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Projects
Influence
of white-tailed deer on patterns of biodiversity:
Growing deer populations
throughout eastern North America are having numerous social
and ecological impacts. I am broadly interested in understanding
the pathways and
mechanisms by which deer affect biodiversity.
Current herbivory research
projects include:
- indirect effects of deer on the
diversity and abundance of insect herbivores
and/or land snails
- the role of herbivore compensatory
responses in shifting the outcome of
interspecific competition
- land use history, deer, and their
effects on plant species composition and
community structure
- trophic cascades following the reintroduction
of top predators
- trajectories of plant communities
following release from browsing pressure.
Biotic
homogenization as a facet of global change
Ongoing species invasions and extinctions are changing biological
diversity in different
ways at different spatial scales. Biotic homogenization refers to
the process by which the
genetic, taxonomic, or functional similarities of regional biotas
or metacommunities
increase over time. It encompasses species invasions, extinctions,
and environmental
alterations, and the focus is on how the identities of species (or
genes or functional
groups) change over space and time.
Natural
history, ecology, and conservation biology of
Midwestern biodiversity
There is still much to learn
about the ecology of species and habitats throughout the
Midwest. The success of conservation and restoration efforts ultimately
depends on the
extent to which we understand the natural community of which we
are a part. I have broad
interests in natural history and conservation biology, and I like
to engage in a diverse
range of projects within this general theme. A few of these specific
projects and research
topics include:
- Assessing long-term changes in biodiversity
through resurvey work.
- The ecology and impacts of invasive
plants.
- Surveys of the vegetation and floristics
of regional natural areas
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