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Dr. Vanessa B. Beauchamp |
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The Plant Ecology Lab at Towson University |
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Research |
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Research Areas - These descriptions reflect my past work in these areas. Interested students should contact me about conducting similar projects in the Mid-Atlantic region. Opportunities may also exist to continue some of these projects in Arizona and New Mexico. The overarching goals of my research program are to test and refine ecological models of succession, identify environmental thresholds involved in plant community change, and elucidate the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in plant community dynamics. A large part of my research program also involves practical applications related to management, conservation and restoration of plant communities. · Riparian ecology: Effect of flow regulation (dams) on riparian tree recruitment, understory herbaceous composition and invasive species dynamics. Past research had focused on the Verde River, Arizona. · Invasive species: Recruitment of salt-cedar (Tamarix spp.) in below dam areas along the Verde River, Arizona. Restoration of salt-cedar-dominated riparian areas along the Rio Grande, New Mexico. · Restoration ecology: Identifying candidate plant species for restoration of historic floodplain areas along the Rio Grande, New Mexico, in areas that are now to saline or dry to support phreatophytic riparian vegetation (cottonwoods and willows). · Mycorrhizal fungi: Effect of dams on the mycorrhizal community composition of cottonwood-willow forests along the Verde River, Arizona; role of flood pulses in mycorrhizal spore dispersal; soil feedbacks between mycorrhizae, cottonwood and salt-cedar. Current Projects · Successional dynamics in the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area The main focal points of the study include examining relationships between land use history, plant community composition and invasive species abundance, and looking at the effect of deer browse on understory composition, tree seedling recruitment and invasive species abundance. Results from the project will assist Howard County in managing this natural area.
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Contact information
Vanessa B. Beauchamp Assistant Professor Biological Sciences Towson University 8000 York Road Towson, MD 21252
Phone: 410-704-2286 Fax: 410-704-2405 |
