2022 Science Symposium Talks and Posters

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Welcome!

​Dr. Elizabeth Bach 
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY

Symposium Program​

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9:00-9:45 am
Session 1 Talks: Revisiting Historical Data

Nicholas Foster, MS
​NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
Wetland restoration efforts result in increasing phylogenetic diversity

​​​Dr. Elizabeth Bach 
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY​
Twenty years of tallgrass prairie restoration at Nachusa Grasslands

Session 1 Posters

Devin Edmonds, PhD Candidate
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT
​URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
with Andrea Colton and Michael Dreslik
Predicting ornate box turtle (Terrapene ornata) spring emergence at Nachusa Grasslands

Kathyrn Bloodworth, PhD Candidate
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
​AT GREENSBORO
Effects of fire frequency on shaping multiple ecosystem outcomes in tallgrass prairie: A Meta-Analysis Approach

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10:45-11:30 am
Session 2 Talks: Microbes on the Prairie

Pallavi Singh, PhD
NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
Longitudinal study to identify factors important for bison health

Laurie Spencer, PhD Candidate
​NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
Seasonal variation of enteric parasites in wild bison

Desirae Klimek, MS Candidate
​NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
Microbial community and soil geochemical responses to land management practices

Session 2 Posters

Ritesh Ray, PhD Candidate
​NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
Surveillance of foodborne pathogen, Shiga-toxin producing E. coli in wild bison

Reb Bryant, PhD Candidate
THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Testing the effect of native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on prairie restoration success at Nachusa Grasslands

Sarah Khoury, MS Candidate
​UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO
​with Mariah Morales and D’Arcy Meyer-Dombard, PhD
Quantification of microplastics in soils and sediments at Nachusa Grasslands, and impact on soil microbiota

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12:30-1:15 pm
Session 3 Talks: Ecosystem Responses to Management

Erin Rowland, PhD Candidate
​NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
​Landscape and habitat associations of prairie small mammals: a preliminary investigation

Tony Del Valle, MS Candidate
NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
Bird responses to bison and prescribed fire at Nachusa Grasslands and Kankakee Sands

Session 3 Posters

Jacob R. Hopkins, PhD
​​THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
Post-management AM fungal community composition is associated with selection for spore traits and altered plant-AM fungal interactions

Jesse Sikora, MS Candidate
​​​NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
Well, dam: Is water storage potential influenced by beaver dam structure and density?

Josh Klostermann, PhD Candidate
​​UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
A look into the diversity of ground-nesting bees and wasps (Aculeata) found in the bison wallows of Nachusa

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Learn more about the endowment that funds science grants at Nachusa Grasslands: 
Robert and Patricia Anderson Science Award