This research concerns the development of mathematical models integrating demographic and genetic mechanisms affecting the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of biological communities, including speciation, extinction, and phenotypic differentiation among populations and species. Research on these processes is usually pursued by independent investigators and relatively little effort has been made to understand their interactions. Integrating population demography with population genetic theory will be performed by employing established mathematical methods for describing and analyzing processes incorporating both deterministic and random components. The models will be applied to analyze data on several different groups of animals and plants using a variety of statistical methods.
Improved knowledge of community dynamics and diversification is increasingly important as human population increases, with concomitant destruction and fragmentation of natural habitats, and consequent loss of biodiversity. The ability of societies to preserve and restore mechanisms generating and maintaining biological diversity will significantly impact quality of both human and animal life in the coming decades and centuries. This research includes a substantial training component for graduate students, and a network of national and international collaborators. Results of the research will be widely disseminated in public lectures, peer-reviewed scientific publications, and educational materials for undergraduate and graduate students.
