Mathew Leibold

Professor

Section of Integrative Biology
University of Texas at Austin
 

Research Interests

At the broadest level, Dr. Leibold is interested in combining theoretical, experimental and observational methods to discover how ecological attributes of a community interact with the properties of the ecosystem in which they occur.  He uses pond and lake ecosystems as model systems for examining these relations because many aspects of the ecology and limnology of these systems are well understood and because they make extremely convenient systems to test complex ideas about these relations.

Most of his empirical work at KBS is using a large array of mesocosms that mimic ponds but allow him to control many of the most important variables such as nutrient inputs, light and the composition of the community.  He also conducts surveys of the ponds near KBS and in-situ experiments in these ponds to crossvalidate his findings from the mecocosms.

His upcoming research at KBS starting in 2008 will address how local adaptive processes (that occur within populations of individual species) interact with processes of community assembly in local communities subject to environmental change (see more information about NSF grant 0717370).

Click here for more information about Dr. Leibold's interests.