Plant Ecophys Lab

Who we are

 

Jesse Nippert
Associate Professor
nippert@ksu.edu

My research focus is on plant eco-physiological responses to changes in water availability (spatially, temporally, or driven by climate changes). Particularly, I'm interested in the mechanims of drought tolerance by grassland and savanna species (structure / function) as well as the theory of competition/ facilitation for water between trees and grasses. Thus, I enjoy spending my time addressing questions linking resource availability - physiology - patterns of productivity, with the goal of improving our ability to scale energy dynamics and hydrological processes from the plant- to ecosystem-level.

Personally, count me among the prairie dogs, meadowlarks and the bison; I [heart] grasslands. These systems exist within an interface of climatic variability and frequent disturbance (fire and grazers). Grass species are deceptively simple, but their unique physiology and form is adapted to environmental stress and disturbance. Despite abiotic and biotic pressures, grasses can grow like weeds (har har har) and develop dense canopies and high biomass. The environmental and biotic complexity of grasslands provides a challenging (mentally and physically) and enjoyable system to study. There is nothing better than spending a day on the Konza Prairie in the Kansas sun.

CV (last updated - May, 2012)

 

Amy Concilio
Post-doctoral Research Associate
amyconcilio@gmail.com

My research focuses on plant community responses to global environmental change with an emphasis on interactions between native and invasive species.  Currently, I am studying plant responses to climate change and nitrogen deposition in the Front Range of Colorado, where both winter precipitation and nitrogen availability have increased in recent decades.  My work will examine how native and invasive plants in this system compete for water and how changes in precipitation and nitrogen availability might affect species interactions.  I also maintain active long-term research plots in the eastern Sierra Nevada (where I worked on my dissertation) to measure plant community response to increases in nitrogen deposition and changes in snowpack.

My primary home is at CU - INSTAAR, but every now and again I'll make the trip east to Manhattan.

 

Zak Ratajczak
PhD Candidate
zarata@ksu.edu

One of the most fundamental characteristics of terrestrial ecosystems is whether they are dominated by grasses, trees, or a mix of the two. Studying tree-grass interactions brings up many interesting questions: How have grasses come to dominate such a large portion of the globe, even though their modern form only evolved ~8 million years ago? Why don’t trees expand into areas where they would enhance productivity? And how should we expect the balance of tree-grass competition to change as we alter the atmosphere and climate at unprecedented rates? My dissertation research focuses on understanding what determines the levels of grass vs. tree dominance in grasslands and savannas, with the goal of trying to predict how the dominance of these two functional groups will respond to different global change scenarios. This works draws heavily from plant eco-physiology and theoretical community ecology.

Grasslands and savannas play a very important role in many humans’ lives, providing food and a number of other ecosystem services. They also house unique plants and animals that cannot be found anywhere else. For these reasons, I’m also interested in studying the human and non-human forces that alter the biodiversity and productivity of grasslands and savannas.

CV (last updated - Jan, 2013)

 

Kim O'Keefe
PhD Candidate

Kim will be joining the lab in August, 2012. She is completing her M.S. with Clint Springer at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. Previously, Kim's research has focused on linking the physiological responses of species with high genotypic diversity to climate change conditions. Her future research remains to be determined. It will probably focus on plants. And eco-physiology.

 

Gracie Orozco
Undergrad - Senior (5th year)
Dual Major: Biology / Environmental Engineering
gracieo@ksu.edu

Gracie started working in the ecophys lab as a freshman and is now our senior resident. She is from Kanopolis, KS (pop: 492), which is famously known for Orozco's Portales Cafe (best Mexican food in KS). Gracie's interests are focused on ecohydrology and modeling atmo-plant-soil flux dynamics. She has experience running environmental sensors, and using stable isotopes as predictors of ecological processes. Her other skills include singing out loud with the radio while working in the lab.

 

 

Ben Ketter
Undergrad - Junior
Major: Biology
bk4state@ksu.edu

Ben started working in the lab in the summer, 2012. Ben is the most energetic person in the lab, always ready for a challenge! It's yet unclear what his research interests are... time will tell. While we figure this out, he's a mean grinder, packer, cleaner, prepper, and all-around great lab technician.

Former Graduate Students

Troy Ocheltree (2008-12) Ph.D. - Agronomy and SIMSL Manager
Currently: University of Minnesota - St.Paul (w/ Peter Reich)

Jeff Hartman (2009-11) M.S. - Biology
Currently: University of Nebraska-Lincoln (w/ David Wedin)

Sally Tucker (2009-10) M.S. - Biology
Currently: Oklahoma State University (w/ Gail Wilson & Janette Steets)

Jacob Carter (2008-10) M.S. - Biology
Currently: University of Kansas (w/ Joy Ward)