BIOLOGY SEMINAR
4:00 PM SEMINAR
PHYSICS/ASTRONOMY AUD. A102
REFRESHMENTS IN FOYER 3:45 PM
AND FOLLOWING SEMINAR
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
“Climate Change Comes to Lake Wobegon:
The Future of Forests at the Prairie-Forest
Ecotone in Central North America”
Dr. Peter Wyckoff
Associate Professor
Department of Biology
University of Minnesota,
Morris
The transition from prairie to forest in central North America is ultimately determined by
climate, and famously, climate is changing. The paleorecord indicates that the location
of the prairie-forest ecotone has moved dramatically in response to changing climates
since the last glacial maximum. Predictions of the future location of the prairie-forest
ecotone, and the near term dynamics of ecotonal forests are, however, complicated by a
variety of factors, including the growing importance of invasive species and rapidly
rising populations of white-tailed deer. I will present recent results from my ongoing
research into the forces driving forest dynamics at the prairie-forest border, including
the impacts of rising CO 2 , a warming climate, and growing populations of deer, exotic
earthworms, and the invasive European buckthorn tree. In total, my research suggests
that adult trees are likely to be resilient in the face of environmental change, but that
the reproduction of native tree species may be insufficient to maintain ecotonal forests.
Host: Janneke Hille Ris Lambers
To request disability accommodations, contact the Disability Services Office at least 10 days in advance of the event.
206-543-6450 OR dso@u.washington.edu