Gary E. Belovsky

Professor, Gillen Chair and Director University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center

University of Notre Dame

Bio:

Gillen Director, Environmental Research Center, and Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 2001-Present

  • Professor, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Utah State University, Logan, UT 1993-2001
  • Associate Professor, Department of Fisheries & Wildlife, Utah State Univ., Logan, UT 1992-1993
  • Associate Professor, School of Natural Resources and Department of Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 1985-1991
  • Research Associate, Department of Zoology, University of New South Wales, Australia 1988-1989
  • Assistant Professor, School of Natural Resources, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, M 1980-1985
  • Research Associate, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 1978-1983
  • Harvard Junior Fellow, Harvard Society of Fellows, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 1976-1980
  • Harvard University Zoology Ph.D. 1980
  • Yale University, School of F&ES Ecology M.F.S. 1974
  • University of Notre Dame Business, summa cum laude B.B.A. 1972

Research Specialties:

Population and Community ecology

Conservation biology

Theoretical ecology

Experimental ecology

Behavioral/physiological ecology

Ecosystem ecology

Title: The Other Great Salt Lake: the Value of Benthos

10:50am - Wednesday, May 11th

Abstract: The Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Project (GSLEP) has focused on the limnetic (sunlit open waters) food web (phytoplankton, brine shrimp and grebes), as a source of economic and conservation value. As this ecological information was attained, it became apparent that the benthic (sunlit shallow bottoms) food web (bioherms, brine fly larvae and other birds) also is important. GSLEP originally considered the limnetic food web as ecologically independent of the benthic food web. Preliminary data now suggests that benthic and limnetic species may respond differently to temperature and salinity. Consequently, the two food webs may be linked, especially in summer months when phytoplankton production is low and brine shrimp may have to “graze” less efficiently on the poorer nutritional bioherm cyanobacteria to survive. This leads to the potential for competition for food between brine shrimp and brine fly larvae at this critical season. GSLEP is now progressing to investigate the benthic food web and its linkage with the limnetic food web.