Lab members

Graduate Students

MICHELLE HOMANN, Ph.d. student

I am interested in plant community and climate change ecology in fire-maintained grasslands with a specific emphasis on restoration outcomes. As anthropogenic influences continue to impact the persistence and composition of restored grasslands, I hope to understand how prairie restoration can be made more effective in the long term. A changing climate has the potential to alter interspecific interactions through impacts on phenological timing, resource allocation, and establishment patterns in grassland plant species. Throughout my dissertation work, I am investigating the roles of fire timing, community assembly, and the overarching implications of a changing climate as drivers of plant community composition.

Email: mhomann [at] wisc.edu

SHIQI ZHENG, ph.d. student

I am interested in plant ecology, particularly the processes that shape community assembly and how species’ functional traits influence plant responses to environmental change and climate change. I am especially interested in improving our ability to predict ecological restoration outcomes using field data and advanced quantitative approaches. My dissertation focuses on how species diversity and seed mix composition influence community assembly and restoration success in prairie ecosystems, and how seed traits can be used to predict restoration outcomes.

Email: szheng275 [at] wisc.edu

Email: szheng275 [at] wisc.edu

Postdocs

STEPHANIE MCFARLANE

I am a plant community ecologist, interested in community assembly, plant-pollinator interactions, and restoration ecology. My dissertation research investigated the impact of restoration practices and management on restoration outcomes at over 30 restored prairies in south-central Wisconsin. For this research, I examined how different management regimes (i.e., whether sites were seeded, the seed mix composition, and the fire history) impact the vegetation, insect communities, and the monarch butterfly. I am also interested in the floral resources found in restored prairies and the related impacts on pollinators and pollination services.

Email: mcfarlane [at] wisc.edu

THOMAS SMITH

I am a postdoc working on the Corridor Project. I completed my Ph.D. at the University of Florida working on the spatial dynamics of cactus bugs.

Email: tasmith28 [at] wisc.edu

CHRISTOPHER WARNEKE

I am a plant ecologist interested in rare species and invasive species, and am driven by what makes populations at these ends of the abundance spectrum tick. I have worked primarily within restored habitat systems, as we can use experimental techniques to directly test ideas about species rarity and growing populations within these systems. In my position in the Damschen Lab, I am working primarily on data science and data management of the lab’s long-term data as well as how plant functional traits impact plant community patterns. You can find more details about me and find my CV at my website.

Email: warneke [at] wisc.edu

Research Associates and Technicians

GUS BRUNETTE

Email: ajbrunette [at] wisc.edu

BENJAMIN OVERLIE

I am the lead technician and project manager for the Corridor Project at the Savannah River Site, SC.

Email: boverlie [at] wisc.edu

Undergraduate Research Technicians

Owen Plate– LEAD RESEARCH TECHNICIAN

I am an environmental science major with a minor in environmental soil science, largely interested in the relationships between soil, fire, and plant communities. Through a Sophomore Research Fellowship and an Integrative Biology Summer Research Fellowship, I am studying the impacts of prescribed fire and soil characteristics on plant communities in tallgrass prairies. Additionally, I am looking into the interrelationships between soil microbial communities and plant communities, as well as the effects of prescribed fire on those soil microbes. Through this research, I look to better understand how plant and soil ecosystems are impacting one another, and the ways fire alters these interactions

email: oplate [at] wise.edu

Portraits courtesy of Liz Kozik.