Andrew Davidson, Ph.D.
Biography
I am an avid naturalist, aquatic ecologist, and bug nerd originally from Memphis, TN. I received my B.S. in Biology from Florida State University in 2013, where I participated in a summer research internship with Dr. Brian Silliman's lab at University of Florida studying tri-trophic interactions between marsh periwinkle snails (Littoraria irrorata) their mud crab predators (Panopeidae) and the salt marsh grasses they feed on (Spartina alterniflora). I received my M.Sc. in Biology from Florida Atlantic University in 2016 studying the effects of eutrophication on predator-prey interactions between crayfish (Procambarus fallax) and native and invasive apple snails (Pomacea paludosa and P. maculata, respectively) under Dr. Nathan Dorn. I completed my Ph.D. at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2023 under Dr. James Vonesh, where I studied the impacts of warming on stage-dependent predation of rock pool mosquito larvae (Aedes atropalpus) by dragonfly nymphs (Libellulidae) and diving beetles (Laccophilus maculosus).
My research interests broadly include aquatic community ecology, and much of my research focuses on predator-prey interactions in an ever-changing world. My current research, as part of Dr. Scott Peacor's lab here at MSU, involves non-consumptive effects (NCEs) of predators on their prey, i.e., when predators induce changes in prey behavior, morphology, physiology, and life history traits in response to predation risk. There is considerable evidence that predation risk causes prey to change traits such as their habitat usage, foraging habits, etc. to avoid predation, and this can have important consequences for both prey population dynamics and other species they interact with. However, much of this evidence comes from experiments conducted under controlled conditions, and evidence that NCEs are important in natural systems is lacking. We aim to develop a framework to predict the occurrence and strength of NCEs from field data and facilitate comparisons between NCEs in different ecosystems, so that we can better understand and account for the many ways in which predators influence their prey in modeling predator-prey dynamics.