Kristina Stinson

Harvard Forest, Harvard University

Primary Interests:

Invasive species effects, both plants and animals

HWA Objectives:

As a population biologist, I am interested in the demographics and spread of invasive species. The HWA is at the edge of its distribution in Massachusetts. These populations may be undergoing unique evolutionary and demographic interactions with populations at the heart of its current range. I am interested in collaborative studies with population geneticists, community ecologists, and entomologists that would address the following: 1) whether populations in Massachusetts are genetically and/or phenotypically distinct from those in NY, CT and more southern geographic locations; 2) dispersal and gene flow rates among populations; 3) biotic and abiotic differences among HWA infested sites; and 4) modeling the metapopulation dynamics and expected rate of expansion derived from potential interactions among populations.