Professional Experience:

Research Interests:

My research program is question driven that, no matter what system I work in, preserves the common thread of understanding how changes in genetic or species diversity affect the restoration and maintenance of ecosystem functions. As an empirical ecologist, I am most comfortable in tidal freshwater marshes and submersed aquatic macrophyte beds (tidal and non-tidal) but have also worked in upland and streamside forests and peatlands of the central Appalachian Mountains. All my scientific inquiries have one common and dominant thread, which is gaining an understanding of how changes in biodiversity impacts ecosystem processes in the face of global change. Change in biodiversity may be species addition, as in exotic species invasion or restoration, or deletion, as in species extinction.

Biodiversity theory:    The earth's ecosystems support an awesome biodiversity of plant and animal                                         species. The biggest motivator of my research is to contribute to the                                                             understanding of a) the dominant drivers of genetic and species diversity and                                             b) the relationships between biodiversity within and among populations                                                     and ecosystem functioning. I am particularly fascinated by the idea that spatial                                         dynamics can maintain biodiversity in the presence and absence of species                                             trade-offs.  If so, the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem                                                         functioning may not always be driven by  niche differences but may also need                                         to take into account spatial patterns of species distributions.

Invasion ecology:     The composition of the world's ecosystems is changing and many factors                                                    contribute to this change in biodiversity. One such factor is the invasion of                                                non-native species. My lab explore interspecific interactions between native and                                        non-native species to better understand invasiveness of non-native species                                                and invasibility of native ecosystems .

Restoration science:The need to effectively and efficiently restore degraded ecosystems has never                                            been as important as it is today. My research is often motivated and funded by                                            this need. I am working predominantly with the National Park Service to identify                                        the feasibility of restoring a tidal freshwater marsh near Alexandria Virginia, and                                        to explore grassland restoration principles and practices for National Parks in                                            the Chesapeake Bay region.

Wetland ecology:     Trained as an aquatic ecologist, I tend to keep my feet wet when conducting                                              research. Wetlands are particularly interesting to me because wetland plant                                              communities appear to be saturated with individuals and highly productive; yet,                                      they can be species poor when compared to grasslands, tropical forests or coral                                      reefs.  What drives my research is the need to understand whether and how the                                      many ecosystem services that wetlands provide  can be tied to species richness,                                      abundance, and spatial pattern of species distributions.

 

Ongoing Research Projects:

• The effect of genetic diversity on restoration success 

• The maintenance of biodiversity in tidal freshwater marshes - protecting ecosystem processes in the face of sea level rise
• The invasiveness of  species and the invasibility of ecosystems
• Biodiversity in National Capital Region Parks
• Wetland inventory and connectivity
  
• Warm season grassland restoration
• Evaluating potential National Natural Landmarks

 

The views expressed on this web site are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, the Appalachian Laboratory, or the Trustees of the University System of Maryland.

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