sufficient? What is the role of rare species in ecosystem services?  These are some of our current questions.  We put the results of our research into practice through collaboration with NGOs and government agencies doing on-the-ground pollinator conservation.

Winfree Lab Group, Summer 2022