Bill Duval

I'm pursuing my Ph.D. at the University of Georgia in the Plant Biology Department. Examining the effect of clonal integration in a clonal woody shrub, Vaccinium stamineum, is the overarching theme of my project. Specifically, my research examines whether clonal integration provides an advantage under varying conditions, with three separate experiments. The first examines integration under elevated and natural levels of nitrogen; the second looks at integration with varying competition intensities; the third considers integration in conjunction with a simulated disturbance.

Vaccinium stamineum is a woody shrub in the family Ericaceae whose primary means of reproduction is vegetative, at least in the Fall-line sandhills where I study it. It has an assortment of common names, from deerberry to squaw huckleberry to southern gooseberry. The sandhills are nutrient poor, high light environments that typically support scrub oak or oak-pine communities.

Linda Lee

I am a Master's student in the Department of Plant Biology. My interests include conservation, restoration, and wetlands. I am studying the effects of altered hydrologic conditions on the floodplain forests of the Savannah River following dam construction in the 1950s, and potential benefits of hydrologic restoration efforts initiated by The Nature Conservancy and the US Army Corps of Engineers in 2003.

Kathryn Madden

As a former Research Coordinator with Dr. Rebecca Sharitz, I directed a study of the effects of forest management and military training activities on threatened and endangered plant species (TES) of the Fall Line sandhills. In this SERDP-funded project, which was conducted at Ft. Benning and Ft. Gordon, as well as the Savannah River Site, we examined effects of forest management to promote habitat for the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker (single species management) on a suite of rare sandhills plants (multiple-species management). Although I am now a high school biology teacher, I continue to work part-time on this research.

Paul Stankus

As a Research Coordinator for Dr. Rebecca Sharitz, I have assisted in diverse projects involving the population biology of woody and herbaceous plant species in disturbed habitats, species composition and productivity of swamp and wetland communities, wetlands management, and wetlands restoration. I maintain our laboratory facilities and field equipment, direct various field sampling activities and experiments, manage data, conduct literature reviews, and provide guidance and assistance to others in our laboratory as needed. I also serve as chemical coordinator for our group which involves monitoring hazardous materials used and overseeing adherence to lab safety procedures in compliance with DOE standards.

Recent Lab Alumni

Bruce Allen

Loretta Battaglia

Sara LaJeunesse

Adrienne Edwards

Virginia Jin

John Mulhouse

Susan Turner

Amy Young