معرفی
Karin M. Kettenring is a Professor in the Department of Watershed Sciences and the Ecology Center at Utah State University. She has been at USU since 2008 and leads the Kettenring Wetland Ecology and Restoration Lab. Her work focuses on wetland ecology, restoration, and invasive species management, with research sites across North America including the Great Salt Lake, Chesapeake Bay, Columbia River Basin, and prairie pothole wetlands.
Dr. Kettenring received her PhD in Applied Plant Sciences from the University of Minnesota in 2006, with a dissertation on "Seed ecology of wetland Carex species - implications for restoration." Prior to joining USU, she was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, MD. Her undergraduate degree (BA in Biology) is from Oberlin College (1998).
Dr. Kettenring's research addresses fundamental questions in wetland ecology and restoration, including what limits wetland plant community restoration, the role of plant species and genetic diversity in wetland restoration, invasive plant ecology and management, and the effects of drought on wetland plant communities. Her work combines field studies, experiments, and modeling approaches to address both theoretical and applied aspects of wetland ecology.
Her recent publications reveal strong trends in wetland restoration ecology, particularly focused on invasive species management (especially Phragmites australis), native plant community recovery, seed ecology, and the impacts of environmental stressors on wetland ecosystems. Her research spans multiple spatial scales from seed germination to landscape-level patterns of invasion and restoration.
- QCNR Teacher of the Year, 2024
- QCNR Graduate Mentor of the Year, 2020
- QCNR Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year, 2017
Dr. Kettenring has mentored numerous graduate students through their MS and PhD programs, with many going on to successful careers in wetland management, conservation, and research. Her lab has secured significant grant funding for wetland research, particularly focused on invasive species management and restoration techniques in western US wetlands. She has collaborated with various state and federal agencies including the Utah Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and others.
Dr. Kettenring leads the Kettenring Wetland Ecology and Restoration Lab at Utah State University, which focuses on both fundamental and applied aspects of wetland ecology. The lab conducts field research at multiple sites including Great Salt Lake wetlands, Chesapeake Bay, and riparian areas in the western United States. Current research emphasizes seed ecology, invasive species management, and restoration techniques for wetland plant communities.
