Valerie A. Barko, Systems Ecologist, has a B.S. in Biology from the University of Louisiana-Monroe (1994), a M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Ecology from Oklahoma State University-Stillwater (1996), and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (2001).
She served as an Instructor in Biological Sciences at the University of New Orleans (1996-1997) and an Adjunct Faculty member at Shawnee and Rend Lake Community Colleges (2000-2001).

Her prior research experience includes evaluation of avifauna-prairie dog-vegetation relationships in the Great Plains, development of a non-lethal electrophoretic technique to distinguish sympatric species of mice, and identification of landuse types influencing mouse abundance patterns in a fragmented, bottomland forest landscape.
Her present research interests include conservation ecology, use of multivariate techniques to understand ecological relationships, assessing the impacts of exotic species on native fauna in the Mississippi River, and side channel function in river systems.

Selected publications:

Barko, V.A., J.H. Shaw, and D.M. Leslie, Jr. 1999. Birds associated with black-tailed prairie dog colonies in southern shortgrass prairie. Southwestern Naturalist 44(4):484-489.

Barko, V.A., B.L. Sloss, and G.A. Feldhamer. 2000. A non-lethal method for identification of the cotton mouse, Peromyscus gossypinus (LeConte, 1853). Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science 93:285-291.

Barko, V.A., M.J. Palmer, J.G. Stewart, and D.M. Engle. 2001. Effect of black-tailed prairie dog colonies on vegetation in southern shortgrass prairie. Proceedings of the Oklahoma Academy of Science. 81:11-19. [.pdf file 148 KB]

Barko, V.A. and G.A. Feldhamer. 2002. Cotton mice (Peromyscus gossyopinus) in southern Illinois: Evidence for hybridization with white-footed mice (P. leucopus). American Midland Naturalist 147(1):109-115. [.pdf file 124 KB]

Barko, V.A., and D.P. Herzog. 2003. Relationship among side channels, fish assemblages, and environmental gradients in the unimpounded Upper Mississippi River. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 18(3):377-382.

Barko, V.A., G.A. Feldhamer, M.C. Nicholson, and D.K. Davie. 2003. Urban habitat: A barrier to dispersal for white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus). Southeastern Naturalist 2(3):369-376. [.pdf file 1.7 MB]

Barko, V.A., D.P. Herzog, R.A. Hrabik, and J.S. Scheibe. 2004. Relationships among fish assemblages and main channel border physical habitats in the unimpounded Upper Mississippi River. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 133:370-383. [.pdf file 175 KB]

Barko, V.A. and R.A. Hrabik. 2004. Abundance of Ohio Shrimp (Macrobrachium ohione) and Glass Shrimp (Palaemonetes kadiakensis) in the unimpounded Upper Mississippi River. American Midland Naturalist 151(2):265-273.

Barko, V.A., B.A. Burke, D.J. Gibson, and B.A. Middleton. 2004. Seedling growth of Wisconsin fast plants (Brassica rapa) in field environments. In: B.W. Grant and C. D' Avanzo, eds., Teaching Issues and Experiments in Ecology, Vol. I. Ecological Society of America, Washington, D.C.

Barko, V.A., M.W. Palmer, D.P. Herzog, and B. Ickes. 2004. Influential environmental gradients and spatiotemporal patterns of fish assemblages in the unimpounded Upper Mississippi River. American Midland Naturalist 152(2): 369-385. [.pdf file 118 KB]

Barko, V.A., J.T. Briggler, and D.E. Ostendorf. 2004. Passive fishing techniques: A cause of captured turtle mortality in the Mississippi River. Journal of Wildlife Management: 68(4): 1145-1150.

Valerie Barko
Associate Dean for Instruction
John A. Logan College
700 Logan College Rd.
Carterville, IL 62918
Tele: 618-985-3741 x 8258
Fax: 618-985-9181
E-mail: valeriebarko@jalc.edu