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email:  mlcody@ucla.edu
phone:  (310) 825-1327
office:  BOT 114
lab:  

research interests:  Community structure, determinants of diversity, density and distribution, interspecific interactions and adaptive morpho

Research Interests

My research is concerned with questions that I regard as central in ecology: What controls species' distributions and densities, and what are the determinants of the various components of species diversity? What are the factors that regulate community organization and structure, and what is the relative importance of biotic versus nonbiotic interactions in governing the limits of e.g. species' habitat ranges, foraging patterns, morphological attributes and other niche parameters? I try to answer these questions in four main areas of research. 1.In describing and interpreting the patterns of species diversity in continental bird faunas, I have worked most recently in NW Mexico, S Africa, and in SW Australia, and have been particularly concerned with elucidating the affects of the areal extent and contiguity of different habitat types in contributing to patterns of a- and b- diversity. 2.In investigating the statics and dynamics of plant populations on small continental islands off the British Columbia coast, I attempt to separate the constraints of specific habitat requirements from the biotic influences of competitors in contributing to species' incidence on and turnover within islands of various sizes. 3.In examining the structure of desert vegetation, I have studied the spacing patterns within and among the shrub species, and the extent to which plant growth form diversity is regulated by climate and contributes to diversity patterns within the vegetation. 4.In measuring interspecific competition, I have quantified direct interactions within and among bird species via territoriality, and have studied interspecific territoriality particularly among European sylviine warblers by relating species numbers to the habitat's resources. I also study the behavioral aspects of territoriality, including such products as convergently similar songs and plumage. My graduate students are broadly concerned with the same sorts of questions, from adaptive aspects of morphology and behavior to the ecology and biogeography of diversity and distribution, using a wide range of organisms from plants and invertebrates to the higher vertebrates, and capitalizing on the great variety of habitats within easy reach of UCLA.

Selected Publications

Cody, M.L.. 2002. The Unified Neutral Theory of Biodiversity and Biogeograpy (S.P. Hubbell, Princeton Univ. Press). Plant Syst. Evol 231: 259-260 .

Cody, M.L.. 2002. Growth Form Variations in Columnar Cacti (Cactaceae:Pachycereeae) In: T.Fleming & A. Valiente Banuet (eds.) Columnar Cact and Their Mutualists. The University of Arizona Press 8: 164-188 .

Cody, M.L. & Koehler, G.. 2002. Notes on Phyllobates lugubris O. Schmidt, 1857 in Nicaragua-Herpetozoa Wien 14 (3/4): 170-171 .

Case, T.J., Cody, M.L. and Ezcurra, E. (eds.). 2002. New Island Biogeography of the Sea Cortez Oxford University Press .

Cody, M.L.& Velarde, M.E.. 2002. The Land Birds. Ch. 10 in Case et al., New Island Biogeography in the Sea of Cortez Oxford University Press. Date 9/02 271-312 .

Cody, M.L., Rebman, J. Moran, R., & Thompson, H.J.. 2002. The Plants. Ch.4 in Case et al., New Island Biogeography in the Sea of Cortez Oxford University Press. Publish Date 9/02 63-111 .

Cody, M.L.. 2002. GNTP breeding bird monitoring project: the 2002 season 23rd Ann. Rep. NPS/UW Research Center .

Cody, M.L.. 2001. Bird diversity components in Australian Eucalyptus and north-temperate Quercus woodlands AUK 118: 443-456 .

Cody, M.L.. 2001. Patterns of endemism, distribution and density in the birds of Mediterranean-type ecosystems on two continents J. Medit. Ecolody 259-281 .

Cody, M.L.. 2000. Antbird guilds in the lowland Caribbean rainforest of SE Nicaragua Condor 102: 784-794 .