About Erika's Work
Erika Zavaleta's work focuses on community and ecosystem ecology with emphasis on understanding the drivers and consequences of changing biological diversity. Her work spans ecosystems from boreal forest to temperate grassland to subtropical islands. Recent and current projects include California grassland responses to climate and atmospheric changes; influences of plant community structure and diversity on susceptibility to biological invasions; wildfire effects on the provision of ecosystem services in rural Alaska; barriers to California oak regeneration; and island ecosystem responses to the removal of exotic mammals. Erika strives to bridge ecological theory and research to sound conservation and management practice. To that end, her work incorporates collaboration with conservation practitioners and elements of economics, public policy, and anthropology.
