Research in the Srivastava Lab centers on fundamental questions in community ecology, including those that help develop the theoretical basis of conservation. We investigate how the interaction of spatial and trophic processes determines which species occur within food webs. We also examine how species loss from these food webs can affect the way ecosystems function. Our lab addresses these questions through a combination of experiments, surveys, and meta-analyses of published data. For experimental tests, we use two naturally contained but miniature ecosystems: bromeliads and moss patches.