Diane Larson, PhD
Diane Larson is a Research Wildlife Biologist with the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center and is stationed at the St. Paul, Minnesota duty station.
What is a functional prairie ecosystem? Where can we begin to address such a huge question? With only a tiny fraction of the once vast prairies remaining, understanding their key functions and how to best preserve or reconstruct these functions is of utmost importance. Questions may begin with vegetation, but quickly propagate downward into soil communities and processes and upward to pollinators and herbivores. These are the motivations for my research.
My goals are to assist resource managers in ways that improve sustainability. Prairie reconstructions that both express the range of species planted and are resistant to noxious weeds, thereby minimizing subsequent management inputs, are more sustainable than those that degenerate into weedy fields in need of repeated herbicide applications. Can we improve planting methods and seed mixes to better achieve sustainable prairies?
Functioning ecosystems support mutualists, herbivores, commensals, predators. How will legacies of prior land use and vegetation impinge on these functions? Can we mitigate negative legacies? Create positive legacies to improve outcomes? What roles do invasive plant species play? If they support mutualists such as pollinators, how will we sustain these mutualists while controlling weeds?
Professional Experience
Research Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Discipline (formerly Fish and Wildlife Service), Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, 1991 to present
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. (Biology) University of Illinois, Chicago
B.A., M.A. (Environmental, Population, and Organismic Biology) University of Colorado, Boulder
Affiliations and Memberships*
Adjunct Associate Professor, Dept. of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, January 1998 to present
Science and Products
Adult monarch (Danaus plexippus) abundance is higher in burned sites than in grazed sites
Looking to the Future: Key points for sustainable management of Northern Great Plains grasslands
Prairie reconstruction unpredictability and complexity: What is the rate of reconstruction failures?
Conserving all the pollinators: Variation in probability of pollen transport among insect taxa
Developing a framework for evaluating tallgrass prairie reconstruction methods and management
Improving ecological restoration to curb biotic invasion - A practical guide
Restoration of contaminated ecosystems: adaptive management in a changing climate
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center—Celebrating 50 years of science
Persistence of native and exotic plants 10 years after prairie reconstruction
Exotic plant infestation is associated with decreased modularity and increased numbers of connectors in mixed-grass prairie pollination networks
Factors affecting post-control reinvasion by seed of an invasive species, Phragmites australis, in the central Platte River, Nebraska.
A guide for establishing restoration goals for contaminated ecosystems
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 70
Adult monarch (Danaus plexippus) abundance is higher in burned sites than in grazed sites
Much of the remaining suitable habitat for monarchs (Danaus plexippus) in Minnesota is found in tallgrass prairies. We studied the association of adult monarch abundance with use of fire or grazing to manage prairies. Sites (n=20) ranged in size from 1 to 145 hectares and included land owned and managed by the Minnesota DNR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, and private landoAuthorsJulia B. Leone, Diane L. Larson, Jennifer L. Larson, Patrick Pennarola, Karen OberhauserLooking to the Future: Key points for sustainable management of Northern Great Plains grasslands
The grasslands of the northern Great Plains region of North America are considered endangered ecosystems and priority conservation areas yet have great ecological and economic importance. Grasslands in the northern Great Plains (referred to as NGP from this point) are no longer self-regulating adaptive systems. The challenges to these grasslands are widespread and serious (e.g., climate change, inAuthorsLora Perkins, Marissa Ahlering, Diane L. LarsonPrairie reconstruction unpredictability and complexity: What is the rate of reconstruction failures?
The outcomes of prairie reconstructions are subject to both unpredictability and complexity. Prairie, tallgrass, and mixed grass reconstruction is defined as the planting of a native herbaceous seed mixture composed of multiple prairie species (10 or more) in an area where the land has been heavily cultivated or anthropogenically disturbed. Because of the unpredictability and complexity inherent iAuthorsJack E. Norland, Cami S. Dixon, Diane L. Larson, Kristine L. Askerooth, Benjamin A. GeaumontConserving all the pollinators: Variation in probability of pollen transport among insect taxa
As concern about declining pollinator populations mounts, it is important to understand the range of insect taxa that provide pollination services. We use pollen transport information acquired over three years in two habitats at Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA, to compare probabilities of pollen transport among insect taxa and between sexes of bees. Sampling was conducted on 1-ha plots,AuthorsDiane L. Larson, Jennifer L. Larson, Deborah A. BuhlDeveloping a framework for evaluating tallgrass prairie reconstruction methods and management
The thousands of hectares of prairie reconstructed each year in the tallgrass prairie biome can provide a valuable resource for evaluation of seed mixes, planting methods, and post-planting management if methods used and resulting characteristics of the prairies are recorded and compiled in a publicly accessible database. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of such data to understaAuthorsDiane L. Larson, Marissa Ahlering, Pauline Drobney, Rebecca Esser, Jennifer L. Larson, Karen Viste-SparkmanImproving ecological restoration to curb biotic invasion - A practical guide
Common practices for invasive species control and management include physical, chemical, and biological approaches. The first two approaches have clear limitations and may lead to unintended (negative) consequences, unless carefully planned and implemented. For example, physical removal rarely completely eradicates the targeted invasive species and can cause disturbances that facilitate new invasiAuthorsQinfeng Guo, Dale G. Brockway, Diane L. Larson, Deli Wang, Hai RenRestoration of contaminated ecosystems: adaptive management in a changing climate
Three case studies illustrate how adaptive management (AM) has been used in ecological restorations that involve contaminants. Contaminants addressed include mercury, selenium, and contaminants and physical disturbances delivered to streams by urban stormwater runoff. All three cases emphasize the importance of broad stakeholder input early and consistently throughout decision analysis for AM. RisAuthorsAida Farag, Diane L. Larson, Jenny Stauber, Ralph Stahl, John Isanhart, Kevin T. McAbee, Christopher J. WalshNorthern Prairie Wildlife Research Center—Celebrating 50 years of science
The Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center (NPWRC) celebrated its 50-year anniversary in 2015. This report is written in support of that observance. We document why and how the NPWRC came to be and describe some of its many accomplishments and the influence the Center’s research program has had on natural resource management. The history is organized by major research themes, proceeds somewhatAuthorsJane E. Austin, Terry L. Shaffer, Lawrence D. Igl, Douglas H. Johnson, Gary L. Krapu, Diane L. Larson, L. David Mech, David M. Mushet, Marsha A. SovadaPersistence of native and exotic plants 10 years after prairie reconstruction
Prairie reconstructions are a critical component of preservation of the imperiled tallgrass prairie ecosystem in the Midwestern United States. Sustainability of this endeavor depends on establishment of persistent cover of planted native species and resistance to noxious weeds. The goal of this study was to understand the influence of early reconstruction practices on long-term outcomes. Twelve reAuthorsDiane L. Larson, J. B. Bright, Pauline Drobney, Jennifer L. Larson, Sara VacekExotic plant infestation is associated with decreased modularity and increased numbers of connectors in mixed-grass prairie pollination networks
The majority of pollinating insects are generalists whose lifetimes overlap flowering periods of many potentially suitable plant species. Such generality is instrumental in allowing exotic plant species to invade pollination networks. The particulars of how existing networks change in response to an invasive plant over the course of its phenology are not well characterized, but may shed light on tAuthorsDiane L. Larson, Paul A. Rabie, Sam Droege, Jennifer L. Larson, Milton HaarFactors affecting post-control reinvasion by seed of an invasive species, Phragmites australis, in the central Platte River, Nebraska.
Invasive plants, such as Phragmites australis, can profoundly affect channel environments of large rivers by stabilizing sediments and altering water flows. Invasive plant removal is considered necessary where restoration of dynamic channels is needed to provide critical habitat for species of conservation concern. However, these programs are widely reported to be inefficient. Post-control reinvasAuthorsSusan M. Galatowitsch, Diane L. Larson, Jennifer L. LarsonA guide for establishing restoration goals for contaminated ecosystems
As natural resources become increasingly limited, the value of restoring contaminated sites, both terrestrial and aquatic, becomes increasingly apparent. Traditionally, goals for remediation have been set before any consideration of goals for ecological restoration. The goals for remediation have focused on removing or limiting contamination whereas restoration goals have targeted the ultimate endAuthorsAnne M. Wagner, Diane L. Larson, Julie A. DalSoglio, James A. Harris, Paul Labus, Emma J. Rosi-Marshall, Krisin E. Skarbis - Science
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*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