Biotic homogenization

Humans have dramatically enhanced the ability of species to overcome natural biogeographic barriers to movement either through intentional transport and other colonization routes created by anthropogenic activities. By dissolving physical barriers to movement and connecting formerly-isolated regions of the world, human-mediated introductions have dramatically reshuffled the present-day biogeography of species. Our research in biotic homogenization focuses the processes by which species invasions and extinctions increase the genetic, taxonomic or functional similarity of two or more regions.  We investigate these processes at a variety of spatial scales for an array of taxonomic groups, and explore the associated ecological, evolutionary and social implications.

Recent lab publications in this area include:

Baiser, B., Olden, J.D., Record, S., Lockwood, J.L., and M.L. McKinney. 2012. Pattern and process of biotic homogenization in the New Pangaea. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 279: 4772-4777.

Pool, T.K., and J.D. Olden. 2012. Taxonomic and functional homogenization of a globally endemic desert fish fauna. Diversity and Distributions 18:366-376. PDF

Olden, J.D., Lockwood, J.L. and C.L. Parr. 2011. Species invasions and the biotic homogenization of faunas and floras. Pages 224-243 in Conservation Biogeography, ed. Whittaker, R.J. and R.J. Ladle. Wiley-Blackwell.