I am an ecologist and my research stems from a curiosity to understand the mechanisms that maintain diversity in ecosystems. In any ecological community made up of similar species, what processes allow species to coexist and hence maintain diversity? What prevents one or few species from out-competing the others? Also, living in a world with one species (us) so dominant, I want to understand how the mechanisms of diversity change when ecological communities are subject to human influence. The footprint of Homo sapiens today affects over 80% of the biosphere. What does that mean for species that share the planet with us? I use a mix of science, sentience and common sense to understand nature and our place in it.