Professor Andrew Beckerman
School of Biosciences
Professor in Evolutionary Ecology, Director of Student Recruitment (Biosciences)
+44 114 222 0026
Full contact details
School of Biosciences
E213
Alfred Denny Building
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TN
- Profile
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- Professor in Evolutionary Ecology, University of Sheffield (2019 - present)
- Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield (2005-2019)
- NERC Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield (2002-2005)
- NERC Postdoctoral Associate, University of Stirling (1999-2002)
- PhD Yale University (1999)
- MFS Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (1994)
- BSc Tufts University, Massachusetts (1990)
- Research interests
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We explore the structure, complexity and dynamics of food webs. We use optimal foraging theory to define the rules linking predators and prey. We predict the impacts of multiple simultaneous threats to ecosystems. We study the local adaptation of plasticity in real ponds and in daphnia and algae. We explore the genes that underpin plasticity and local adaptation. We work with predators, metals and algae biotechnology. We study the conservation and demography of parrots in Central America and the Caribbean. We link this to socioeconomics and trade-offs in conservation management. We study trade networks. We build models.
- Publications
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Journal articles
- Eco-evolutionary dynamics set the tempo and trajectory of metabolic evolution in multispecies communities. Current Biology. View this article in WRRO
- The impact of intraspecific variation on food web structure. Ecology, 99(12), 2712-2720. View this article in WRRO
- Predation drives local adaptation of phenotypic plasticity. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 2(1), 100-107. View this article in WRRO
- Evolution of a predator-induced, nonlinear reaction norm. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London: Biological Sciences, 284(1861). View this article in WRRO
- The alignment between phenotypic plasticity, the major axis of genetic variation and the response to selection. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 282(1816). View this article in WRRO
- Endocrine regulation of predator-induced phenotypic plasticity. Oecologia, 176(3), 625-635. View this article in WRRO
- A shared mechanism of defense against predators and parasites: Chitin regulation and its implications for life-history theory. Ecology and Evolution, 3(15), 5119-5126. View this article in WRRO
- Quantifying multivariate plasticity: genetic variation in resource acquisition drives plasticity in resource allocation to components of life history.. Ecol Lett, 16(3), 281-290.
- The consequences of size dependent foraging for food web topology. OIKOS, 120(4), 493-502.
- Phenotypic convergence along a gradient of predation risk.. Proc Biol Sci, 278(1712), 1687-1696.
- Adaptation genomics: the next generation.. Trends Ecol Evol, 25(12), 705-712.
- Costs, benefits and the evolution of inducible defences: a case study with Daphnia pulex.. J Evol Biol, 21(3), 705-715.
- Size, foraging, and food web structure.. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 105(11), 4191-4196. View this article in WRRO
- Foraging biology predicts food web complexity.. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 103(37), 13745-13749.
- Human-predator-prey conflicts: ecological correlates, prey losses and patterns of management. BIOL CONSERV, 122(2), 159-171.
- Trophic Cascades in Terrestrial Systems: A Review of the Effects of Carnivore Removals on Plants.. Am Nat, 155(2), 141-153.
- Eco-evolutionary dynamics set the tempo and trajectory of metabolic evolution in multispecies communities. Current Biology. View this article in WRRO
- Research group
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PhD Students
- Hana Mayall (2021 - 2025) - ACCE Sheffield/NERC/CASE - Unilever - Ecological risk assessment and food webs: multiple stressor effects on biodiversity and ecosystem function (with Dylan Childs, Lorraine Maltby and Claudia Rivetti, Andrea Gredelj from Unilever)
- Tom Malpas (2021 - 2025) - ACCE Sheffield/NERC/CASE - Unilever - Ecological risk assessment and food webs: identifying ecosystem tipping points under multi-stress (co-supervisor with with Dylan Childs (lead), Lorraine Maltby and Claudia Rivetti, Andrea Gredelj from Unilever)
- Zuzanna Zagrodzka (2020 - 2024) - Sheffield/JISC PhD - Evaluating the perceptions of bias, replication and transparency in evolution and climate change science
- Penelope Blyth (2020 - 2024) - Sheffield PhD - The impact of variation in body size scaling on complex food web models
- Erika Hansson (2016-2022) - Sheffield PhD - Trade-offs between resistance and defence (with Dylan Childs)
- Tom Lewis (2018 - 2022) - ACCE Sheffield/NERC/CASE - Chester Zoo (co-supervisor with Dylan Childs and Ben Hatchwell)
- Nathan White (2017 - 2021) - ACCE Sheffield/NERC - The Impact of Multiple Selection Pressures on Evolution (co-supervisor with Roger Butlin)
PDRA
- Dr Thomas Johnson - The coherence of ecological stability among ecosystems and across ecological scales
- Dr Eva Delmas - Towards a general theory of ecological impacts of multiple, simultaneous stressors
- Dr Chris Griffiths - The coherence of ecological stability among ecosystems and across ecological scales
MRes and MBiolSci Students
- Laura Klages - Invasive Species Impacts on Food Webs
- Lauren Mayo - Using Audio Data to Determine Parrot Species Distributions
- Teaching activities
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At level 1, I coordinate and teach on APS123 (Population and Community Ecology 1), based on lectures, an all-day field trip and a data presentation workshop.
At Level 2, I coordinate and teach on APS273 (Population and Community Ecology 2), a course combining lectures and a variety of workshops focused on modelling populations and conservation applications.
I also coordinate and teach APS405; APS6606; APS 6607 (Advanced Biological Analysis), a week-long intensive training module for 4th year MBiolSci students, MRes students and fist year PhD students.
I supervised level 4 MBiolSci students with project focused on food webs, phenotypic plasticity, biotechnology and conservation modelling.
- Professional activities
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- Editor-in-Chief, Ecology and Evolution (Wiley - BES - SSE- ESEB; 2014 - present)
- External Examiner, Periodic Review, Life Sciences, University of Liverpool (2019)
- External Examiner, Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, Imperial College London (2017-2019)
- Director of Student Recruitment, School of Biosciences (2018 - present)
- R4All - Training and Statistics in R