Daniel Larkin

Assistant Professor/Extension Specialist, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology & Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center, Associate, Institute on the Environment
318 Hodson Hall
djlarkin@umn.edu
+1 612 625 6350
Larkin Lab

Education

Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison

Daniel Larkin

Areas of Interest

Aquatic plant management, community ecology, invasion biology, restoration ecology, wetland ecology

Teaching

My teaching primarily involves Extension work with lake users, agency staff, restoration practitioners, and other natural resource stakeholders addressing aquatic invasive species in Minnesota lakes and wetlands. I am also the instructor for CBIO 8001: Conservation Biology Seminar.

Research

My students and I conduct research on applied problems in ecological restoration and invasive plant management, particularly in aquatic and wetland systems. Our goal is to develop improved approaches for preventing and controlling invasions and restoring impacted habitats.

Restoration is a key component of contemporary conservation. However, our ability to return lost biodiversity and ecosystem services is limited by gaps in science, policy, and management and by disturbances that cause environmental degradation.

Invasive plant species are one such disturbance. Aggressive introduced plants can reduce biodiversity and alter ecological processes, interfering with conservation objectives. Improved approaches for controlling invasive plants and restoring impacted habitats are needed. It is also critical to predict, monitor, and prevent potential new invasions.

Essential partners in our research are natural resource managers, restoration practitioners, aquatic plant managers, and other stakeholders. Nearly all of our projects involve research-management collaborations. And this work forms the basis for developing Extension programs to translate science into better solutions for management on the ground and on the water.

Select Publications

  • Barak, R. S., E. W. Williams, A. L. Hipp, M. L. Bowles, G. Carr, R. Sherman, and D. J. Larkin. 2016. Finding missing branches: Phylogenetic patterns of plant community diversity in restored and remnant tallgrass prairies. In press, Journal of Applied Ecology.
  • Tonietto, R. K., J. S. Ascher, and D. J. Larkin. 2016. Bee communities of restored, unrestored, and reference prairies: similar abundance and diversity, distinct composition. Ecological Applications DOI:10.1002/eap.1481.
  • Fant, J. B., A. L. Price, and D. J. Larkin. 2016. The influence of habitat disturbance on genetic structure and reproductive strategies within stands of native and non-native Phragmites australis (common reed). Diversity and Distributions 22:1301–1313.
  • Escobar, L. E., H. Qiao, N. B. D. Phelps, W. D. Pearse, C. K. Wagner, and D. J. Larkin. 2016. Realized niche shift associated with the Eurasian charophyte Nitellopsis obtusa becoming invasive in North America. Scientific Reports 6:29037. DOI: 10.1038/srep29037.
  • Larkin, D. J., S. K. Jacobi, A. L. Hipp, and A. T. Kramer. 2016. Keeping all the PIECES: phylogenetically informed ex situ conservation of endangered species. PLoS ONE 11: e0156973.
  • Larkin, D. J., A. L. Hipp, J. Kattge, W. Prescott, R. K. Tonietto, S. K. Jacobi, and M. L. Bowles. 2015. Phylogenetic measures of plant communities show long-term change and impacts of fire management in tallgrass prairie remnants. Journal of Applied Ecology DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12516.
  • Glisson, W. J., R. S. Brady, A. T. Paulios, S. K. Jacobi, and D. J. Larkin. 2015. Sensitivity of secretive marsh birds to vegetation condition in natural and restored wetlands in Wisconsin. Journal of Wildlife Management. DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.937
  • Hipp, A. L., D. J. Larkin, R. Barak, M. L. Bowles, M. W. Cadotte, S. K. Jacobi, E. Lonsdorf, B. C. Scharenbroch, E. Williams, and E. Weiher. 2015. Phylogeny in the service of ecological restoration. American Journal of Botany 102:647-648.
  • Larkin, D. J., J. F. Steffen, R. M. Gentile, and C. R. Zirbel. 2014. Ecosystem changes following restoration of a buckthorn-invaded woodland. Restoration Ecology 22:89–97.
  • Price, A. L., J. B. Fant, and D. J. Larkin. 2014. Ecology of native vs. introduced Phragmites australis (common reed) in Chicago-area wetlands. Wetlands 34:369–377
  • Larkin, D. J., S. C. Lishawa, and N. C. Tuchman. 2012. Appropriation of nitrogen by the invasive cattail Typha × glauca. Aquatic Botany 100:62–66.
  • Larkin, D. J. 2012. Lengths and correlates of lag phases in upper-Midwest plant invasions. Biological Invasions 14:827–838.
  • Larkin, D. J., M. J. Freyman, S. C. Lishawa, P. Geddes, and N. C. Tuchman. 2012. Mechanisms of dominance by the invasive hybrid cattail Typha × glauca. Biological Invasions 14:65–77.