LINKS: Laboratory Personnel Research Stop Publishing Junk OUTREACH   Work in this laboratory falls into 3 broad areas: 1) Global Change, including climate change, global loss of biodiversity, global increases in invasive species, and habitat loss; 2) Integrating Ecology and Evolution at multiple temporal and spatial scales; and 3) Developing research strategies to combine novel and traditional techniques (for example, utilizing molecular systematics + observational work + experiments + ecological stoichiometry to understand an issue such as ecological specialization). Within these focal areas, our studies examine direct and indirect trophic interactions in diverse biotic communities with emphases on documenting the diversity of tritrophic interactions and examining the effects of plant secondary compounds on insect herbivores and their natural enemies. The main source of funding for continuing our research will come from current grants (NSF, Earthwatch, DOE), pending grants (NSF and USDA), and future grants (NSF, NIH, USDA, National Geographic, and Earthwatch). Researchers who are currently working in the laboratory include 2 research associates, 1 laboratory technician, 9 graduate students, 2 field technicians in Costa Rica, 4 field technicians in Ecuador, and 4 undergraduate students.