Dr. Phil Hahn
Assistant Professor, Insect Ecology and Plant-Herbivore Interactions
Dr. Hahn is an ecologist working at the interface of population, community, and evolutionary ecology. The lab's research focuses on the ecology and evolution of plant-herbivore interactions, with major themes including the evolution of plant defense against insects, spatial variation in plant-herbivore interactions, and insect community ecology. We work mainly with herbaceous plants and insect herbivores in natural, managed, or agricultural systems. Our goal is to advance understanding of the natural world through research, teaching, mentoring, and outreach.
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Research
Central to ecology and evolution is an understanding of the myriad ways in which organisms influence each other through their interactions. A hallmark of plant-herbivore interactions, however, is that they are spatially variable, with outcomes of interactions often depending on the environmental conditions where the interactions play out. This variability, or context-dependence, hinders the development of general predictive models of plant-herbivore interactions and therefore represents an important area for investigation. The goal of the plant-herbivore interaction lab is to develop a framework for predicting how environmental factors influence the magnitude of impact that plant-herbivore interactions have on the evolution of traits, population dynamics, and community composition for both plants and insects. We work in natural and managed ecosystems at scales from local neighborhoods to populations and communities distributed across regional environmental gradients. Please visit our website at plant-herbivore-interactions.net for more information on current interests and projects.
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Teaching
- Experiments in Ecology and Agriculture
- Insect Ecology
Contact
2109 Steinmetz Hall
Building 970 Natural Area Dr.
Gainesville, FL 32611
(352) 273-3960
hahnp@ufl.edu
Lab website: plant-herbivore-interactions.net
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Education
- Ph.D. Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison 2015
- M.S. Environmental Science & Policy, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay 2010
- B.S. Biology, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh 2007
- Publications