Monday, August 2, 2010: 10:15 AM-11:30 AM
317-318, David L Lawrence Convention Center
SS 5 - Anthropogenic Landscape Transformations and Infectious Disease Dynamics
Anthropogenic changes to the environment have been suggested as drivers of disease propagation and disease emergence, but we are far from understanding the risks they pose to wildlife, livestock and human populations. One well-studied example suggests that landscape fragmentation contributes to the spread of Lyme disease. Other potential drivers include deforestation, livestock development and road construction which affect population sizes and the contact between susceptible populations. Resultant changes in biodiversity are expected to also affect disease propagation. Climate change is expected to alter vector population ranges and thus malaria and other vector-borne disease prevalence rates. This session will bring together landscape ecologists, and disease ecologists to discuss the models and data that drive these hypotheses in an attempt to understand the risk associated with landscape change. Each speaker has employed a different set of methodologies to understanding the link between landscape and disease. The session will be divided in to two parts: first, presenters will explore a particular facet of landscape transformation and how it has impacted the local disease profile. A discussion will follow to determine a set of guiding principles which suggest where these factors may be suitably applied towards understanding disease ecology.
Organizer:	Ilana Brito, Earth Institute, Columbia University
Moderator:	Ilana Brito, Earth Institute, Columbia University
Speakers:	Douglas G. Goodin, Kansas State University Felicia Keesing, Bard College Leslie A. Real, Emory University William K. Reisen, School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis

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See more of The 95th ESA Annual Meeting (August 1 -- 6, 2010)