Symposium Announcement

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The A. Watson Armour III Spring Symposium at The Field Museum

"Biological Invasions: Consequences and Ecological Restoration"  


On Saturday, April 12, 1997, The Field Museum will present the A. Watson
Armour III Spring Symposium, "Biological Invasions: Consequences and
Ecological Restoration."  This one-day symposium will gather international
and local scholars, environmental biologists and conservationists to discuss
the impact and consequences of invasive species -- plants and animals that
invade (or colonize) a new ecosystem. Freed from predators, diseases and
other factors that keep them in check in their original habitats, some of
these biological invaders wreak massive ecological and financial havoc and
are extremely difficult to control. 

Some exotic invaders have made their way to the U.S. by accident -- like the
Zebra Mussel, which is believed to have arrived in the ballast water of a
transatlantic ship. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service expects Zebra Mussels
to cause $5 billion in damages by the year 2002. Other "invaders" are simply
colonizing habitats made more favorable because of human-induced or other
changes to the environment (e.g., Brown-headed Cowbirds invading farmland
and agricultural fields). Still other exotics have been introduced
deliberately by humans -- for example, Purple Loosestrife and European
Buckthorn have escaped our gardens and now choke local wetlands and forests,
driving away native plants and wildlife.

The migration of species into new habitats has always been part of nature.
But the ever increasing ease of human mobility in the past 500 years, and
the accelerating pace of human-induced habitat changes, have radically
increased the numbers of species moving from one ecosystem to another.
Introduced species are changing the very fabric of many natural communities,
pushing already endangered species further toward the brink of extinction.
Exotic species are estimated to have contributed to the decline of 42% of
U.S. threatened and endangered species. Human interference has so amplified
the magnitude and rate of biological invasions that this important
evolutionary and ecological topic is now of great practical relevance,
especially in conservation and ecological restoration.

The symposium will explore the biological and ecological characteristics
that lead some species to become good invaders, the mechanisms through which
exotic species are introduced, and the efforts that have been developed to
control and manage "problem" species (see detailed schedule below). The
talks are open to the public and are aimed at professionals and students in
biology, ecology, anthropology, resource management and conservation
biology. The symposium is also designed for teachers, particularly at the
high school level, who are concerned with ecological, evolutionary or
conservation issues.

The morning sessions will examine global biological invasions and human
colonizations. Afternoon speakers will focus entirely on local invasions and
ecological restoration. A noontime workshop for Chicago area land managers
and volunteer stewards will focus on the biological riches of the Chicago
region, and the critical dependence of these communities on conservation and
restoration efforts. The symposium coincides with the first-year anniversary
of Chicago Wilderness, a massive regional effort to protect and celebrate
our rich biological heritage. Displays and activities in Stanley Field Hall
will focus on the juxtaposition of a large metropolis and globally
significant natural areas, and the concepts, practices and controversies
centered around ecological restoration.

Advanced registration is recommended and must be received by March 15, 1997.
The conference advance-registration fee is $30 ($15 students, $5 Volunteer
Stewards). After March 15, the registration fee will be $40 ($20 students,
$10 Volunteer Stewards). To register by mail, please send a check (please do
not send cash) made payable to The Field Museum. All payments should be
directed to Spring Symposium, The Field Museum, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore
Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605-2496. For more information please contact
Academic Affairs at (312) 922-9410 x559 or via e-mail at
<symposia@fmppr.fmnh.org>. 

The Field Museum's annual spring symposium is named in recognition of a
major bequest through the will of A. Watson Armour III. The Board of
Trustees of The Field Museum is deeply grateful to Sarah Wood Armour and her
late husband for their many years of generous support. Their civic
leadership and dedication to the advancement of culture and learning in the
City of Chicago serves as an inspiration to us all.

 PROGRAM SCHEDULE

The A. Watson Armour III Spring Symposium at The Field Museum

Biological Invasions: Consequences and Ecological Restoration

Saturday April 12, 1997

Morning Program

8:30-8:40	Introduction and Welcome - Peter Crane - The Field Museum
8:40-9:10	Mick Clout - University of Aukland, New Zealand
  Biological invasions and species survival
9:10-9:40	Carla d'Antonio - University of California at Berkeley
  Biological invasions as global environmental change
9:40-10:10	Joachim Kadereit - University of Mainz, Germany
  The evolution of plant invaders
10:10-10:20	Discussion led by Peter Crane - The Field Museum
10:20-10:40	Coffee Break
10:40-10:45	Moderator - Charles Stanish - The Field Museum
10:45-11:15	Lawrence Keeley - University of Illinois at Chicago
  The biological consequences of human migrations in antiquity
11:15-11:45	Alaka Wali - The Field Museum
  Invaders of the forests: implications of large-scale human colonization in
lowland Latin American forests
11:45-12:00	Discussion led by Charles Stanish - The Field Museum
12:00-2:00	Lunch

12:00-12:45	Plenary Session for Volunteer Stewardship Network
  Ralph Thornton- Forest Preserve District of Cook CountyMountains of ice,
oceans of grass: the relationship between geology and ecology
12:45-1:00	Plenary Session Q & A
1:00-1:45	Break-out Sessions for Volunteer Stewards

 Afternoon Program

2:00-2:05	Moderator - Shannon Hackett - The Field Museum
2:05-2:35	Bruce Patterson - The Field Museum
  Modern mammal assemblages from the Neotropics: legacies of the Great
American Biotic Interchange
2:35-3:05	Scott Robinson - Illinois Natural History Survey
   Habitat restoration and the problem of Cowbird parasitism  
3:05-3:25	Discussion led by Shannon Hackett - The Field Museum
3:25-3:45	Coffee Break
3:45-3:50	Moderator - Gregory Mueller - The Field Museum
3:50-4:20	Gerould Wilhelm - Conservation Design Forum, Inc.
  The weed and its place in the restored landscape
4:20-4:50	Ronald Panzer - Northeastern Illinois University
  Insect conservation within the biologically polluted Chicago area landscape
4:50-5:20	Ellen Marsden - University of Vermont
  Aquatic invaders and ecosystem change in the Great Lakes
5:20-5:45	Discussion and Closing Remarks by Peter Crane - The Field Museum
6:00-7:00	Reception for all participants