Liberal Arts and Sciences
Arthur R. Marshall, Jr., Ecological Sciences Laboratory
Led by Robert Holt · Biology
What we study
The Holt lab studies how populations and communities interact and evolve, using mathematical theory, computer models, and field experiments. They apply this ecological theory to real‑world issues like conservation, habitat fragmentation, and invasive species.
What working here is like
- Reading, writing & theory
- Computational
- Fieldwork
- Plants
- Wild animals
- Coding required
- Projects
- 2
- Papers
- 5
Current projects
Biodiversity‑productivity relationships and predator‑prey dynamics
Studying how biodiversity affects forest productivity and aquatic predator‑prey cycles using data analysis.
Invasion dynamics of Melaleuca quinquenervia
Using computer simulations to study how dispersal and disease affect the spread of an invasive tree in South Florida.
Summaries are written by AI in plain language from public symposium abstracts and may be imperfect.
Recent papers, explained
- Functional trait space overlaps reveal ecological resilience of bird communities in Atlantic Forest fragments
2026 · Biological Conservation
- Burton H. Singer (1938–2026): A legacy across disciplines
2026 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Shows how Burton Singer worked across many fields to solve big problems.
Show 3 more papersShow fewer
- Foliar pathogen epidemic slows decomposition of invasive plant litter
2026 · Ecology
Finds that plant diseases slow down how quickly leaves break down.
- Partial clonality and the speed of range expansion along an environmental gradient
2026 · Journal of Evolutionary Biology
Tests how partial clonality affects how species spread across changing environments.
- Predictions From Evolutionary Theory for Urban Environments
2026 · Evolutionary Applications
Suggests ways to study how cities change how species evolve.
Plain-language summaries are AI-written and reviewed by us; check the paper for details.
How to reach out
Robert Holt hasn't set up this page yet. You can also look them up in the UF directory (search “Robert Holt”).