SYMP 4
Understanding Temporal Trends of Biodiversity

Tuesday, August 11, 2015: 8:00 AM-11:30 AM
307, Baltimore Convention Center
Organizer:
Nicholas J. Gotelli, University of Vermont
Co-organizers:
Maria Dornelas, University of St. Andrews; Brian J. McGill, University of Maine; and Anne E. Magurran, University of St Andrews
Moderator:
Nicholas J. Gotelli, University of Vermont
An alarming body of evidence suggests that global biodiversity is threatened by a variety of anthropogenic drivers, including climate change, the spread of non-native species, deforestation, and overharvesting. However, several recent meta-analyses of high-quality biodiversity monitoring studies could not detect a consistent downward trend in biodiversity through time, although others studies have found evidence for biodiversity losses in specific systems. This symposium will attempt to reconcile and synthesize existing data and ideas. Invited speakers represent a diversity of viewpoints on biodiversity change through time. Specifically, we have invited some speakers who have published evidence that diversity is declining and other speakers who have published evidence that it is not. We have also invited speakers who work at small and large spatial scales and included one paleo-time speaker. We have also included speakers to present the theoretical context of this question.
8:00 AM
 Disentangling biodiversity trends in the Anthropocene
Maria Dornelas, University of St. Andrews; Nicholas J. Gotelli, University of Vermont; Anne E. Magurran, University of St Andrews; Brian J. McGill, University of Maine
8:30 AM
 Biodiversity across varying environments: Mechanisms of compositional stasis and change
Jessica L. Blois, University of California - Merced; Stephen T. Jackson, U.S. Geological Survey
9:00 AM
 Increases in the diversity of island faunas and floras following human occupation
Dov F. Sax, Brown University; Kyle C. Rosenblad, Brown University; Emily K. Longman, Brown University
9:30 AM
9:40 AM
 Detecting and attributing recent local biodiversity gains and losses in coastal marine systems
Mary O'Connor, University of British Columbia; Robin Elahi, Hopkins Marine Lab
10:40 AM
 Temporal turnover in marine assemblages in a rapidly changing world
Anne E. Magurran, University of St Andrews; Maria Dornelas, University of St. Andrews; Nicholas J. Gotelli, University of Vermont; Brian J. McGill, University of Maine; Faye Moyes, University of St Andrews
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