I seek to understand what controls plant distribution and abundance, with an emphasis on species interactions. One of my primary current projects is on the role pathogens play in natural populations of clovers on the California Coast. I also am studying the spread of porroca, a novel pathogen of coconut palms on the Carribean coast of Panama. For many of my research questions, I use biological invasions as a tool to study ecological processes. Exotic species, as perturbations to natural communities, give us an opportunity to study ecological and evolutionary shifts in response to new conditions or new interactions.
Exotic species are also a serious conservation issue.
Selected Publications Parker, I.M., and Reichard, S.H. 1998. Critical issues in invasion biology for conservation science. Parker, I.M. 1997. Parker, I.M., and Kareiva, P. 1996. Kareiva, P., Parker, I.M., and Pascual, M. 1996.