Mathematics in Geosciences, September 2001 - June 2002

Spring 2002

IMA Hot Topics Workshop:

Evolutionary Consequences of Invasions by Exotic Species

Description: Invasions of exotic species or genotypes pose a major biological threat to native biodiversity, food and fiber production, ecosystem functioning, and continued international commercial trade. While the ecology of these invasions has begun to receive considerable attention within the United States and internationally, understanding of the evolutionary dimensions of this problem remains rudimentary. Adaptation by an invader may exacerbate or mitigate adverse environmental effects, and the invader can induce evolution in native species resulting in greater or lesser environmental impacts. Moreover, many native communities have been so highly disturbed by human influences, that they cannot be considered in an evolutionary equilibrium. The non-equilibrium dynamics of invasions into such communities remains unexplored. In this symposium, some of these issues will be explored from mathematical and empirical perspectives. This program should be of interest to mathematicians and biologists, as well as postdocs and graduate students in these areas.

SPECIAL MINISYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE