Insect habitat conservation and restorationMy primary interest is working with students in the areas of conservation biology and insect community ecology (vertebrate-insect-plant tri-trophic interactions). My studies are mostly observational and applied. In New Mexico and Idaho, I work in montane forest-grassland ecosystems and use butterflies as measurable indicators of habitat restoration and conservation management practices. I am also interested in the effects of floral resource availability on the behavior and habitat use of butterflies. In Wisconsin, I have focused on habitat management and conservation of the federally endangered Karner Blue butterfly and its larval host plant wild lupine ( Lupinus perennis) on private and public lands. My broader interests include insect-focused Citizen Science, environmental civic engagement and the importance of reconnecting kids to nature to instill a land ethic and love of science. |
Shrubby cinquefoil as a nectar plant in montane ecosystems
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In the early 2000's, I worked with Steve Fettig and Dustin VanOverbeke on the response and behavior of butterflies to vegetation management and elk browsing in Bandelier NM. Most recently, I have begun comparative studies in the Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho. In particular, I am interested in the use of Diasphora fruticosa as a nectar plant for insects along a latitudinal and elevation gradient. Aaron Irber and I presented our most recent work at the Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, Nov.2015.
For the past 20 years, my students and I have worked the Karner blue. Since 2009, I have been conducting research on the establishment and success of the USDA CRP 38E-Short grass Prairie State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement for the Karner Blue Butterfly. We have measured the success of native seed establishment, analyzed the distribution of sites in relation to historically occupied areas and compared vegetation and butterfly community response between SAFE sites and native grasslands. Some of our initial results have been presented at the Society for Ecological Restoration, Entomological Society of America and published in the Xerces Society Pollinator Handbook shown below.
Working with Eric Lee-Mader and the Xerces Society we published a pollinator conservation guide for landowners for enhancing their property for Karner blues and other pollinators via the for enrolled in the CRP State Acres for Wildlife Habitat Program in Wisconsin (pdf available via Xerces) |
All films Copyright © 2014 UW-Eau Claire and the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System . Photos© PKleintjes Neff.