Ralph Riley to Speak on Rainforest Ecology Oct. 1 at Western

Ralph Riley, formerly of the University of the South Pacific, will discuss his research on the ecology of Fiji’s rainforests as part of the Western Washington University Huxley College of the Environment Speaker Series at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct.1 in Communications Facility 120 on the Western Washington University campus.

The presentation is free and open to the public.

Bryophytes are non-flowering, non-vascular plants that are poorly known compared to vascular plants but play outsized roles in species richness and ecosystem services. In his talk titled “Tropical Rainforest Ecology Research in Fiji,” Riley will describe a research project he completed with the help of master’s-degree student Mereia Tabua Katafono. The first of its kind in Fiji, the study focused on environmental factors that influence the distribution of bryophytes growing on tree stems in the island nation’s tropical rainforests.

Riley holds a bachelor’s degree in Forest Management from the University of Washington and a doctorate in Ecology from Stanford University. A former faculty member at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji, Riley has extensive ecological research experience in North and South America and the Pacific.

The presentation will include a question-and-answer period. Anyone interested in the topic is encouraged to attend and participate.

The Huxley College Speaker Series, sponsored by Western’s Huxley College of the Environment, is intended to bring together environmentally-minded members of the WWU and Bellingham communities. Speakers address topics of contemporary environmental concern in the region and the world.

WWU’s Huxley College of the Environment is one of the oldest environmental colleges in the nation and a recognized leader in producing the next generation of environmental professionals and stewards. Huxley’s distinctive, interdisciplinary curriculum reflects a broad view of the physical, biological, social, and cultural world, and has earned international recognition for quality.

For more information, please contact WWU’s Huxley College of the Environment at (360) 650-2554.