How environmental changes can impact spatial growth and spread: From the small to large scale

Organizers:

Diana White (Clarkson University)

Description:

Many factors contribute to environmental shifts that alter species location and abundance. On the flip side, changes in species location and abundance can influence how a surrounding environment changes. In this minisymposium, we will explore the dynamics of populations (at both small and large scale) and explore how such species grow and move in spatially structured environments, as well as explore how changes in an environment can affect species growth and movement. At the microbial level, we study how spatial structure can alter bacteria growth and movement in a lab, and explore how microbial communities living within small brine pockets within sea ice impact the biological productivity of these polar regions. At the large scale, we look at how certain invasive aquatic and terrestrial plants grow, and how their growth and spatial spread can be altered by changes in their environment. This session emphasizes data collection from field work and lab experiments in combination with model analysis and simulation.