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Kim Cuddington

Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences

M.A. Philosophy, University of Guelph, 2001
Ph.D. Theoretical Ecology, University of Guelph, 1999

Phone: (740) 597-3098
Email: cuddingt@ohiou.edu

Research Interests:

Diffusion-limitation of Species Interactions Most methods of modelling population dynamics which consider spatial effects assume that, at least at small spatial scales, individuals are well-mixed and small-scale structure is unimportant. Previous theoretical work (Cuddington and Yodzis 2000, 2002) suggests that spatial structure in the environment, like the branching morphology of plants, may alter movement, predation, reproductive rates and ultimately, the dynamics, of predator-prey populations. The fundamental mechanism which causes these alterations appears to be the anomalously slow rates of displacement of randomly moving individuals in spatially complex environments. I'm testing whether this "diffusion-limitation" mechanism occurs in a well-controlled, yet realistic experimental system (the pea-aphid-ladybug beetle system).

 

Population Ecology and Environmental Variation Population dynamics of invasive and endangered species are fundamentally determined by environmental variation. However, most models of this variation are not descriptive of real environments. Environmental variation usually contains long term correlations which are not captured by a white noise model. I investigate the effects of this "noise colour" on population dynamics of single species and multiple species systems.

Ecosystem engineers Many important ecological relationships are non-trophic. For example, Spartina alterniflora alters current flow, sedimentation rates, and ultimately the tidal innudation height of those coastal regions where it occurs. However, almost all ecological theory regarding species interactions and population regulation ignore relations that occur via an abiotic medium. I, and my working group at NCEAS are engaged in developing and parameterizing models of "ecosystem engineers" in an effort to establish the importance of this pervasive phenomena.

 

Philosophy of Science: I am interested in the role of metaphor, such as the "Balance of Nature", in ecological thought and its role in shaping theory change.

Link to my: Curriculum Vitae

Link to my book Ecological Paradigms Lost (2005)

Courses:
BIOS 477/577 Population ecology , Spring 2007

Service:
Quantitative Biology Institute
Biological Sciences Social Committee
Biological Sciences Space Committee
Faculty Senate

Cuddington, K. Byers, J. Hastings, A. and W. Wilson 2007. Ecosystem engineers: Plants to protists. Elsevier/Academic Press, in press.

Hastings, A., Byers, J., Crooks, J., Cuddington, K., Jones, C., Lambrinos, J., Talley, T., and W. Wilson. 2007. Ecosystem engineering in space and time. Ecology Letters 10:153-164.

Byers, J.E., Cuddington, K., Jones, C.G., Talley, T.S., Hastings, A., Lambrinos, J.G. et al. 2006. Using ecosystem engineers to restore ecological systems. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 21:493-500.

Hastings, A., Cuddington, K., Dugaw, C., Elmendorf, S., Freestone, A. Harrison, S. Holland, M., Lambrinos, J. Malvadkar, R. Melbourne, B. Moore, K. Taylor, C. and D. Thomson 2005. The spatial spread of invasions: new developments in theory and evidence. Ecology Letters 8: 91-101.

Cuddington, K. and A. Hastings 2004. Invasive engineers. Ecological Modelling 178: 335- 347.

Cuddington, K. and M. Ruse 2004. Darwin, biodiversity and the fossil record. In Philosophy and Biodiversity. Markku Oksanen and Juhanie Pietarinen (eds.). Cambridge University Press.

Beisner, B., Haydon, D.T. and K. Cuddington 2003. Alternative conceptions of alternative stable states in ecology. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 1: 376-382.

Cuddington, K. and P. Yodzis 2002. Predator-prey dynamics and movement in fractal environments. American Naturalist 160: 119-134.

Cuddington, K. 2001 The 'Balance of Nature' metaphor and equilibrium in population ecology. Biology & Philosophy 16: 463-479.

Cuddington, K. and P. Yodzis 2000. Diffusion-limited predator-prey dynamics in Euclidean environments: An allometric individual-based model. Theoretical Population Biology 58: 259-278.

K.M.D. Cuddington, P.R. Leavitt. 1999. An individual-based model of pigment flux in lakes. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 56: 1964-1977

Cuddington, K. and P. Yodzis. 1999. Black noise and population persistence. Proc. Royal Soc. B. 266(1422):969-974. Can. J. Zoo. 72:1217-1226.