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Distinguished University Professor of Ecology
Map of Historic Prairies in Illinois (1820)
Link to historic prairie map (high quality)
Research interests: I am a restoration
ecologist. In our laboratory, our studies include ecology
of garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) an invasive plant, impact of deer browsing on
native vegetation, historic
vegetation, prairie restoration, the effect of fire on
vegetation, and the ecology of mycorrhizae. We are housed in the Science
Laboratory Building that includes a greenhouse devoted to research, a set of
growth chambers, controlled environmental rooms, and a spacious research area.
Current Graduate Students:
Jonathan Bauer's research is examining the possible competitive interactions between first- and second-year plants of the non-indigenous, invasive, biennial garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) and between garlic mustard and native ground layer species. His preliminary results indicate that there are negative correlations between cover of first- and second-year garlic mustard plants and between second-year plants and native species. Because garlic mustard seeds germinate in the early spring when most native species are dormant, but second-year garlic mustard plants are actively growing, the strongest competitor of first-year garlic mustard plants may be second-year plants. As native plants emerge, first-year plants find "safe sites" with limited competition from native species, which likely produces the negative correlation that he observed between second-year garlic mustard and native vegetation. Experimental manipulations involving removal of second-year plants will test these hypotheses.
Megan Timpe is investigating whether the invasive biennial plant species garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) gains a competitive advantage over native deciduous forest ground layer species by growing actively in the early spring when most native species are dormant and high levels of irradiance reach the forest floor. Several published studies have reported on this seasonal pattern of growth for invasives (e.g., buckthorn, Amur honeysuckle, Japanese barberry, and others). However, none of these studies have demonstrated that these species are dependent upon this “window of opportunity” to utilize resources that are unavailable to native species and that they would not be competitive for these resources if their seasonal growth patterns (phenology) were in phase with those of native species. Detailing the phenology of invasive species is a critical step towards understanding their ability to out-compete our native plants and will provide essential information towards protecting and restoring our native deciduous forest habitats.
Alicia Mullarkey is studying the breeding system of garlic mustard. When an invasive plant species enter new environments self-pollination may be the only way to ensure fertilization and subsequent seed set, as there are initially very few conspecifics and/or pollinators in the new environment. This may result in high rates of inbreeding in the introduced range. While a high rate of inbreeding can have the short-term benefit of reproductive assurance, it may also lead to the long-term cost of inbreeding depression or the lowered fitness of inbred individuals to their non-inbred counterparts. No studies have experimentally determined the degree of inbreeding depression occurring in this species. The proposed research will allow us to determine if there is a fitness cost to high rates of inbreeding in the rapid expansion of garlic mustard
Recent Publications:
Anderson, Roger C. 2006. Evolution and origin of the central grassland of North America: climate, fire, and mammalian grazers. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society133:626-647. Grassland Evolution.pdf
Raghu, S., R. C. Anderson, C. C. Daehler, A. S. Davis, R. N. Wiedenmann, D. Simberloff, and R. N. Mack. 2006. Adding biofuels to the invasive species fire? Science 313:1742. Biofuels.pdf
Anderson, R. C., Suzanne L. Jones, and Richard Swigart. 2006. Modifying distance methods to improve estimates of historical tree density from General Land Office survey records. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 133: 449-459. GLO Distance Methods.pdf
Anderson, R. C., D. Nelson, M. R. Anderson, and M. A. Rickey. 2005. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimmermann) browsing effects on tallgrass prairie forbs: diversity and species abundances. Natural Areas Journal 25:19-25. Natural Areas Journal.pdf
Myers, C. V., R. C. Anderson, and D. L. Byers. 2005. Influence of shading on the growth and leaf photosynthesis of the invasive non-indigenous plant garlic mustard [Alliaria petiolata (M.Bieb) Cavara and Grande] grown under simulated late-winter to mid-spring conditions. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 132: 1-10. J. Torrey Botanical Soc. pdf
Additional Representative Publications:
Myers, C. V. and R. C. Anderson. 2003. Seasonal variation in photosynthetic rates influences success of an invasive, exotic plant garlic mustard [Alliaira petiolata (M. Bieb.) Cavara and Grande]. American Midland Naturalist 150:231-245.
Houseman, Gregory R. and Roger C. Anderson. 2002. Effects of various management practices in jack pine plantations on ground cover preferred by Kirtland’s Warbler. Restoration Ecology 10:27-36. Restoration Ecology.pdf
Anderson, Roger C., M. Rebecca Anderson and Gregory Houseman. 2002. Wild American Ginseng. Native Plants Journal 3:93-105. Native Plant Journal.pdf
Roberts, Karl J. and Roger C. Anderson. 2001. Effect of garlic mustard [Alliaria petiolata (Beib. Cavara & Grande)] extracts on plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. American Midland Naturalist 146:146-152.
Anderson, Roger C., John E. Schwegman, and M. Rebecca Anderson. 2000. Micro-scale restoration: A twenty-five year history of a southern Illinois barrens. Restoration Ecology 8:296-306.
Anderson, Roger C., James S. Fralish, and Jerry M. Baskin (editors). 1999. Savannas, barrens, and rock outcrop plant communities of North America. Cambridge University Press, New York, Pp. 470.Savannas, barrens, and rock outcrop plant communities of North America.
Anderson, Roger C. and Eric Menges. 1997. Effect of fire on sandhill herbs: nutrients, mycorrhizae, and biomass allocation, American Journal of Botany 84:938-948.
Anderson. Roger C., Shivcharn S. Dhillion, and Timothy E. Kelley. 1996. Aspects of the ecology of garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) in central Illinois. Restoration Ecology 4:81-91.
Anderson, R. C., J. S. Fralish, J. E. Armstrong, and P. Benjamin. 1993. The ecology and biology of Panax quinquefolium L. (Araliaceae) in Illinois. American Midland Naturalist 129:357-372.
Anderson, R. C. 1994 Height of white-flower trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) as an index of deer browsing intensity. Ecological Applications 4:104-109.
Anderson, R. C., B. A. Hetrick, and G. W. T. Wilson. 1994. Mycorrhizal dependency of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) and little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) in two prairie soils. American Midland Naturalist 132:366-376.
Dhillion, Shivcharn S. and Roger C. Anderson. 1994. Production on burned and unburned sand prairies during drought and non-drought years. Vegetatio 115:51-59.
Anderson, R. C. and Alan J. Katz. 1993. Recovery of browse- sensitive tree species following release from white- tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimmerman) browsing pressure. Biological Conservation 63:203-208.
Anderson, Roger C. and Anthony E. Liberta. 1992. Influence of supplemental inorganic nutrients on growth, survivorship, and mycorrhizal relationships of Schizachyrium scoparium (Poaceae) grown in fumigated and unfumigated soil. American Journal of Botany 79:406-414.
Anderson, R. C., T. Leahy, and S. S. Dhillion. 1989. Numbers and biomass of selected insect groups on burned and unburned sand prairie. American Midland Naturalist 122:151-162.
Anderson, Roger C., and Orie L. Loucks. 1979. Influence of white-tailed deer on the structure and composition of hemlock forests. Journal of Applied Ecology 16:855-862.
Anderson, Roger C. and Orie Loucks. 1973. Aspects of the biology of Trientalis borealis Raf. Ecology 54:798-808.
Map Below: Historic Prairie in Illinois and Wisconsin from Corbett, E. A. and Roger C. Anderson. 2006. Landscape analysis of Illinois and Wisconsin remnant prairies. The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 133:267-279. Illinois and Wisconsin remnant prairies
Curriculum Vitae Roger C. Anderson
Awards and Recognition:
Kappa Delta Pi - Honor Society in Education, 1962
College of Arts and Sciences Lecturer, ISU, 1984-85
Elected Fellow of the Illinois Academy of Science, l988
College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Researcher ISU, 1990-91
Outstanding University Researcher - ISU; 1991
Distinguished University Professor of Biology - ISU, 1994
University Service Award – ISU 2002
World of Difference Award, Ecology Action Center, Normal, Illinois, 2003
Centennial Scientist and Key Note Speaker , 2007,Celebrating the 100th year of the Illinois State Academy of Science
Courses I teach:
BSC 201 General Ecology
BSC 223 Ecology and Identification of Plants
BSC 403 Plant Ecology
Other Activities:
Member of the Editorial Board of Restoration Ecology
Member McLean County Greenway Committee
I am a past President and current board member of the ParkLands Foundation, a non-profit, private foundation that purchases and protects and restores natural lands in McLean County, Illinois. These properties are used for passive recreation by the public, education, and research. .
Visit the ParkLands Foundations Web Page www.parklands.org
My email address is rcander@ilstu.edu.
Call me at 309-438-2653