Evergreen State College Ecosystem Ecology Lab

Fischer-LeRoy Field Ecology Lab

New Links: Rob Jackson's ESA Physiological Ecology Job Page Community and Ecosystem Ecology Group (TN)

Our work focuses on ecosystem function and restoration ecology. Projects we're interested in run the gamut from quantifying ecosystem structure and function, to stream ecology and forest restoration, to biological conservation. The lab's current work is divided between riparian cottonwood forests (in WA, UT, and AZ), ongoing research with local prairie restoration efforts, and temperate rain-forest ecology in western Washington.

Research Links

Belowground Ecology

Leaf Decomposition in Temperate Forests

Stream Ecology

Riparian Restoration Ecology

Community and Ecosystem Genetics/cottonwood ecology

Permanent Plots Network

Whole-Tree Water-Use

Prairie Plant Community Ecology

Genetic-based tree tree responses to salmon carcasses

People (current)	Alumni
Dylan Fischer	Christopher "Digger" Anthony
Carri LeRoy	Callie Meredith
Mara Denny	Nick Smith
Kate Halstead	Matt Crabtree
Zac Miller	Duke Brady
Greg Falxa	Megan Liebmann
Mikkel Bjornson	Kim McNett
Margaret Pryor	Pat Babbin
Alex Kazakova	Brett Ivey
Justin Kirsch	Jaclyn Carpenter
Jora Rehm-Lorber (MES)	Whitney Kitchner
Lindsy Wright (MES)	Welles Bretherton
Natalie Pyrooz (MES)

Active research:

Salmonid effects on Leaf decomposition in streams and forests (Denny; Bretherton)

Measurement and establishment of permanent ecosystem monitoring plots in lowland Puget Sound forests (Loft)

Genetic, Environment, and GxE variation on cottonwood above and belowground physiology and C allocation in P. trichocarpa (Kitchner and Carpenter)

Puget Sound Prairie Plant Species Diversity and ecosystem Function

Genetic effects of a foundational species on ecosystem carbon and water balance.

Genetic effects on seasonality of root production, turnover, and fractal dimension of in cottonwood forests.

Effects of genetic variation in plants on leaf litter decomposition

Effects of course and fine scale plant litter diversity on stream biodiversity

Trends in global decomposition of leaf litter

Intraspecific variation in leaf-atmosphere interactions

What causes variation in algal symbiont thickness in a PNW lichen? (Smith et al.)

Patterns in mortality among restoration out-plantings (Babbin and Miller et al. in collaboration with Whitham lab, NAU, and BOR)

Differences in Avian, Plant, and Woody Gall diversity among 1, 3 and 7 year old restored cottonwood stands on the Lower Colorado River. (in Collaboration with Whitham ecology lab, NAU, and BOR).

Leaf morphology and physiology differences among three species of oak along an elevation gradient in the Sky Islands (Halstead and Pritchard).

NEW!

Student poster the 2008 South Sound Science Symposium (S4)

Kazakova, AN, JL Kirsch, and DG Fischer. 2008. Carbon Storage and Productivity Estimates in a Second-Growth Forest

Student Posters at The 2007 Ecological Society of America Meetings in San Jose California:

Halstead KE, Pritchard, KR, and D Fischer. 2007. The Effects of Environmental Stress on Diversity, Water-Use Efficiency and Leaf Morphology of Native Quercus Species in the Chiricahua Mountains

Smith, N, McNett, K, Crabtree, M, Brady, G, Liebmann, M, and D Fischer. 2007. Variance in the Algal Layer Ratios of Parmelia sulacta: Canopy Height, Tree Species, and N Deposition Effects.

Bretherton, W, CJ LeRoy, and DG Fischer. 2007. Interactions between salmon carcasses, leaf litter diversity, leaf decomposition and macro-invertebrate diversity.

Student publications in prep

Smith, N., K. McNett, M. Crabtree, D. Brady, M. Liebmann, and D.G. Fischer. 2007. Environmental effects on intra-thalline morphology of a Pacific Northwest lichen. In Review - The Bryologist.

LeRoy, C.J., K. Halstead, D.G. Fischer. 2007. Leaf endophyte (Rhytisma punctatum) decelerates big leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) decomposition in streams. In prep - Oecologia

Smith, N, Babbin, Miller, Z, P, Ivey, B, and Fischer, D. 2008. Does fire result in increased diversity due to invasive species in a small restored Northwest Prairie? In prep - Restoration Ecology.

Babbin, P., Z. Miller, , J. Erickson, B. Marcus, D. Fischer, and T. Whitham. 2007. Ecotype Mortality in Southwestern Cottonwood Forest Restoration. In prep for Restoration Ecology.

Halstead, K., and A. Haigler 2007.Bird Communities and Galling Insect Trophic Interactions along a Populus fremontii Restoration Age Gradient. In prep for submission to Restoration Ecology

Fischer, D.G., A. Styring, C. Dobbs, L. Kurth, and IES:LAND. 2007. Biomass, Species, and Carbon Estimation in Historic National Park Campgrounds. In Prep for Submission to Northwest Science.

Merdith, C, and D.G. Fischer. 2007. Effects of understory Sword fern on throughfall chemistry; implications for maple forest growth and leaf decomposition. In prep for submission to Forest Science.

Bretherton, W., and C.J. LeRoy. 2007. Interactions between Salmon carcass additions and leaf litter diversity. In prep for Ecology.

LAB PUBLICATIONS

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

LeRoy, C.J., T.G. Whitham, and J.C. Marks. 2007. Within-species variation in litter chemistry influences aquatic leaf litter decomposition. Journal of the North American Benthological Society (in press).

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

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

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

LeRoy, C.J., T.G. Whitham, P. Keim, and J.C. Marks. 2006. Plant genes link forests and streams. Ecology 87(1): 255-261. pdf

LeRoy, C.J., and J.C. Marks. 2006. Litter quality, stream condition, and litter diversity influence decomposition rates and macroinvertebrate communities. Freshwater Biology 51: 605-617. pdf

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.

Flaccus, K., J. Vlieg, J.C. Marks and C.J. LeRoy. 2004. Restoring Fossil Creek. The Science Teacher 71(6):36-40.

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.

LeRoy, C., S. Determann, T. Wallace, M. Blake and T. Salem. 2000. Hanley Hall renovation project. Proceedings of the Air and Waste Management Association Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT.