Insects are declining globally, putting the services that they provide for humans and other organisms at risk. In Dr. Nicole Rafferty's lab at UCR, I study how plants, insects, and their interactions are being impacted by climate change and other stressors, and how to use that knowledge to improve conservation success and to protect ecosystem function and stability. 

 

I mainly use moth pollination as a study system, and I have focused on California taxa and habitats. Moths are one of the most diverse groups of insects, and an integral component of terrestrial food webs. They are also important nocturnal pollinators, though they are vastly understudied in this regard compared to bees and other diurnal pollinators. This limits our ability to predict and manage the effects of climate change on moths and the services they provide. To help fill this knowledge gap, I use a variety of methods (including molecular biology techniques, controlled greenhouse studies, natural experiments in the field, and ecological network modeling) to address both basic and applied questions at scales ranging from functional traits to communities.