Background
Prior's research interests include community ecology, species interactions, invasion ecology, and conservation. She is interested in how species interactions shape communities and influence ecosystem processes. One focus of her research is examining the outcomes of novel (invasive) species being integrated into existing (native) communities. Her work explores how ecological interactions drive invasions, how invasions impact ecological systems, and how to manage and restore invaded ecosystems. Prior often uses invasions as natural experiments to answer questions about the ecology and evolution of species interactions, and how species interactions and traits drive community and ecosystem processes. Her research is grounded in experimental field ecology, and is largely focused on insect and plant interactions. She works in several different ecosystems, including deciduous forests in eastern North America, oak savannas in the Pacific Northwest and in East African savannas.
Education
- PhD, University of Notre Dame
- BSc, Western University
Research Interests
- Community ecology
- Species interactions
- Environmental change