NIMBioS Seminar Series
In conjunction with the interdisciplinary activities of the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS), a seminar series on topics in mathematical biology will be hosted at NIMBioS every other Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. (unless otherwise noted) in the Hallam Auditorium, Room 206, Claxton Building, 1122 Volunteer Blvd. Seminar speakers will focus on their research initiatives at the interface of mathematics and many areas of the life sciences. Light refreshments will be served in the 1st floor visitor breakroom beginning 30 minutes before each talk. Faculty and students from across the UT community are welcome to join us.
Time/Date: Tuesday, October 16, 2012, 3:30 p.m.*
Location:
Room 206, Claxton Building, 1122 Volunteer Blvd.
Speaker:
Dr. Keenan Mack, NIMBioS Postdoctoral Fellow
Topic:
Spatial dependence of positive and negative species interactions
Abstract:
When species feedbacks are negative, they can facilitate the maintenance
of diversity by favoring heterospecifics. The average strengths of these
feedbacks can predict the relative abundance of species within a
community, suggesting that feedbacks are an important driver of
community composition. When species feedbacks are positive, the
maintenance of these cooperative interactions requires mechanisms such
as spatial structure to prevent non-cooperative individuals from
invading. However, selection for increased dispersal can erode that
structure. I used spatially explicit computer simulations to test how
these dynamics depend on dispersal and interaction distance. Increasing
dispersal and interaction scale decreased the slope of the relationship
between average feedback and abundance. Likewise, the stability of
mutualism relied on the ability of mutualists to evolve shorter
dispersal than non-mutualists. These results show how the dynamics of
feedbacks depend on spatial structure.
*Join us for refreshments at 3 p.m. in the 1st floor visitor breakroom.
For more information about this and other NIMBioS Seminars, visit /seminars.
NIMBioS
1122 Volunteer Blvd., Suite 106
University of Tennessee
Knoxville,
TN 37996-3410
PH: (865) 974-9334
FAX: (865) 974-9461
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