Speaker: Maria Newcomb, UW Department of Plant Pathology
Abstract: The reductionist scientific approach has often been followed to increase our understanding of minimally- and intensively-managed systems for purposes of making informed management decisions. My doctoral research is on the dynamics of a host-pathogen interaction in a minimally-managed woodland system. This and other pathosystems could potentially be described as complex, chaotic, and/or poorly understood. I will present results from observational and manipulative studies on the interaction between a rust pathogen and its gooseberry hosts. Our hope is that results of individual experiments can be combined to build a better understanding of the whole system to better inform management decisions. We also recognize that features of complex and chaotic systems may either limit our abilities to put the parts together to understand the whole, or at least challenge us to interpret the combined results carefully. At the end of the talk I will invite the audience to participate in a discussion about the benefits and limitations of the reductionist experimental approach in complex plant-pathogen systems.