Dylan Fischer

The Evergreen State College



Research Teaching
Evergreen Biogeochemistry and Ecology Lab	Temperate Rainforests: Biogeochemistry
Ecosystem Genetics	Sustainable Forestry
Belowground Ecology	Field Ecology
EEON Project	The Olympic Peninsula
Whole-Tree Water-Use	Plant Ecology and Physiology
Plant Community Ecology	Writing on the Wild Side

Research News Our new paper on carbon flux and forest diversity in the EEON project was just published! See Kirsch et al. 2012. Salmon affect Forest Leaf Decomposition! See new Bretherton et al. 2011 paper LeRoy et al. 2011 examine how fungal endophyte in maple affects leaf decomposition! Rook et al. 2011 examine fire and invasive species effects on plant community Elliott et al. 2011 looks at Lupinus germination responses to temperature, and

Please see my new site at: http://blogs.evergreen.edu/fischer

Dylan G. Fischer

Ph.D., Faculty

Forest Ecosystem Ecology

WELCOME

I am a faculty member at The Evergreen State College. I also manage the Evergreen Biogeochemistry and Ecology Lab, and the Evergreen Ecological Observation Network (a network of ecosystem measurement plots in the evergreen campus forest reserve- EEON). My research in ecosystem ecology addresses linkages between plant diversity and ecosystem water use, carbon cycling, and nitrogen availability. I have been especially interested in linkages between tree molecular genetics and ecosystem ecology of riparian cottonwood forests in the West, and Southwest (USA). I have also worked with Ponderosa pine forests, grassland and prairie systems, and temperate rainforests of the Northwest (USA). Check out our Field and Ecosystem Ecology lab page with links to more research from my lab.

My teaching work allows me to work in an even broader array of ecosystems because my classes often focus on conducting field studies. Recent field sites have included the Grand Canyon (AZ), The Sinlahekin Valley (WA), the Metolius River (OR), and the Prairies of the South Puget Sound (WA). Some recent classes I've taught include, Field Ecology, Plant ecology and Physiology, Writing on the Wild Side, Temperate Rainforests, The Olympic Peninsula, Genes to Ecosystems, Educating on the Wild Side, and Introduction to Environmental Studies. In 2010-11 I taught Field Ecology with Dr. Alison Styring (Ornithology faculty), and Temperate Rainforests: Biogeochemistry with Dr. Paul Butler. In Spring 2012 I will be teaching Field and Laboratory Biology in Southwestern Ecosystems with Dr. Clarissa Dirks.

e-mail: fischerd@evergreen.edu

Phone: 360 867 6509

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Kirsch J.L., Fischer D.G., Kazakova A.N., Biswas A., Kelm R.E., Carlson D.W., LeRoy C.J.2012. Diversity-Carbon Flux Relationships in a Northwest Forest. Diversity. 4:33-58.

Bretherton, W.D., J.S. Kominoski, C.J. LeRoy, D.G. Fischer. 2011. Salmon carcasses alter leaf litter species diversity effects on in-stream decomposition. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 68:1495-1506. PDF

Elliott, CW, DG Fischer, and CJ LeRoy. 2011. Germination of Three Native Lupinus Species in Response to Temperature. Northwest Science. 85:403-410

Rook,EJ, DG Fischer, RD Seyferth, JL Kirsch, CJ LeRoy, and S Hamman. 2011. Responses of Prairie Vegetation to Fire, Herbicide, and Invasive Species Legacy. Northwest Science. 85:288-302

LeRoy, CJ, DG Fischer, K Halstead, M Pryor, JK Bailey, and JA Schweitzer. 2011. Fungal endophyte decelerates in-stream litter decomposition. Freshwater Biology. 56:1426-1433

Schweitzer, JA, DG Fischer, BJ Rehill, SC Wooley, SA Woolbright, RL Lindroth, TG Whitham, DR Zak, and SC Hart. 2010. Forest gene diversity is correlated with the composition and function of soil microbial communities. Submitted contribution to Special Feature:“Linking genome to ecosystem” in Population Ecology - in press

Schweitzer, JA, JK Bailey, DG Fischer, CJ LeRoy, TG Whitham and SC Hart. (2011) Functional and heritable consequences of plant genotype on community composition and ecosystem processes. 2010. In Ecology and Evolution of Trait-mediated Indirect Interactions: Linking Evolution, Community, and Ecosystem. (eds T. Ohgushi, O. Schmitz & R. D. Holt). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. - in press

Bailey, J.K., Schweitzer, J.A., Úbeda, F., Zinkgraf, M., Fitzpatrick, B.M., O’Reilly-Wapstra, J., Rehill, B.J., LeRoy, C.J., Potts, B.M., Whitham, T.G., Genung, M.A., Fischer, D.G., Pregitzer, C.C., & Keith, A. (2011) From Genes to Ecosystems: Emerging Concepts Bridging Ecological and Evolutionary Dynamics. Ecological Reviews. The ecology of plant secondary metabolites: from genes to landscapes. edited by Iason GR, Dicke M, and Hartley SE. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. - in press

Fischer, D.G., S. Hart, J. Schweitzer, P. Selmants, and T Whitham. 2010. Soil nitrogen availability varies with plant genetics across diverse river drainages. Plant and Soil. 331: 391-400

Lojewski, N.R.*, D.G. Fischer, J.K. Bailey, J.A. Schweitzer, T. G. Whitham and S. C. Hart. 2009. Genetic basis of aboveground productivity in two native Populus species and their hybrids. Tree Physiology. 29: 1133–1142

Bailey, J.K., J.A. Schweitzer, J. Koricheva, M.D. Madritch, C.J. LeRoy, B.J. Rehill, R.K. Bangert, D.G. Fischer, G. Allen, and Thomas G. Whitham. From Genes to Ecosystems: Synthesizing the Effects of Plant Genetic Factors Across Systems. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 364: 1607-1616

Whitham, T.G., C.A. Gehring, L.M. Evans, C.J. LeRoy, R.K. Bangert, J.A. Schweitzer, G.J. Allan, R.C. Barbour, D.G. Fischer, B.M. Potts and J.K. Bailey. 2009. A Community and Ecosystem Genetics Approach to Conservation Biology and Management. In Molecular Approaches in Natural Resource Conservation. Cambridge University Press.

Fischer and Kazakova*. 2008. Book Review: Measuring Carbon Uptake in Forests and Farms. Environmental Practice.

Schweitzer, J.A., M. D. Madritch, J. K. Bailey, C.J. LeRoy, D.G. Fischer, B.J. Rehill, R.L. Lindroth, T.G. Whitham. 2008. Ecological impacts of foliar condensed tannins: a genes-to-ecosystem approach. Ecosystems. 11:1005-1020

Schweitzer, JA, JK Bailey, DG Fischer, CJ LeRoy, EV Lonsdorf, TG Whitham and SC Hart. 2008. Soil Microorganism-Plant Interactions; Heritable relationship between plant genotype and associated microorgansims. Ecology. 89: 773–781

Bangert, RK, EV Lonsdorf, GM Wimp, S M Shuster, DG Fischer, JA Schweitzer, GJ Allan, JK Bailey, TG Whitham. 2008. Genetic structure of a foundation species: scaling community phenotypes from the individual to the region. Heredity. 18 October 2006

Fischer, DG, SC Hart, CJ LeRoy and TG Whitham. 2007 Variation in Belowground Carbon Fluxes along a Populus Hybridization Gradient. New Phytologist. 176: 415–425

Kovacs, Z.I., C.J. LeRoy, D.G. Fischer, S. Lubarsky, and W.Burke. 2007 How do aesthetics affect our ecology? Journal of Ecological Anthropology. 10:61-65

Fischer, D.G., S.C. Hart, B.J. Rehill, R.L. Lindroth, P. Keim and T.G. Whitham. 2006. Do high-tannin leaves require more roots? Oecologia 149:668–675

Whitham TG, Bailey JK, Schweitzer JA, LeRoy CJ, Fischer, DG, Lonsdorf E, Shuster SM, Lindroth RL, Hart SC, Allan GJ, Gehring CA, Keim P, Potts BM, and Woolbright S. 2006. From Genes to Ecosystems: How Genes Structure Communities and Affect Ecosystem Processes. Nature: Genetics. 7:510-523

G. Cox*, D.G. Fischer, S.C. Hart, and T.G. Whitham. 2005. Nonresponse of native cottonwood trees to water additions during summer drought. Western North American Naturalist. 65: 175-185

Whitham TG, Lonsdorf E, Schweitzer JA, Bailey JK, Fischer, DG, Shuster SM, Lindroth RL, Hart SC, Allan GJ, Gehring CA, Keim P, Potts BM, Marks, J, Rehill BJ, DiFazio SP, LeRoy CJ, Wimp GM, and S. Woolbright 2005. “All effects of a gene on the world”: Extended phenotypes, feedbacks, and multi-level selection. Écoscience 12: 5-7.

Fischer, D.G., S.C. Hart, T.G. Whitham, G.D. Martinsen and P. Keim. 2004. Ecosystem implications of genetic variation in water-use of a dominant riparian tree. Oecologia 139:188-197.

Whitham, T.G., W.P. Young, G.D. Martinsen, C.A. Gehring, J.A. Schweitzer, S.M. Shuster, G.M. Wimp, D.G. Fischer, J.K. Bailey, R.L. Lindroth, S. Woolbright, and C.R. Kuske. 2003. Community and ecosystem genetics: a consequence of the extended phenotype. Ecology 84: 559-573

Fischer, D.G., T.E. Kolb, and L.E. Dewald. 2002. Changes in whole-tree water relations during ontogeny of Pinus flexilis and Pinus ponderosa in a high-elevation meadow. Tree Physiology. 22:675-685.