Abstract Detail

Past Presidents' Symposium: Biodiversity: Past, Present, and Future

Weller, Stephen [1], Skog, Judith [2], Holsinger, Kent [3].

Past Presidents' Symposium: Biodiversity: Past, Present, and Future.

Summary of symposium: Loss of biodiversity is an important issue in today's world because increasing human population size and global climate change are having profound effects at all levels of biodiversity, from organisms to ecosystems. Approaches to the study of biodiversity are highly varied, and range from genomic studies of genetic variation within populations to landscape-level studies. In this symposium we discuss different ways that biodiversity is studied, from the use of fossils to reconstruct how floras have changed over time, to experimental approaches for assessing how species interactions influence biodiversity. Yaowu Yuan (University of Washington) will discuss the genetic architecture of variation in flower color and shape. Scott Wing (Smithsonian Institution) will present his work on the use of the fossil record to reconstruct past climates and local environments. Eric Schuettpelz (University of North Carolina Wilmington) will address the evolution history of ferns, using fossil and phylogenetic data. Katharine Suding (University of California, Berkeley) will talk about her work on nitrogen deposition in alpine environments, and changes occurring due to climatic warming. Tadashi Fukami (Stanford University) will present his work on species interactions in Hawaiian forests, and the cascading effects of removal of invasive species. Kayri Havens (Chicago Botanic Garden) will discuss conservation efforts in the face of global biological changes. Integration across levels of biological organization is essential for a full understanding of biodiversity. The symposium, by considering diverse approaches to the study and interpretation of biodiversity, will indicate promising research directions at a point when biodiversity losses are increasing rapidly.

Broader Impacts:

1 - University of California Irvine, Department of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 321 Steinhaus Hall, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA, 949/824-6581
2 - GEORGE MASON UNIV, Environ. Sci. And Policy, 611 ROBERTS DRIVE NW, VIENNA, VA, 22180, USA, 703/993-1026
3 - University of Connecticut, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 75 N. Eagleville Road, U-3043, STORRS, CT, 06269-3043, USA

Keywords:
biodiversity.

Presentation Type: Symposium or Colloquium Presentation
Session: SY12
Location: Grand Ballroom A/Riverside Hilton
Date: Wednesday, July 31st, 2013
Time: 1:30 PM
Number: SY12SUM
Abstract ID:15
Candidate for Awards:None