Global Change Biogeography at The New York Botanical Garden
Global change is rapidly transforming earth's natural and managed systems. Research in our group uses macroecological approaches to understand and document how major drivers of global change - the spread of invasive species, climate change, and land-use change - individually and interactively affect biodiversity. Through the creative use of data and biogeographical analyses, we aim to provide a spatial perspective on some of the world's major environmental crises, working with practitioners to develop proactive and actionable strategies for mitigating the negative outcomes of global environmental change.
Seeking Summer Science Interns
We are in the process of digitizing historic nursery and seed catalogs stored in the library at the New York Botanical Garden. These catalogs contain information on the history of horticultural trade in the U.S., which we will be using to track the movement of plant species over the past 200 years of cultivation. We are seeking several interns to help with this digitization process and conduct independent research projects on plants in trade.
Candidates must be available Tuesday-Thursday during business hours. To apply, email ebeaury@nybg.org with a brief cover letter and submit an application here: https://www.nybg.org/about/work-with-us/employment/?p=job%2FoBRGwfwo
Research Themes
Invasion Biogeography
Biological invasions result from the introduction, rapid spread, and negative impacts of introduced species. The invasion process plays out differently across species, time, and space. What are the ecological and anthropogenic factors that contribute to this variation?
Translational Ecology
The 'knowing-doing gap' characterizes a disconnect between knowledge production and implementation. How can researchers and practitioners work together to produce knowledge and novel invasive species management approaches?
Climate Change & Mitigation
Mitigating climate change will require a high degree of land-use change. How can plant processes and vegetation structures contribute to greenhouse gas emissions reductions and removals? What are the biodiversity outcomes of efforts to mitigate climate change?
Lab News
We are excited to announce that NYBG has been awarded funding from the 2026 New York State Invasive Species Grant Program. This award will support our research analyzing invasion patterns on NYBG's grounds. We will soon be seeking a part-time research technician to support the work.
PhD Student Meredith Preve was recently awarded the Garden Club of America's Fellowship for Tropical Botany. Go Meredith! This grant will support Meredith's summer field work in Ecuador's cloud forest, investigating aroid response to land-use change.
In January, student Yanet Tavarez presented her research on ornamental plant invasions at the Bronx Science Research Consortium. Go Yanet!
In the fall we dabbled in insect and bird data collection to ask how the diversity of different taxa varies across NYBG's garden types. Stay tuned to see our results, including identifying small flying insects under the microscope.
Eve presented ongoing work on the trade of ornamental invasive plants at the 2025 North American Invasive Species Management Association annual conference.
This year, the RISCC Network released two resources on climate-smart species selection, including a database for choosing native species for your garden and a synthesis of seed selection strategies for restoration.
