clhom@ucdavis.edu
multidisciplinary research
current research in the biological invasions IGERT: what our students and faculty study
 |
History graduate student and IGERT fellow Teresa Sabol Spezio describes the history of California viticulture and impact of invasive diseases to a group of other IGERTers. |
underlying philosophy
Non-native species (including species whose natural ranges within the U.S. have been extended across natural boundaries by human activity) pose severe economic and ecological problems. Science is the appropriate foundation for efforts to address the problems of biological invasions: the structure and dynamics of ecological communities, together with the individual traits of species as shaped by natural selection, determine whether introduced species become invasive and how great an environmental impact they have. Accordingly, biology at the landscape, community, species, and molecular levels provides the cornerstone for research in the Biological Invasions IGERT. "Our environment cannot
be understood without looking at all the ways that human beings have tried
to make sense out of the world: literary, religious, social, economic,
scientific, political."
-- Professor David Robertson
However, the study of invasions inherently is multidisciplinary because of its human dimensions. A full understanding of invasions must include examination of patterns in trade, travel, and recreation that spread species far beyond their original home ranges, and the social patterns and economic pressures that further contribute to the introduction and spread of invasives. We also must understand how laws and policies can be used to combat the introduction of non-indigenous species. The design of strategies for remediating the problems of invasions must take into account the economic, social, institutional, and legal background against which these strategies will be implemented. The magnitude and distribution of costs, countervailing social pressures, and barriers to effective enforcement are all key ingredients in the formulation of effective policies.
 |
As a short-term IGERT fellow, Jonathan Gelbard demonstrated that roadless habitats provide a refuge for native plant diversity against invasion by exotics in non-serpentine California grasslands. |
Thus, the issues of when and how to address biotic exchange reach far beyond the usual bounds of scientific inquiry. An interdisciplinary program drawing on research in ecology, evolution, economics, law, transportation, and social sciences will allow our students to comprehend the multifaceted problem of biological invasions in a broad and deep way. Our program treats biological invasions as a "model" representative of global environmental problems that embody scientific, social, legal and ethical considerations, and will:
- give students a strong foundation for innovative research careers in a world where traditional disciplinary boundaries are increasingly being transcended;
- sensitize our students to the manifold nature of environmental problem-solving and that the capacity to use their scientific research results to formulate management recommendations and policy will be greatly enhanced by the incorporation of social, legal and/or economic perspectives.
current research in the IGERT
For information on specific research by students and faculty in the Biological Invasions IGERT, you may use Adobe Acrobat Reader® to download .pdf briefing statements listed below.- remote sensing: a
new method developed by Emma Underwood
- invasion resistance: theoretical work by Peter Chesson
- land use history and invasive plants: Kerri Steenwerth's web site
- marine species: see Jarrett Byrne's web site
- invasive agricultural pests: see the LTRAS web site
- see also research listings under individual trainees
You can find general information on research in the Biological Invasions IGERT within an excerpt in .pdf format from the original NSF proposal.
