ProfessorJonathan Tonkin

My lab's research seeks to understand how biodiversity is distributed and maintained across landscapes, and how ecological communities respond to environmental change. We are particularly interested in the processes that shape community assembly, ecosystem resilience, and species persistence through space and time. Our work combines ecological theory, field and laboratory experiments, long-term monitoring, and large-scale data synthesis to reveal the mechanisms underpinning patterns of biodiversity and responses to environmental change. 

 

A major focus of our research is freshwater ecosystems, including rivers, streams, and river networks. We investigate how disturbance, environmental variability, connectivity, and dispersal influence ecological communities and ecosystem functioning. Our research also covers conservation, restoration ecology, ecological forecasting, and the development of evidence-based approaches to managing ecosystems in an increasingly uncertain future. 

 

Through collaborations across New Zealand and internationally, we work to advance fundamental ecological understanding while providing practical insights to address biodiversity loss, improve ecosystem management, and enhance the resilience of natural systems in a changing world.