9714044 Silander This dissertation enhancement grant supports a US graduate student, Mr. Steven Pousty, working under the guidance of Dr. John Silander, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut, to conduct a study on a terrestrial isopod in the Negev Desert in Israel. Data will be collected on Hemilepistus reaumuri to determine the effect of spatial heterogeneity on dispersal and population dynamics. The individual and population data will be integrated into a simulation model which will allow Mr. Pousty to examine the feasibility of scaling from individual movement to larger spatial scales in heterogeneous environments. Dr. Moshe Shachak, of the Department of Biology at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev, will collaborate with Mr. Pousty on this project. This study will make an important contribution to the existing knowledge on the role that dispersal has in scaling organisms to their landscapes, and to our understanding of larger-scale patterns in landscape ecology. The grant will also provide support to enable a promising student to establish a strong, independent research career. ***
