Discovering and characterizing the diversity of the tree of life

Researchers in ESPM study life’s diversity from microbes to ecosystems. Topics include biodiversity dynamics, wildlife, conservation, adaptation, evolutionary biology, cell/molecular biology, global change biology, among others. Explorations of the interactions and ecological and evolutionary dynamics as they change through space and time. Researchers also address threats and challenges to biodiversity, promote active stewardship, and link science to society.

Examples of our work:

  • The Biodiversity, Health, and Livelihoods Program
  • Steve Beissinger works with the Grinnell Resurvey Project to compare current bird and mammal diversity across 80 high-elevation sites in California with data from the early 20th Century.
  • Rosemary Gillespie and other ESPM faculty and researchers affiliated with the Berkeley Global Change Biology group mobilize historic & modern data to understand how organisms & ecosystems adapt to global change.
  • Gordon Frankie’s Urban Bee Lab documents bee diversity and bee frequencies on wild California plants in several northern California sites, and serves as an outreach tool for advising gardeners, teachers, and residents of urban areas.