Judith L. Bronstein

Judith Bronstein’s lab focuses on the study of interspecific interactions, particularly on the poorly-understood, mutually beneficial ones (mutualisms). Specific conceptual areas of interest include: (i) conflicts of interest between mutualists and their consequences for the maintenance of beneficial outcomes in these interactions; and (ii) context-dependent outcomes in both mutualisms and antagonisms. Using a combination of field observations and experiments, she is examining how population processes, abiotic conditions, and the community context determine net effects of the interactions for the fitness of each participant species. She is also collaborating on theoretical and empirical investigations of (i) the fragility of mutualism in light of conservation threats and mechanisms of restoring disrupted interactions; and (ii) the causes and consequences of "cheating" within mutualism.