Kayla I. Perry

Insect populations are declining globally due to a myriad of anthropogenic stressors, threatening important ecosystem services such as pollination, pest suppression, and nutrient cycling. Understanding how and why insects are responding to environmental change will inform management strategies that aim to support these key services and functions across diverse habitats. My research program aims to understand how natural and anthropogenic disturbances influence the structure and function of insect communities in forests. Forests provide nesting and overwintering habitat for diverse populations of insects, including beneficial predators, decomposers, and pollinators. In many cases, forests serve as complimentary habitat for insects that are vital in supporting sustainable agroecosystems, including pollinators such as bumble bees and predators such as lady beetles and ground beetles. Therefore, one focal area of research in my lab aims to understand the impacts of disturbance on the quality and conservation value of forests for these beneficial insects. In line with the AMP Mission Statement, this research necessitates the understanding of insect community responses across spatial and temporal scales, including in the context of human-dominated landscape mosaics.