Brian Enquist

Dr. Enquist is a broadly trained plant ecologist. His lab investigates how functional and physical constraints at the level of the individual (anatomical and physiological) influence larger scale ecological and evolutionary patterns. In particular, the lab focuses on two core areas: (1) highlighting and deducing general principles, scaling rules, and the physical constraints influencing the evolution of organismal form, function, and diversity; and (2) understanding the larger scale ramifications (ecological, evolutionary, and ecosystem) of these rules/constraints. In order to address these critical issues the lab uses both theoretical, computational, biophysical and physiological and ecophysiological approaches. Research in the lab can be summarized into four distinct yet interrelated areas: (i) The evolution of form and functional diversity; (ii) The origin of allometric relationships (how characteristics of organisms change with their size) and the scaling of biological processes from cells to ecosystems. (iii) The evolution of life-history and allocation strategies; (iv) Community ecology and macroecology.