Butterflies, big data and the multifarious stressors of the Anthropocene

Abstract:
Continuing reports from around the world suggest that insects are suffering reductions in population density and geographic range. What kinds of data lead to these conclusions, and how do we best model changes in insect populations that are notoriously variable in space and time. I will present a case study from California, which has a rich butterfly fauna affected by the many facets of global change, including habitat destruction and shifting climatic conditions. A multi-decadal study of butterflies across an elevational transect reveals both surprising resilience and the potential for loss of populations and species.

Biography:
Matt Forister got a BA in English from the University of San Francisco in 1995, served in the Peace Corps in Ukraine from 1995-1997, went back to school to pick up some science and math classes from 1997-1999, and received a PhD in Ecology from UC Davis in 2004. He was hired by the Biology Department at the University of Nevada, Reno, in 2008 where he has been ever since. He has been lucky to have great colleagues and amazing grad students who have worked on topics ranging from caterpillar immune systems to the systematics of neotropical moths, producing thus far around 100 publications and a couple of book chapters. His longest-standing collaboration is with his former PhD advisor, Dr Art Shapiro, on the long-term population dynamics of the butterflies honored on the pages of this website.