On Thursday, October 23 @ 11am ET, join Cary Institute for a virtual scientific seminar by Dr. Aaron Sexton, Cornell University. The Urban Biotic Homogenization (UBH) hypothesis predicts that urban areas are ecologically homogenous at both intra- and inter-city scales. This hypothesis has played a central role in the field of urban ecology over the past two decades; however, the body of literature testing this hypothesis is mixed, with only roughly half of the studies finding support for it.
In this seminar, Sexton makes the argument that the UBH hypothesis has been overstated in both its magnitude and scope. He will present three core tenets of urban ecosystems which explain why the field should abandon the UBH hypothesis, including metacommunity dynamics, management practices, and variability in urban typologies. His argument will be supported by examples from the literature, followed by a series of research questions that can reinvigorate investigations into the relationships between urbanization and biological homogenization, as well as the applications that can arise from such research.
Free and open to all. Registration required via Eventbrite.
