LANL Environment Earth Day 2009

Dr. Howard Snell, 2009 Earth Day Speaker

Refreshments and music begin at 6:30pm

Evolution and Conservation in the Galapagos: A Window to Worldwide Patterns?

by Dr. Howard Snell

• Professor of Biology
  University of New Mexico
• Curator, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles
  Museum of Soutwestern Biology
  University of New Mexico
• Director of Science Programs (2003 – 2004)
  Charles Darwin Foundation, Galápagos, Ecuador

Dr. Snell has been invited to speak about Charles Darwin in commemoration of the bicentennial anniversary year of Darwin's birth. As part of a collaborative program in conservation biology between the University of New Mexico and the Charles Darwin Foundation, Howard Snell was at UNM for the fall semesters and at the Charles Darwin Research Station for spring and summer semesters.

As my career has developed I have found it rewarding to closely integrate what I do around my central interest in the interaction of evolutionary ecology and conservation biology. Thus I teach classes related to these themes - Conservation Biology, Herpetology, General Vertebrate Zoology, Graduate Physiological & Behavioral Ecology (a historic title, the content of the course is more Graduate Physiological and Evolutionary Ecology) and I seek graduate students interested in problems of evolutionary & conservation biology. My research attempts to identify the ecology behind adaptations in components of life history, reproduction, morphology, physiology and behavior, as well as patterns of spatial distribution; and then to discover how variation among organisms in those adaptations and patterns can be applied to conservation biology through the central management themes of restoration, mitigation, and protection. My most productive service activities combine what I’ve learned through teaching and research into direct contributions to communities concerned about reducing future losses of biological diversity.

Species of organisms go extinct when overall rates of reproduction are surpassed by rates of mortality. While extirpations of populations are also affected by immigration and emigration these factors primarily alter the rate of extinction at the level of species. Anthropogenic activity differentially alters rates of reproduction and mortality among species of organisms via three broad mechanisms: the alteration of habitat, the introduction of exotic species, and excessive levels of "depredation" (both intentional and incidental). I’m interested in basic research questions that can illuminate why naturally occurring species are differentially susceptible to these three types of anthropogenic activities and what ecological interactions are behind the differential effects that exotic species have on different naturally occurring species. I’m further interested in investigating how to efficiently apply results from such basic research to programs of ecological restoration, mitigation, and protection.

I’ve found the Galápagos Islands to be a perfect "model system" for pursuing these interests for several reasons. While much of the archipelago is far from pristine, it is often relatively easy to distinguish natural and altered biological patterns within the Galápagos. As in most archipelagos, the biological and anthropogenic systems are simple compared to continental systems, and different islands can provide useful "pseudo-replicates" that help clarify relationships. There is an established and respected collaboration between the management agency responsible for the biological diversity of the islands (the Galápagos National Park Service) and the scientific research community (lead by the Charles Darwin Foundation). Finally there is an impressive commitment by Ecuador and the international community to resolving conflicts between human activity and the conservation of biological diversity within the Galápagos, that commitment promotes experiments and research activity.

This event is sponsored by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC).