Biodiversity Research Seminar Series (BRS)
BRS Lenore Fahrig: The role of dispersal in conservation: expectation vs. evidence.
October 19, 2022, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Zoom webinar recording link
https://ubc.zoom.us/rec/share/8Gv2s4iL08r89BXpaFMk7r-XsOnsd4bQC3ijvh1gXXNZWzEVwI2fQY5WCAmfDVvj.cdby4OHNKoiF946e
Passcode: *06rcB#y
host: Claire Kremen
Title: The role of dispersal in conservation: expectation vs. evidence.
Abstract:
Widespread adoption of the metapopulation concept has led to three expectations:
(1) weak dispersers are more sensitive to land use intensification than strong dispersers;
(2) fragmentation of habitat, independent of habitat loss, reduces biodiversity; and
(3) habitat fragmentation by roads strongly impacts wildlife populations. I review the
empirical evidence for these expectations. I conclude that in all three cases the evidence
is weak, and I summarize important implications for decision-making in conservation.
Dr. Fahrig's bio:
Dr. Fahrig studies the effects of landscape structure on abundance, distribution and
persistence of organisms. Landscape structure includes the amounts of various kinds
of land cover in landscape (e.g., forest, wetland, roads), and the spatial arrangement
of these cover types. Landscape sructure affects populations through its effects on
reproductions, mortality, and movement. Since landscape structure is strongly affected
by human activities such as forestry, agriculture, and development, the results of this
research are relevant to land-use decisions. A particular focus in my lab is on the effects
of roads and traffic on wildlife populations. Her lab uses a combination of spatial
simulation modelling and field studies on a wide range of different organisms.