Research Interests

Plant Ecology. Current research on demography and life history of plant populations, effects of habitat fragmentation on genetic structure and ecological traits, modeling extinction probability and population viability, life history adaptations of scrub plants to fire, fire effects on plant population dynamics, restoration ecology, plant conservation, and the ecology of introductions. Study species include scrub balm (Dicerandra frutescens), wedge-leaved Eryngium (Eryngium cuneifolium), Highlands scrub hypericum (Hypericum cumulicola), Carter’s mustard (Warea carteri), and several other rare plant species. Some research projects also involve community dynamics in Florida sand pine scrub, and other upland plant communities, including the role of fire

Professional Experience: Editorial

Conservation Biology Board of Editors 1993-2001.

Ecology/Ecol. Mono. Editorial Board 2001-

Natural Areas Journal

• Editorial Board 1993-present
• Editor, 1990-1992.
• Associate Editor, 1987-1990.

The Permanent Plotter Editorial Committee, 1988-1993.

Current Research Grants

• Effects of fire and seed bank dynamics on patterns of genetic variation in Hypericum cumulicola and implications for management. Florida Division of Forestry, Jan. 2000-September 2000.
• Population dynamics and fire ecology of the federally-listed threatened scrub plant Eriogonum longifolium var. gnaphalifolium. US Fish and Wildlife Service, August 2000-July 2001.
• Population viability analysis of two Lake Wales Ridge Scrub Endemic Plants. August 2000-June 2001. Florida Division of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industry.
• Effects of fire and seed bank dynamics on patterns of genetic variation in Hypericum cumulicola and implications for management. Florida Division of Forestry, November 2000-November 2001.
• Mapping populations of several federally-listed plant species on public or other conservation lands. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Jacksonville, August 1999-January 2001.
• Demography, floral biology, and breeding system of scrub plum. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Jacksonville, August 2000-July 2001.
• Demographic research on four species of state-listed Lake Wales Ridge endemic plants, Florida Dept. of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industry, July 2000-June 2001.
• Demographic research on four species of state-listed Lake Wales Ridge endemic plants, Florida Dept. of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industry, July 2001-June 2002.
• Demography, floral biology, and breeding system of scrub plum, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Jacksonville Office, August 2001-July 2002,.$19,787 (with Carl Weekley).
• Postfire recruitment genetics in Hypericum cumulicola: Do fires create genetic change? Florida Division of Forestry. December 2001-November 2002.
• Continuation of Demographic Research on Four State-listed Lake Wales Ridge Endemic Plants. Florida Division of Plant Industry, July 2002-June 2003.
• Sandhill Restoration Studies and Experimental Introduction of Ziziphus celata at Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge (Carter Creek South). Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. July 2003-June 2006.
• Continuation of demographic and reproductive biology studies of scrub plum (Prunus geniculata). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Jacksonville Office. August 2002-July 2003.
• Spatially explicit disturbance-demographic models for federally-listed Florida scrub plant species. US Fish and Wildlife Service, Vero Beach Office. 2002-2003.
• Continuing long-term demography of Florida scrub plants. National Science Foundation. 2003-2007.

Advising to Graduate Students

Major advisor for completed Master's Thesis by Belinda Lambert, University of South Florida, The effects of light, soil disturbance and presence or organic litter on the field germination and survival of the Florida goldenaster, Chrysopsis floridana Small. (Completed 1995).

Thesis or dissertation committees:

• Mary Carrington, University of Florida, Fire effects on seedling recruitment in Florida sand pine scrub. (Completed 1996).
• Kelly McPherson, University of Florida. Effects of fire on cabbage palms. (Completed 1996).
• Pedro Quintana-Ascencio, State University of New York, Stony Brook. Population viability of rosemary scrub species. (Completed 1997).
• Suzanne Kennedy, Florida International University. Seed banks and seedling dynamics in Polygala smallii. (Completed 1998).
• Christine Hawkes, University of Pennsylvania. Biological soil crusts and their interactions with vascular plants in a xeric Florida shrubland (Completed 2000).
• Martina Petru, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice. The role of disturbance in plant life histories. (completed 2002)
• Gayle van der Kerkove, University of Florida. Diseases and genetic variability in Hypericum edisonianum(completed 2002)
• Hong Liu, Florida International University. Population dynamics of Chamaecrista keyensis (Caesalpinioideae), a narrow endemic herb of the Florida lower keys (scheduled for completion 2003)
• Owen Boyle, University of Wisconsin. The metapopulation biology of Polygonella basiramia, a federally endangered Florida scrub endemic. (scheduled for completion 2003)
• Satya Maliakal, Louisiana State University. Ecology of two Florida scrub endemic plants with comparisons to their widespread congeners. (scheduled for completion 2004)

Teaching Experience and Adjunct Positions

• Florida International University 1996-present. Adjunct Assistant Professor, Biology Dept. (graduate student advising).
• University of Florida 1993-present. Adjunct Assistant Professor, Botany Dept., Plant Pathology Dept. (graduate student advising).
• University of South Florida. 1989-1993, 1999-present. Adjunct Assistant Professor, Biology Department. (graduate student advising).
• Louisiana State University (1999-present) (graduate student advising).
• Butler University. 1987-1988. Adjunct Associate Professor, Biology Department. Introductory Ecology, Natural Resources Management.
• Butler University. 1985. Temporary Adjunct Associate Professor. Zoology Department. Natural Resources Management.
• University of Wisconsin Botany Dept. and Biocore Program. Teaching Assistant 1976-1980. Introductory Botany for majors, Introductory Botany for non-majors, Biological Diversity, Plants and Man.
• S.U.N.Y. Binghamton Biology Dept., Undergraduate Teaching Assistant 1974-1975, Introductory Botany for majors.

Research Assistants:

1. Noreen Gallo
2. Kevin Main (Archbold Biological Station)
3. Nancy Kohfeldt
4. Rebecca Yahr (Duke University)
5. Margaret Evans (Arizona State University)
6. Christina Casado (University of Missouri-St. Louis)
7. Carl Weekley (Archbold Biological Station)
8. Dorothy Mundell
9. Samara Hamze
10. Alaa Wally (SUNY-Cortland)
11. Darien McElwain

Selected Recent Publications

To view a list on my publications please click here.