Heidi Golden, PhD

I strive to understand the essential roles species play in ecosystems by evaluating key ecological and evolutionary principles using a broad range of approaches at different temporal and spatial scales. My research suggests that locally adapted phenotypes might facilitate changes in ecosystem processes that influence trait evolution, further altering ecosystem processes. These findings have led me to develop predictions about how selection, life-history strategies, and eco-evolutionary feedbacks influence species persistence, biodiversity, and ecosystem function. I use data collected from novel field approaches and molecular and experimental techniques to test research predictions. I provide insight to conservation by discerning fundamental eco-evolutionary mechanisms underlying species extinction risks.