Noel B Pavlovic, PhD
Noel Pavlovic is a Research Ecologist based in Chesterton, IN.
Dr. Noel B. Pavlovic is a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, stationed at the Lake Michigan Ecological Research Station in Porter, Indiana, where he has worked for 30 years. He addresses ecological and biological issues in plant and animal restoration and conservation from the populational, community, ecosystem, and landscape levels. He is working on a conservation synthesis of the federally threatened Pitcher’s thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) in the sand dunes of the western Great Lakes. Since his dissertation focusing on the biology and demography of prairie fame flower (Phemeranthus rugospermum), a Midwestern endemic succulent plant, he has been interested in disturbance dependent plants and metapopulation dynamics. He has studied fire effects on the structure, phenology, and floral and faunal composition of Midwest oak savannas. He is currently working on a regional perspective on oak savanna restoration in the lower Great Lakes. Another focus has been controlling of invasive plants, especially Asiatic bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and the potential for hybridization with the native American bittersweet (C. scandens). That research also focused on habitat requirements and fire effects on the invasion and spread of Oriental bittersweet. He is currently interested in the roles of soil and endophytic microorganisms on the bittersweet invasion. He has served on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative’s Terrestrial Habitat and Connectivity Working Group leadership team and has been involved in research concerning coastal and regional corridor creation (habitat connectivity) in the Great Lakes region.
Professional Experience
USGS – Great Lakes Science Center, 1993 to present
National Park Service – Plant Ecologist, 1991 to 1993
National Park Service – Statistician, 1984 to 1991
Education and Certifications
PhD, Biological Sciences, University of Ilinois at Chicago, 1995
Graduate Diploma in Science, Department of Botany, Australian National University, 1982
M.Sc., Ecology, University of Tennessee, 1981
B.S., Biology, Earlham College, 1978
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Filter Total Items: 49
Short-term effects of burn season on flowering phenology of savanna plants
We examined the effect of season of burn on flowering phenology of groundlayer species, in the year following burns, in a mesic-sand Midwestern oak savanna. Burn treatments were fall, early-season, growing-season, late-season, and 1 or 5 years after a prior early-season wildfire. For these treatments, we compared the number of flowering stems and of flowers for species overall, for the 20 most pro
Authors
N.B. Pavlovic, S. A. Leicht-Young, R. Grundel
A survey of bees (hymenoptera: Apoidea) of the Indiana dunes and Northwest Indiana, USA
The Indiana Dunes, and nearby natural areas in northwest Indiana, are floristically rich Midwest U.S. locales with many habitat types. We surveyed bees along a habitat gradient ranging from grasslands to forests in these locales, collecting at least 175 bee species along this gradient plus 29 additional species in other nearby habitats. About 25% of all species were from the genus Lasioglossum and
Authors
R. Grundel, R.P. Jean, K.J. Frohnapple, J. Gibbs, G.A. Glowacki, N.B. Pavlovic
To burn or not to burn Oriental bittersweet: A fire manager’s conundrum
This is the second progress report detailing the research about Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and fire which has been ongoing for two years. We highlight the further results from three components of the study: 1) Susceptibility of different habitats to invasion of Oriental bittersweet, 2) The impact of fire on established individuals of Oriental bittersweet, and 3) Modeling Oriental
Authors
Noel B. Pavlovic, Stacey A. Leicht-Young, Krystal Frohnapple, Dan Morford, Neal Mulconrey
Liana habitat and host preferences in northern temperate forests
Lianas and other climbers are important ecological and structural components of forest communities. Like other plants, their abundance in a given habitat depends on a variety of factors, such as light, soil moisture and nutrients. However, since lianas require external support, host tree characteristics also influence their distribution. Lianas are conspicuous life forms in tropical regions, but i
Authors
S. A. Leicht-Young, N.B. Pavlovic, K.J. Frohnapple, R. Grundel
Floral and nesting resources, habitat structure, and fire influence bee distribution across an open-forest gradient
Given bees' central effect on vegetation communities, it is important to understand how and why bee distributions vary across ecological gradients. We examined how plant community composition, plant diversity, nesting suitability, canopy cover, land use, and fire history affected bee distribution across an open-forest gradient in northwest Indiana, USA, a gradient similar to the historic Midwest U
Authors
R. Grundel, R.P. Jean, K.J. Frohnapple, G.A. Glowacki, P.E. Scott, N.B. Pavlovic
Twenty-three years of vegetation change in a fly-ash leachate impacted meadow
1. Blag Slough, located in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, has received leachates from nearby fly-ash ponds for 13 years (1967-1980). We have monitored vegetation and sediment of Blag Slough since 1982, two years after the sealing of the fly-ash ponds and one year after the substrate was first exposed. The pH of the soil has increased one order of magnitude from 3.0 to 4.0 over the 23 years (198
Authors
Noel B. Pavlovic, Stacey A. Leicht-Young, Douglas Wilcox, Ron Hiebert, Daniel Mason, Krystal Frohnapple
To burn or not to burn Oriental bittersweet: A fire manager’s conundrum
Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) is a highly invasive liana (woody vine) that occurs throughout the Eastern United States. This twining plant can blanket and girdle adjacent vegetation, affecting succession and damaging trees. In areas where prescribed fire is a management tool, the response of Oriental bittersweet to fire needs to be quantified, rather than relying on anecdotal eviden
Authors
Noel B. Pavlovic, Stacey A. Leicht-Young, Krystal Frohnapple, Neal Mulconrey
Effect of removal of hesperis matronalis (Dame's rocket) on species cover of forest understory vegetation in NW indiana
Exotic invasive plant species differ in their effects on indigenous vegetation as evidenced by research evaluating community response to their removal. We used a removal approach to quantify the response of a mesic woodland to the removal versus retention of an invasive plant, Hesperis matronalis (dame's rocket) from paired treatment plots over 3 y. Cover of H. matronalis did not differ between co
Authors
N.B. Pavlovic, S. A. Leicht-Young, K.J. Frohnapple, R. Grundel
A comparison of seed banks across a sand dune successional gradient at Lake Michigan dunes (Indiana, USA)
In habitats where disturbance is frequent, seed banks are important for the regeneration of vegetation. Sand dune systems are dynamic habitats in which sand movement provides intermittent disturbance. As succession proceeds from bare sand to forest, the disturbance decreases. At Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, we examined the seed banks of three habitat types across a successional gradient: fore
Authors
S. A. Leicht-Young, N.B. Pavlovic, R. Grundel, K.J. Frohnapple
Using conservation value to assess land restoration and management alternatives across a degraded oak savanna landscape
1. Managers considering restoration of landscapes often face a fundamental challenge - what should be the habitat composition of the restored landscape? We present a method for evaluating an important conservation trade-off inherent in making that decision. 2. Oak savannas and grasslands were historically widespread across central North America but are now rare. Today, in north-west Indiana, USA,
Authors
R. Grundel, N.B. Pavlovic
Distinctiveness, use, and value of midwestern oak savannas and woodlands as avian habitats
Oak savannas and woodlands historically covered millions of hectares in the midwestern United States but are rare today. We evaluated the ecological distinctiveness and conservation value of savannas and woodlands by examining bird distributions across a fire-maintained woody-vegetation gradient in northwest Indiana encompassing five habitats—open habitats with low canopy cover, savannas, woodland
Authors
R. Grundel, N.B. Pavlovic
Distinguishing native (Celastrus scandens L.) and invasive (C. orbiculatus Thunb.) bittersweet species using morphological characteristics
Celastrus orbiculatus is an invasive liana in the Eastern United States. Its native congener, C. scandens, is less common and declining in the Northeast. The correct identification of these two species is often difficult because of their similar vegetative characteristics. Using morphological characteristics of both species growing naturally along a sand dune/forest ecotone, we built models for us
Authors
S. A. Leicht-Young, N.B. Pavlovic, R. Grundel, K.J. Frohnapple
Non-USGS Publications**
Pavlovic, N.B., Grundel, R., 2009. Reintroduction of wild lupine (Lupinus perennis L.) depends on variation in canopy, vegetation, and litter cover. Restoration Ecology 17, 807-817.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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Filter Total Items: 49Short-term effects of burn season on flowering phenology of savanna plants
We examined the effect of season of burn on flowering phenology of groundlayer species, in the year following burns, in a mesic-sand Midwestern oak savanna. Burn treatments were fall, early-season, growing-season, late-season, and 1 or 5 years after a prior early-season wildfire. For these treatments, we compared the number of flowering stems and of flowers for species overall, for the 20 most proAuthorsN.B. Pavlovic, S. A. Leicht-Young, R. GrundelA survey of bees (hymenoptera: Apoidea) of the Indiana dunes and Northwest Indiana, USA
The Indiana Dunes, and nearby natural areas in northwest Indiana, are floristically rich Midwest U.S. locales with many habitat types. We surveyed bees along a habitat gradient ranging from grasslands to forests in these locales, collecting at least 175 bee species along this gradient plus 29 additional species in other nearby habitats. About 25% of all species were from the genus Lasioglossum andAuthorsR. Grundel, R.P. Jean, K.J. Frohnapple, J. Gibbs, G.A. Glowacki, N.B. PavlovicTo burn or not to burn Oriental bittersweet: A fire manager’s conundrum
This is the second progress report detailing the research about Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and fire which has been ongoing for two years. We highlight the further results from three components of the study: 1) Susceptibility of different habitats to invasion of Oriental bittersweet, 2) The impact of fire on established individuals of Oriental bittersweet, and 3) Modeling OrientalAuthorsNoel B. Pavlovic, Stacey A. Leicht-Young, Krystal Frohnapple, Dan Morford, Neal MulconreyLiana habitat and host preferences in northern temperate forests
Lianas and other climbers are important ecological and structural components of forest communities. Like other plants, their abundance in a given habitat depends on a variety of factors, such as light, soil moisture and nutrients. However, since lianas require external support, host tree characteristics also influence their distribution. Lianas are conspicuous life forms in tropical regions, but iAuthorsS. A. Leicht-Young, N.B. Pavlovic, K.J. Frohnapple, R. GrundelFloral and nesting resources, habitat structure, and fire influence bee distribution across an open-forest gradient
Given bees' central effect on vegetation communities, it is important to understand how and why bee distributions vary across ecological gradients. We examined how plant community composition, plant diversity, nesting suitability, canopy cover, land use, and fire history affected bee distribution across an open-forest gradient in northwest Indiana, USA, a gradient similar to the historic Midwest UAuthorsR. Grundel, R.P. Jean, K.J. Frohnapple, G.A. Glowacki, P.E. Scott, N.B. PavlovicTwenty-three years of vegetation change in a fly-ash leachate impacted meadow
1. Blag Slough, located in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, has received leachates from nearby fly-ash ponds for 13 years (1967-1980). We have monitored vegetation and sediment of Blag Slough since 1982, two years after the sealing of the fly-ash ponds and one year after the substrate was first exposed. The pH of the soil has increased one order of magnitude from 3.0 to 4.0 over the 23 years (198AuthorsNoel B. Pavlovic, Stacey A. Leicht-Young, Douglas Wilcox, Ron Hiebert, Daniel Mason, Krystal FrohnappleTo burn or not to burn Oriental bittersweet: A fire manager’s conundrum
Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) is a highly invasive liana (woody vine) that occurs throughout the Eastern United States. This twining plant can blanket and girdle adjacent vegetation, affecting succession and damaging trees. In areas where prescribed fire is a management tool, the response of Oriental bittersweet to fire needs to be quantified, rather than relying on anecdotal evidenAuthorsNoel B. Pavlovic, Stacey A. Leicht-Young, Krystal Frohnapple, Neal MulconreyEffect of removal of hesperis matronalis (Dame's rocket) on species cover of forest understory vegetation in NW indiana
Exotic invasive plant species differ in their effects on indigenous vegetation as evidenced by research evaluating community response to their removal. We used a removal approach to quantify the response of a mesic woodland to the removal versus retention of an invasive plant, Hesperis matronalis (dame's rocket) from paired treatment plots over 3 y. Cover of H. matronalis did not differ between coAuthorsN.B. Pavlovic, S. A. Leicht-Young, K.J. Frohnapple, R. GrundelA comparison of seed banks across a sand dune successional gradient at Lake Michigan dunes (Indiana, USA)
In habitats where disturbance is frequent, seed banks are important for the regeneration of vegetation. Sand dune systems are dynamic habitats in which sand movement provides intermittent disturbance. As succession proceeds from bare sand to forest, the disturbance decreases. At Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, we examined the seed banks of three habitat types across a successional gradient: foreAuthorsS. A. Leicht-Young, N.B. Pavlovic, R. Grundel, K.J. FrohnappleUsing conservation value to assess land restoration and management alternatives across a degraded oak savanna landscape
1. Managers considering restoration of landscapes often face a fundamental challenge - what should be the habitat composition of the restored landscape? We present a method for evaluating an important conservation trade-off inherent in making that decision. 2. Oak savannas and grasslands were historically widespread across central North America but are now rare. Today, in north-west Indiana, USA,AuthorsR. Grundel, N.B. PavlovicDistinctiveness, use, and value of midwestern oak savannas and woodlands as avian habitats
Oak savannas and woodlands historically covered millions of hectares in the midwestern United States but are rare today. We evaluated the ecological distinctiveness and conservation value of savannas and woodlands by examining bird distributions across a fire-maintained woody-vegetation gradient in northwest Indiana encompassing five habitats—open habitats with low canopy cover, savannas, woodlandAuthorsR. Grundel, N.B. PavlovicDistinguishing native (Celastrus scandens L.) and invasive (C. orbiculatus Thunb.) bittersweet species using morphological characteristics
Celastrus orbiculatus is an invasive liana in the Eastern United States. Its native congener, C. scandens, is less common and declining in the Northeast. The correct identification of these two species is often difficult because of their similar vegetative characteristics. Using morphological characteristics of both species growing naturally along a sand dune/forest ecotone, we built models for usAuthorsS. A. Leicht-Young, N.B. Pavlovic, R. Grundel, K.J. FrohnappleNon-USGS Publications**
Pavlovic, N.B., Grundel, R., 2009. Reintroduction of wild lupine (Lupinus perennis L.) depends on variation in canopy, vegetation, and litter cover. Restoration Ecology 17, 807-817.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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