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MoIP Webinar: Understanding Plant Invasions Using a Traits-based Framework

January 30 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm UTC-6

Soil with roots by Wylius from Getty Images

The ability to forecast the invasive dynamics (e.g., establishment and impacts) of non-native plants is of critical importance to the prevention and mitigation of biological invasions. Over the last 30 years, significant work has been dedicated to identifying species traits that are generalizable enough to consistently predict which species are likely to become successful invaders. Species traits are a useful framework for characterizing invasiveness, as they are measurable proxies for mechanisms involved in resource acquisition, dispersal and reproduction, indicating how an organism interacts with others and its surrounding environment. However, despite an extensive body of research dedicated to this purpose, scientists still lack a reliable framework for traits-based invasion forecasting. In this webinar, hear from Dr. Gabriela Nunez-Mir to learn about her research to resolve this critical gap in invasion theory and practice. Her presentation will explore how her research program addresses the limitations of previous efforts by approaching the study of mechanisms of invasion and their associated species traits macroecologically, which involves investigating the dynamics of hundreds of invasive plant species in different ecosystems across the continental United States.

This free webinar, to be held via Zoom, will include a presentation and a live question-and-answer session. The webinar will be recorded, with a link to the recording sent to all registrants and posted to the MPF YouTube channel.

Cost: Free

Register here

 

If you have questions about registration, contact outreach@moprairie.org.

Dr. Gabriela Nunez-Mir is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. As a quantitative ecologist, her research focuses on leveraging the wealth of knowledge held within large bodies of ecological data to investigate the dynamics of biological invasions and other subjects of conservation concern. The innovative statistical techniques she employs, including machine-learning, Bayesian and geospatial methods, have allowed Gabriela to produce findings that are uniquely useful in that they are broadly applicable across geographic and taxonomic contexts. Gabriela obtained her Ph.D. from the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources at Purdue University in 2018. Prior to joining the faculty of UIC in 2022, Gabriela was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Virginia Commonwealth University, studying the range dynamics of spongy moth (Lymantria dispar).

 

Photo by by Wylius from Getty Images

Details

Date:
January 30
Time:
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm UTC-6
Event Category:

Venue

Online Zoom Webinar
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