My research interests lie in wetland ecology, invasive species, and plant-microbial interactions. Specifically, I explore new and innovative restoration and invasive species management strategies that use molecular biology, community ecology, and plant-soil interactions as a foundation. My research is focused on adding new tools to complement conventional restoration strategies.
Improving restoration strategies through intervention of microbial symbiosis. Microbes are everywhere. In humans, they are vastly important to health and bodily function. Likewise, bacteria and fungi play hugely important roles in nutrient availability in soils, nutrient acquisition by plants, and plant tolerances to extreme conditions. Management outcomes depend heavily upon the proper links between plants and their microbiomes.
-Microbial interactions could make invasive plants more competitive and aggressive. Therefore, management approaches that target microbial interactions could decrease the expansion and aggressiveness of invasive species. We are working on developing such management tools by testing the impacts of disruption in microbial symbiosis on invasive plant health, nutrient acquisition, and expansion.
-Success of native plant restoration is often predicated upon the proper microbial partners. In addition, invasive species soil microbial legacies could undermine restoration success after removal. Therefore, we are exploring the roles of soil microbes in successful restoration of plants of ecological and cultural importance and developing strategies for improving native species restoration.
Science and Products
Science pages by this scientist
Innovative Approaches for Wetland Restoration and Invasive Species Management
A Decision-Support Tool for Invasive Plant Management Under Fluctuating Great Lakes Water Levels
Effects of Great Lakes water levels on coastal populations of Phragmites australis GeoNarrative
Invasive Phragmites Science: Management Tools for the Control of Invasive Phragmites to Foster the Restoration of the Great Lakes
Science and Products
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Science pages by this scientist
Innovative Approaches for Wetland Restoration and Invasive Species Management
Coastal and wetland ecosystems provide critical habitat to birds, fish, wildlife, and a suite of other organisms, clean our water and mitigate flooding events, and offer tremendous recreational opportunities to visitors. However, the majority of coastal and wetland ecosystems in the Great Lakes basin have been significantly degraded or destroyed by ditching, draining, development, invasive species...A Decision-Support Tool for Invasive Plant Management Under Fluctuating Great Lakes Water Levels
Water levels in the Great Lakes are fluctuating in ways that we have not seen in the past, with both historically low- and high-water levels occurring in the last decade. Expectations are that larger and more frequent water-level fluctuations will occur in response to climate change. The increased variability in lake levels has implications for the management of invasive plants found in the coastaEffects of Great Lakes water levels on coastal populations of Phragmites australis GeoNarrative
The "Phragmites Management and Variable Great Lakes Water Levels" GeoNarrative presents research by the US Geological Survey and US Fish and Wildlife Service on how Great Lakes water levels affect expansion and management of coastal Phragmites populations.Invasive Phragmites Science: Management Tools for the Control of Invasive Phragmites to Foster the Restoration of the Great Lakes
The USGS is developing innovative Phragmites control measures to keep this rapidly spreading invasive plant from further expanding its range into new wetland habitats and to aid in the development of successful restoration strategies. Scientists are conducting studies and field tests to determine (1) if microbes (i.e., fungi and bacteria) that live within and around Phragmites are enabling the... - Data
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