About the Department

Faculty

Graduate Program

Undergraduate Program

Courses

Seminars and Events

Useful Links

Resources

Employment Opportunities



EEB Home

Contact Information:

Phone: (612) 625-5700
Fax: (612) 624-6777
Email: wiggins@umn.edu

University of Minnesota
Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
100 Ecology Building
1987 Upper Buford Circle
St. Paul, MN 55108

Department Contacts
Support Staff
Research Associates
Department Directory

Donald N. Alstad

Professor, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior

Ph.D., University of Utah, 1978

Contact Information

Phone: 612-624-6748
Fax: 612-624-6777
E-mail: dna@umn.edu

Graduate Faculty Memberships

Ecology, Evolution and Behavior; Conservation Biology

Research Interests

• Microevolution and population biology of Black Pineleaf Scale Insects on Ponderosa Pine; effects of host genotype and physiology on scales; roles of selection, gene flow and drift on scale adaptation, host specificity and local differentiation.


• Distributional ecology of net-spinning caddisflies (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae); comparative functional morphology of filtering catchnets; dynamics of stream-born suspended particulates.


• Evolution and management of insect resistance to genetically engineered crops, especially management of European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) resistance to insecticidal crystal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis in transgenic corn.


• Demography and population dynamics of Peregrine Falcons


• Simulations and mathematical models of ecology and evolution for teaching and research.

Statement

My research explores questions at the interface of population ecology and evolutionary genetics. My doctoral work addressed the community ecology of stream caddisflies, but as a graduate student I also began a long-term study of scale insects and pine that led me deeply into population genetics. This interest in population structure and interspecific interaction has most recently turned me to the management of insect resistance in transgenic crops. Here, we manipulate spatial patterns of selection in relation to insect population structure to slow the evolution of resistance. I find it a fascinating blend of theoretical and applied research. Recently, I have also collaborated with Harrison B. Tordoff, analyzing the demography and population biology of Peregrine Falcons in the Midwest; our first joint paper is currently in review. The interests of my recent students have included resistance management, the effects of habitat fragmentation on plant mating systems and competitive ability, and the interaction of insects and their parasites.

Selected Publications

Alstad, D. N. and D. A. Andow. 1995. Managing the evolution of insect resistance to transgenic plants. Science 268:1894-6. Available online

Alstad, D. N. and D. A. Andow. 1996. Implementing management of insect resistance to transgenic crops. AgBiotech News and Information 8:177-181. Full Text in PDF Format.

Alstad, D. N. 1998. Population Structure and the Conundrum of Local Adaptation. Chapter 1 in Local Adaptation and Population Genetic Structure in Insect Herbivores, S. Mopper and S. Strauss (eds), Chapman & Hall, 449 pp. Full Text in PDF Format.

Andow, D. A. and D. N. Alstad. 1998. The F2 screen for rare resistance alleles. Journal of Economic Entomology (Forum Section). 91(3):572-578. Abstract in PDF Format.

Alstad, D. N. In press (2000). Basic Populus Models of Ecology. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. ~200 pp.

I am also the author of the Populus software for courses in ecology and evolutionary genetics. The latest Populus release is posted for download (gratis) at http://www.cbs.umn.edu/populus.

Full publications list in PDF format available here at http://www.cbs.umn.edu/faculty/AlstadDNApubs.pdf