Botanical Informatics

Dr. Brian Enquist's lab investigates how functional constraints at the level of the individual (anatomical and physiological) influence larger scale ecological and evolutionary patterns. He is a broadly trained plant ecologist. His lab uses theoretical, computational, biophysical, and physiological approaches to address integrative questions related to (1) the evolution of form and functional diversity; (2) the origin of allometric relationships (how characteristics of organisms change with their size) and the scaling of biological processes ("from cells to ecosystems"); (3) the evolution of life-history and allocation strategies; and (4) community ecology and macroecology. His research also includes the monitoring of long-term dynamics of growth and change within a tropical forest in the Area de Conservation, Guanacaste, Costa Rica.