Science Cafe will be a Zoom series for the rest of this year. It is recommended to register using the link beforehand.

Loy is a community ecologist at Emory University. His research examines how human-induced change threatens plant diversity by altering species interactions. Loy’s research includes not only the ecology of plant communities but also their relationships with pollinators such as bees. Loy has worked with plants and pollinators for over ten years, and his experience spans three continents. Loy trained as a horticulturist in Singapore, where he was born.

After conscription, Loy pursued a Bachelors in Botany at the University of Queensland in Australia, and upon graduation he worked as a lab manager for plant ecologist, Dr. Margie Mayfield. Loy then moved to the U.S. to work with pollinator ecologist, Dr. Berry Brosi at Emory University. Last month, Loy successfully defended his Ph.D. research, which was focused on how climate change affects pollination by altering plant flowering time. He conducted this research at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Colorado. Loy will be conferred his doctorate degree in May this year, and he will then be joining ABG Conservation & Research as Conservation Ecology Coordinator.

Topic brief: Plant conservation programs have traditionally focused on understanding and managing populations of imperiled species. However, conservationists have been extending their purview to include inter-species interactions, and delving into the realm of ‘community ecology’. In this talk, Loy will be discussing why community ecology matters to plant conservation, and how climate change may be threatening plant diversity by altering inter-species interactions. He will be drawing from his research experience on annual wildflowers found in the Mediterranean woodlands of Western Australia, as well as his most recent work conducted in montane meadows of the Colorado Rockies.