SYMP 12
Advancing Ecological Theory for Conservation Biology
Wednesday, August 13, 2014: 8:00 AM-11:30 AM
Magnolia, Sheraton Hotel
Organizer:
Justin A. Kitzes, University of California
Co-organizer:
John Harte, University of California
Moderator:
Peter Kareiva, University of California, Los Angeles
The ongoing global biodiversity crisis continues to challenge ecologists to find ways to use their scientific knowledge to help prevent global losses of biodiversity. This symposium will highlight recent advances in theoretical ecology that have direct relevance to existing problems in conservation science, including the design of reserve networks, adaptive management, and the evaluation of extinction risk. The speakers will draw from a broad range of theoretical perspectives, including information and decision theory, food webs and network theory, scaling and phylogenetics, spatial macroecology, and metapopulation viability analysis. In addition to discussing ongoing theoretical developments, the symposium will also highlight a variety of potential applications of these theories to conservation and will discuss lessons learned from empirical cases in which theory has provided information relevant to management decisions. The symposium will conclude with a discussion of future directions for theory development as well as the identification of common knowledge gaps identified from the perspective of conservation practitioners.
