Research

Urban ecology

With Dr. Kay Havens, Dr. Emma Oschrin, Dr. Elsa Anderson, and The Illinois Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, we are exploring biodiversity patterns throughout the Chicago Metropolitan Area. Specifically, we are using community-science observations from the platforms iNaturalist and Budburst to (1) identify factors promoting or hindering participation in community science; (2) social and ecological factors shaping biodiversity patterns throughout the city. This project seeks to provide rigorous ecological data to inform city planning efforts for a more equitable access to green spaces and biodiversity.

Patterns of plant diversity in wetlands

Wetlands are very diverse ecosystems, supporting over 1/3 of species listed as threatened or endangered in the United States. They are among the most stressed habitats in the world but remain the object of less conservation effort than terrestrial ecosystems. To halt the rapid degradation of wetlands, it is critical to develop a better understanding of the factors that promote their diversity and resilience. Our research, in collaboration with the Dronova Lab at the University of California – Berkeley, seeks to identify both drivers and stressors of plant diversity in wetlands across the conterminous United States. To monitor and examine patterns of plant diversity at large scales, we devise indicators based on open-source remote sensing datasets. These indicators can then be leveraged to monitor plant diversity at low cost, inform field monitoring, and identify high priority areas for restoration and conservation.

Relevant publications
  • This study published in Ecological Applications showed that satellite images combined to publicly-available datasets on abiotic variables could predict up to 61% of variation in plant diversity across a sample of 1,138 wetlands in the United States.

Aerial view of a restored wetland in California

Tools to monitor restored wetlands

Ecological restoration is increasingly used as a tool to limit the ongoing loss of wetlands and protect their long-term diversity and resilience. Studying completed projects can help improve the planning and design of future restoration endeavors. Our research uses archives of satellite images to examine the response of wetlands to restoration interventions and identify the local and regional factors that impact wetland recovery throughout the Great Lakes. We seek to develop different methodological approaches to rapidly detect changes in the composition, coverage, and productivity of wetland plant communities.

Relevant publications