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Southeast RISCC Management Network: Plant Invasions in the tropics: lessons from the Caribbean
April 20, 2023 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Southeast Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change Management Network
Topic: Plant Invasions in the tropics: lessons from the Caribbean
Guest Speaker: Julissa Rojas-Sandoval
Date: Thursday, April 20th, 2023
Time: 1 pm EST
Registration link: Click here
Meeting ID: 996 5778 1770
Password: 622847
About the seminar: Understanding the role of invasive plant species in forest communities and how natives and invaders interact to shape the composition and structure of contemporary tropical forests is of critical importance to invasion ecology and land management. In this talk, I will present the findings of recent research on the ecology and biogeography of Caribbean invasions, evaluating interactions between native and invasive species on a variety of forest types across Caribbean islands. I will also discuss the role of human activities driving plant invasions on Caribbean islands as well as the relative importance of factors such as history and pathways of introduction, habitat preferences, and species traits on invasion success. I will conclude by stressing the urgent need to implement more effective prevention policies at all scales and to carry-out more studies evaluating patterns and mechanisms of invasion in the tropics, as well as recommendations for control and management of biological invasions.
About the speaker: Julissa Rojas-Sandoval is an Assistant Research Professor at the University of Connecticut. Julissa’s research program uses community and population-level attributes to evaluate the responses of natural and managed ecosystems to human-caused environmental changes. More information about Julissa can be found at https://rojas-sandoval.weebly.com/