Skip to main content
Penn State College of Agricultural Science Logo
Department of Plant Science
  • Undergraduate
    • Degree Options
    • Student Resources
    • Contact Us
  • Graduate
    • Degree Options
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Student Resources
    • Contact Us
  • People
    • People
  • Research
    • Thematic Research Areas
    • Focused Research Areas
    • Publications
  • Extension & Outreach
    • Extension & Outreach
  • Access & Equity
    • Access & Equity
  • About
    • News
    • Events
    • Facilities
    • Alumni and Friends
    • Support the Department
    • Contact Us
You are here:
  1. Home
  2. Research
  3. Faculty Labs
  4. Weed Ecology Lab
  5. Research Topics

Research Topics

Biodiversity and AgroEcosystem Services

Plant and insect biodiversity can contribute to crucial ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes, including pollination and biological control.

Ecologically-based Weed Management

The goal of our research is to inform the development of integrated, multi-tactical weed and crop management strategies that are both economically and ecologically sustainable.

Invasive Species Research

Our lab’s interest in weedy plants in agroecosystems is paralleled by our work on invasive species in forest systems. We are studying population dynamics and spatial distributions of forest invasive species including Microstegium vimieum (Japanese stiltgrass).

Plant Dispersal in Heterogeneous Environments

We are interested in the pattern and process of dispersal and how dispersal impacts management of invasive weed species. Currently several projects in the lab examine seed transported along roads and in the atmosphere.

Weed Ecology Lab

  • Weed Ecology Lab Overview
  • Research Topics
    • Research Topics Overview
    • Biodiversity and AgroEcosystem Services
      • Biodiversity and AgroEcosystem Services Overview
      • Landscape-Scale Patterns in Agricultural Biodiversity
      • Pollinators and Floral Resources
      • Floral Resource Provisioning
      • Outreach Activities
      • Researchers
    • Ecologically-based Weed Management
      • Ecologically-based Weed Management Overview
      • Research Sites
      • Research Methods
      • Weed-crop Competition
      • Weed Competition Research
      • Emergence Phenology
      • Cover Crops for Weed Suppression
      • Outreach
      • Ecologically-Based Weed Management People
    • Invasive Species Research
      • Invasive Species Research Overview
      • Patch Dynamics
      • Unexpected Variation in Recruitment Within Habitats
      • Variability Through Time
      • Habitat-Specific Control
      • The Fates of Seeds in the Soil
      • Population Modeling
      • Outreach
      • People
    • Plant Dispersal in Heterogeneous Environments
      • Plant Dispersal in Heterogeneous Environments Overview
      • Quantifying Localized Dispersal
      • Quantifying Human-mediated Dispersal Along Roads
      • Quantifying Dispersal Distance in the Atmosphere
      • Using Maximum-likelihood Techniques to find Dispersal Parameters
      • Road maintenance moves propagules rapidly
      • Weekly and daily atmospheric patterns impact dispersal
      • Movement of Weeds Across a Landscape
      • Outreach
      • People
  • Links
  • Directory
    • Directory Overview
    • People in the Lab
    • Past Personnel
      • Past Personnel Overview
      • Joseph Dauer
      • Nelson DeBarros
      • Daniel Heggenstaller
      • Andrew Hulting
      • Robert Humston
      • Brian Jones
      • Stephen Kinneer
      • Timothy Leslie
      • Steven Mirsky
      • Eric Nord
      • Nora Peskin
      • Emily Rauschert
      • Matthew Ryan
      • Carina Ritter
      • David Sandy
      • Richard G. Smith
  • Contact Us
Back to Top

Department of Plant Science

  • About
  • Directory
  • Department Telephone 814-865-2571
  • Facebook
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram
Penn State College of Agricultural Science Logo

Privacy and Legal Statements — Accessibility — © 2025 The Pennsylvania State University

Penn State College of Agricultural Science Logo

Explore

  • Degrees & Programs
  • Admissions
  • Research
  • Extension
  • About
  • College Directory
  • Contact Us

Information for

  • Students
  • Industry
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Visitors & Public
Request Info Schedule a Visit Apply
 
Penn State College of Agricultural Science Logo