WILLIAM E. ROGERS, Ph.D.


index.gif

Associate Professor,

Department of Ecosystem Science and Management,

Texas A&M University

2138 TAMU

College Station, TX 77843


Office room: 305, Lab rooms: 309 & 314


Office phone: (979) 845-0317


Office fax: (979) 845-6430


email: wer@tamu.edu


 

EDUCATION


Kansas State University. Manhattan, KS. Ph.D. December 1998. Biology

Gustavus Adolphus College. St. Peter, MN. B.A. December 1991. Biology, Chemistry



RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

 

September 2008-present. Associate Professor, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.

 

June 2005-August 2008. Assistant Professor, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management (formerly Department of Rangeland Ecology and Management), Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.

 

July 2003-May 2005. Faculty Fellow (grant-funded research faculty), Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Rice University, Houston, Texas.

 

July 1999-July 2003. Huxley Research Instructor (non-tenure research and teaching faculty), Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Rice University, Houston, Texas. Funded studies assessing ecological and post-introduction evolutionary changes in invasive species along a biogeographic gradient of the SE US, Hawaii and China.

 

January 1999-June 1999. Post-doctoral Research Assistant, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Rice University, Houston, Texas. Funded research on exotic plant invasions in east Texas ecosystems. Advisor - Dr. Evan Siemann

 

January 1993-December 1998. Graduate Research Assistant, Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas. Ph.D. dissertation on “The Effects of Soil Disturbances in Tallgrass Prairie.” Advisor - Dr. David C. Hartnett

 

September 1991- December 1992. Research Technician, Department of Biology, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN. White-tailed deer browse and treefall gap disturbance effects on regeneration growth dynamics in Minnesota maple-basswood old-growth forest. Advisor - Dr. Timothy W. Sipe



RESEARCH INTERESTS


Exotic plant invasions and post-introduction evolution

Conservation of rare and endemic plant species

Plant-animal interactions

Population dynamics and community structure of terrestrial ecosystems

Demographic processes and species diversity in plant communities

Natural disturbance and vegetation regeneration mechanisms

Ecological assembly rules

Autogenic restoration and rehabilitation of damaged ecosystems


 

FUNDED GRANT PROPOSALS 

Total research funding = ~ $2.32 million received since 2000.

 

  2007-2010     Principal Investigator (with Urs Kreuter) United States Department of Agriculture-National Resources Conservation Service, Conservation Innovation Grant, “Using hot summer fire to control Opuntia cacti: an innovative approach to resolving a pressing environmental issue.” $73,697.

 

  2006-2010     Principal Investigator (with Fred Smeins), BVSWMA & USFWS “Conservation Strategies for the Protection and Propagation of the Federally Endangered Orchid, Navasota Ladies Tresses (Spiranthes parksii).” $384,262.

 

  2005-2008     Co-PI (with Urs Kreuter, Richard Teague, Richard Conner, Lynn Drawe, Allen Rasmussen & Butch Taylor), United States Department of Agriculture-National Resources Conservation Service, EQIP “Ecological, economic and social dimensions of using summer fire to restore ecosystems in the southern plains of the USA.” $376,534.

 

  2004-2005     Principal Investigator (with Evan Siemann & Dale Sawyer), Shell Center for Sustainability “Invasive species control in floodplain forests: seeking a economically viable means of conserving native biodiversity.” $35,000.

 

   2004              Co-PI (with Evan Siemann), National Science Foundation REU grant “Do genetic differences in growth and defense contribute to the success of an invasive plant species?” $7,775.

 

  2003-2005     Co-PI (with Evan Siemann), National Science Foundation DEB-0315796, “Do genetic differences in growth and defense contribute to the success of an invasive plant species?” $390,000.

 

  2003-2005     Co-PI (with Evan Siemann), United States Department of Agriculture - NRI / Biology of Weedy and Invasive Plants “Does herbivory on an invasive tree species along a biogeographic gradient depend on time since introduction?” $195,001.

 

  2002               Co-PI (with Evan Siemann), National Science Foundation REU grant “Does lack of herbivory and disease explain the success of an alien plant.” $6,000.

 

  2002               Co-PI (with Evan Siemann), National Park Service award to monitor floodplain forest regeneration dynamics following removal of an invasive tree species. $10,000.

 

  2001-2005     Co-PI (with Evan Siemann & Jim Grace), Environmental Protection Agency, NCER-STAR “Chinese Tallow invasions into the endangered coastal prairie.” $381,687.

 

  2001               Co-PI (with Evan Siemann), National Science Foundation REU grant “Does lack of herbivory and disease explain the success of an alien plant species.” $6,000.

 

  2000-2004     Co-PI (with Evan Siemann), National Science Foundation DEB-9981654, “Does lack of herbivory and disease explain the success of an alien plant species.” $290,788.

 

  2000-2004     Co-PI (with Paul Harcombe & Evan Siemann), National Park Service “Vascular Plant Inventory of the Big Thicket National Preserve.” $117,000.

 

  2000-2001     Co-PI (with Evan Siemann), National Park Service grant to assess the impacts of feral hogs on forest regeneration dynamics. $2,500.

 

  2000               Co-PI (with Evan Siemann), National Science Foundation REU grant “Does lack of herbivory and disease explain the success of an alien plant species. $5,000.

 

  2000-2001     Co-PI (with Evan Siemann), National Park Service “Removing Chinese tallow trees: methods of control in floodplain forests.” $40,000.



PUBLICATIONS


            Number of peer-reviewed ISI indexed publications to date: 38

            Number of peer-reviewed book chapters to date: 2

 

Zou†, Jianwen, Saara J. DeWalt, William E. Rogers & Evan Siemann (accepted) A trade-off between resistance and tolerance to native specialist beetles of the invasive plant Sapium sebiferum. Functional Ecology.

 

Rúa*, Megan A., Somereet Nijjer†, Amy Johnson†, William E. Rogers, and E. Siemann. (2008) Experimental approaches for testing allelopathy: investigating the allelopathic potential of the invader sapium sebiferum. Allelopathy Journal: In Press.

 

Zou†, Jianwen, William E. Rogers & Evan Siemann (2008) Plasticity of Sapium sebiferum seedling growth to light and water resources: inter- and intraspecific comparisons. Basic and Applied Ecology: Online First.

 

Zou†, Jianwen, William E. Rogers & Evan Siemann (2008) Increased competitive ability and herbivory tolerance of the invasive plant Sapium sebiferum. Biological Invasions 10:291-302. (pdf)

 

Nijjer†, Somereet, William E. Rogers, Cin-Ty A. Lee & Evan Siemann (2008) The effects of soil biota and fertilization on the success of Sapium sebiferum. Applied Soil Ecology 38:1-11. (pdf)

 

Nijjer†, Somereet, William E. Rogers, & Evan Siemann (2007) Negative plant-soil feedbacks may limit persistence of an invasive tree due to rapid accumulation of soil pathogens. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 274:2621-2627. (pdf)

 

Siemann, Evan, William E. Rogers & James B. Grace. (2007) Effects of nutrient loading and changing frequencies of extreme rainfall events on coastal tall grass prairies: invasion intensity, vegetation responses and C and N distribution. Global Change Biology 13:2184-2192. (pdf)

 

Zou†, Jianwen, William E. Rogers & Evan Siemann (2007) Differences in morphological and physiological traits between native and invasive populations of Sapium sebiferum. Functional Ecology 21:721-730. (pdf)

 

Siemann, Evan, & William E. Rogers (2007) The role of soil resources in an exotic tree invasion in Texas coastal prairie. Journal of Ecology 95:689-697. (pdf)

 

Hartley†, Maria K., William E. Rogers, James B. Grace & Evan Siemann (2007) Responses of prairie arthropod communities to fire and fertilizer: balancing plant and arthropod conservation. American Midland Naturalist 157: 92-105. (pdf)

 

Siemann, Evan, William E. Rogers & Saara DeWalt (2006) Rapid adaptation of insect herbivores to an invasive plant. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 273:2763-2769. (pdf)

 

Zou†, Jianwen, William E. Rogers, Saara J. DeWalt & Evan Siemann (2006) Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum) ecotype effects on ecosystem carbon and nitrogen processes. Oecologia 150:272-281. (pdf)

 

Dewalt, Saara J., William E. Rogers & Evan Siemann (2006) Microsatellite markers for an invasive tetraploid tree, Chinese Tallow (Triadica sebifera). Molecular Ecology Notes 6: 505-507. (pdf)

 

Donahue†, Candice, William E. Rogers, & Evan Siemann (2006) Restoring an invaded prairie by mulching live Sapium sebiferm (Chinese tallow trees):Effects of mulch on Sapium seed germination. Natural Areas Journal 26:244-253. (pdf)

 

Siemann, Evan, & William E. Rogers (2006) Recruitment limitation, seedling performance and persistence of exotic tree monocultures. Biological Invasions 8:979-991 (pdf)

 

Rogers, William E., & Evan Siemann (2005) Herbivory tolerance and compensatory differences in native and invasive ecotypes of Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum). Plant Ecology 181:57-68. (pdf)

 

Bossdorf, Oliver, Harald Auge, Lucile LaFuma, William E. Rogers, Evan Siemann, Daniel Prati (2005) Phenotypic and genetic differentiation in native versus introduced plant populations. Oecologia 144:1-11. (pdf)

 

Romañach†, Stephanie S., Eric W. Seabloom, O. James Reichman, William E. Rogers & Guy N. Cameron (2005) Effects of species, gender, age, and habitat on pocket gopher burrow geometry. Journal of Mammalogy 86:750-756. (pdf)

 

Rogers, William E., & Evan Siemann (2004) Invasive ecotypes tolerate herbivory more effectively than native ecotypes of the Chinese tallow tree. Journal of Applied Ecology 41:561-570. (pdf)

 

Rogers, William E., & Evan Siemann (2004) The role of herbivores in alien plant invasions: insights using a combination of methods to enhance or reduce herbivory. Pp. 329-355 in: Insects and Ecosystem Function. Siemann, E. & W. Weisser (eds.). Springer-Verlag, Berlin. (pdf) & (galley proof corrections)

 

Siemann, Evan, Walter P. Carson, William E. Rogers & Wolfgang W. Weisser (2004) Reducing herbivory using insecticides. Pp. 303-327 in: Insects and Ecosystem Function. Siemann, E. & W. W. Weisser (eds.). Springer-Verlag, Berlin.

 

Lankau*, Richard A., William E. Rogers & Evan Siemann (2004) Constraints on the utilisation of the invasive Chinese Tallow Tree (Sapium sebiferum) by generalist native herbivores in coastal prairies. Ecological Entomology 29:66-75. (pdf)

 

Butterfield*, Bradley J., William E. Rogers & Evan Siemann (2004) Growth and allometry of an invasive tree and four native species along a water gradient: avoidance of stress trade-offs. Texas Journal of Science 56:335-346. [Big Thicket Science Conference Special Issue]

 

Donahue†, Candice, William E. Rogers, & Evan Siemann (2004) Effects of Sapium sebiferum (Chinese tallow tree) mulch on seed germination: restoring an invaded prairie. Texas Journal of Science 56:347-356. [BTSC]

 

Nijjer†, Somereet, William E. Rogers, & Evan Siemann (2004) The effect of mycorrhizal inoculum on the growth of five native tree species and the invasive Chinese Tallow Tree (Sapium sebiferum). Texas Journal of Science 56:357-368. [BTSC]

 

Hartley†, Maria K., Saara DeWalt, William E. Rogers, & Evan Siemann (2004) A comparison of arthropod assemblages on native trees versus the introduced Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum). Texas Journal of Science 56:369-382. [BTSC]

 

Rogers, William E., & Evan Siemann (2003) Effects of simulated herbivory and resources on Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum, Euphorbiaceae) invasion of native coastal prairie. American Journal of Botany 90:241-247. (pdf)

 

Rogers, William E., Evan Siemann & Richard Lankau* (2003) Damage induced production of extrafloral nectaries in native and introduced seedlings of Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum). American Midland Naturalist 149:413-417. (pdf)

 

Siemann, Evan, & William E. Rogers (2003) Herbivory, disease, recruitment limitation and the success of alien and native tree species. Ecology 84:1489-1505. (pdf)

 

Siemann, Evan, & William E. Rogers (2003) Reduced resistance of invasive varieties of the alien tree Sapium sebiferum to a generalist herbivore. Oecologia 135:451-457. (pdf)

 

Siemann, Evan, & William E. Rogers (2003) Increased competitive ability of an invasive tree may be limited by an invasive beetle. Ecological Applications 13:1503-1507. (pdf)

 

Siemann, Evan, & William E. Rogers (2003) Changes in light and nitrogen availability under pioneer trees may indirectly facilitate tree invasions of grasslands. Journal of Ecology 91:923-931. (pdf)

 

Rogers, William E., & Evan Siemann (2002) Effects of simulated herbivory and resource availability on native and invasive exotic tree seedlings. Basic and Applied Ecology 3:297-307. (pdf)

 

Nijjer*, Somereet, Richard A. Lankau*, William E. Rogers & Evan Siemann (2002) Effects of temperature and light on Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) and Texas Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata) seed germination. Texas Journal of Science 54:63-68. (pdf)

 

Rogers, William E., & David Hartnett (2001) Temporal vegetation dynamics and recolonization mechanisms on different-sized disturbances in tallgrass prairie. American Journal of Botany 88:1634-1642. (pdf)

 

Rogers, William E., & David C. Hartnett (2001) Vegetation responses to different spatial patterns of soil disturbance in burned and unburned tallgrass prairie. Plant Ecology 155:99-109. (pdf)

 

Rogers, William E., David C. Hartnett & Bradley Elder (2001) Effects of plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius) disturbances on tallgrass-prairie plant community structure. American Midland Naturalist 145:344-357. (pdf)

 

Siemann, Evan, & William E. Rogers (2001) Genetic differences in growth of an invasive tree species. Ecology Letters 4:514-518. (pdf)

 

Rogers, William E., Somereet Nijjer*, Carrie L. Smith* & Evan Siemann (2000) Effects of resources and herbivory on leaf morphology and physiology of Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) tree seedlings. Texas Journal of Science 52S:43-56. (pdf)

 

Keay*, June, William E. Rogers, Richard Lankau* & Evan Siemann (2000) The role of allelopathy in invasion of Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum). Texas Journal of Science 52S:57-64. (pdf)


(* Undergraduate student contribution ; † Graduate student contribution )



INVITED AND MEETING PRESENTATIONS: 51 to date

Most Recent:

2008.   University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. “Management strategies for restoring habitats degraded by an invasive alien tree species.” Invited speaker for Advances in Ecological Restoration: Alien Invasive Species Management Symposium.

 

2007.   Welder Wildlife Student Symposium, Sinton, TX. “Savannah restoration using fire and herbicide.” Dirac Twidwell† William E Rogers & Urs Kreuter.



GRADUATE STUDENT SUPERVISORY COMMITTEES


Currently Active Students

Emily Marquardt        University of Houston            2004-present;  BIOL PhD candidate

Dale Kruse                  Texas A&M University          2005-present;  RLEM PhD student

Christopher Lituma    Texas A&M University          2006-present;  WFSC MS student

Trevor Knight             Texas A&M University          2005-present;  WFSC MS student

Tara Conkling            Texas A&M University          2008-present   WFSC MS student

Melissa Lackey           Texas A&M University          2008-present   WFSC MS student

Theresa Pope              Texas A&M University          2008-present   WFSC PhD student

Ryan Hammons          Texas A&M University          2006-present;  ESSM MS student

Joanna Bowen            Texas A&M University          2006-present;  ESSM MS student

 

Shoshanna Everett      Texas A&M University          2005-present;  ESSM MS student - major advisor

Sarah Haller                Texas A&M University          2006-present,  ESSM MS student - major advisor

Gabriela Sosa             Texas A&M University,         2007-present,  ESSM MS student - major advisor

Bryce Thomas            Texas A&M University,         2007-present,  ESSM MS student - major advisor

Dirac Twidwell          Texas A&M University          2006-present;  ESSM PhD student - major advisor


Past Students with Completed Degrees

Candice Donahue       Rice University                       2002-2004;     EEB MA 2004 

Maria Hartley             Rice University                       2000-2006;     EEB MS 2002/PhD 2006

Somereet Nijjer          Rice University                       2002-2006;     EEB PhD 2006

Jianwen Zou               Rice University                       2003-2007;     EEB PhD 2007

Shannon Farrell          Texas A&M University          2005-2007;     WFSC MS 2007



CURRENT TEACHING

 

RLEM 416/616 Fire and Natural Resource Management (3 credits - lecture), Fall Semesters, graduate & undergraduate offering. Co-taught with Mike Messina.


RLEM 320 Terrestrial Landscape Restoration (2 credits - lecture), Spring Semesters


RLEM 321 Field Studies in Ecological Restoration (1 credit - lab), Spring Semesters

 

RLEM 430 Advanced Restoration Ecology (3 credits - lecture/writing intensive), Spring Semesters. Co-taught with Georgianne Moore.


RLEM 484 Undergraduate Internship (various), Ongoing year-round


RLEM 485/685 Graduate and Undergraduate Directed Studies Research (various), Ongoing year-round.


RLEM 691 Graduate Research Instruction (various), Ongoing year-round