Hi, there!I'm Justin O'Neill, a PhD student at the University of Maryland, College Park. Welcome to my website in progress!
I am a member of the EspíndoLab, based in the Department of Entomology. My PhD research primarily focuses on the landscape and spatial ecology of plant-pollinator interactions. Specifically, I am hoping to help better understand the dynamics of flower visitation in fragmented ecosystems. To explore these dynamics, I study the globally, critically endangered Serpentine Grassland remnants located here in Maryland. These rare plant communities appear as islands of prairie-like habitat set in a gradient of Maryland's urban, agricultural, and forested landscapes. This provides a unique opportunity to investigate how the surrounding land may influence the plant-flower visitor dynamics of the grasslands within. Because human-driven landscape change has been identified as a major factor in pollinator decline, understanding how pollination interactions change in response to a changing environment is imperative for conservation and management, especially in understudied and endangered ecosystems. For a detailed look at my research experience, check out my CV below. Please explore the site and don't hesitate to reach out in the contacts tab! |
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