July 17 – August 18, 2017 (5 weeks) Instructors:
Dr. Daniel Simberloff
Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
University of Tennessee
tebo@utk.edu
Dr. Christy Leppanen
Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
University of Tennessee
cleppane@utk.edu
Thousands of species of plants, animals, fungi, and microbes have been
transported by humans to new locations. Yes, without human assistance,
species have always managed to spread, but much less often, much more
slowly, and not nearly so far. This geographic rearrangement of the earth=
‘s
biota is one of the great global changes now underway. Although many
introduced species fail to establish populations or remain restricted to =
the
immediate vicinity of the new sites they land in, other species establish=
populations and invade new habitats, spreading widely and sometimes well
beyond the initial point of introduction.
Many invasions have such idiosyncratic and bizarre effects that they cann=
ot
fail to arouse our curiosity simply as fascinating tales of natural histo=
ry.
For example, who would have thought that=85
=95 Introducing kokanee salmon to Flathead Lake, Montana, and many years
later, opossum shrimp to three nearby lakes would ultimately have led to
population crashes of grizzly bears and bald eagles through a complicated=
chain reaction? =95 Introducing myxoma virus to Great Britain to control introduced rabbi=
t
populations would have led to the extinction of the large blue butterfly =
there? =95 Introducing a particular grass species would lead to hybridization wi=
th a
native congener, subsequent polyploidization, and the origin of a new
vigorous invasive species that would change entire intertidal systems?
Teasing apart such intriguing causal chains is a scientific accomplishmen=
t
of the first order. The variety and idiosyncrasy of effects challenges
biologists to produce general laws or rules to be able to explain why som=
e
introductions have no major impacts, while others lead to huge invasions.=
Being able to predict which species will fall in the latter category if
introduced, and which in the former, is the elusive holy grail of invasio=
n
biology.
Schedule: Class meets daily, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Some Saturday activities=
may be planned to accommodate fieldwork. Lectures/discussions/debates,
laboratory/field work, and individual/group activities will each comprise=
approximately 1/3 of the course meeting time, with the percentage of lect=
ure
decreasing and discussions and practical activities increasing as the cou=
rse
progresses.
Application Web Site:
http://depts.washington.edu/fhl/studentApplicationInfo.html
Although the deadline has passed, applications will be accepted for the n=
ext
three weeks
Financial Aid Available
For more information contact the instructors or Dr. Megan Dethier, Friday=
Harbor Laboratories mdethier@uw.edu