“Sustained financial support for research, especially student researchers, will help establish Nachusa as an internationally-recognized research center. —Dr. Nick Barber
Assistant Professor at Northern Illinois University Recipient of research grants awarded by Friends of Nachusa |
Dr. Nick Barber earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from St. Louis University and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in ecology. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Northern Illinois University. Dr. Barber has studied the impacts of bison on plants, insects, and soil bacteria in the restored prairies and remnants at Nachusa. Dr. Barber also mentors numerous students through the National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergrads and NIU’s Research Rookies programs.
Restorations at Nachusa Grasslands are going pretty well. Why should prairie lovers care about research? Nachusa is already a world-class restoration site, and the staff and stewards have developed management techniques to achieve this result. But managers also know that there are always opportunities to improve and to more fully understand the consequences of their actions. This is especially critical given the changes in climate and other factors that Nachusa and other prairies are facing today. A more thorough understanding of prairie ecosystems and prairie management helps practitioners like the staff at Nachusa plan for the future. How does Nachusa Grasslands compare with other research sites? What's it like for you and your students interacting with the volunteer stewards? Interacting with stewards makes Nachusa unique compared to most research stations. One of the most valuable resources for researchers working here is the knowledge of the staff and stewards. Their intimate knowledge of sites and prairie plants helps researchers understand the patterns we observe, and their curiosity and detailed observations can help generate new research questions. Interactions between researchers and stewards are a key part of why the community and partnerships at Nachusa are so strong. |
What would Friends be surprised to know about the research experience at Nachusa Grasslands?
This relates to why prairie lovers should care about research. There are still countless mysteries to be solved and discoveries to be made, even at a place as well established as Nachusa. Our research on insects regularly documents species new to the site, including those that play important roles like pollinators or the beetles that help decompose bison dung. In fact, the vast majority of soil bacteria we study are unknown to science — we can detect their unique DNA but are unable to culture them in a lab. Research at Nachusa is exciting! Both the potential for discovering something new, and the knowledge that these discoveries can help support such a beautiful site, provide great motivation for scientists! What will it take to make Nachusa Grasslands a prominent grasslands research center? Sustained financial support for research, especially student researchers, will help establish Nachusa as an internationally-recognized research center. Scientific research is especially productive when it is paired with education because students bring new ideas and curiosity to projects. Working with students to develop research questions and carry out their projects not only generates new knowledge, but also builds a new generation of scientists and restorationists so that the benefits extend beyond Nachusa to other ecosystems across the country and around the world. 
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