One of the most important and hotly debated topics in conservation biology and ecology is how recent declines in global biodiversity will alter the services provided by ecosystems such as decomposition, oxygen production, and the actual maintenance of the remaining biodiversity.

I propose to experiment in Costa Rican bromeliad microcosm communities that would help resolve some of the pressing issues in the field.

The aims of the proposed study are:

-To characterise the microorganisms in habiting these communities;

-To understand how biodiversity loss affects ecosystem function in these communities;

-To understand how the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function is modified by predation.