Meghan Midgley, Ph.D.
The Morton Arboretum
Meghan Midgley, Ph.D.
Meghan is a soil ecologist at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois. She studies how interactions among plants, microbes, and soil influence ecosystem responses to environmental changes, including prescribed fire. Meghan seeks to build bridges between research and natural resources management by using scientific insights into soil biology to design and enhance effective ecosystem management strategies. Meghan earned a B.S. in environmental systems from the University of California - San Diego. She holds a master’s degree in environmental science, and a Ph.D. in ecology, evolution, and behavior from Indiana University.
Project Summary
The Consequences of Burn Pile Scars for Oak Ecosystem Biodiversity
To restore oak savannas, ecosystem stewards and managers cut invasive brush and thin understory and midstory trees, resulting in woody debris called brush piles. Brush pile burning has emerged as the top strategy for dealing with this debris. Approximately 5,000 brush piles are built and burned annually throughout the Chicago region. However, the ecological effects of “burn scars,” which may include long-term changes in fungal and plant communities, are virtually unexamined in the Midwest. This award will enable a team of scientists, managers, and stewards to determine the impacts of brush pile burns on soil and plant biodiversity and design post-burn strategies for reducing the effects of brush pile burns.
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