Featured Research

MAPPING FOLIAR DRIVERS OF ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION

Phil Townsend, Forest & Wildlife Ecology Department, UW–Madison

Airborne hyperspectral imagery is being used to quantify and map plant functional traits for forests and grasslands in the UW Arboretum. We will quantify functional diversity and how functional traits vary over the course of the growing season. 1-m resolution hyperspectral imagery will be collected over the course of 2 growing seasons and will form the basis of analyses needed to prototype field calibration and validation for a planned NASA hyperspectral satellite later this decade.

WATER QUALITY MONITORING FOR SUMMER 2020 DREDGING OF CURTIS POND

Dan Johnstone, UW–Madison Arboretum
Advisors: Jessica Ross and Brad Herrick

In recent years, phosphorus and nitrogen have caused problems with algae blooms and decreased general water quality in the greater Madison watershed. Large stormwater events are one of the easiest ways for large amounts of nutrients to move quickly downstream. Stormwater detention ponds, such as the UW–Madison Arboretum’s Curtis Pond, slow the flow of stormwater and can settle out some of the nutrients. Dredging is crucial in maintaining the effectiveness of a stormwater detention pond. The goal of this research project is to quantify the effectiveness of the Arboretum’s planned dredging project of Curtis Pond, which will take place over the 2020 growing season. By looking at total nitrogen and phosphorous, it will be easier to compare prior water quality data with the water quality data collected during this research project to determine any significant differences. This research project will also examine how downstream ecosystems improve water quality.

BUMBLE BEE QUEEN BIOLOGY

Jade Kochanski, U.S. Geological Survey

Many bumble bees (Bombus spp.) in North America have experienced significant population declines in the last decade. In 2017, the rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) became the first bumble bee in the U.S. to receive formal protections under the Endangered Species Act. While previous research has identified conservation actions for bumble bee colonies during the summer, relatively little is known about the spring and fall nesting biology of bumble bee queens. This is a major knowledge gap which limits our ability to effectively conserve these pollinators. Here, we aim to understand nesting habitat preferences for B. affinis and other associated Bombus species, and to identify spring floral resources used by the queens.

EFFECTS OF MANAGEMENT AND DROUGHT ON WOODY ENCROACHMENT IN TALLGRASS PRAIRIE

Katherine Charton, Integrative Biology Department, UW–Madison
Advisor: Ellen Damschen

In an era of rapidly changing climatic conditions, anticipating the rate and extent of ecosystem change will help inform conservation priorities and adaptation efforts. Woody encroachment is one such globally occurring change and is considered irreversible past certain critical thresholds. Managing these thresholds and intervening before communities transition to a wooded state requires an understanding of multiple environmental variables that drive encroachment. This project will examine the effects of management, climate change, and their interaction on woody invaders in tallgrass prairies. Specifically, I will ask how established woody plants respond to management and drought across a gradient of tallgrass prairie habitats. Results will be highly relevant to the conservation and restoration of prairie communities and to our basic understanding of disturbance and community stability.

IMPACTS OF PRESCRIBED FIRE TIMING ON OAK (QUERCUS SPP.) SAVANNA RESTORATION

Christy Lowney, UW–Madison Arboretum

Fire is essential for maintaining oak ecosystems, and prescribed fire is a management tool commonly used to maintain oak systems in the absence of naturally occurring wildfires. The impacts of timing of prescribed fire in oak savanna restorations is an area where research is lacking. This study will examine the impacts of spring and summer prescribed burning, in varying rotations, on oak savanna restorations in Wisconsin and compare them to sites in Southern Michigan.