Ricketts's interests span a broad range of topics
in ecology and conservation biology, from global analyses of
biodiversity patterns and threats, to field studies on the
causes and effects of habitat fragmentation. Taylor led WWF's
conservation assessment of North American ecoregions, the first
in a continuing series published by Island Press. He continues
to analyze large-scale datasets for insights into (i) why biodiversity
is distributed the way it is, (ii) how these patterns relate
to those of human threats, and (iii) how this information can
improve conservation. Ricketts's field studies currently focus
on ecosystem services; he is investigating the value of tropical
forest fragments as sources of wild pollinators to surrounding
coffee crops. This field project is part of a long-term interest
in the interactions between habitat fragments and surrounding
agricultural areas, and in improving the potential of these
landscapes to support native biodiversity. Ricketts's received
his Ph.D. from Stanford University and has received numerous
awards for his work from the Society for Conservation Biology,
the National Science Foundation, the Summit Foundation, and
others.
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