She then earned a doctorate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Montpellier in 1991 with a thesis on the mechanisms of coexistence of species in the Mediterranean scrub ecosystem.

Her postdoctoral fellowship at the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia where she continued to investigate the mechanisms of species coexistence.

Lavorel's research is centered around the changes in landscapes and the ways that ecosystems function in response to global changes (climate, land use and biological invasions).

The author or coauthor of more than 110 publications, she has recently begun to focus on modeling the numerous benefits that humans derive from ecosystems and their services.

[5][6] Lavorel's work has resulted in a research framework for the study of the dynamics of biodiversity and its functional implications.