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Biomedical subjects

D Simberloff

Publications and source records attributed to D Simberloff.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Forecasting agriculturally driven global environmental change.

During the next 50 years, which is likely to be the final period of rapid agricultural expansion, demand for food by a wealthier and 50% larger global population will be a major driver of global environmental change. Should past dependences of the global environmental impacts of agriculture on human population and consumption continue, 10(9) hectares of natural ecosystems would be converted to agriculture by 2050. This would be accompanied by 2.4- to 2.7-fold increases in nitrogen- and phosphorus-driven eutrophication of terrestrial, freshwater, and near-shore marine ecosystems, and comparable increases in pesticide use. This eutrophication and habitat destruction would cause unprecedented ecosystem simplification, loss of ecosystem services, and species extinctions. Significant scientific advances and regulatory, technological, and policy changes are needed to control the environmental impacts of agricultural expansion.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2000

Global climate change and introduced species in United States forests.

Introduced species already cause billions of dollars of damage annually in United States forests, plus massive ecological damage whose economic value has often not been estimated. The variety of impacts is staggering and includes herbivory, predation, disease, parasitism, competition, habitat destruction, hybridization, and changed disturbance regimes and nutrient cycles. How global climate change will affect these impacts has scarcely been assessed. Range changes of existing introduced species will be prominent, as many species' biogeographic ranges are set primarily by climate. Similarly, some species that might otherwise not have survived will be able to establish populations in a changed climate. It is more difficult to predict what the impacts of the introduced species will be. What is most needed are studies of the combined impacts of changing climate, CO2, and nutrients. Certain aspects of the biology of introduced species, such as evolution and autonomous dispersal, greatly complicate the prediction of spread and impact of introduced species.

Ecosystem↗
PubMed2000

Eradication revisited: dealing with exotic species.

Invasions of nonindigenous species threaten native biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, animal and plant health, and human economies. The best solution is to prevent the introduction of exotic organisms but, once introduced, eradication might be feasible. The potential ecological and social ramifications of eradication projects make them controversial; however, these programs provide unique opportunities for experimental ecological studies. Deciding whether to attempt eradication is not simple and alternative approaches might be preferable in some situations.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1986

Gastrointestinal helminths of the northern bobwhite in Florida: 1968 and 1983.

We collected 153 northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) over a 10-mo period from Tall Timbers Research Station near Tallahassee, Florida, USA. Five species of gastrointestinal helminths were encountered commonly (greater than 30% prevalence): Cyrnea colini, Raillietina cesticillus, R. colinia, Heterakis isolonche, and Trichostrongylus tenuis. Other helminths included Brachylaima sp., Rhabdometra odiosa, Mediorhynchus papillosis, Cheilospirura spinosa, Dispharynx nasuta, Gongylonema ingluvicola, and Tetrameres pattersoni. During the intervening 15 yr since the last year-round study of this population of birds, C. spinosa and T. pattersoni have declined markedly, and Strongyloides sp. probably has become extinct locally. Prevalence and intensity seem more likely to fluctuate in parasite species that have complex life cycles.

Animals↗