Profile of Dr. Thomas Crist

Institute for the Environment & Sustainability
Miami University
254 Upham Hall
Oxford, OH 45056
Phone: (513) 529-5811
cristto@muohio.edu

Current position: Director for the Institute for the Environment & Sustainability, Miami University

Crist is a terrestrial ecologist with research interests in landscape ecology, biodiversity, and conservation biology. Using both experimental and landscape approaches, he examines how habitat fragmentation and edges influence animal movement, population distribution, and community diversity. He also investigates the effects of management practices and land use on forest insect biodiversity at multiple scales, from local habitats to biogeographic regions. The scope of his field studies ranges from old fields and small woodlots to larger parks and preserves. His research incorporates a wide variety of insect groups including ants, beetles, butterflies, and moths. Crist also has broad interests in the roles of animals in terrestrial ecosystems, including seed dispersal, herbivory and effects of animals on plant communities and soils.