Christopher A. Gabler
Rice University | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | Research

My dissertation aims to integrate restoration, invasion and community ecology and test basic ecological theory while simultaneously devising more successful and efficient management strategies. To date, I have investigated factors driving reinvasion pressure (i.e. intensity of new exotic establishment following removal) during restoration of invaded ecosystems. I used restoration of wetlands displaced by exotic Chinese tallow trees as a model system to test the roles of propagule availability versus post-removal management in determining restoration outcomes. Results from ongoing field experiments and greenhouse experiments suggest that both factors indeed influence restoration outcomes but neither is as important as soil moisture. Because global change is projected to have major impacts on soil moisture via changes in temperature and precipitation, the remainder of my dissertation will focus on how variations in soil moisture influence invasions and restoration outcomes.

[Much more to come. Hopefully soon.]