|
SIUC Freshwater Ecology Lab
My
research focuses on the role of consumer groups, particularly
invertebrates, in ecosystem function. Most of my efforts are focused on
streams and wetlands, but I am also interested in the role of
invertebrates in terrestrial systems. I am particularly interested in
the effects of disturbance on aquatic invertebrate communities and
ecosystem function, as well as the role of invertebrates in recovery of
ecosystem processes following disturbance. Current and recent projects
include investigating the influence of hydrologic fluctuations on
aquatic communities of central Platte River wetlands, quantifying the
ecosystem-level consequences of stream-dwelling amphibian extirpations
in the Central American highlands, and estimating secondary production
and energy flow along a tallgrass prairie stream continuum. Applied
aspects of my research include biological assessment of river and
wetland management and restoration techniques. I am also the
director of the Middle Mississippi River Weland Field Station. Email: mwhiles@zoology.siu.edu
I am a PhD student working on the Tropical
Amphibian Decline in Streams project (TADS). My research is part of a larger effort
examining the ecological consequences of amphibian extinctions by quantifying
changes in stream ecosystem structure and function associated with the loss of
these consumers. Specifically, I will examine how tadpoles mediate nutrient
cycling using ecological stoichiometry as a framework in Panamanian highland streams
pre- and post- amphibian decline. I completed my M.S. in the 
I'm an M.S. student studying the application of naturally occurring oxygen and
hydrogen stable isotopes as tools for tracing macroinvertebrate movement and
dispersal in large river floodplains. My responsibilities as a zoology graduate
student also include working at the Middle Mississippi River Wetland Field
Station, located at the Cape Bend Fish and Wildlife Area in Alexander
County, IL. I received my B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Management with a
minor in Geographic Information Systems from Michigan State University in 2003.
Between finishing my B.S. and starting at SIU, I worked for the U.S. Bureau of
Land Management as a wildlife technician in Wyoming for two years. My interests
include environmental policy, disturbance ecology, and
restoration ecology. I hope to be graduating in the Spring of 2009. Email: djmyers1@siu.edu
I am
a Master’s student working on a project at Konza Prairie Biological Station, a
LTER site near
I
am an M.S. student studying issues related to catastrophic amphibian
declines in neotropical upland streams. This research is part of
the Tropical Amphibian Decline in Streams (TADS) NSF-funded project. I
will be evaluating the gut contents of invertebrates from pre and
post-decline sites in Panama for a better understanding of the food
webs in these headwater streams and to determine the potential effect
that the amphibian decline has on the food web dynamics. I received a
B.S. degree in Biology from the University of Notre Dame in 2006. After
graduation I worked as a research technician in Dr. Jennifer Tank's
laboratory assisting on the DITCH project, which looked at the role of
field corn detritus as a novel carbon source in agricultural streams. I
specifically took interest in the influence of genetically modified
(Bt) corn on stream ecosystem functioning. Email: tfrauend@siu.edu
I
graduated from Kansas State University in May 2008 with a B.S. in
Biology and a Minor in Music. I am seeking a Master's degree in Zoology
at SIUC. My project is titled "Demonstrating the Benefits of In-stream
restoration to Riparian Wildlife in the Cache River Basin." I am
looking at insect emergence at sites where weirs have been constructed
as part of the Cache River floodplain restoration project.
Additionally, I am looking at abundance, diversity, and reproduction of
insectivorous bottomland hardwood forest birds at these sites. Email: kalebh@siu.edu
I graduated from SIUC in Spring 2008 and I am now studying here
for a master's degree. During my time as an undergrad, I worked for Dr. Greg
Whitledge researching nitrogen isotopes in fish otoliths as compared to muscle
tissue. After that, I worked for Dr. Whiles processing samples from Panama
and Konza Prairie. Just prior to
beginning my master's study, I worked for Dr. Brooks Burr sorting fish from
Kentucky to create a species collection record for the state. I worked as
an intern at Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge with IDNR and USFWS through
SIUC Center of Ecology. I also have worked for Illinois EPA Bureau of
Water assisting with various water quality programs. Since freshwater has
become a depleted resource, I have become interested in researching the best
ways to restore and maintain good quality freshwater for future
generations. I am curious to learn how alterations to terrestrial
environments affect nearby aquatic ecosystems especially focusing on different
restoration tactics. My project consists of examining aquatic
invertebrates and organic matter of two streams on Konza Prairie in Kansas
before and after a prairie restoration method of removing all vegetation
covering the stream. I plan to take what
I will learn in graduate school and apply it to a career where I can restore
and manage streams and wetlands. Email: jodivan@siu.edu
Checo
Colón-Gaud finished his PhD in Zoology with Matt Whiles in December
2008. His dissertation research focused on the ecosystem effects
of tropical amphibian declines in mid- to high-elevation streams in
Central and Western Panama. Prior to coming to SIUC, Checo completed an
M.S. in Renewable Natural
Resources with a minor in Experimental Statistics at Louisiana State
University in 2003 and a B.S. in Biological Science with a
minor in Chemistry from the University of Texas, El Paso in 2000. Email: checo@siu.edu
Cat came
to the Whiles Lab in 2005 after working with the USGS in Olympic
National Park in Washington, where she was part of a team developing
baseline stream community data prior to the removal of the Elwha Dam.
Her master's research at SIU involved assessing the impacts of
transgenic Bt corn on aquatic macroinvertebrates. She is now living in
northwest Iceland, working for Hólar University. She is interested in
riparian dynamics, and especially loves leaf litter decomposition.
She is also interested in water quality and quantity issues,
conservation and educational outreach, as well as water law and policy.
Clint
Meyer finished his PhD in Zoology with Matt Whiles in August
2007. His dissertation was entitled, "Ecosystem structure and
function in restored and natural slough wetlands: valuation of
restoration practices in the central Platte River Valley." He
then worked as a post-doctoral associate in Sara Baer's Ecosystem
Ecology lab in the Department of Plant Biology at SIUC. He worked
with Sara on an Andrew Mellon Foundation-Funded project
investigating the potential role of soil texture on rates of ecosystem
recovery (carbon and nitrogen pools and transformations) in restored
Nebraska grasslands. In fall 2008, Clint began his current
position as Assistant Professor of Biology and Environmental Science at
Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. His teaching and research
program includes courses in field biology and ecology (Entomology,
Plant Biology, Aquatic Ecology, and Ecological Field Methods), and he
plans to utilize proximal restored and natural prairie and wetland
ecosystems to further investigate factors that influence structural and
functional recovery. 
Tom
recieved his Master's degree under Dr. Whiles. His research
examined the relationships of stream macroinvertebrates, water
chemistry, and habitat quality across Illinois. Tom is currently
a PhD candidate at the University of Nebraska studying the effects of
geology and light on stream nutrient uptake and cycling and
macroinvertebrate secondary production in tropical streams.
Michael
Flinn finished his Ph.D. in 2006 after he examined the influence of
hydrology on biological communities of the Upper Mississippi River.
Mike then worked in the Noatak Arctic Preserve in northwest Alaska with
Breck Bowden (University of Vermont) until 2008. He is now just down
the road at Murray State University where he was hired as an assistant
professor in the Biological Sciences Department. He hopes to continue
his work in the arctic as well as exploring the large river resources
of the area.
Denise Walther finished her PhD in Zoology at SIUC in May
2007. Denise’s dissertation research focused on quantifying
macroinvertebrate responses to in-stream restoration of the Cache River in
southern Illinois and developing pre-restoration macroinvertebrate production,
organic matter, and physical habitat data sets for a headwater section of Big
Creek, one of the river's major tributaries. Email: denise.walther@yahoo.com