Current Members

Diane Debinski

Diane Debinski

Professor, Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology

B.A. 1984, University of Maryland
M.S. 1986, University of Michigan
Ph.D. 1991, Montana State University

I pursue research and teaching in the fields of conservation biology, landscape ecology, global climate change, wildlife biology, and restoration ecology.

Courses I teach:

 

Ray Moranz

Lead Insect Ecology Field Technician

Primary Role: Studying ecology of grassland invertebrates in the Grand River Grasslands of southern Iowa and northern Missouri
I work with Dr. Diane Debinski to obtain, analyze, and interpret data on the responses of invertebrates and floral resources to patch-burn grazing and other prairie management practices in the Grand River Grasslands. Some of our research foci include:

  • Studying responses of butterfly populations to changes in nectar source availability
  • Evaluating the effects of environmental variables on butterfly communities and populations
  • Comparing different sampling methods for assessing butterfly abundance

In May 2010, I received my Ph.D. in Natural Resource Ecology and Management from Oklahoma State University, where I studied the effects of fire and grazing on prairie flora and invertebrates.  

 

Jen Vogel

Post-doctoral Research Associate

My research interests are in the areas of restoration ecology and fire management. I am interested in how management and restoration decisions affect habitat and wildlife in grassland ecosystems.

I received my Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in December 2011 from Iowa State University. My dissertation research focused on bird responses to vegetation diversity in restored grasslands in Northwest Iowa. I completed my M.S. degree at Iowa State in 2006 studying butterfly responses to prairie restoration using fire and grazing in the Loess Hills of Iowa.

Kristin Kane

Post-doctoral Research Associate

I am currently using the species distribution modeling program Maxent to study the effect of climate change on various plant species distributions in the Grand River Grasslands of Iowa and Missouri. This work contributes to the North Central Climate Science Center University consortium and provides up to date climate science and tools to inform natural resource managers and stakeholders to set priorities for conservation action.

In 2012, I received my PhD in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior from The Graduate School and University Center, The City University of New York. My research focused on endophytic fungi of native perennial ryegrass populations and their impact on host growth and competitive ability under stress. Since endophytes are obligate biotrophs and depend up host nutrients for survival and growth I have used confocal microscopy to visualize the interaction between endophytes and the vascular tissue of its host grass as a novel way of determining how endophytes acquire host nutrients.

Jill Sherwood

Graduate Student

I started my M.S. degree in the Debinski lab in the fall of 2009. My research interests include understanding interactions within a landscape and how those interactions shape the populations within. Specifically, I would like to understand the mechanisms by which climate change can affect the population dynamics of Parnassius clodius butterfly in the Grand Tetons in Wyoming.

Outside of my ecology studies, I enjoy seeing the world from the seat of my bike, the other end of the dog leash, or the underside of a backpack.

Recently, I have combined my love of biking with running and swimming to do triathlons.

John Delaney

Graduate Student

I am a PhD student in the Debinski lab, working on the patch burn grazing project.  My research interests include butterfly/host plant interactions and the use of nectar sources by butterflies in a patch burn grazing system.  In general I am interested in prairie restoration and management and the preservation of rare species.  My other interests include hiking, camping and biking.

Kim Szcodronski

Graduate Student I joined the Diane Debinski lab in Spring 2012 and I am currently working on my M.S. degree. My research interests include restoration ecology, conservation biology, and the effects of climate change on the environment and its species. In particular, I am conducting a habitat selection analysis of the montane butterfly Parnassius clodius in Grand Teton National Park. The known habitat preferences of Parnassius clodius were used to develop a habitat model and GIS-based analysis will be used to predict where other potential habitats may exist for this butterfly species in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Past Members - Recent Years

Brian F.M. Olechnowski

Dissertation Title: Determining the Critical Variables Controlling Avian Diversity, Community Composition, and Habitat Selection across Natural and Restored Temperate Ecosystems in North America.

Jennet Caruthers

Thesis Title: Montane Meadow Butterfly Community Dynamics along a hydrological gradient within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Jessica Orlofske

Thesis Title: Terrestrial Arthropod Indicators of Iowa Tall-grass Prairie

Sheri Svehla

Dissertation Title: Effects of Patch-Burn-Grazing Land Management Practice on the Tallgrass Prairie Insect Community with a Specific Focus on Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

MJ Hatfield

Technician

My work as a prairie enthusiast/amateur ecologist turned student focuses on insects, their prairie host plants and life cycles. For some insects a specific host plant is required, for others any number of host plants will do. If you can identify the prairie plants then you already know the food and shelter of some prairie insects. An example of this is the sunflower tortoise beetle, Physonata helianthi, always associated with sunflowers, often associated with sawtooth sunflower, Helianthus grosseserratus. Anthropomorphically speaking the beetles are cute and the larvae are clever with their protective shield of excrement and shed skins situated on their urogomphi. Another example is the cloudless sulphur butterfly, Phoebis sennae, whose gorgeous larvae eat partridge pea, Chamaecrista fasciculata.

Jenny Hopwood

Technician

I sorted insects for the Iowa River Corridor and Patch-Burn Grazing projects in the Debinski lab, and also taught biology labs here at ISU. I am interested in pollinator biology, and particularly enjoy learning about bees.

Will Reed

Technician

I studied how songbirds and birds of prey assess habitat at the landscape scale using flyover data collected at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge.

I also studied how avian communities change on restored prairie through stages of restoration (with Brian Olechnowski)

Mike Rausch

Technician/Independent Study Student

I worked with Sheri Svehla sorting insect sweeps samples for the patch-burn grazing project in the Grand River Grassland of Iowa.

Rob Todd

Undergraduate Science With Practice (SWP) Student

Science With Practice Project:  I worked with the PBG team entering plant, insect, and bird data.  I focused on the interactions between different Coleopteran groups and the plant species Festuca Arundinacea (Tall Fescue).  Previously I have worked on sorting and entering data from the order Coleoptera.

Lisa Stream

Undergraduate Science With Practice (SWP) Student

Science with Practice project: Patch Burn Graze

I conducted research on the prairie insect responses to burning and grazing. I worked with Sheri Svehla sorting invertebrate samples collected in the summer field seasons. The 2007 Science with Practice project explored the statistical relationship between the richness of grazed versus ungrazed prairies. In 2008, the project explored the effect of burning on prairie species richness.

Laura Winkler

Technician

I recently completed an undergraduate degree in Entomology. I have been working as a technician identifying invertebrates from the Patch Burn Grazing study to examine insect responses to burning and grazing treatments. I am particularly interested in studying the ant responses.