Amy J. Symstad, Ph.D.Research Ecologist |
USGS Black Hills Field Station 26611 U.S. Highway 385 Hot Springs, SD 57747 |
|
Research (Principal Investigator),
Black Hills Field Station |
Expertise:
- plant ecology
- invasive plant effects
- fire ecology
- prairie restoration
- biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships
Current Projects:
- Long-term monitoring of plant communities in northern Great Plains NPS units
- Improving prairie restoration seed mix for Wind Cave National Park
- Evaluating lack of grazing impact on vegetation of Scotts Bluff National Monument
- Investigating the occurrence of old-growth ponderosa pine forest at Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Education:
- Ph.D., Ecology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (1998)
- B.S., Environmental Engineering Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (1992)
Professional Experience:
- 2002-present: Research Ecologist, Black Hills Field Station, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, USGS, Jamestown, ND
- 2000-2002: Associate Research Scientist, Lost Mound Field Station, Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, IL
- 1998-2000: Assistant Research Scientist, Lost Mound Field Station, Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, IL
Professional Affiliations:
- Ecological Society of America
- International Association of Vegetation Science
- Society for Restoration Ecology International
- Nordic Ecological Society
- Natural Areas Association
NPWRC Publications:
Selected Publications:
Symstad, A. J. Lasting effects of Coronilla varia (crownvetch) invasion in sand prairie. In Review for American Midland Naturalist.
Díaz, S., A. J. Symstad, F. S. Chapin, III, D. A. Wardle, and L. F. Huenneke. 2003. Functional diversity revealed by removal experiments. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 18:140-146.
Symstad, A. J., F. S. Chapin III, D. H. Wall, K. L. Gross, L. F. Huenneke, G. G. Mittelbach, D. C. P. Peters, and D. Tilman. 2003. Long-term and large-scale perspectives on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. BioScience 53:89-98.
Symstad, A. J. 2003. An overview of ecological plant classification systems: Linking functional response and functional effect groups. Pages 13-51 in Ambasht, R. S. and N. K. Ambasht. Modern Trends in Applied Terrestrial Ecology, Kluwer Academic Press.
Symstad, A. J., L. Temmen, and E. A. Anderson. 2002. Mowing does not increase herbicide effectiveness on crown vetch. Ecological Restoration 287-288.
Symstad, A. J., and D. G. Wenny. 2002. Response of grassland birds to prairie restoration at Lost Mound NWR: Baseline data collection. Technical Report 2002(22), Illinois Natural History Survey, Center for Biodiversity, Savanna, IL.
Vandermeer, J., D. Lawrence, A. Symstad, and S. Hobbie. 2002. Effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning in managed ecosystems. In Inchausti, P., M. Loreau, and S. Naeem, editors. Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning: Synthesis and Perspectives, Oxford University Press.
Hooper, D. U., M. Solan, A. Symstad, S. Díaz, M. O. Gessner, N. Buchmann, V. Degrange, P. Grime, F. Hulot, F. Mermillod-Blondin, J. Roy, E. Spehn, L. van Peer. 2002. Species diversity, functional diversity, and ecosystem functioning. In Inchausti, P., M. Loreau, and S. Naeem, eds. Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning: Synthesis and Perspectives, Oxford University Press.
Symstad, A. J., and D. Tilman. 2001. Diversity loss, recruitment limitation, and ecosystem functioning: lessons learned from a removal experiment. Oikos 92:424-435.
Symstad, A. J. 2000. Baseline data collection for habitat restoration at the Savanna Army Depot: Vegetation structure and composition. Illinois Natural History Survey, Center for Biodiversity, Technical Report 2000(25):1-12.
Symstad, A. J., E. Siemann, and J. Haarstad. 2000. An experimental test of the effect of plant functional group diversity on arthropod diversity. Oikos 89:243-253.
Symstad, A. J. 2000. A test of the effects of functional group richness and composition on grassland invasibility. Ecology 81:99-109.
Naeem, S., F. S. Chapin III, R. Costanza, P. R. Ehrlich, F. B. Golley, D. U. Hooper, J. H. Lawton, R. V. O'Neill, H. A. Mooney, O. E. Sala, A. J. Symstad, and D. Tilman. 1999. Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning: Maintaining natural life support processes. Issues in Ecology 4.
Symstad, A. J., D. Tilman, J. Willson, and J. M. H. Knops. 1998. Species loss and ecosystem functioning: Effects of species identity and community composition. Oikos 81:389-397.
