Dr. Erica Stubbier will give an invited talk titled, "The 'Evolution' of Multi-Scale Studies in Ecology". She is an Assistant Unit Leader at the USGS Utah Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit in the Department of Wildland Resources at Utah State University.

Event Date and Time: Tuesday, April 6, 2021 @ 3:30PM

Location: Zoom Webinar

Abstract

Every study inherently includes the selection of relevant scales, biological (individuals or communities?), temporal (daily or annually?), and spatial (local or landscape?), at which to address our questions of interest. Our ability to uncover causal mechanisms and make reliable inferences depends fundamentally on the alignment of the scales of observation, analysis, and generating processes, such that selecting the appropriate scale(s) is a critical component of study design. Ideally, our analyses should represent the mechanistic forces driving ecological processes. In many wildlife studies, this includes variables that best represent critical habitat resources and factors limiting population growth. Without relevant information regarding a species’ biology, or grain of perception, how do we decide at what scales these critical variables influence the response of interest? Studies investigating ‘scales of effect’ involve the explicit consideration of explanatory variables measured at more than one spatial and/or temporal scale, attempting to identify and estimate relationships from within relevant scales. Such studies have evolved over time in both their theoretical (e.g., species’ characteristic scales, scaling laws) and methodological (e.g., degree of scale flexibility allowed, collinearity) considerations. Here, we discuss these evolutions and imagine possible trajectories for future multiscale scale of effect studies to chart a path towards a predictive framework for identifying scales of effect and understanding their biological evolution over time.

Please Register Here: bit.ly/3c7JNFp