Mary Ann Vinton
Associate Professor
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Courses Offered
- BIO/EVS 341 - General Botany
- BIO/EVS 481 - Terrestrial Ecology
- BIO/EVS 580 - Current Topics in Ecology
Research Interests
My research interests are in the areas of plant and ecosystem ecology. I know the most about grassland ecosystems and have spent my career working in either tallgrass prairie or dryer grasslands in the Great Plains. My master’s training took place in Kansas, at Konza Prairie, where I explored the role of bison grazing and fire in tallgrass prairie landscapes.
More recently, most of my research can be summed up as addressing the question: “What role do species play in ecosystems?”. The question is a key concern in an increasingly-human dominated world where, on one hand, some species are in danger of extinction and, on the other, some are becoming much more common and invasive. Thus, it is important to evaluate what effect species changes have on key ecosystem functions like productivity, soil fertility and water quality.
I am addressing this question of species effects by examining how plants contribute to productivity and soil nutrient dynamics within grassland and urban ecosystems. I’ve focused on non-native, invasive plants (smooth brome and reed canary) as well as some native prairie plants. My toolbag consists of descriptive work in the field, experimental work in both the field and greenhouse and more recently, remotely-sensed imagery of field sites. Most of my field sites are in or near Omaha in urban/suburban areas and nearby prairie and forested areas of the Missouri River valley. These sites and their particular problems have also motivated me to become well-versed in issues of conservation biology, prairie restoration and urban ecology.
I welcome motivated students to join me in joint research projects. Students may earn research credits and there are several sources of potential funding for summer work. Past research students have gone on to graduate study at University of Wisconsin, University of Hawaii, University of Maine, University of Nevada-Reno, Kansas State University, Colorado State University and University of Wyoming.
Recent Publications:
Burke I.C., A.R. Mosier, P. B. Hook, D.G. Milchunas, J. E. Barrett, M.A. Vinton, R. L. McCulley, J.P. Kaye, R.A. Gill, H.E. Epstein, R.H. Kelly, W.J. Parton, C.M. Yonker, P. Lowe, and W.K. Lauenroth. 2008. Soil Organic Matter and Nutrient Dynamics of Shortgrass Steppe Ecosystems. In W. K. Lauenroth and I. C. Burke, eds. Ecology of the Shortgrass Steppe: Perspectives from Long-term Research. Oxford University Press.
Roccaforte, K.A. and M.A. Vinton. 2008. Effects of reduced light on growth and allocation patterns in garlic mustard. Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conference. In press.
Vinton, M.A. 2007. Review of “The National Grasslands: A Guide to America’s Undiscovered Treasures” by Francis Moul. Great Plains Research 17: 236-237.
Vinton, M.A. and E. Goergen. 2006. Plant-soil feedbacks contribute to the persistence of smooth brome (Bromus inermis) in tallgrass prairie. Ecosystems 9:967-976. PDF
Murphy, K.L., I.C. Burke, M.A. Vinton, W.K. Lauenroth, M.R. Aguiar, D.A. Wedin, R.A. Virginia and P.N. Lowe. 2002. Regional analysis of litter quality in the central grassland region of North America. Journal of Vegetation Science 13:395-402
Vinton, M.A., and J.L. Horning. 2001. A fungal endophyte in Canada wild rye: studies on its occurrence, detection and elimination. Proceedings of the 17th North American Prairie Conference 17: 79-84.
Vinton, M.A., E. Kathol, K. Vogel and A. Hopkins. 2001. Endophytic fungi in Canada wild rye in natural grasslands. Journal of Range Management 54:390-395.
Burke, I.C., W.K. Lauenroth, M.A. Vinton, P.B. Hook, R.H. Kelly, H.E. Epstein, M.R. Aguiar, M.D. Robles, M.O. Aguilera, K.L. Murphy and R.A. Gill. 1998. Plant-soil interactions in temperate grasslands. Biogeochemistry 42:121-143.
Vinton, Mary Ann and Ingrid C. Burke. 1997. Contingent effects of plant species on soils along a regional moisture gradient in the Great Plains. Oecologia 110:393-402.
Vinton, Mary Ann and Scott L. Collins. 1997. Landscape gradients and habitat structure in nature grasslands of the central Great Plains. In Fritz L. Knopf and Fred B. Samson (eds.) Ecology and Conservation of Great Plains Vertebrates. Ecological Studies 125. Springer-Verlag, New York.
Vinton, Mary Ann and Ingrid C. Burke. 1995. Interactions between individual plant species and soil nutrient status in short grass steppe. Ecology 76:1116-1133.
Vinton, M.A., D.C. Hartnett, E.J. Finck and J.M. Briggs. 1993. Interactive effects of fire, Bison (Bison bison) grazing and plant community composition in tallgrass prairie. American Midland Naturalist: 129:10-18.
Vinton, M.A. and D.C. Hartnett. 1992. Effects of bison grazing on Andropogon gerardii and Panicum virgatum in burned and unburned tallgrass prairie. Oecologia 90:374-382.
Last modified: June 25, 2008
