Biologist addresses global diversity in mountain ecosystems

RELEASED: November 21, 2007

DANVILLE, KY—"One of the greatest issues of our time is the massive erosion of the variety of life in our landscapes locally and globally," writes Dr. Kerry Rabenold of Purdue University. Mountain ecosystems are particularly critical, he says, because individual populations often exist in microclimates created by elevation, or "altitudinal zones." Species that adapt to these altitudinal zones are often isolated and limited to a very small range, and as a result are particularly vulnerable to extinction.

Through discussion and slides, Rabenold will explore some of the global environmental threats and strategies for conserving life in these areas. This discussion is free and open to the public and will be held on Monday, Nov 26, at 7 p.m. in Vahlkamp Theatre on Centre's campus.
Through his research in Costa Rican mountain rainforests and the southern Appalachian Mountains of the United States, Rabenold works to increase understanding of the special requirements for conservation in these regions and the effectiveness of current conservation practices.

"We are also studying communities in the Great Smoky Mountains to compare 'beta-diversity' (the compared level of diversity between the two ecosystems) of birds along altitudinal gradients in the tropics to that of the temperate zone, and to understand the resilience of high-elevation communities to chemical and biological pollution," he says.

In addition to the convocation, Rabenold will be giving a biology seminar talk on Tuesday, Nov 27, at 4 p.m. in Young Hall Room 202. His talk is titled "Prospects for Change in Cloud Forest Bird Communities of Costa Rica."  

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