Recent Center for Grassland Studies Seminar Series

Contact the Center to borrow video of a presentation(s).

Fall 2011

Keenan Amundsen, Plant Breeder-Turfgrass, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL, “Evolution of Buffalograss into a Highly Valued Native Turfgrass and Challenges for Further Improvement”
Gary Hein, Director of the Plant Health Program, UNL,” Doctor of Plant Health: A New Profession for a More Sustainable Future”
Jim Stubbendieck, Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL, “Evolution of Vegetation and Ranching on the Great Plains”
John Guretzky, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL, “Effects of Nitrogen Input on Litter Accumulation and Decomposition in Pastures”
Alan Baquet, Professor and Director of the PGA Golf Management Program, UNL, “Current Status of the PGA Golf Management Major at UNL”
Glenn Pollock, Naturalist, Omaha, Nebraska, “A Guide to Prairie Management Using Historical Data”
Jack Morgan, Research Scientist-Plant Physiology and Nobel Laureate, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Fort Collins, Colorado, “Effect of Global Climate Change on Grasslands of the Great Plains”
Tom Bragg, Professor, Department of Biology, UNO, “Fire Ecology of Shrub Savannas of Western Australia”
Anne Vidaver, Professor and Department Head Emeritus, Department of Plant Pathology, UNL, “Fatal Omission: The TransCanada Pipeline and the Sandhills”
Ron Phillips, Regents Professor of Plant Genetics Emeritus and Member of National Academy of Sciences, Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, “ Norman Borlaug and the Future of the Green Revolution”
Kent Aden, Assistant Real Estate Administrator, Central Nebraska Public Power, “Impacts of Multi-Species Grazing”
Guatam Sarath, Research Scientist-Molecular Biology, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Lincoln, Nebraska, “Switchgrass Molecular Biology 101”
Dec. 5 – Kathy Roccaforte, Graduate Student, School of Biological Sciences, UNL, “Hybridization and Species Boundaries between Two Midwestern Lilies”

Fall 2010

Zac Reicher, Professor, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL, “Some Challenges Facing the Future of Turfgrass”
Larkin Powell, Associate Professor, School of Natural Resources, UNL, “Bush Control and Fight for Grasslands in Namibia”
Gerry Steinauer, Botanist, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, “Grassland Management Plans for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Wildlife Management Area”
Matt Stockton, Assistant Professor, West Central Research and Extension Center, UNL, “How Different Calving Times and Rangeland Productivity Are Affected by Drought”
Bill Whitney, Executive Director, Prairie Plains Resource Institute, “Native Grass Seeding and Other Observations at the Prairie Plains Resource Institute”
Doug Whisenhunt, State Prescribed Burn/Grazing Specialist, Nebraska Natural Resource Conservation Service, “Working with Fire and Private Landowner Groups to Reclaim Rangelands”
Al Steuter, Private Landowner and Rancher, Johnstown, Nebraska, “The Value of Rangeland Heterogeneity in a High Cost Future: A Producer’s Perspective”
Swapna Purandare, Graduate Student, School of Biological Sciences, UNL, “Role of Aphid Honeydew in Foraging Behavior of Ladybird Beetle Larvae”
Trey Patterson, Chief Operations Officer, Padlock Ranch Company, Ranchester, Wyoming, “A Systems Approach to Grassland Management”
Karla Jenkins, Assistant Professor, Panhandle Research and Extension Center, UNL, “Utilization of Western Rangelands by Livestock”
TJ Fontaine, Assistant Unit Leader, USGS Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, “Avian Conservation in the Prairie Pothole Region”
John Quinn, Postdoctoral Research Assistant, School of Natural Resources, UNL, “Biodiversity Conservation in Agricultural Ecosystems”

Fall 2009

Rob Mitchell, Rangeland Scientist, USDA Agricultural Research Service, "Grassland Programs and Activities in Brazil"
Justin Evertson, Interim Director, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, "Landscape Grasses"
Terry Riley, former Vice President of Policy for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, "Restoring Great Plains Grassland Landscapes"
John Guretsky, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL, "Distribution of Legumes and Plant Diversity in Pastures Varying in Topography and Grazing Management"
Dale Lindgren, Professor, West Central Research & Extension Center, UNL, "Selection of Native and Drought-tolerant Plants for Ornamental Use"
Heidi Hillhouse, Post Doctoral Research Associate, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL, "Patterns of Plant Establishment in Tallgrass Prairie Plantings"
Dave Stock, owner, Stock Seed Farms, "Seed Production of Native Grasses"
Karie Decker, Coordinator, Invasive Species Project at the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit based at UNL, "Nebraska Invasive Species Project: Monitoring, Mapping, Risk and Management"
Mitchell Stamm, Graduate Student, Dept. of Entomology, UNL, "Differential Responses of Western Chinch Bugs to Neonicetinyl Insecticides"
Anh Hoang, Graduate Student, Dept. of Entomology, UNL, "Role of Peroxidase in the Defense Response of Buffalograss to the Western Chinch Bug"
Sabrina Russo, Assistant Professor, School of Biological Sciences, UNL, "Functional and Demographic Tradeoffs Among Tree Species"
Tala Awada, Associate Professor, School of Natural Resources, UNL, "Eastern Red Cedar: Ecophysiology and Ramifications of Its Invasion on Ecosystem Processes in Nebraska"

Fall 2008

Aaron Stalker, West Central Research & Extension Center, UNL, "Research in the Nebraska Sandhills to Help Producers' Profitability with High Feed Prices"
Dennis Ojima, The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment, Washington, DC, "Grasslands: Adapting to Global Change"
Steve Chick, Nebraska NRCS, "Impact of the New Farm Bill on Grasslands, Wildlife and the Environment"
Ian Chivers, Principal and Chief Executive of Native Seeds Pty. Ltd., Victoria, Australia, "Amenity Grasses of Australia"
Jim Locklear, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, "The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum and the Evolution of a Nebraska Style of Landscape Horticulture"
Bruce Anderson and Walter Schacht, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL, "Observations on Chinese Grasslands"
Mace Hack, Nebraska Chapter, The Nature Conservancy, "The Nature Conservancy's Grassland Conservation in Nebraska"
Jeff Drahota, US Fish and Wildlife Service, "Forage Quality for the Rainiwater Basin Wetlands"
Tom Bragg, Dept. of Biology, UNO, "Savanah Ecology and Management in Western Australia"
Ken Vogel, USDA Agricultural Research Service, "Current Status of Switchgrass as a Bioenergy Crop"
Sandra Schaeffer, graduate student, Dept. of Entomology, UNL, "Molecular Insight into Buffalograss Resistance to Chinch Bugs"
Matt Giovanni, graduate student, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture and School of Natural Resource Sciences, UNL, "Birds and Plants in the Nebraska Sandhills: Interactions and Conservation"

Fall 2007

Richard Sutton, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL, "Roof Top Prairie"
Darrell Mark, Dept of Agricultural Economics, UNL, "Ethanol's Effect on Cow-Calf Producers"
Pat Reece, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, Panhandle Research and Extension Center, UNL, "Observations on Grazing Myths and Practice: Three Steps to Success"
Burke Teichert, Operational Vice President, Farm Management Company, "Managing Rangelands with Cattle and Wildlife for Ecological Sustainability and Economic Return"
Marian Langan, Director, Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center, "Nebraska's Tallgrass Prairie: History or Legacy "
Rick Rasby, Dept. of Animal Science, UNL, "Use of Distillers Grain in Backgrounding and Cow-Calf Systems"
Bruce Anderson, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL, "Forage Issues in Mainland China"
Jim Stubbendieck, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture and Director, Center for Great Plains Studies, UNL, "Experiences with Wildlife in South Africa"
Brad Jakubowski, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL, "Opportunities in Sports Turf Management"
Luciana Toda (Graduate Student), Dept. of Entomology, UNL, "Buffalograss Resistance to the Chinch Bug"
Larkin Powell, School of Natural Resources, UNL, "Effects of Grassland Management on Upland Game Bird Production"
Neal Bryan (Graduate Student), Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL, "Grassland to Woodland Transitions: Nebraska and the World"

Fall 2006

Tim Arkebauer, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL, "Water Table Effects on Evapotranspiration in Sandhills Ecosystems"
Rob Mitchell, USDA-ARS, "Can You Make Money Grazing Warm-season Grasses?"
Dave Sands, The Nebraska Land Trust, "Conservation Easements: A Private Path to Permanent Protection"
Chelsey Wasem, Dept. of Entomology (graduate student), UNL, "Evolution of a Biological Control System for Japanese Beetles"
Rod Heitschmidt, Fort Keogh Livestock & Range Research Lab, USDA-ARS, "Some Observations on the Ecology, Economics, and Sustainability of Great Plains Rangeland Agriculture "
Andrea Schwarz, Dept. of Animal Science (senior student), UNL, "The Effect of Brown midrib (BMR) Traits for Grazing Beef Cattle"
Oct. 30** – John Hoffman, Hoffman Nursery, Rougemont, NC, "20 Years of Grasses:
A Niche in the Making"
Roch Gaussoin, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL, "Turf Education in China"
Craig Allen, Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit–USGS, "Relationship between Diversity and Herbivore in Restored Grasslands"
Robert Shearman, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL, "Current Trends in Turfgrass Science in Turkey"

Fall 2005

Ken Hubbard, High Plains Regional Climate Center, UNL, "Climate and Rangelands"
Jim Swinehart, School of Natural Resources, UNL, "The 20,000-year Battle between Sand and Vegetation for the Soul of the Nebraska Sandhills"
Ed Harvey, School of Natural Resources, UNL, "Groundwater & Grasslands: Examples From the Nebraska Sandhills"
Nathan Small, New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, "Lands of Enchantment: The Grasslands of Otero Mesa and Wilderness in New Mexico"
Dave Aiken, Dept. of Agricultural Economics, UNL, "New Directions in Nebraska Water Policy – Fully Appropriated Basins, Overappropriated Basins, and Water Marketing"
Tom Franti, Dept. of Biological Systems Engineering, UNL, "Conservation Buffers: UNL Research and Extension to Protect Water Quality"
Mike Kelly, Sutherland, NE, "Observations of Changes Occurring in Grasslands in Kenya"
David Briske, Dept. of Rangeland Ecology and Management, Texas A&M University, "State-and-Transition Models and Ecological Thresholds: Bridging Theory and Application"
Pat Reece, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, Panhandle Research and Extension Center, UNL, "Drought- and Grazing- Induced Changes in Plant Communities on Semi-arid
Grasslands"
John Watkins, Dept. of Plant Pathology, UNL, "Influence of Climate on Summer Diseases of Turfgrass in Nebraska"

Fall 2004

Kristal Stoner, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
"Biodiversity Conservation at the State Level: Nebraska's Natural Legacy Project"
Susan Tunnell, Post Doctoral Research Associate, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL
"Seed Dynamics of Eastern Redcedar in the Mixed-Grass Prairie"
Rick Rasby, Dept. of Animal Science, UNL
"Production and Economics of Two Beef Production Systems"
Ian Chivers, Principal and Chief Executive of Native Seeds Pty. Ltd., Victoria, Australia
"Native Grasses of Australia for Reclamation and Ornamental Uses"
co-sponsored by UNL Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture
Richard Clark, Dept. of Agricultural Economics, UNL
"Economic Considerations for Making Changes in a Cow-calf System"
Fred Baxendale, Dept. of Entomology, UNL
"Field Observations of the Pasture Mealybug in New Zealand"
Tom Boutton*, Dept. of Rangeland Ecology and Management, Texas A&M Univ.
"Woody Plant Invasion of Grassland: Implications for the Carbon Cycle"
Jerry Volesky, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, West Central Research and Extension Center, UNL
"Grassland Production in a Variable Environment"
Andy Wasowski, author, photographer and lecturer, Taos, New Mexico
"The Landscaping Revolution: Gardening with Mother Nature, Not against Her"
co-sponsored by Nebraska Arboretum
Kim Todd, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL
"A Sea of Grass: Using Grasses in the Landscape"
Robert Shearman, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL
"Turfgrass Drought Resistance and Water Conservation"
Janyce Woodard, graduate student, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL
"Integrated Weed Management in Conservation Buffers"

Fall 2003

Rob Mitchell, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
"Improving Native Grasses Increases Grassland Production"
Guillermo Norrmann, Instituto de Botanica, Universidad del Nordeste, Corrientes, Argentina
"Big Bluestems of the Americas: Biosystematics, Hybridization and Evolution"
Ken Vogel, USDA, Agricultural Research Service
"Biomass Energy: Perennial Herbaceous Crops vs Corn Stover"
Steve Chick, USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service
"An Overview of the Grassland Reserve Program"
Larkin Powell, UNL, School of Natural Resources
"Grazing and Grassland Birds in the Nebraska Sandhills"
Kent Pfeiffer, Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust
"Managing Prairies for the Long Term"
Richard Knight, Colorado State University, Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Watershed
"For the Health of the Land: Honest Conversation about Land Use"
Roch Gaussoin, UNL, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture
"Turfgrass Management: What We Can Learn from Our International Colleagues"
Tyler Sutton, Conservation Alliance of the Great Plains
"Restoring Grasslands Ecologically and Economically"
Wyatt Anderson, Graduate Student, UNL, Dept. of Entomology
"Resistance to Multiple Chinch Bug Species in Four Grass Systems"

Fall 2002 Theme: Grassland Ecosystems

Wallace Wilhelm, USDA, Agricultural Research Service and UNL, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, "Using Crop Residue as a Biofuel"
John Kimble, USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, "Carbon Sequestration and Grasslands"
Rob Mitchell, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, "Prescribed Burning: A Hot Topic in Ecosystem Management"
Rick Darke, author, photographer, and landscape design consultant, "Celebrating Grasses in the American Landscape"
Duane Hovorka, Nebraska Wildlife Federation, "Wildlife and Grasslands"
Vivien Allen, Texas Tech U., Department of Plant and Soil Science, "Grassland Ecosystems: Pieces of the Puzzle"
Kathleen Keeler, UNL, School of Biological Sciences, "Populations of Native Prairie Plants: Individual Lifespans and Turnover Rates"
Kim Stine, USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, "Ecological Site Descriptions for Rangelands"
Steve Merkel, Landscapes Unlimited, "Environmental Aspects of Arbor Links Golf Course"
Kristal Stoner, Graduate Student, UNL, School of Biological Sciences
"The Effect of Tallgrass Prairie Fragmentation on the Diversity of Insects"
Richard Clark, UNL, Department of Agricultural Economics, West Central, Research and Extension Center, "Conservation Aspects of the 2002 Farm Bill"