Danelle Marie Larson, PhD
Danelle serves as the long-term aquatic vegetation monitoring and research lead for the Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program since 2019. Her research team is multidisciplinary and includes peer scientists, resource managers, University faculty, and students from around the world.
We collect and analyze aquatic vegetation survey data each year throughout the Upper Mississippi River System to describe the status and trends through time because plants are indicators of ecosystem health and the quality of waterfowl habitat. Our research uses a combination of field and laboratory experiments and long-term monitoring data to understand the impacts of natural and human disturbances on aquatic plant diversity and resiliency. The results help restoration practitioners select the best management tools and techniques for restoring aquatic plants to this unique, large floodplain river.
Science and Products
25 Years of Change in Aquatic Plants in the Upper Mississippi River
The Upper Mississippi River, along with a few other rivers worldwide, has experienced a remarkable increase in aquatic vegetation over the last 25 years. Using complex community modeling, scientists are determing where, what species, and why, aquatic vegetation increases were observed in the Mississippi River. This information can help us understand the natural recovery of aquatic plants, and how...
Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring
The Mississippi River is of global importance to persons and to the wildlife that live on and migrate along the river corridor. Data collected and processed by the Long-Term Resource Monitoring (LTRM) element of the Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Program serves to help us understand, restore, and protect this remarkable ecosystem. The LTRM has collected aquatic and floodplain...
Shallow lake management enhanced habitat and attracted waterbirds during fall migration
Shallow lakes are a key resource for waterfowl species, so protecting and restoring these areas is of great importance to managing their populations. This study evaluated the effectiveness of management practices on shallow lakes and their influence on waterbird populations that depend on them. Researchers found that lake management actions increased the abundance of submerged aquatic vegetation...
Overview of Aquatic Vegetation Community Types of the Mississippi River
Aquatic vegetation provides numerous ecosystem services, including food for wildlife, water clarification, fisheries habitat, and natural beauty. This project evaluated the vegetation community types in the Mississippi River. By comparing vegetation abundance data to environmental factors, scientists were able to predict the type of vegetation that might be expected in segments of the river system...
Constraints on Aquatic Vegetation and Restoration Potential of Aquatic Vegetation
Aquatic vegetation is a foundational element of life in aquatic systems, providing food and habitat for several species, and aquatic vegetation restoration is a high priority for Mississippi River managers. Understanding why plants grow in certain places, but not others is important for successful restoration efforts. This study evaluated the constraints on aquatic vegetation growth by using...
Identifying Ecosystem States of the Upper Mississippi River
Ecosystem states are bundles of biological and physical characteristics that occur regularly in a habitat. They are used to help understand ecosystems and to communicate which state conditions are desirable or unhealthy. Scientists hypothesized that there are several different ecosystem states in the Mississippi river, with one of them being the best for waterfowl, and therefore a desirable goal...
Science and Products
25 Years of Change in Aquatic Plants in the Upper Mississippi River
The Upper Mississippi River, along with a few other rivers worldwide, has experienced a remarkable increase in aquatic vegetation over the last 25 years. Using complex community modeling, scientists are determing where, what species, and why, aquatic vegetation increases were observed in the Mississippi River. This information can help us understand the natural recovery of aquatic plants, and how...
Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring
The Mississippi River is of global importance to persons and to the wildlife that live on and migrate along the river corridor. Data collected and processed by the Long-Term Resource Monitoring (LTRM) element of the Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Program serves to help us understand, restore, and protect this remarkable ecosystem. The LTRM has collected aquatic and floodplain...
Shallow lake management enhanced habitat and attracted waterbirds during fall migration
Shallow lakes are a key resource for waterfowl species, so protecting and restoring these areas is of great importance to managing their populations. This study evaluated the effectiveness of management practices on shallow lakes and their influence on waterbird populations that depend on them. Researchers found that lake management actions increased the abundance of submerged aquatic vegetation...
Overview of Aquatic Vegetation Community Types of the Mississippi River
Aquatic vegetation provides numerous ecosystem services, including food for wildlife, water clarification, fisheries habitat, and natural beauty. This project evaluated the vegetation community types in the Mississippi River. By comparing vegetation abundance data to environmental factors, scientists were able to predict the type of vegetation that might be expected in segments of the river system...
Constraints on Aquatic Vegetation and Restoration Potential of Aquatic Vegetation
Aquatic vegetation is a foundational element of life in aquatic systems, providing food and habitat for several species, and aquatic vegetation restoration is a high priority for Mississippi River managers. Understanding why plants grow in certain places, but not others is important for successful restoration efforts. This study evaluated the constraints on aquatic vegetation growth by using...
Identifying Ecosystem States of the Upper Mississippi River
Ecosystem states are bundles of biological and physical characteristics that occur regularly in a habitat. They are used to help understand ecosystems and to communicate which state conditions are desirable or unhealthy. Scientists hypothesized that there are several different ecosystem states in the Mississippi river, with one of them being the best for waterfowl, and therefore a desirable goal...
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government