Richard B. Primack
Biological communities are currently being transformed by human activities.
The current focus of my research is to determine the impact of climate change
on the flowering times of plants and the spring arrival of birds. Flowering
times are one of the most sensitive indicators of climate change, and flowering
times are correlated with other plant characteristics. As the timing
of plant flowering, bud burst, fruiting, and leaf drop change, time-sensitive
community interactions, such as pollination, herbivory, and seed dispersal,
will also change. The main geographical focus is Concord, Massachusetts,
due to the availability of extensive flowering records kept by Henry David
Thoreau and later naturalists. We are also using Concord as a living
laboratory to determine which species are the most sensitive indicators of
climate change, how invasive species are affecting plant communities, and
the population dynamics of native plant species. Another ongoing activity
involves producing conservation biology textbooks and allied materials in
English and other languages.
For more information on the Conservation Biology Translation Project, please visit http://people.bu.edu/primack.
Outside positions include: PAST-President of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation; and Editor for the journal Biological Conservation.
