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Research
Our research is principally interested in the understanding the critical biological structure that is behind the maintenance of biodiversity. We argue that understanding biostructure-function and biostructure-stability relationships allow for the development of effective ecosystem management approaches during a time of massive global change (see the Center for Ecosystem Management for more details on this applied axis).
A major research focus in the lab is the utilization of mathematical theory to unpack how structure drives function and stability. While much theory in ecology has sough to understand these relationships, growing global changes have increased the urgency for understanding these relationships as well as beginning to develop global change theory.
Our research regularly seeks to synthesize ecological theory and empirical results. As there is an industry of empirical research, the need to bridge ideas and seek out regularities within and across ecosystem is large, Here, through using existing local, regional and global databases we review and synthesize patterns towards understand the relationship between, biostructure, function and stability.
Through collaborations with many other researchers, the McCann lab has conducted field research on Canadian Shield lakes, the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia, Seagrass beds in the Caribbean, beach food webs in Florida and even looked at the role of the human microbiome in mediating human health. Our work seeks to assess the biostructure of natural to highly modified ecosystems.