A5079959811- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Plant and animal studies
- Botany, Ecology, and Taxonomy Studies
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Tree-ring climate responses
- Marine and fisheries research
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Allelopathy and phytotoxic interactions
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Archaeology and Natural History
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Plant Ecology and Soil Science
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Seed Germination and Physiology
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- African Botany and Ecology Studies
- Cryospheric studies and observations
University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh
2021-2024
University of Wisconsin–Madison
2015-2020
Baptist Bible College
2020
Pápa Reformed Theological Seminary
2020
Charleston Southern University
2020
University of New Mexico
2011-2019
Eastern Illinois University
2009-2010
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2008-2010
Humans dominate many important Earth system processes including the nitrogen (N) cycle. Atmospheric N deposition affects fundamental such as carbon cycling, climate regulation, and biodiversity, could result in changes to primary production. Both modelling experimentation have suggested a role for anthropogenically altered increasing productivity, nevertheless, current understanding of relative strength with respect other controls on production edaphic conditions is limited. Here we use an...
Abstract Exotic species dominate many communities; however the functional significance of species’ biogeographic origin remains highly contentious. This debate is fuelled in part by lack globally replicated, systematic data assessing relationship between provenance, function and response to perturbations. We examined abundance native exotic plant at 64 grasslands 13 countries, a subset sites we experimentally tested responses two fundamental drivers invasion, mineral nutrient supplies...
Invasions have increased the size of regional species pools, but are typically assumed to reduce native diversity. However, global-scale tests this assumption been elusive because focus on exotic richness, rather than relative abundance. This is problematic low invader richness can indicate invasion resistance by community or, alternatively, dominance a single species. Here, we used globally replicated study quantify relationships between and abundance in grass-dominated ecosystems 13...
Abstract Heterogeneity is increasingly recognized as a foundational characteristic of ecological systems. Under global change, understanding temporal community heterogeneity necessary for predicting the stability ecosystem functions and services. Indeed, spatial commonly used in alternative stable state theory predictor therefore an early indicator regime shifts. To evaluate whether species composition predictive communities, we analyzed 68 data sets spanning freshwater terrestrial systems...
Global environmental change is altering temperature, precipitation patterns, resource availability, and disturbance regimes. Theory predicts that ecological presses will interact with pulse events to alter ecosystem structure function. In 2006, we established a long-term, multifactor global experiment determine the interactive effects of nighttime warming, increased atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition, winter on plant community aboveground net primary production (ANPP) in northern Chihuahuan...
The rate of species loss is increasing at a global scale, and human-induced extinctions are biased toward predator species. We examined the effects on foundation species, eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica). performed factorial experiment manipulating presence abundance three most common predatory crabs, blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), stone (Menippe mercenaria), mud (Panopeus herbstii) in estuaries United States. tested richness identity predators juvenile survival, recruitment, organic...
Extracellular enzyme activities (EEAs) are indicators of both soil microbial activity and nutrient availability for plants. However, it is unclear how EEAs change over the growing season in desert grasslands. We examined whether changed response to size frequency rain events during summer monsoon northern Chihuahuan Desert, if varied between plant interspace associated soils. Potential were measured within a rainfall manipulation experiment at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge central New...
Abstract Winter climate is expected to change under future scenarios, yet the majority of winter ecology research focused in cold‐climate ecosystems. In many temperate systems, it unclear how relates biotic responses during growing season. The objective this study was examine weather plant and animal communities a variety terrestrial ecosystems ranging from warm deserts alpine tundra. Specifically, we examined association between phenology, species richness, consumer abundance, richness 11...
Abstract In many ecosystems, climate is changing faster during winter compared to other seasons. However, we lack basic information about the responses of species change, including extreme warm events. Extreme events may have particularly strong influences at end winter, when some begin break dormancy while risk freezing remains high. Here, monitored bud burst 101 temperate woody following an event investigate this anomalous and determine whether functional traits predicted responses....
Although they are important components of forest communities, the general ecology and spatiotemporal patterns temperate lianas during regeneration largely unknown. The dependence on other plants for physical support makes them a potentially driver community dynamics. We examined 50 years vegetation data from an old‐field succession study to determine dynamics controls liana expansion within Piedmont region New Jersey, USA. Four lianas, Lonicera japonica , Parthenocissus quinquefolia...
Lianas have the potential to shape forest communities and alter regeneration. However, impacts of lianas on regeneration, particularly in temperate forests, are largely unstudied. To understand liana community we need first know location intensity burdens host trees. We examined liana-tree preferences within a series young regenerating deciduous forests Piedmont region New Jersey, USA. Established trees (≥ 5 cm dbh) associated with each tree were surveyed 2008. The five most abundant species...
Abstract Questions Climate extremes are predicted to become more common in many ecosystems. can promote and interact with disturbances, but the combined effects of climate disturbances have not been quantified In this study, we ask whether dual impact a extreme concomitant disturbance (wildfire) has greater affect than alone. Location Tallgrass prairie Konza Prairie Biological Station, northeastern Kansas, USA. Methods We response tallgrass plant community 2‐year low growing‐season...
Myxospermy, the release of seed mucilage upon hydration, plays multiple roles in biology. Here, we explore whether occurs a suite temperate grassland species to test if prevalence producing is associated with habitat type or characteristics. Seventy plant found wet dry North American grasslands were tested for presence through microscopic examination seeds imbibed histochemical stain mucilage. Mucilage production was compared among different moisture requirements and mass. In this study, 43...
Abstract In many regions, the climate is changing faster during winter than other seasons, and a loss of snow cover combined with increased temperature variability can expose overwintering organisms to harmful conditions. Understanding how species respond these changes critical developmental times, such as seed germination, helps us assess ecological implications change. To address this concern, we measured breaking dormancy cold tolerance temperate grassland in lab field. lab, ran...
Abstract Biodiversity loss is a global concern, and maintaining habitat complexity in naturally patchy landscapes can help retain regional diversity. A mosaic of prairie, savanna, forest historically occurred across central North America but currently highly fragmented due to human land conversion. It unclear how each type now contributes Using legacy data, we resurveyed savanna plant communities originally surveyed the 1950s compare change savannas that remnant forests prairies. Savanna...
Abstract Questions Woody encroachment into grasslands is a worldwide phenomenon partially influenced by climate change, including extreme weather events. Larrea tridentata common shrub throughout the warm deserts of North America that has encroached over past 150 years. Physiological measurements suggest northern distribution L. limited cold temperatures; thus winter events may slow or reverse expansion. We tested this limitation measuring response individual shrubs to an (−31°C) event...
As sea level rise and human activities erode coastal wetlands, managers rebuild or preserve wetlands that can perform the ecosystem services of a natural system. One increasingly common mitigation activity is construction rock sills in low marsh zone to stabilize elevation. Sills dramatically alter physical structure marshes by changing elevation, adding hard substrate potentially altering spatial benthic algal communities adjacent marsh. We documented differences abundance at seaward edge...
Abstract Question In temperate grasslands and savannas that were historically maintained by frequent, low‐intensity fires, disturbance fire may promote community resistance to winter climate change favouring slow‐growing, resource‐conservative species also be more cold‐tolerant. The lack of functional trait data for measuring cold tolerance, however, has prevented testing this idea. We ask, are slower growing, cold‐tolerant than fast‐growing species, plant responses frequency tolerance...