à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã

Title

Professor

Office Building

Edgar S. McFadden Biostress Lab

Office

142C

Mailing Address

McFadden Biostress Laboratory 142C
Natural Resource Management-Box 2140B
University Station
Brookings, SD 57007

Education

• Ph.D. in rangeland ecology, minor in statistics | North à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã State University | 1998
• M.S. in plant ecology | University of Science and Technology, Institute of Applied Ecology of Chinese Academy of Sciences, PR China | 1988
• B.S. in botany | Shanxi University, PR China | 1985

Academic Interests

• Spatial distribution of vegetation in relation to environmental gradient factors.
• Reclamation/restoration of disturbed lands and vegetation succession in semiarid and arid regions.
• Understanding how plants adapt and grow sustainably in changing environments.
• Plant-à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã interaction, in particular, effects of grazing, competition and climate (e.g. drought) on plant survival, production and reproductive strategy.
• Ecology of invasive plant species/soil seed and bud bank.
• Plant ecology.
• Rangeland ecology.

Academic Responsibilities

• Advanced Plant Ecology (BOT 715/715L)
• Grassland Fire Ecology (RANG 421-521)
• Plant Ecology (BOT 419/419L)
• Principles of Ecology (NRM 311)
• Principles of Ecology Laboratory (NRM 311L)
• Rangeland Assessment and Monitoring (RANG 425/425L-525/525L)
• Undergraduate Research/Scholarship (BOT 498)
• International Experience -Arctic (ABS 482/582)
• Taught:
  • Biosurvey I (BIOL101/101L)
  • Biosurvey II (BIOL 103/103L)
  • General Biology - Honor (BIOL 151/151L)

Committees and Professional Memberships

• Society for Range Management
• South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã Academy of Science
• The Honor Society of Agriculture Gamma Sigma Delta

à£à£Ö±²¥Ðãs and Honors

• Gamma Sigma Delta The Honor Society of Agriculture Teaching à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã, 2017
• David W. Willis Faculty Excellence à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã, 2016
• F.O. Butler Foundation Faculty à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã for Excellence in Teaching, 2007
• Nominee and Certificate a community of Scholars Honoring Excellence for the Food and Agricultural Sciences Excellence in College and University Teaching à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã by USDA - Higher Education Programs, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, and American Association of State Colleges and Universities; 2007, 2008, 2009. 
• National Recognition: Biology Survey II (BIOL 103/103L) was selected as one of the top 20 examples of Best Practices Course in the nation at the College Board Advanced Placement ® Best Practices Study, 2006

Grants

• Evaluating the potential role of belowground bud banks in providing resistance and resilience to climate change in grassland ecosystems; US-FS; 2014-2018
• Bud bank: a promising new ecological approach for controlling invasive plants and improving wildlife habitat; SDGFP; 2012-2017
• Mapping and Characterization of Native Grassland Habitat on South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã’s Prairie Coteau; USFWS; 2013-2016
• Renewal on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation: Land, Cattle, Beef, and People; USDA; 2011-2017
• Vegetation Ecology and Management on Active and Inactive Prairie Dog Towns; USFS; 2008-2011
• Inter-seeding yellow-flowered alfalfa to improve depleted Northern Great Plains rangeland; USDA; 2009-2011

Areas of Research

• Community/Vegetation Ecology and Management on prairie dog towns
• Restoration/reclamation disturbed lands and vegetation succession
• Natural resource sustainability