Description of Research
My broad research interests are in the ecology and conservation of amphibians and reptiles.  My current research focus is on the role of terrestrial, woodland salamanders in ecosystem functions.  Terrestrial salamanders of the genus Plethodon can be incredibly abundant in forest ecosystems.  In many eastern US forests they are the most abundant vertebrate and can makeup twice the biomass of all the breeding forest birds.  As abundant predators of forest floor invertebrates, salamanders have the potential to affect ecosystem processes through alteration of the detrital food web and through direct nutrient cycling.  I am specifically testing how the removal of salamanders from forest plots affects nitrogen mineralization rates, leaf litter decomposition rates, and oak seedling growth and survival.  Additionally, I am examining how salamanders affect other top forest floor predators including spiders, centipedes, and carabid beetles.  These predators are likely competing for resources and their roles in the food web and ecosystem may be altered in the absence of salamanders.  Given the global decline of amphibians, it is important to understand how amphibians contribute to ecosystems services and what we’re losing.  This knowledge can help to inform and prioritize conservation and management decisions.

Here is a great video on Appalachian salamanders: http://vimeo.com/23474410. Most people don't realize that the southern Appalachian mountains host the greatest diversity of salamanders of anywhere on the planet. The southern Appalachians are like the coral reefs of salamander biodiversity!

My master's research while at the University of Missouri focused on the effects of forest management practices on amphibian populations.  My research was conducted as part of the Land-use Effects on Amphibian Populations (LEAP) project.  This was a collaborative project with the University of Missouri, University of Maine, and University of Georgia.  We used multiple experimental forest treatments simultaneously in three regions of the country to compare regional effects of different forest management techniques.  My individual research examined the breeding and recruitment response of gray treefrogs (Hyla versicolor) to these different management techniques in central Missouri.

Undergraduate Research: The Confluence of Research and Teaching
I am passionate about ecological research and increasing human understanding of how the natural world works. One of the greatest parts of being a scientist is that moment when you first get the results of an experiment and glean something new about this world we live in. Then following up with the excitement of sharing this new finding with others. It doesn't matter how small the finding, it's always something new, something that no one else has ever known before. I try to instill this excitement of discovery in my students and there is no better opportunity than through undergraduate research projects. I have been fortunate to work with a number of enthusiastic and talented students who never fail to inspire and challenge me. You can read more about undergraduate projects I've been involved with here.