We work in temperate and tropical forests, woodlands, and grasslands.
Our research is rooted in community and landscape ecology. We have experience with a variety of organisms, including birds, bats, rodents, trees, herbaceous plants, and vascular epiphytes.
Virginia Grassland Project
Grasslands in the southeastern United States are among the richest plant communities in the country, but grasslands and their associated flora and fauna are declining. In collaboration with the Clifton Institute, Virginia Working Landscapes, and the Center for Urban Habitats, we are describing native grassland plant communities and experimentally testing strategies to restore native grasslands on the Virginia Piedmont. Read more.
Green Again Madagascar
Madagascar is one of the most unique places on Earth. Nine out of ten species there are found nowhere else. But the island’s biodiversity is threatened by rampant deforestation. GAM works with local communities to experimentally restore rain forest on Madagascar’s eastern slopes. Photo: Thomas Timberlake. Read more.
Bee-friendly Beef Project
Tall fescue is the dominant plant species across large parts of eastern North America, but it causes problems for natural communities and livestock. This project aims to test whether cattle pastures can be enriched with native plants and support pollinator communities while also promoting healthy cattle by reducing fescue toxicosis. If it works, this practice could be subsidized by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Read more.
Woodland Forbs Project
When and how should sensitive plants be reintroduced to restored temperate woodlands? We are answering these questions in a woodland restoration chronosequence in southeastern Missouri. Experimental treatments include competition removal and seedling inoculation with soil from older vs. younger woodlands. Read more.
Restoration Ecology Lab 