The wide array of plant communities surrounding the OSU campus provides a diverse palette for plant ecology research. A current focal area of research in several departments within the College of Science is the invasion and restoration of grass-dominated ecosystems such as salt marshes, coastal dunes, mesic prairies, and annual grasslands. In addition, there are active research programs that focus on the ecology of oak woodlands, coniferous forests, and shrublands. In addition to these vascular plant communities, OSU is unique in the focus on often-neglected taxa such as lichens, mosses, and algae. For example, one of the longest continuously running ecology research programs in the college (Menge and Lubchenco Lab) tracks the dynamics of marine algae along Oregon’s rocky coastlines. Plant ecology research within the College of Science is distinctive in its multi-scale approach, tackling questions at scales that range from molecular evolution to landscape-scale biogeochemistry using empirical and theoretical approaches.  Click on the names below to learn more about the activities of each faculty member in Plant Ecology.

Faculty: