Research Interests

I use theory and experiments to explore how biological networks respond to perturbations. The overarching aim of my research is to understand and predict how key elements of global change alter the functioning and stability of ecosystems.

An important goal of my research is to bridge the gaps between theoretical, empirical and applied ecology. My field research focuses mainly on aquatic ecosystems (both marine and freshwater), although more recently my approach to research combines theory, experimental and observational work in the field and laboratory experiments using multitrophic microbial communities.

Some recent publications

• Ross et al. (2022) Predators mitigate the destabilising effects of heatwaves on multitrophic stream communities. Global Change Biology 28: 403-416.

• Ross, S.R.P-J., Arnoldi, J.F., Loreau, M., White, C.D., Stout, J.C., Jackson, A.L. & Donohue, I. (2021) Universal scaling of robustness of ecosystem services to species loss. Nature Communications 12: 5167.

• Clark et al. (2021) General statistical scaling laws for stability in ecological systems. Ecology Letters 24: 1474-1486.

• Borer et al. (2020) Nutrients cause grassland biomass to outpace herbivory. Nature Communications 11: 6036.

• White, L., O'Connor, N.E., Yang, Q., Emmerson, M.C. & Donohue, I. (2020) Individual species provide multifaceted contributions to the stability of ecosystems. Nature Ecology & Evolution 4: 1594–1601.
  Full text available at https://rdcu.be/b8pp9

• Hillebrand et al. (2020) Thresholds for ecological responses to global change do not emerge from empirical data. Nature Ecology & Evolution 4: 1502–1509.
  Full text available at https://rdcu.be/b6jI8
  Covered by: The Irish Times, Irish Independent

• Pimm, S.L., Donohue, I., Montoya, J.M. & Loreau, M. (2019) Measuring resilience is essential to understand it. Nature Sustainability 2: 895-897.
  Full-text available at https://rdcu.be/bTN0E

• Yang, Q. Fowler, M.S., Jackson, A.L. & Donohue, I. (2019) The predictability of ecological stability in a noisy world. Nature Ecology & Evolution 3: 251-259.
  Full-text available at https://rdcu.be/bi0Uq

• Kéfi et al. (2019) Advancing our understanding of ecological stability. Ecology Letters 22: 1349-1356.

>>full list of publications>>

• Research Group
• Publications
• Applied Ecology
• Jobs and Opportunities

Microevolution matters! Check out this short video describing our paper recently published in Nature Communications:

Teaching

*Fundamentals of Ecology (ZOU33010; Junior Sophistor Botany, Environmental Science and Zoology)
*Introduction to Biodiversity (BD7050; MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation)
*Zoology and Society (ZOU44040; Senior Sophistor Zoology)
*Tropical Ecology and Conservation (ZOU44017; Senior Sophistor Botany, Environmental Science and Zoology)

Hear what our students have to say about the Tropical Ecology and Conservation field course in Kenya... 

...and our Terrestrial Ecology field course in Glendalough, Co. Wicklow: