Please use this URL to connect via Zoom: https://umass-amherst.zoom.us/j/93304323364. Audience members will be able to connect 5-10 minutes prior to the scheduled starting time.
Description
Invasive species rank among the greatest threats to ecosystems and communities--disrupting ecological dynamics, reducing biodiversity, spreading disease, and causing crop losses. Climate change is expected to magnify these impacts by facilitating the establishment and spread of invasive species. Understanding how these dual stressors interact is crucial for both the effective management of current invasive taxa and the proactive monitoring of future invasive species During her time as an NE CASC fellow, Dr. Annette Evans has used species distribution modeling and research syntheses to explore the effects of climate change on both invasive species hotspots and control. In this webinar, she will highlight both how climate change is projected to affect the extent of habitat suitable for abundant invasive plant populations and summarize the empirical evidence for temperature-driven shifts in the efficacy of biological control agents. These results can inform proactive monitoring and identify research gaps that are necessary for more effectively incorporating climate change into invasive species management, research, and policy.
About the Speaker
Annette Evans is an NE CASC Postdoctoral Fellow and a member of the leadership team for the Northeast Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change (RISCC) Management Network. She received a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut.
