The Functional and Restoration Ecology Lab at New Mexico State University uses a variety of approaches rooted in community and trait-based ecology to understand the dynamics of biodiversity and ecosystem change in rangelands. We then seek to apply this understanding to management, conservation, and restoration of working landscapes. Key questions we aim to answer include:

1. How do drivers of global change (e.g., drought, invasive species) alter plant communities and ecosystems?
2. Which functional traits drive plant establishment, survival, and persistence in varied conditions (e.g., climate, soil type)?
3. How can we best guide management and restororation to promote biodiversity, ecosystem function, and the delivery of sustained ecosystem services in working landscapes?