We study the dynamics of food webs and ecosystems.

Through analysis of predator-prey or plant-herbivore interactions, we resolve the functional role of species within communities and how those roles determine attendant ecosystem functioning. We combine empirical research with mathematical modeling and deal with a variety of ecosystems and study species on 4 continents, ranging from livestock and tigers in Indian jungles to monkeys in Panamanian tropical forests to insects and their spider predators in Connecticut grasslands.

Lab News

• Kevin is in the field down in Panama! Check out his personal blog for fun stories, pictures and weekly video updates!
• Read the Science Daily summary of Os et al's Science article on the loss of large carnivores and global conservation problems
• Karin's got a cool new paper out. Check it out here!
• More of the Schmitz lab in the news, now over at Scientific American!
• Congratulations to Colin who was just awarded funding from National Geographic's Waitt Grant!

Contact Us

Schmitz Lab
Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies
370 Prospect Street
Greeley Laboratory, Room 112
New Haven, CT 06511 USA
Phone: (203) 432-5110
Fax: (203) 432-3929
oswald.schmitz [at] yale.edu

Recent Publications

Ripple, W.J., J.A. Estes, R.L. Beschta, C.C. Wilmers, E.G. Ritchie, M. Hebblewhite, J. Berger, B. Elmhagen, M. Letnic, M. P. Nelson, O.J. Schmitz, D.W. Smith, A.D. Wallach and A. J. Wirsing. 2014. Status and ecological effects of the world's largest carnivores. Science: 243(6167): 1241484.

Ko, C-Y., O.J. Schmitz, M. Barbett-Massin and W. Jetz. 2013. Dietary guild composition and disaggregation of avian assemblages under climate change. Global Change Biology. In press.

Miller, J.R.B., J.M. Ament, and O.J. Schmitz. 2013.  Fear on the move: predator hunting mode predicts variation in prey mortality and plasticity in prey spatial response. Journal of Animal Ecology. doi: 10.1111/1365-2656.12111. 83(1):214-222.

See all publications.

2013-2104 Schmitzers at our Fall BBQ (left to right): Rachel, Colin, Alex, Jeff, Anne, Adam, Karin, Jennie, Os, Rob, Kevin and Bryan.