Our group is investigating how local environmental factors (e.g. enemies, resources, disturbance regime and recruitment limitation) interact with post-invasion adaptation to determine the likelihood and severity of Chinese Tallow Tree (Sapium sebiferum) invasions into East Texas coastal prairie, mesic forests, and floodplain forests. We also study the ecosystem level impacts of exotic tree invasions into coastal prairies. We are engaged in a number of applied research projects related to controlling exotic plant and animal invasions into Texas ecosystems. A primary focus of our current research is the role of post-introduction evolutionary changes in Chinese Tallow Tree invasions.

Research in pictures (click on images to enlarge)

• Tallgrass prairie at the
  University of Houston
  Coastal Center
• An adjacent area after 30
  years without mowing
  is a Sapium forest
• Wier Woods Preserve
  in East Texas
  is a mesic forest site
• Neches Bottom in
  the Big Thicket is
  a wet forest site
• Chinese tallow tree
  removal experiment in
  the Big Thicket. Each
  plot is 40 acres
• Close up view
  of a removal plot
• Tallow tree killing
  crew - summer 2002
• Carpet of Chinese
  Tallow tree seedlings
  
  
  
• Field work for
  Tallow removal
  experiment
• Spring field work
  
  
  
• Higher water
  in the Big Thicket
  
• Seed cage
  in the woods
  
  
  
• A long-term feral hog
  exclosure plot
  (background) in the
  Big Thicket
• Fisheye photo
  for canopy analysis
  
• Rodent census
• Snake in slough
  in Big Thicket
  
  
  
  
• High densities of
  Forest Tent Caterpillars
  on sweetgum
• Wheel bug in
  the Big Thicket
• Banana spider and
  cicada in the
  Big Thicket
• Turtle at Wier Woods
  
  
  
• Burning the EPA
  experimental plots
• Hot fires
  in spring 2002
  
  
• A fertilized, unburned
  prairie plot
• An annually burned,
  unfertilized plot in
  the same experiment
• Planting a
  seedling experiment
  
  
• Grasshopper cages
  in the prairie
• Foraging arenas for
  grasshopper feeding
  trials
• Shade experiment
  
  
  
  
• Flood and drought
  experiment soon afte
  plot establishment
• Setting up rooftop
  simulated herbivory
  experiment
• Washing roots from
  rooftop experiment
• Simulated herbivory
  on Chinese Tallow
  seedling
• Matagorda Island