Dr. Ron Karlson

Professor

Contact

Karlson

Office: 323 Wolf Hall
Lab: 008 Wolf Hall

Mailing address:
Dept. of Biological Sciences
Wolf Hall
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19716

Office Phone: (302) 831-2794
Lab Phone: (302) 831-0200
Fax: (302) 831-2281
E-mail: rkarlson@udel.edu

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Education

B.A.: Pomona College
M.A., Ph.D.: Duke University
Postdoctoral: Johns Hopkins University

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Research Interests

We study the dynamics of ecological systems within the primary disciplinary areas of population ecology, community ecology, and evolutionary ecology. Using benthic invertebrates as models, we are currently investigating:

1. regional enrichment/saturation of coral assemblages
2. large spatial and temporal variation in the stability of coral assemblages due to recruitment and disturbance processes
3. optimal dispersal and brooding strategies in invertebrate populations

More about Dr. Karlson's research...

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Teaching

• BISC 312 - General Ecology Laboratory
• BISC 637 - Population Ecology

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Research Group

• Sean R. Connolly, Ph.D. - Senior Lecturer (James Cook University). Coral community ecology.
• Howard V. Cornell, Ph.D. - Professor (University of Delaware). Regional enrichment/saturation of coral assemblages.
• Terence P. Hughes, Ph.D. - Professor (James Cook University). Regional enrichment/saturation of coral assemblages and Large-scale coral ecology.
• Joshua A. Idjadi, M.S. - Graduate Student (M.S., Tulane University; M.S., California State University, Northridge). Positive interactions and coral species diversity.

Ron Karlson, Joshua Idjadi, and Howard Cornell

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Selected Publications

Idjadi, J.A. and R.H. Karlson. 2007. Spatial arrangement of competitors influences coexistence of reef-building corals. Ecology, 88:2449-2454.

Cornell, H.V., R.H. Karlson, and T.P. Hughes. 2007. Scale-dependent variation in coral community similarity across sites, islands, and island groups. Ecology, 88:1707-1715.

Karlson, R.H., H.V. Cornell, and T.P. Hughes. 2007. Aggregation influences coral species richness at multiple spatial scales. Ecology, 88:170-177.

Idjadi, J.A. and P.J. Edmunds. 2006. The role of scleractinian corals as facilitators for other invertebrates on a Caribbean reef. Marine Ecological Progress Series, 319:117-127.

Idjadi, J.A., S.C. Lee, J.F. Bruno, W.F. Precht, L. Allen-Requa and P.J. Edmunds. 2006. Rapid phase-shift reversal on a Jamaican coral reef. Coral Reefs, 25:209-211.

Karlson, R.H. 2006. Metapopulation dynamics and community ecology of marine systems. Pages 457-489 in Marine Metapopulations, J.P. Krizer and P.F. Sale, editors. Academic Press.

Connolly, S.R., T.P. Hughes, D.R. Bellwood, and R.H. Karlson. 2005. Community structure of corals and reef fishes at multiple scales. Science, 309:1363-1365.

Karlson, R.H., H.V. Cornell, and T.P. Hughes. 2004. Coral communities are regionally enriched along an oceanic biodiversity gradient. Nature, 429:867-700.

Karlson, R.H. 2002. Population processes in modular benthic invertebrates. Pages 255-282 in Reproductive Biology of Invertebrates. Volume XI. Progress in Asexual Reproduction, edited by R.N. Hughes, Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India.

Baird, A.H., D.R. Bellwood, J.H. Connell, H.V. Cornell, T.P. Hughes, R.H. Karlson, and B.R. Rosen. 2002. Coral reef biodiversity and conservation. Science, 296:1026-1027.

Callaghan, T.P. and R.H. Karlson. 2002. Summer dormancy as a refuge from mortality in the freshwater bryozoan Plumatella emarginata. Oecologia, 132:51-59.

Karlson, R.H. and H.V. Cornell. 2002. Species richness of coral assemblages: detecting regional influences at local spatial scales. Ecology, 83:452-463.

Karlson, R.H. 2002. Global, regional, and local patterns in species richness and abundance of butterflyfishes: comment. Ecology, 83:583-585.

Cornell, H.V. and R.H. Karlson. 2000. Coral species richness: ecological versus biogeographical influences. Coral Reefs, 19:37-49.

Karlson, R.H. 1999-hardbound, 2002-paperback. Dynamics of Coral Communities. Population and Community Biology Series, Volume 23. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

Karlson, R.H. and H.V. Cornell. 1998. Scale-dependent variation in local vs. regional effects on coral species richness. Ecological Monographs, 68:259-274.

Cornell, H.V. and R.H. Karlson. 1996. Diversity of reef-building corals determined by local and regional processes. Journal of Animal Ecology, 65:233-241.

Karlson, R.H., T.P. Hughes and S.R. Karlson. 1996. Density-dependent dynamics of soft coral aggregations: the significance of clonal growth and form. Ecology, 77:1592-1599.

Karlson, R.H. and L.E. Hurd. 1993. Disturbance, coral reef communities, and changing ecological paradigms. Coral Reefs, 12:117-125.

Karlson, R.H. and H.M. Taylor. 1992. Mixed dispersal strategies and clonal spreading of risk: predictions from a branching process model. Theoretical Population Biology, 42:218-233.

Karlson, R.H. 1988. Size-dependent growth in two zoanthid species: a contrast in clonal strategies. Ecology, 69:1219-1232.

Karlson, R.H. and J.B.C. Jackson. 1981. Competitive networks: a simulation study. Ecology, 62:670-678.

Sutherland, J.P. and R.H. Karlson. 1977. Development and stability of the fouling community at Beaufort, North Carolina. Ecological Monographs, 47:425-446.

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