brian j. enquist

Brian2c Brian is a Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona. He is an External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute, a theoretical research institute dedicated to the multidisciplinary study of the fundamental principles of complex adaptive systems, including physical, computational, biological, and social systems. He is also the Co-director of the Bridging Biodiversity and Conservation Science group at the University of Arizona.

Brian is a broadly trained plant biologist and ecologist. The collaborative Macroecology lab group strives to develop a more integrative, quantitative, and predictive framework for biology, biodiversity Science and large-scale ecology. In particular, the lab aims to link biological measures across spatial and temporal scales in ecology and evolution.

Brian is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Ecological Society of America

Research Interests

Aspen leaf venation network taken using a macro lens fitted for my iPhone (!)

Macroecology, Global Ecology, Comparative Biology, Ecophysiology and Functional Ecology

Brian is a broadly trained plant biologist and ecologist. The Macroecology lab group strives to develop a more integrative, quantitative, and predictive framework for biology, community ecology, and large-scale ecology. In particular, we aim to link biological measures across spatial and temporal scales in ecology and evolution. Research in the lab focuses on three core areas:

(1) Scaling and Functional Biology/Ecophysiology – highlighting and deducing how general scaling rules, climate, and physical constraints influence organismal form, function, and diversity;

(2) Macroecology – assessing the ecological, macro ecological, biogeographic and evolutionary ramifications of the above organismal rules/constraints;

Hemispherical shot of forest canopy in one of our 0.1ha ‘Gentraso’ forest plots – again using a special lens fitted for my smart phone

(3) Novel approaches – utilizing novel computation, big data, statistical, and visualisation tools to assess how differing climate change scenarios will influence the distribution of diversity and functioning of forests and ecosystems.

Our research involves focus on field work, big datasets, scaling, developing theory and informatics infrastructure, empirically measuring numerous attributes of organismal form and function, utilizing physiological and trait-based techniques, and assessing macroecological and large-scale patterns. To address these questions my lab group often work in contrasting environments including tropical forests, on elevation gradients, and in high alpine ecosystems.