Research
Research program
My primary area research is aquatic entomology, which is the study of insects that live in rivers, lakes and wetlands. As a kid, I spent my weekends watching and collecting these “critters” in John McLaren Park in the middle of San Francisco, California. Insects have always fascinated me, especially the ones that live under water. I guess I’m still a kid when it comes to chasing six-legged critters!
Insects are useful organisms for answering important biological questions. Aquatic insects play critical roles in rivers and lakes. They serve as valuable food items for fish and waterfowl. We also use insects as “living pollution sensors; their presence or absence can tell us a lot about how clean the water is in lakes and streams. Some aquatic insects transmit harmful diseases, like malaria and encephalitis, to humans and other animals. Knowing how, when and where such insects live and breed can help control the spread of disease. Increasing our understanding about insects is a valuable scientific pursuit and fun, too.
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Research projects (1999 - 2005)
- Impacts of Non-point Source Pollution on Benthic Food Webs
- Modeling Benthic Macroinvertebrate Abundance in the Upper Mississippi River
- Ecology of Macroinvertebrates in Myrick Marsh, an Urban, Palustrine Ecosystem
- The Affects of Land Use and Water Quality on Chironomid Communities in Natural and Constructed Wetland Ponds
- Lotic Ecosystems of Wisconsin’s Driftless Area
- Behavior and Ecological Stoichiometry of a Dominant Lotic Caddisfly (Glossosoma intermedium)
- The Ecological Stoichiometry of Macroinvertebrates and Their Food Resources in Agricultural Streams
- Effects of Emergence Time on Food Availability of Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) Fry
- The Ecology of Terrestrial Slug Arion fasciatus Living in an Aquatic Habitat
- The Ecology of Predatory Stoneflies Isogenoides olivaceus & I. frontalis (Perlodidae: Plecoptera)
