- This event has passed.
Biological stoichiometry of nutrient limitation in ecology and evolution
February 8, 2017 @ 3:10 pm - 4:00 pm
Dr. James Elser, Director of the Flathead Lake Biological Station, Bierman Professor, University of Montana
Wed. Feb 8, 2017 | 3:10 pm | PACCAR Bldg (PETB) Room 202
Biological stoichiometry is the study of the balance of energy and multiple chemical elements in living systems. This talk will introduce some of the basic principles of stoichiometric theory and apply them to understanding the occurrence and impact of nutrient limitation in ecological and evolutionary settings. Finally, the talk will deal with how nutrient limitation might itself shape the sustainability of human society, focusing on issues related to phosphorus and its role in agriculture and water quality.
Dr. Elser’s research focuses on both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and biota, and uses an evolutionary perspective to integrate levels of organization from the molecule and cell to the ecosystem. His current work focuses on Flathead Lake as well as mountain lakes of western Montana and western China.
Dr. Elser retains a research faculty appointment at Arizona State University where he is the Director of the Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance and co-PI on the NSF project Living with Locusts. He currently serves as the Past-President of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), the world’s largest and most important aquatic sciences professional association.
CEREO Seminar
MtnSEON UI Co-sponsor