Carrie J. Brown

 

Wildlife Ecologist

Ecology and Management of Invasive Plant Species Program

Department of Natural Resources

Fernow Hall, Cornell University

Ithaca, NY 14853

Phone: 607-254-6474 / Fax: 607-255-0349

Email: cjb37@cornell.edu

 

Research Interests:

Wildlife ecology, conservation, invasive species, amphibian declines

 

Approaches:

My research assesses if and how plant invasions can affect native wildlife through habitat changes, such as disruptions of food webs.  I have been conducting experiments both in the field and in mesocosms looking at the impacts of the invasive wetland plant purple loosestrife on amphibians, particularly during the tadpole stage.  I compared American toad tadpole survival, growth, and developmental rates between purple loosestrife invaded habitats and native cattail habitats and also assessed tadpole diet and abiotic factors. 

  

Project:

Impacts of purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) on American toad (Bufo americanus) tadpole survival, growth, and development

 

Key References:

Alford, R. A., and S. J. Richards. 1999. Global amphibian declines: A problem in applied ecology. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 30:133-165.

Anderson, M. G. 1995. Interactions between Lythrum salicaria and native organisms - a critical review. Environmental Management 19:225-231.

Blossey, B. 1999. Before, during, and after: the need for long-term monitoring in invasive plant species management. Biological Invasions 1:301-311.

Blossey, B., L. C. Skinner, and J. Taylor. 2001. Impact and management of purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) in North America. Biodiversity and Conservation 10:1787-1807.

Britson, C. A., and R. E. Kissell. 1996. Effects of food type on developmental characteristics of an ephemeral pond-breeding anuran, Pseudacris triseriata feriarum. Herpetologica 52:374-382.

Emery, S. L., and J. A. Perry. 1996. Decomposition rates and phosphorus concentrations of purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and cattail (Typha spp.) in fourteen Minnesota wetlands. Hydrobiologia 323:129-138.

Grout, J. A., C. D. Levings, and J. S. Richardson. 1997. Decomposition rates of purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and Lyngbyei's sedge (Carex lyngbyei) in the Fraser River estuary. Estuaries 20:96-102.

Hager, H. A., and K. D. McCoy. 1998. The implications of accepting untested hypotheses: a review of the effects of purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) in North America. Biodiversity and Conservation 7:1069-1079.

Kupferberg, S. J., J. C. Marks, and M. E. Power. 1994. Effects of variation in natural algal and detrital diets on larval anuran (Hyla regilla) life-history traits. Copeia:446-457.

Thompson, D. Q., R. L. Stuckey, and E. B. Thompson. 1987. Spread, impact, and control of purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) in North American wetlands. Page 55pp. US Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington DC, USA.

 

Master’s thesis

 

“Impacts of a purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) invasion on American toad (Bufo americanus) tadpoles and associate food webs” 

(Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, August 2002)

 

Presentations

 

“Decreased fitness and survival of native amphibian larvae in a marsh invaded by an exotic species” 

Society for Conservation Biology meeting, Hilo, HI August 2001

 

“Plant invasions and amphibian declines: Are they linked?”

Society for Conservation Biology meeting, Canterbury, UK, July 2002

 

“The effects of purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) on amphibians”

 Invited presentation in the Purple Loosestrife and Wildlife in N. America workshop held at the

Northeast Fish and Wildlife Conference, Saratoga Springs, NY, April 2001