Ottar Bjornstad, Ph.D.

Department Focus Areas:

Disease Ecology and Biology
Ecological Applications

Research Interests:

Population ecology and population dynamics with particular emphasis on mathematical and computational aspects

Research Activities & Interests:

My main interests are population ecology and population dynamics with particular emphasis on mathematical and computational aspects. I am also an adjunct professor in statistics and carry out research in statistical ecology and in methods for analyzing spatiotemporal data. 

Selected Publications:

For a complete listing use google.scholar.com

Bjornstad, O.N. 2015. Nonlinearity and chaos in ecological dynamics revisited. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA 112(20): 6252–6253

Greischar, M.A., Read, A.F. and Bjørnstad, O.N. 2014. Synchrony in malaria infections: How intensifying within-host competition can be adaptive.  American Naturalist 183: E36–E49.

Nelson, W.A., Bjornstad, O.N. and Yamanaka, T. 2013. Recurrent insect outbreaks caused by temperature-driven changes in system stability.  Science 341: 796-799.

Yamanaka, T., Nelson, W.A., Uchimura, K. and Bjørnstad, O.N. 2012. Generation separation in simple structured life-cycles: models and 48 years of field data on a tea tortrix moth. American Naturalist 179: 95-109.

Metcalf, C.J.E., Graham, A.L., Huijben, S., Barclay, V.C., Long, G.H.,  Grenfell, B.T., Read, A.F. and Bjørnstad, O.N. 2011. Partitioning regulatory mechanisms of within-host malaria dynamics using the effective propagation number. Science 333: 984-988.

Lavine, J., King, A.A. and Bjornstad, O.N. 2011. Natural immune boosting in pertussis dynamics and the potential for long-term vaccine failure. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA 108: 7259-7264.

Bjørnstad, O.N., Robinet, C. and Liebhold, A.M. 2010. Geographic variation in north american gypsy moth cycles: subharmonics, generalist predators and spatial coupling. Ecology 91:106-118.

Johnson, D.M., Liebhold, A.M., Tobin, P.C and Bjørnstad, O.N. 2006. Allee effects and pulsed invasion by the gypsy moth. Nature 444: 361-363.

Bjørnstad, O.N., Peltonen, M., Liebhold, A.M. & Baltensweiler, W. 2002. Waves of larch budmoth outbreaks in the European alps. Science 298: 1020-1023.

Bjørnstad, O.N. & Grenfell, B.T. 2001. Noisy clockwork: time series analysis of population fluctuations in animals. Science 293: 638-643.

Bjørnstad, O.N., Sait, S.M., Stenseth, N.C., Thompson, D.J. & Begon, M. 2001. Coupling and the impact of specialised enemies on the dimensionality of prey dynamics. Nature 401: 1001-1006.