Causes and Consequences of Plant Biodiversity

The goal of this seminar is to explore the literature focusing on the factors that determine the variation in plant diversity and its importance to ecosystem function.  Each week we'll concentrate on a different topic, or continue a theme that needs more than one meeting to do it justice (e.g. diversity-ecosystem function).  The meetings will consist of 1) student presentations of literature syntheses on the topic (approximately 50 minutes), and 2) discussions of the presentation and assigned reading.  As with most seminars, there will be readings provided at least one week prior to the meeting. Everyone is expected to do the readings, attend each meeting, and participate in discussions.  Each student will be responsible for leading or co-leading one topic, including selecting the readings in advance and preparing a presentation, and for turning in a 5-10 page paper providing a written synthesis on the topic.  To help get started with finding appropriate literature, I've provided a somewhat random bibliography.  Papers from this list will help determine the foci of the presentation and subsequently for the paper.  Additional papers not in this bibliography can and should be used.

The seminar will be held Tuesdays, 5-7 pm, in Ramaley N240.  An overhead projector will be available for students each week.

Schedule of Topics to Be Covered:

September 14th; Definition of Diversity- "Bio"Diversity; how is it measured or estimated; plus historical aspects- Darwin to Odum; led by Mary Ellen Ford and Lee Turner

September 21st; Global and Regional Patterns of Diversity; led by Wade Cooper  and Derek Hitchcock; bibliography

September 28th; Diversity and Resource Gradients; led by Eric DeChaine and Seth Zunker; bibliography

October 5th; Influence of Disturbance on Diversity (Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis); led by Cristina Rumbaitis Del Rio

October 12th; Herbivory and Diversity; led by Tara Forbis and Tom Lemieux

October 19th;  Diversity and Ecosystem Function I; led by Kate LeJeune and Becky Rawlinson; bibliography

October 26th; Diversity and Ecosystem Function II; led by Nancy Golubiewski and Keri Holland; bibliography

November 2nd; Ecosystem Resistance and Resilience and Diversity- The Insurance Hypothesis; led by Jonathan Krieger and Mary Damm; bibliography

November 9th; Invasive Species- Ecological Equivalents?  led by Heather Reed and Julia Larson

November 16th; Threats to Biodiversity; led by Cory Cleveland and Laura Scott; bibliography

November 23rd; Genetic Diversity; led by Heather Houston and Jennifer Ott