Rich Van Buskirk

Biography

Education:  Post Doctoral Scholar in Evolution of Seabird Foraging Behavior, UC Davis, Davis, Calif., in 2001 PhD in Zoology with an emphasis on Phylogeography of zerene fritillaries, UC Davis, Davis, Calif., in 2001 Master of Arts in Zoology with an emphasis on Population biology of zerene fritillaries, UC Davis, Davis, Calif., in 1997 Bachelor of Arts in Biology, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colo., in 1988

Research Interest

Areas of Research & Specialization:  I describe myself as a broadly trained evolutionary ecologist with a passion for questions having conservation applications. My research interests range from the assembly of functional grassland and riparian communities to the response of organisms to environmental change. Historical biogeography and phylogeography set the context for these questions while field-based assessments of habitat requirements and animal movement are used to determine the shortcomings of current management practices. I am fascinated by advances in molecular biology and remote sensing that allow previously untenable questions pertaining to distribution and abundance to be pursued at the landscape scale. To this end I have applied techniques in genetic analysis and remote sensing to understand how evolutionary history and patterns of movement influence current population dynamics. Clatsop Plains – Clatsop County, OR Remnant coastal grasslands on the Clatsop Plains once supported a large population of Oregon Silverspot Butterflies (Speyeria zerene hippolyta). Development, invasive species, and succession have fragmented and degraded the landscape to the point that this federally threatened species is no longer viable at this occurrence. Working with the Oregon Military Department, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the North Coast Land Conservancy, and the Nature Conservancy, I am assessing ongoing management of coastal prairie remnants and determining methods for the restoration of sites now dominated by non-native plant species. Gales Creek – Washington County, OR Gales Creek is located just minutes from the Pacific University campus but is often overlooked by residents of Forest Grove. The agricultural fields that hem it in on either side belie the creek’s true ecological significance. Native fish such as cutthroat trout, lampreys, and suckers still occupy its waters and it has the potential to provide spawning grounds for threatened winter steelhead trout. I am currently working with Clean Water Services and the Tualatin River Watershed Council on restoration projects along the Gales Creek riparian corridor and plan to monitor the success of these projects not only in terms of their impact on fish populations but also in providing habitat to terrestrial species that occupy these gallery forests.