Professor Emerita Carol Horvitz
EDUCATION:
Ph.D. Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. June, 1980
B.A. Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio. June 1972
CURRENT PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENT:
Professor Emerita, Biology Department, University of Miami.
CURRENT AFFILIATION:
Regular participant, Bill Morris' Lab Group, Department of Biology, Duke University.
Research:
My research is at the interface of empirical and theoretical ecology. I am a plant population ecologist with a deep interest in how plants cope with spatial and temporal variability in the environment. I am interested in currencies of population dynamics that link ecology to evolution: the stochastic growth rate measures fitness in variable environments and selection must act through it. I am also interested in applied questions; for example: what is the impact of biocontrol agents on the population dynamics of invasive species? The interactive process between theory and data is very rewarding and fascinating. I am a founding member of UM's Institute for Theoretical and Mathematical Ecology. I have broad knowledge of tropical plants and specialized knowledge of the animals (especially insects) that interact with the plants I study, including ants, butterflies, beetles and some avian seed dispersers.
Publications: (click here)
Teaching Interests: Ecology, Failure Time Analysis, Population and Community Theory,Tropical Trees
Philosophical observations: Every lifetime is a realization of a probabilistic or stochastic process. It is imperative to think stochastically to understand ecology in nature, including life histories of humans, plants and animals. Organisms ultimately experience time and space on scales much larger than I can measure. Modeling is essential.
Ph.D. Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. June, 1980
B.A. Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio. June 1972
CURRENT PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENT:
Professor Emerita, Biology Department, University of Miami.
CURRENT AFFILIATION:
Regular participant, Bill Morris' Lab Group, Department of Biology, Duke University.
Research:
My research is at the interface of empirical and theoretical ecology. I am a plant population ecologist with a deep interest in how plants cope with spatial and temporal variability in the environment. I am interested in currencies of population dynamics that link ecology to evolution: the stochastic growth rate measures fitness in variable environments and selection must act through it. I am also interested in applied questions; for example: what is the impact of biocontrol agents on the population dynamics of invasive species? The interactive process between theory and data is very rewarding and fascinating. I am a founding member of UM's Institute for Theoretical and Mathematical Ecology. I have broad knowledge of tropical plants and specialized knowledge of the animals (especially insects) that interact with the plants I study, including ants, butterflies, beetles and some avian seed dispersers.
Publications: (click here)
Teaching Interests: Ecology, Failure Time Analysis, Population and Community Theory,Tropical Trees
Philosophical observations: Every lifetime is a realization of a probabilistic or stochastic process. It is imperative to think stochastically to understand ecology in nature, including life histories of humans, plants and animals. Organisms ultimately experience time and space on scales much larger than I can measure. Modeling is essential.
Grad students
Kathleen Lemon Goodin, Causes and consequences of disease severity in a plant population infected by a fungal pathogen (M.S. Dec. 1989)
Ricardo Calvo, A demographic analysis of pollinator limitation and costs of reproduction in orchids. (Ph.D. 1990)
Josiane LeCorff, The significance of a mixed reproductive strategy (chasmogamy / cleistogamy) in Calathea micans.(Marantaceae). (Ph.D. 1992)
John Pascarella, The effects of Hurricane Andrew on the population dynamics and the mating system of the tropical understory shrub, Ardisia escallonioides (Myrsinaceae). (Ph.D. 1995)
Andrea Freedman, Non-thesis Master's (M.S. Dec. 1995)
Matthew Slocum, Reforestation in a neotropoical pasture: differences in the ability of four tree taxa to function as recruitment foci. (Ph.D. 1997)
G. Rob Burgess, Non-thesis Master’s (M.S. Dec 2002)
Rachel King, Seed dispersal by bats and recruitment sites of Calophyllum brasiliense in Amazonian rainforest in river meander successional areas. (Ph.D. 2003)
Derek Johnson, Metapopopulation dynamics of rolled leaf beetles in a neotropical rain forest: testing the steady state assumption of the incidence function model. (Ph.D. 2003)
Tony Koop, Population dynamics of an invasive exotic shrub, Ardisia elliptica, in southern Florida. (Ph.D. 2003)
Ron Lange. Specialization on bees vs. hummingbirds as pollinators of Fouqueriaceae in Arizona and Mexico (left program in 2004)
Douglas Scofield. Accumulation of somatic mutation in the branches of Delonix regia (Ph.D. 2004)
David Matlaga. The relative importance of reproduction by seed vs clonal reproduction in population dynamics and population spread (Ph.D. 2008)
John Cozza. Sex expression in a rainforest understory herb, Begonia urophylla (Ph.D 2008).
Carlos Garcia-Robledo. Ecology and evolution of diet expansions to exotic hosts in generalist and specialist rolled leaf beetles (genus Cephaloleia, Coleoptera; Chrysomelidae) (Ph.D. 2010).
Lucero Sevillano.The effects of two biocontrol agents on population growth and spread of an invasive exotic tree, Melaleuca (Ph.D. 2010).
Robert McElderry. Leafwing Population Dynamics (GENUS ANAEA, LEPIDOPTERA; NYMPHALIDAE) and Viability of the Endangered Florida Leafwing (Ph.D. 2015).
Andrea Westerband. Plasticity and ontogeny in dynamic environments: a case study of two neotropical understory herbs. (Ph.D. 2016)
Kelley Erickson. Spatiotemporal variation in frugivore assemblages and population dynamics of an invasive shrub, Schinus terenbinthifolius. (Ph.D. 2017)
Shayna Bernstein. Age by stage modeling of dynamic heterogeneity (Ph.D. 2017)
Ricardo Calvo, A demographic analysis of pollinator limitation and costs of reproduction in orchids. (Ph.D. 1990)
Josiane LeCorff, The significance of a mixed reproductive strategy (chasmogamy / cleistogamy) in Calathea micans.(Marantaceae). (Ph.D. 1992)
John Pascarella, The effects of Hurricane Andrew on the population dynamics and the mating system of the tropical understory shrub, Ardisia escallonioides (Myrsinaceae). (Ph.D. 1995)
Andrea Freedman, Non-thesis Master's (M.S. Dec. 1995)
Matthew Slocum, Reforestation in a neotropoical pasture: differences in the ability of four tree taxa to function as recruitment foci. (Ph.D. 1997)
G. Rob Burgess, Non-thesis Master’s (M.S. Dec 2002)
Rachel King, Seed dispersal by bats and recruitment sites of Calophyllum brasiliense in Amazonian rainforest in river meander successional areas. (Ph.D. 2003)
Derek Johnson, Metapopopulation dynamics of rolled leaf beetles in a neotropical rain forest: testing the steady state assumption of the incidence function model. (Ph.D. 2003)
Tony Koop, Population dynamics of an invasive exotic shrub, Ardisia elliptica, in southern Florida. (Ph.D. 2003)
Ron Lange. Specialization on bees vs. hummingbirds as pollinators of Fouqueriaceae in Arizona and Mexico (left program in 2004)
Douglas Scofield. Accumulation of somatic mutation in the branches of Delonix regia (Ph.D. 2004)
David Matlaga. The relative importance of reproduction by seed vs clonal reproduction in population dynamics and population spread (Ph.D. 2008)
John Cozza. Sex expression in a rainforest understory herb, Begonia urophylla (Ph.D 2008).
Carlos Garcia-Robledo. Ecology and evolution of diet expansions to exotic hosts in generalist and specialist rolled leaf beetles (genus Cephaloleia, Coleoptera; Chrysomelidae) (Ph.D. 2010).
Lucero Sevillano.The effects of two biocontrol agents on population growth and spread of an invasive exotic tree, Melaleuca (Ph.D. 2010).
Robert McElderry. Leafwing Population Dynamics (GENUS ANAEA, LEPIDOPTERA; NYMPHALIDAE) and Viability of the Endangered Florida Leafwing (Ph.D. 2015).
Andrea Westerband. Plasticity and ontogeny in dynamic environments: a case study of two neotropical understory herbs. (Ph.D. 2016)
Kelley Erickson. Spatiotemporal variation in frugivore assemblages and population dynamics of an invasive shrub, Schinus terenbinthifolius. (Ph.D. 2017)
Shayna Bernstein. Age by stage modeling of dynamic heterogeneity (Ph.D. 2017)
Visiting scholars and post-docs
Carmen Coll, Spain, Matrix models and dynamic control theory, Spring 2012
Orou Gaoue, Stochastic demography for structured populations applied to several tropical plant systems including harvest of non-timber forest products. 2008-2011.
David Matlaga, Developing the IPM for clonally-reproducing plants in a seasonal environment with variable light. 2008-2009
Luciano Lopes, Brazil, Modeling population dynamics of Abutilon, matrix and integral projection models, Spring 2007
Eduardo Mendoza, Mexico, Demography and life history of tropical understory herbs, 2004-2005
Marco Aurelio Pizo, Brazil, Seed dispersal by birds and ants, Fall 1997
H. B. Vasistha, India, Biodiversity in restored forest communities, 1997-1998
Orou Gaoue, Stochastic demography for structured populations applied to several tropical plant systems including harvest of non-timber forest products. 2008-2011.
David Matlaga, Developing the IPM for clonally-reproducing plants in a seasonal environment with variable light. 2008-2009
Luciano Lopes, Brazil, Modeling population dynamics of Abutilon, matrix and integral projection models, Spring 2007
Eduardo Mendoza, Mexico, Demography and life history of tropical understory herbs, 2004-2005
Marco Aurelio Pizo, Brazil, Seed dispersal by birds and ants, Fall 1997
H. B. Vasistha, India, Biodiversity in restored forest communities, 1997-1998
Current collaborations with
Shayna Bernstein
Julie Denslow
Carlos Garcia-Robledo
Tracy Johnson
Charlotte Lee
David Matlaga
William Morris
Ryan O'Connell
Floriane Plard
Shripad Tuljapurkar
Wenyun Zuo
Julie Denslow
Carlos Garcia-Robledo
Tracy Johnson
Charlotte Lee
David Matlaga
William Morris
Ryan O'Connell
Floriane Plard
Shripad Tuljapurkar
Wenyun Zuo