John J. Stachowicz
Professor and Director, Center for Population Biology
jjstachowicz@ucdavis.edu
Evolution and Ecology
Office
4330 Storer
Degrees:
1998
PhD
University of North Carolina
1993
Dartmouth College
Biology
Research Contribution to Society:
Biodiversity is the variety of life-- from genes to species to ecosystems. My research examines the links between this diversity and the stability and productivity of coastal marine ecosystems. Human activities in the coastal zone are altering biodiversity in many ways, and natural processes cause variation in biodiversity from place to place and over time. Our work examining the consequences of diversity loss in kelp forests, estuaries, tidepools and seagrass beds allows for better conservation, management and restoration of these habitats. Our work on understanding the processes that maintain diversity also informs our ability to predict the consequences of invasion by exotic species for native ecosystems.
Research Interests:
Marine Community and Evolutionary Ecology
The unifying theme of my research is the ecological causes and consequences of biodiversity. I have found seaweeds and marine invertebrates to be particularly tractable experimental subjects and have conducted research involving a diverse suite of invertebrate taxa including corals, hydroids, crabs, echinoderms, polychaetes, ascidians, bryozoans, and gastropods. The main issues my research has focused on are the effects of species diversity on communities and ecosystems, the ecological consequences of genetic diversity, positive interactions and mutualisms, the ecology and evolution of decorator crabs, and biological invasions.
http://www.eve.ucdavis.edu/stachowicz/research.shtml
Awards:
Ecological Society of America, Mercer Award
UC Davis Chancellor's Fellow
Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow
College of Biological Sciences Faculty Teaching Award
Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award
Department and Center Affiliations:
Center for Population Biology
Bodega Marine Laboratory
Professional Societies:
Ecological Society of America
Ecological Society of America
American Society of Naturalists
CBS Graduate Group Affiliations:
Population Biology
Graduate Groups not Housed in CBS:
Ecology
Publications:
Last updated 7/21/2012
see http://www.eve.ucdavis.edu/stachowicz/publications.shtml for full list
Aquilino, K.M. and J.J. Stachowicz. 2012. Seaweed richness and herbivory increase rate of community recovery from disturbance. Ecology 93:879-890.
Hughes, A.R. and J.J. Stachowicz. 2004. Genetic diversity enhances the resistance of a seagrass ecosystem to disturbance. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 101:8998-9002
Hultgren, K. and J.J. Stachowicz. 2009. Evolution of decoration in majoid crabs: a comparative phylogenetic analysis of the role of body size and alternative defensive strategies. American Naturalist 173:566-578.
Stachowicz, J.J., R.J. Best, M.E.S. Bracken, and M. H. Graham. 2008. Complementarity in marine biodiversity manipulations: reconciling divergent evidence from field and mesocosm experiments. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 105:18842-18847.
Stachowicz, J.J., J.F. Bruno, and J.E. Duffy. 2007. Consequences of biodiversity for marine communities and ecosystems. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematic 38: 739-766. [-pdf-]
Worm, B. E.B. Barbier, N. Beaumont, J.E. Duffy, C. Folke, B.S. Halpern, J.B.C. Jackson, H.K. Lotze, F. Micheli, S.R. Palumbi, E. Sala, K.A. Selkoe, J.J. Stachowicz, and R. Watson. 2006. Impacts of biodiversity loss on ocean ecosystem services. Science 314:787-791
Edwards, K.F. and J.J. Stachowicz. 2010. Multivariate tradeoffs, succession, and phenological differentiation in a guild of colonial invertebrates. Ecology 91: 3146–3152.
Bruno, J.F., J.J. Stachowicz and M.D. Bertness. 2003. Incorporating facilitation into ecological theory. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 18:119-125.
Field Sites:
Bodega Bay (CA), Florida Keys, Long Island Sound (CT), North Carolina
Teaching Interests:
Ecology and evolutionary biology, Marine ecology, community ecology
Courses:
BIS
2B
Ecology and Evolution
EVE
115
Marine Ecology