Plant Science and Conservation, Chicago Botanic Garden
Plant Biology, Michigan State University
Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University
- Ecological Society of America
- Society for Conservation Biology
- Society for Ecological Restoration
- Plant community ecology
- Restoration ecology
- Seed biology
- Prairie ecology
- Seed mix design
- Restoration decision making
I study biodiversity and restoration in the tallgrass prairie. My post-doctoral research is focused on seed mix design for restoration from both a social and ecological perspective. Using social science methods, I am studying the factors that drive seed mix design for prairie restoration managers. Using ecological data collected though observation and experimentation, I am determining how seed mixes become prairies, that is, which planted seeds and species are likely to germinate, emerge and establish in restored prairies.
Barak, RS, EW Williams, AL Hipp, ML Bowles, G Carr*, R Sherman*, DJ Larkin. 2017. Restored tallgrass prairies have reduced phylogenetic diversity compared to remnants. Journal of Applied Ecology 54:1080-1090.
Brudvig, LA, RS Barak, JT Bauer, TT Caughlin, DC Laughlin, L Larios, JW Matthews, KL Stuble, NE Turley, CR. Zirbel. 2017. Interpreting variation to advance predictive restoration science. Journal of Applied Ecology 1018-1027.
Barak, RS, AL Hipp, W Pearse, J Cavender-Bares, J Callaway, S Hotchkiss, DJ Larkin. 2016. Taking the long view: Integrating recorded, paleoecological, and evolutionary information into ecological restoration. International Journal of Plant Sciences. 177:90-102.
Riebkes, JL*, RS Barak, AT Kramer. Evaluating seed viability in prairie forbs: a test of three methods. 2015. Native Plants Journal 16: 96-106.
Hipp, AL, DJ Larkin, RS Barak, ML Bowles, MW Cadotte, SK Jacobi, E Lonsdorf, BC Sharenbroch, E Williams, E Weiher. 2015. Phylogeny in the service of ecological restoration. American Journal of Botany 102: 647-648.
Barak, RS, KA Skogen, AT Kramer, JB Fant. 2015. Assessing the value of potential “native winners” for restoration of cheatgrass-invaded habitat. Western North American Naturalist 75:55-69.