Scientists at CCSD carry out ecological research on native plant populations and communities to facilitate the restoration and recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. Research in CCSD focuses on understanding the factors underlying the degradation of contemporary ecosystems and on developing effective restoration protocols to reverse this degradation. CCSD scientists work closely with land managers and restoration ecologists to apply their research findings, mainly but not exclusively to ecosystems that provide essential habitat for rare species and unique plant communities.

Current projects include:

• Developing restoration baselines for the globally endangered limestone cedar glade ecosystem using historical and contemporary ecological data
• Testing the ways in which different successional states in restored native habitats at the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Shaw Nature Reserve affect the population dynamics of an endangered plant species
• Developing methods for restoring degraded tallgrass prairies in the Midwestern United States using native seed sources

 

Follow along with the Garden's work in ecological restoration on our blog