DATE/TIME: Friday, March 1, 2024, 2:30 pm
Amy Savage
Rutgers University, Camden
Ants in an age of anthropogenic global change: Shifting dynamics and cascading consequences
The world is becoming increasingly warm and urban, with greater unpredictability in abiotic conditions in most ecosystems. At the same time, cities include a mosaic of habitats with varying levels of environmental stress. Arthropods perform many important ecosystem services and disservices in cities, yet we have a poor understanding of how anthropogenic changes – both local and global – influence their ecological and evolutionary dynamics. In this seminar, I will share research from my lab showing the ways that urbanization and climate change are affecting ants, one of the most dominant arthropods in urban ecosystems globally. I will also discuss the cascading consequences of these dynamics for humans and non-humans who live in urban and urbanizing environments.
Seminar Host:
Ben Lintner
Atmospheric Science Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University