The ecological and evolutionary dynamics of species' borders

All species are distributed in space -- but within limits. Understanding the factors determining range limits is a central concern in both ecology (Lawton et al. 1994, e.g., the study of invasions, Lodge 1993) and evolutionary biology (e.g., faunal responses to environmental fluctuations, Graham et al. 1996). There is rapidly growing interest in the ecology and evolution of species' borders (e.g., Stevens and Fox 1991, Hoffmann and Blows 1994, Gaston 1996, Kirkpatrick and Barton, in press, Holt and Gomulkiewicz, in press). This working group will focus on theoretical studies of species' borders, the integration of models with analyses of empirical patterns, and the blending of ecological and evolutionary perspectives.