Paul Cara Donna
About Paul Cara Donna
Paul Cara Donna is a research scientist specializing in the population and community ecology of plants and pollinators. He investigates the effects of rapid climate change on ecological communities and species interactions, currently working at the Chicago Botanic Garden and the University of Copenhagen.
Work at Chicago Botanic Garden
Paul Cara Donna has been employed as a Research Scientist at the Chicago Botanic Garden since 2016. In this role, he investigates the interplay among ecological community context, environmental variation, and biological timing. His research focuses on how these factors influence plant and animal populations, as well as community-level patterns. His work contributes to understanding the ecological impacts of climate change on various species interactions.
Education and Expertise
Paul Cara Donna holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona, where he studied from 2011 to 2016. He also earned a Bachelor of Science in Botany from Humboldt State University in 2010. His academic background provides a strong foundation for his research in population and community ecology, particularly concerning plants and pollinators.
Background
Before his current position, Paul Cara Donna held various research roles. He worked as a Research Technician at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for two months in 2010 and at the University of Montana for eight months from 2010 to 2011. He also served as a Guest Researcher at Aarhus University from 2014 to 2015. His early research experience includes an internship at the University of Puerto Rico in 2009, focusing on Tropical Ecology and Evolution.
Achievements
Paul Cara Donna has made significant contributions to the field of ecology. He reported the first record in Illinois of the nonnative leaf cutter bee, Megachile apicalis. His research has also demonstrated that plant-pollinator networks shift with changing seasons, highlighting the dynamic nature of ecological interactions in response to environmental changes.