My research is focussed around three major and interlocking themes. The first is understanding large-scale patterns of diversity in tropical rain forests, the second is linking above- and below-ground functioning in these forests and the third is to ascertain the effects of anthropogenically-induced disturbances on the above. This includes current collaborative research to understand factors shaping tree diversity and carbon storage in forests of Borneo, linking above-ground tree diversity to below-ground mycorrhizal fungal diversity, and looking at the effects of droughts on microbial functioning in tropical soils. My approach uses both simple (quadrats and tape-measures) and state-of-the-art (isotopic analyses and molecular DNA community profiling) methods to answer the questions of interest.