[NatureNS] Acadia Biology Seminar Thurs., March 6, 11:30 a.m.,

Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:53:37 -0400
From: Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>,
Cc: Sherman Boates <boatesjs@gov.ns.ca>,
User-Agent: Microsoft-Outlook-Express-Macintosh-Edition/5.0.6
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects


> This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does not understand
this format, some or all of this message may not be legible.

--Boundary_(ID_TYXwPq/a/fcq01j1BwLGtw)
Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable


----------
From: Wanda Langley <wanda.langley@acadiau.ca>
Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2008 06:37:41 -0400

The Biology seminar for Thursday, March 6th will be given by Brian
Starzomski from the School for Resource and Environmental Studies at
Dalhousie University.

His presentation is called, =B3Determination and measurement of local
biodiversity=B2=20

=20

Abstract:  Local biodiversity refers to the collection of species we
experience every day.  How did those species get there, what factors
determine their relative abundances, and how do we measure and compare the
number of species between sites?  This talk will discuss some answers to
these questions, using theory, experiments, and meta-analysis.  An
experimental test using a species-rich community of microarthropods will be
presented, which examines the local community consequences of changes in
regional species richness and composition. Results demonstrate the
complicated interactions between assembly time, seasonality, and regional
species pools in structuring local species richness and composition in this
community.  The second part of the talk will consider a question of
importance to conservation biologists in the field: how best to allocate
scarce resources when attempting to uncover changes in biodiversity between
sites.  The results of this study are pertinent in field situations: under
many realistic scenarios, statistical power (to detect changes in causes an=
d
structure of local biodiversity) may be maximized by eliminating difficult
species from a survey in order to increase the number of sites surveyed.

=20

Brian did his undergrad at StFX, an MSc here at Acadia with Soren
Bondrup-Neilsen, and a PhD in zoology at the UBC. He works as a community
ecologist, studying the factors that control the number of species seen in
local patches.  His work recent work has been conducted in Costa Rica, the
coastal rainforests of British Columbia, and the sub- and high arctic of
Canada.=20

=20

** Seminars take place Thursdays from 11:30 to 12:30 in PAT 308.
Refreshments are provided, and everyone is welcome. Hope to see everyone
there! **=20

=20

=20

=20

=20



--Boundary_(ID_TYXwPq/a/fcq01j1BwLGtw)
Content-type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable

<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Acadia Biology Seminar Thurs., March 6, 11:30 a.m., Patterson Hall 3=
08 -- ALL WELCOME! </TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<BR>
----------<BR>
<B>From: </B>Wanda Langley &lt;wanda.langley@acadiau.ca&gt;<BR>
<B>Date: </B>Tue, 04 Mar 2008 06:37:41 -0400<BR>
<BR>
<FONT SIZE=3D"4"><B>T</B>he Biology seminar for <B>Thursday, March 6th</B></F=
ONT> will be given by <B>Brian Starzomski</B> from the School for Resource a=
nd Environmental Studies at Dalhousie University. <BR>
<BR>
<FONT SIZE=3D"4">His presentation is called, <B><U>=B3Determination and measure=
ment of local biodiversity=B2 <BR>
</U></B></FONT><BR>
<H3> <BR>
</H3><BR>
<FONT SIZE=3D"4"><B>Abstract: &nbsp;</B>Local biodiversity refers to the coll=
ection of species we experience every day. &nbsp;How did those species get t=
here, what factors determine their relative abundances, and how do we measur=
e and compare the number of species between sites? &nbsp;This talk will disc=
uss some answers to these questions, using theory, experiments, and meta-ana=
lysis. &nbsp;An experimental test using a species-rich community of microart=
hropods will be presented, which examines the local community consequences o=
f changes in regional species richness and composition. Results demonstrate =
the complicated interactions between assembly time, seasonality, and regiona=
l species pools in structuring local species richness and composition in thi=
s community. &nbsp;The second part of the talk will consider a question of i=
mportance to conservation biologists in the field: how best to allocate scar=
ce resources when attempting to uncover changes in biodiversity between site=
s. &nbsp;The results of this study are pertinent in field situations: under =
many realistic scenarios, statistical power (to detect changes in causes and=
 structure of local biodiversity) may be maximized by eliminating difficult =
species from a survey in order to increase the number of sites surveyed.</FO=
NT> <BR>
<BR>
<FONT SIZE=3D"4"> <BR>
</FONT><BR>
<FONT SIZE=3D"4">Brian did his undergrad at StFX, an MSc here at Acadia with =
Soren Bondrup-Neilsen, and a PhD in zoology at the UBC. He works as a commun=
ity ecologist, studying the factors that control the number of species seen =
in local patches. &nbsp;His work recent work has been conducted in Costa Ric=
a, the coastal rainforests of British Columbia, and the sub- and high arctic=
 of Canada.</FONT> <BR>
<BR>
<FONT SIZE=3D"4"> <BR>
</FONT><BR>
<FONT SIZE=3D"4"><B>** Seminars take place Thursdays from 11:30 to 12:30 in P=
AT 308. Refreshments are provided, and everyone is welcome. Hope to see ever=
yone there! **</B></FONT> <BR>
<BR>
<FONT FACE=3D"Arial"><B> <BR>
</B></FONT><BR>
<FONT SIZE=3D"2"><FONT FACE=3D"Arial"> <BR>
</FONT></FONT><BR>
<FONT SIZE=3D"2"><FONT FACE=3D"Arial"> <BR>
</FONT></FONT><BR>
<FONT SIZE=3D"2"><FONT FACE=3D"Arial"> <BR>
</FONT></FONT><BR>
</BODY>
</HTML>


--Boundary_(ID_TYXwPq/a/fcq01j1BwLGtw)--

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects