Our research is focused on understanding forces that shape the development of biological communities and associated ecosystems on landscapes left barren by Mount St. Helen’s 1980 eruption.  A surprising and important finding from our work is that the animals that feed on colonizing plants shape the development of plant communities and soils to an extent that has never been previously recognized in primary successional systems.  Much of our present work is focused on better understanding this phenomenon and its consequences.  We find that insects feeding on alpine … Continue reading Lupinus lepidus