Levins' metapopulation model has been extended in numerous ways. Here we analyze a model in which species have distinct colonization rates that depend on which species previously occupied the patch. […]

Abstract. Modern coexistence theory employs mutual invasibility as a coexistence criterion and mean growth rate when rare as an invasibility criterion. When implemented as quantitative metrics, both criteria have shortcomings: […]

Stephen Ellner (Cornell), Peter Adler (Utah State), Giles Hooker (Cornell), Robin Snyder (Case Western): An invitation to spatial coexistence theory. Abstract: Previously in this series Sebastian Schreiber reviewed stochastic coexistence […]

Abstract: Niche Theory has traditionally focused on competitive interactions. In this talk, we propose a general framework that expands the theory to positive interactions, such as facilitation and mutualism, using […]

Abstract: Models of microbial interactions have been developed in recent years, drawing from taxonomic abundances via amplicon sequencing. Many of these models assume that dynamics through time are primarily driven […]

Abstract: Why are there so many animals? According an old idea, it is because there are so many different possibilities for life to adapt to. I’ll argue that it is […]

NOTE: Because of the asynchronous transition to Summer Time, the usual time of the seminar (9 a.m. Pacific) is one hour earlier in Europe: 4 p.m. London and 5 p.m. […]

Abstract: First, I present a method for calculating how average population densities respond to parameter perturbations when the dynamics are periodic, and show that this practical problem holds a strong […]

Note: The event takes place 3 hours earlier than usual, because of the location of our lecturer. He will speak at midnight, local time, even in this way. Abstract: Previous […]

Abstract The Shigesada-Kawasaki-Teramoto model (SKT) was proposed to account for stable inhomogeneous steady states exhibiting spatial segregation, which describes a situation of coexistence of two competing species. Even though the […]

Abstract: Ecological networks—how species interactions are organized within ecological communities—are highly structured, which has motivated generations of ecologists to elucidate how these structures affect species coexistence. Unfortunately, we still do […]

Abstract: Theoretical ecology has investigated a series of concepts from stability and complexity through biodiversity and ecosystem function to coexistence and tipping points for which empirical data typically plays a […]

Abstract: We investigate the idea that tropical biodiversity is maintained by a combination of niche segregation and niche sharing among species by asking whether tree species in Barro Colorado Island, […]

Abstract: For decades Lotka-Volterra community models have been used to try to understand how ecological interactions may drive community-scale properties such as species richness, network structure, and species abundance distributions; […]

Abstract: I’m interested in exploring the degree to which theory on ‘disordered systems’ to community assembly can be linked to statistical methods of pattern analysis. Here, I hope to describe […]

Abstract. Two grand challenges of our time are climate change and biodiversity loss. This talk focuses on the fundamental question of: to what extent can ecological theory help us understand the consequences […]

Science operates through a healthy feedback between theory and experiments. As an empiricist who uses theory for different purposes, I will begin by describing some barriers to more fully integrating […]