Lydia Beaudrot

Lydia Beaudrot is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at Michigan State University, where she leads an active research program focused on tropical ecology and conservation. Her lab investigates community assembly mechanisms in tropical mammal communities using large-scale comparative analyses and field observations, with particular emphasis on anthropogenic impacts and biodiversity responses to global change.

Research Focus: Dr. Beaudrot's work integrates macroecology, conservation biology, and community ecology to examine:

• Historical and environmental drivers of tropical mammal community structure
• Functional diversity and food web dynamics under global change
• Impacts of habitat fragmentation and human disturbance on biodiversity
• Advanced monitoring techniques through collaborations with the Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring (TEAM) network

Publication Trends: Her recent articles (2022-2025) demonstrate strong themes in tropical conservation, with 73% focusing on anthropogenic impacts on mammal communities. Methodologically, they combine field observations (47%), macroecological analyses (33%), and novel computational approaches (20%), frequently utilizing camera trap data from pantropical networks.

Lab & Advising: The Beaudrot Lab maintains an active team including 4 PhD students and 2 postdoctoral researchers. Current projects include NSF-funded research on African mammal food webs and Norwegian Research Council collaborations on extinction filters. Dr. Beaudrot emphasizes inclusive lab policies and field safety protocols.