Expertise
Research Interests: Plant Ecology, Forest Ecosystems, Global Environmental Change, Biodiversity, Ecosystem Management and Restoration.
Current research:
- Global change impacts on forest dynamics & biodiversity
- Ecology and conservation of rare species
- Forest ecosystem management effects on biodiversity
- Forest regeneration, stand dynamics, and silviculture
- Patterns & mechanisms of grassland invasions by trees
- Influence of vegetation and land-use on biodiversity
We are a group of scientists and students from diverse backgrounds with a shared passion for ecology, and for plant communities and forest ecosystems in particular. We study how global environmental changes in climate, land-use (including forest management), biogeochemical cycles, ecosystem trophic structure, and invasions of non-native species affect biodiversity and the structure and function of terrestrial plant communities and forested ecosystems.
We are interested in conceptual questions rather than particular plant taxa or ecosystems; consequently, our studies examine diverse plant groups (e.g., trees, herbs, and bryophytes) in varied ecological settings (e.g., temperate conifer and deciduous forests, tropical dry forests, old-fields, and tree-grass ecosystems) and locations (e.g., eastern U.S., Midwest, and the Pacific Northwest; northwestern Mexico and southwestern U.S.; Central Europe). We often study plant-animal interactions to address the effects of animals on plants (e.g., deer herbivory) or the role of plants as a habitat for animals (e.g., ants or reptiles). Our research topics fall within several broad areas , with an emphasis on the following three themes:
- Global environmental change impact on plant communities
- Patterns and processes in plant invasions and migrations
- Forest dynamics & biodiversity: Management & restoration implications