Chicago Botanic Garden

Plant Science — OUR SCIENTISTS

PHOTO: Kay HavensKayri Havens, Ph.D.

Medard and Elizabeth Welch Director,
Plant Science and Conservation

Ph.D., Indiana University, 1994


PUBLICATIONS
(847) 835-8378
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Research Interests

  • Biology of rarity and invasiveness
  • Ex situ conservation of plants
  • Plant responses to climate change

Teaching and Research Affiliations

  • Director, Plant Science and Conservation, and Senior Scientist, Chicago Botanic Garden
  • Adjunct Assistant Professor of Biology, University of Illinois – Chicago, Chicago, IL
  • Adjunct Associate Professor of Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
  • Adjunct Assistant Professor of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL
  • Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden Research Associate

Selected Professional Associations

  • American Public Gardens Association
  • Botanic Gardens Conservation International, U.S. board member and treasurer
  • Center for Plant Conservation
  • Chicago Wilderness
  • IUCN Species Survival Commission, Captive Breeding Specialist Group
  • Midwest Invasive Plant Network
  • Plant Conservation Alliance
  • Project BudBurst, co-developer and senior scientist
  • USA National Phenology Network, member of informal science education committee


Statement

My research interests generally fall under the umbrella of reproductive ecology and conservation genetics
of plant species. I have worked on nonrandom reproductive success in a rare evening primrose (Oenothera organensis) and outbreeding depression in Lobelia cardinalis (cardinal flower) and Lobelia siphilitica (great blue lobelia). I am currently working with a number of colleagues on quantitative and molecular genetic studies on a threatened thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) and on three Penstemon (beardtongue) and three Eriogonum (buckwheat) species used in post-wildfire restoration projects in the Intermountain west.

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I am also interested in developing measures of success and best practices for ex situ plant conservation programs, from collecting genetically diverse seed accessions to minimizing genetic change during storage and increasing likelihood of success of reintroductions. A more recent area of focus involves examining the pros and cons of assisted migration for plants.

A final area of research focuses on invasive plant species. I am interested in improving predictive risk assessments and evaluation procedures for deliberately introduced plants, and worked with a team that developed the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Invasive Plant Policy.

Most of these projects are carried out in collaboration with graduate students. I have worked with students from programs at Northwestern University, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. A recent NSF IGERT grant, LEAP (Landscape, Ecological and Anthropogenic Processes), is funding students to work on conservation and restoration projects at the University of Illinois at Chicago in partnership with the Chicago Botanic Garden.


publications

Pennacchio, M., L. Jefferson, and K. Havens. 2010. Uses and Abuses of Plant-Derived Smoke: Its Ethnobotany as Hallucinogen, Perfume, Incense, and Medicine. Oxford University Press, 247 pp.

Kramer, A., K. Havens, and B. Zorn-Arnold. 2010. Assessing Botanical Capacity to Address Grand Challenges in the United States. 64 pp. plus appendices. Available at www.bgci.org/usa/bcap/fullreport.pdf.

Vitt, P., K. Havens, A.T. Kramer, D. Sollenberger, and E. Yates. 2010. Assisted migration of plants: changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes. Biological Conservation 143:18-27.

Vitt, P., K. Havens, and O. Hoegh-Guldberg. 2009. Assisted migration: part of an integrated conservation strategy. Letter in response to Ricciardi and Simberloff. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 24:473-474.

Kramer, A., and K. Havens. Plant conservation genetics in a changing world. 2009. Trends in Plant Science 14:599-607.

Vitt, P., K. Havens, B. Kendall, and T.M. Knight. 2009. Community-level management increases the viability of Tomanthera auriculata, a rare prairie annual. Biological Conservation 142:798-805.

Hawkins, Belinda, Suzanne Sharrock, and K. Havens. 2008. Plants and Climate Change: Which Future? Botanic Garden Conservation International report, 96 pp.

Havens, K., P. Vitt, and J. Schwarz. 2008. Your garden, our climate. Chicagoland Gardening 2:20-21.

Schwarz, J., K. Havens, and P. Vitt. 2008. Understanding climate change through citizen science. Roots
 5:22-24.

Jefferson, L.V., M. Pennacchio, K. Havens, B. Forsberg, D. Sollenberger, and J. Ault. 2008. Ex situ germination responses of midwestern USA prairie species to plant-derived smoke. American Midland Naturalist 159:251-256.

Pennacchio, M., L.V. Jefferson, and K. Havens. 2007. The inhibitory effects of plant-derived aerosol smoke on seed germination of Arabidopsis thaliana. Research Letters in Ecology, Vol. 2007:ID65083, 4 pp. Online.

Pennacchio, M., L.V. Jefferson, and K. Havens. 2007. Where there’s smoke, there’s germination. Illinois Steward Fall:24-28.

Havens, K., P. Vitt, J. Schwarz, B. Orr, and T. Crimmins. 2007. Chicago Botanic Garden’s conservation and outreach efforts on climate change. BGjournal 4:13-16.

Pennacchio, M., L. V. Jefferson, K. Havens, and P. Olwell. 2007. International conservation and land management exchange program. Public Garden 22:29.

Havens, K., P. Vitt, M. Maunder, E. O. Guerrant Jr., and K. Dixon. 2006. Ex situ plant conservation and beyond. BioScience 56:525-531.

Havens, K. 2006. Developing an invasive plant policy at a botanic garden: lessons learned. BGjournal 3:22-24.

Farnsworth, E.J., S. Klionsky, W.E. Brumback, and K. Havens. 2006. A set of simple decision matrices for prioritizing collection of rare plant species for ex situ conservation. Biological Conservation 128:1-12.

Pennacchio, M., L.V. Jefferson, and K. Havens. 2005. Smoke: Promoting germination of tallgrass prairie species. Chicago Wilderness Journal: Best Practices in Conservation and Restoration 3:14-19.

Pennacchio, M., L.V. Jefferson, and K. Havens. 2005. Arabidopsis thaliana: a useful test species for phytotoxic bioassays. Journal of Chemical Ecology 31:1877-1885.

Maunder, M., K. Havens and E.O. Guerrant. 2004. Ex situ plant conservation: out of the garden and into the world. Public Garden 19:8-12.

Havens, K., M. Maunder, E.O. Guerrant, and P. Vitt. 2004. Conservation research at botanic gardens and arboreta. Public Garden 19:8-12.

Jefferson, L., K. Havens, and J. Ault. 2004. Implementing invasive screening procedures: The Chicago Botanic Garden model. Weed Technology 18:1434-1440.

Havens, K., L. Jefferson, and P. Vitt. 2004. Chicago Botanic Garden reaches beyond its borders. Public Garden 18:35-36.

Havens, K., E.O. Guerrant, M. Maunder, and P. Vitt. 2004. Guidelines for ex situ conservation collection management: Minimizing risks. In Ex Situ Plant Conservation: Supporting Species Survival in the Wild, ed. E.O. Guerrant, K. Havens, and M. Maunder, pp. 454-473. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.

Guerrant, E.O., P. Fiedler, K. Havens, and M. Maunder. 2004. Revised genetic sampling guidelines for conservation collections of rare and endangered plants. In Ex Situ Plant Conservation: Supporting Species Survival in the Wild, ed. E.O. Guerrant, K. Havens, and M. Maunder, pp. 419-441. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.

Maunder, M., E.O. Guerrant, K. Havens, and K. Dixon. 2004. Realizing the full potential of ex situ contributions to global plant conservation. In Ex Situ Plant Conservation: Supporting Species Survival in the Wild, ed. E.O. Guerrant, K. Havens, and M. Maunder, pp. 389-418. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.

Vitt, P. and K. Havens. 2004. Integrating quantitative genetics into ex situ conservation and restoration practices. In Ex Situ Plant Conservation: Supporting Species Survival in the Wild, ed. E.O. Guerrant, K. Havens, and M. Maunder, pp. 286-304. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.

Maunder, M., K. Havens, E.O. Guerrant, and D. Falk. 2004. Ex situ methods: A vital but underused set of conservation resources. In Ex Situ Plant Conservation: Supporting Species Survival in the Wild, eds. E.O. Guerrant, K. Havens, and M. Maunder, pp. 3-20. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.

Guerrant, E.O., K. Havens, and M. Maunder, eds. 2004. Ex Situ Plant Conservation: Supporting Species Survival in the Wild, 504 pp. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.

Havens, K. 2002. Developing an Invasive Plant Policy: The Chicago Botanic Garden’s Experience. Public Garden 17(4):16-17.

Bell, T.J., M. Bowles, K. Havens, P. Vitt, and K. McEachern. 2002. Reintroducing Pitcher’s Thistle. Endangered Species Bulletin 27(3):14-15.

Havens, K. 1999. Pollination biology: Implications for rare plant conservation. Ecological Restoration17:217-219.

Ault, J.R. and K. Havens. 1999. Micropropagation of Baptisia 'Purple Smoke'. Hortscience 34:353-354.

L.F. Delph and K. Havens. 1998. Pollen competition in flowering plants. In Sperm Competition and Sexual Selection, ed. T.R. Birkhead and A.P. Moller, pp. 147-174. Academic Press.

Havens, K. and D.L. Holland. 1998. Factors affecting reproductive success in a rare grass, Calamagrostis porteri ssp. insperata. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 85:64-68.

Havens, K. 1998. The genetics of plant restoration. Restoration and Management Notes 16:68-72.

Havens, K. and L.F. Delph. 1996. Differential seed maturation uncouples fertilization and siring success in Oenothera organensis (Onagraceae). Heredity 76:623-632.

Havens, K., K.A. Preston, C.R. Richardson, and L.F. Delph. 1995. Nutrients affect allocation to male and female function in Abutilon theophrasti (Malvaceae). American Journal of Botany 82:726-733.

Havens, K. 1994. Clonal repeatability of in vitro pollen tube growth rates in Oenothera organensis (Onagraceae). American Journal of Botany 81:161-165.

Student advising or service on graduate committees

Lara Jefferson (Post-doctoral student: Ph.D., Curtin University, Western Australia)

Past Graduate Students

Hanilore Artiomow (University of Wisconsin, M.S. 2002)

Barbara Zorn Arnold (University of Illinois at Chicago, Ph.D. 2005)

Kathleen Craft (Univeristy of Illinois at Chicago, Ph.D., 2005)

Leora Siegel (University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign, M.S. 2007)

Andrea Southgate (Northwestern University, M.S., 2007)

Alona Banai (Northwestern University, M.S., 2008)

Andrea Kramer (University of Illinois at Chicago, Ph.D., 2009)

Glen Madeja (Northwestern University, M.S., 2010)


Current Graduate Students

Jennifer Ison (University of Illinois at Chicago, Ph.D. program)

Paul Gulezian (University of Illinois at Chicago, Ph.D. program)

Jennifer Alyah (Northestern University, M.S. program)


Websites

Pitcher’s Thistle Restoration Project
Our collaborative work on Pitcher’s thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) is outlined on this website. Pitcher’s thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) is a native of the shorelines of the western Great Lakes. In the early 20th century, Pitcher’s thistle was found along virtually the entire coast of Lake Michigan. Currently, it is extinct in Illinois, except for an experimental reintroduced population. Ninety percent of the remaining populations are found in Michigan. We have been studying the demography, genetics and reintroduction success of this species for over 20 years.
www.pitchersthistle.org

Project BudBurst
Project BudBurst is a national citizen science campaign to collect plant phenology data. Phenology (the timing of natural events such as first flower, bud burst, leaf color change) is related to the climate. Phenological observations have been used for centuries by farmers to maximize crop production, nature-lovers to anticipate optimal wildflower viewing conditions, and by many of us to prepare for seasonal allergies. Today, this well established science is also used by scientists to track the effect of global warming and climate change on organisms and to make predictions about the future health of the environment. By tracking changes in the timing of these phenological events, scientists are able to better understand how our environment is changing.
www.budburst.org

Seeds of Success
The Chicago Botanic Garden is a member of the U.S. national seed banking program called Seeds of Success (SOS). SOS is actively collecting seeds of native plant species to use for restoration and to store for future needs.
http://www.nps.gov/plants/sos/

Plant Conservation Alliance
The PCA is a consortium of ten federal government Member agencies and over 225 non-federal Cooperators representing various disciplines within the conservation field: biologists, botanists, habitat preservationists, horticulturists, resources management consultants, soil scientists, special interest clubs, non-profit organizations, concerned citizens, nature lovers, and gardeners. PCA Members and Cooperators work collectively to solve the problems of native plant extinction and native habitat restoration, ensuring the preservation of our ecosystem.
http://www.nps.gov/plants/

Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)
Both BGCI and their U.S. program, BGCI-US, are networks of botanic gardens dedicated to the conservation of threatened plants, the continued existence of which are intrinsically linked to global issues including poverty, human well-being and climate change.

http://www.bgci.org/

http://www.bgci.org/usa/index/

Center for Plant Conservation
The Chicago Botanic Garden is a member of CPC, a U.S. network of botanic gardens that is actively involved in ex situ conservation, reintroduction and research of rare plants. The mission of the Center for Plant Conservation is to conserve and restore the imperiled native plants of the United States to secure them from extinction.
http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/