Wetland Ecology Research
My research is aimed at elucidating how abiotic factors and biotic interactions influence aquatic and wetland plant growth and production at the population and community levels in order to understand how those interactions affect ecosystem processes. I am fascinated by the many ways in which wetland plants affect the structure and function of wetland ecosystems, and am most interested in understanding their role in wetland population, community, and ecosystem dynamics.
I have conducted research in a variety of aquatic and wetland habitats, including freshwater wetlands in the southeastern US, coastal marshes of the northern Gulf of Mexico, riparian wetlands in New Mexico, and tidal creeks in the Bahamas. Regardless of the location, I am focused on understanding ecological patterns from the population to ecosystem levels through a combination of field and greenhouse experiments.
I enjoy advising both graduate and undergraduate students and am always looking for motivated students.
My research program fits into one of two primary areas:
Global Change Effects on Coastal Wetlands
The goal of my coastal wetland research is to understand the linkages and feedbacks that control habitat stability in coastal marshes, specifically how marshes maintain surface elevations relative to sea-level and how external forcing factors (elevated CO2, sea-level rise, fire) affect ecosystem stability. This includes examination of porewater physicochemistry, above- and below-ground production, organic matter accumulation, sedimentation, vertical accretion, and surface elevation change. My collaborators and I combine greenhouse experiments with field experiments to identify physical and biological processes involved in maintaining marsh surface elevations, to elucidate the effects of fire on biogenic accretion, and to develop Structural Equation Models (SEM) that can inform adaptive management strategies. Results from these studies can be used by natural resource managers who are attempting to conserve and restore marshes along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts.
Population and Community Dynamics in Temperate Freshwater Wetlands
The goal of my freshwater wetland research is to understand how herbivory, competition, and changes in environmental conditions (flooding) affect wetland plant communities. To date, I have focused this research on the white water lily (Nymphaea odorata) investigating how it responds to invertebrate grazing, competition from another water lily species, and water level fluctuations caused by temporary floating island formation (pdf).
I have also applied the tools of this research to solving environmental problems such as the control of invasive plant species and the restoration of degraded or fragmented ecosystems. I am also initiating research in a local emergent wetland that was formerly impounded by beaver activity. Since the draining of the former pond in 1996, hazel alder has been colonizing an area formerly dominated by Juncus effusus and Nymphaea odorata. I am most interested in documenting changes in the wetland community and the role alder plays in nutrient dynamics within the wetland.
Other Research Interests
In the past, I have collaborated on projects investigating the importance of overbank flooding for the successful restoration of native riparian communities along the middle Rio Grande, the impact of habitat fragmentation on plant, invertebrate, and fish communities in Bahamian tidal creeks, and the biological control of waterhyacinth by weevils in the genus Neochetina.
