BIOL 438
Species Interactions Under Global Change Fall 2024
Division III
Cross-listed CAOS 438

Anthropogenic changes to the world’s ecosystems often have clear effects on the abundance and distribution of species. These effects, however, do not occur in a vacuum: changes in any given species’ presence, abundance, or behavior can cascade into large and surprisingly context-dependent effects on the interactions of other organisms. In this course we will examine competitive, mutualistic, and antagonistic interactions in the Anthropocene from the species pair to community scale. We will explore the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms underlying the outcomes of these interactions, examining patterns including phenological mismatch, species invasions, and anthropogenic land use change. Classes will focus on critical evaluation of evidence from the primary literature, drawing on examples from community ecology, disease dynamics, and global change biology.