Dr. Paul Leisnham
Email: pleisnh@ilstu.eduStarting 1 Dec 2008:
Assistant Professor in Environmental Health
Department of Environmental Science & Technology
University of Maryland College Park
Graduate Assistantships Available! See here.
Current address:
Illinois State University,
PH (309) 438-3076
, FAX (309) 438-3722
My research centers on the population and community ecology of insects, but it also encompasses topics in global change ecology, invasion biology, conservation, and human health. Because human and ecosystem health are intrinsically linked, I am especially interested in species that are affected both by anthropogenic disruptions (e.g., climate change, urbanization, and agriculture) and that present social, economic, and health risks. I particularly enjoy studying invasive species because they provide a great opportunity to ask both applied and basic science questions. From a practical perspective, understanding the ecology of invasive species is vital for alleviating undesirable ecological (e.g., reductions or extinctions of native species) and health effects (e.g., disease risks), and to exploit their potential positive effects (e.g. biological control). From a basic perspective, invasive species provide a fantastic opportunity to study nonequilibrium systems and thus test hypotheses of how biotic interactions (e.g., predation, competition, and parasitism) affect all ecological units, from individual species through to ecosystem processes. I am currently examining the invasion biology of the globally important disease-vector mosquito Aedes albopictus and the mechanisms for its coexistence with biological competitors.
I did my MSc in Zoology with Dr. Ian Jamieson at University of Otago (New Zealand), where I worked on metapopulation dynamics, life history, and sexual selection of a flightless orthopteran, alpine tree weta (Hemideina maori). I then joined Otago's Department of Public Health to do my PhD on the relationship between land use change and disease-vector mosquitoes. My supervisors were Prof. Philip Weinstein, Dr. David Slaney, and Dr. Philip Lester. In 2005, I joined the Department of Biological Sciences at Illinois State University as a postdoctoral researcher. Here, I am mainly working on a project examining the invasion biology of Aedes albopictus under the mentoring of Prof. Steven A. Juliano. This project is funded by a National Institutes of Health grant and involves collaboration with colleagues at Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, University of Florida. My current research is focused on the roles of geographic variation and metapopulation structure as mechanisms for the coexistence of A. albopictus with its competitors.
Leisnham, P.T., Lounibos, L.P., O'Meara, G.F., Juliano, S.A. In review. Geographic divergence of competitive effect and response of the mosquito Aedes albopictus and the potential role of a noncompeting life-stage on its invasion success. Ecology.
Leisnham, P.T., Juliano, S.A. In review. Spatial and temporal patterns of Aedes mosquitoes in urban areas in Florida. Oecologia.
Leisnham, P.T. Vulnerable peoples and places. In review. Encyclopaedia of Environmental Health. Elsevier, New York.
Leisnham, P.T. and Slaney, D.P. 2008. Urbanization and the increasing risk from mosquito-borne diseases: linking human well-being and ecosystem health. In: De Smet, L.M. Focus on Urbanization Trends. Nova Science Publishers. In Press.
Leisnham, P.T., Sala, S.M., and Juliano, S.A. 2008. Geographic variation in adult survival and reproductive tactics of the mosquito, Aedes albopictus. Journal of Medical Entomology 45: 210-221. PDF
Leisnham, P.T., Slaney, D.P., Lester, P.J., Weinstein, P., and Heath, A.C.G. 2007. Mosquito density, macroinvertebrate diversity, and water chemistry in water-filled containers: relationships with landuse. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 34: 203-218. PDF
Leisnham, P.T., Lester, P.J., Slaney, D.P. and Weinstein, P. 2006. The relationships between landuse, temperature and mosquito density in artificial container habitats in the Kapiti-Horowhenua region, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 40: 285-297. PDF
Leisnham, P.T., Slaney, D.P., Lester, P.J. and Weinstein, P. 2005. Increased mosquito densities from larval habitats in modified landuses in the Kapiti region, New Zealand: vegetation, water quality and predators as associated environmental factors. EcoHealth 2: 1-10. PDF
Leisnham, P.T., Slaney, D.P., Lester, P.J. and Weinstein, P. 2005. Evaluation of two dipping methods for sampling immature Culex and Ochlerotatus mosquitoes from artificial containers. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 39: 1233-1241. PDF
Leisnham, P.T., Lester, P.J., Slaney, D.P. and Weinstein, P. 2004. Anthropogenic environmental change increases container-breeding mosquito productivity: a case study from New Zealand lowland swamp forest. EcoHealth 1: 306-316. PDF
Leisnham, P.T. and Jamieson, I.G. 2004. The relationship between male head size and mating opportunity in harem-defence, polygynous tree weta Hemideina maori (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae). New Zealand Journal of Ecology 28(1): 1-8. PDF
Leisnham, P.T., Cameron, C. and Jamieson, I.G. 2003. Life cycle, survival rates and longevity of an alpine weta Hemideina maori (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae) determined using mark-recapture analysis. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 27(2): 191-200. PDF
Leisnham, P.T, Jamieson, I.G. 2002. Metapopulation dynamics of a flightless alpine insect Hemideina maori in a naturally fragmented habitat. Ecological Entomology 27(5): 574-580. PDF
Last updated: June 2008