Rebecca Ostertag

Degrees

Ph.D., Botany, University of Florida
B.A., Biology, Carleton College

Courses Taught

Natural History & Conservation of Hawaiian Islands (BIOL 156/MARE 156)
Natural History Field Trips (BIOL 156L/MARE 156L)
General Ecology (BIOL 281)
General Ecology Laboratory (BIOL 281L)
Theory & Methods in Ecology and Evolution (BIOL 481)
Ecology & Evolution Research Methods (BIOL 481L)
Principles of Tropical Conservation Biology & Environmental Science (CBES 600)
Field & Laboratory Methods in Tropical Conservation Biology & Environmental Science (CBES 601)

Interests

My research addresses questions relating to nutrient cycling and ecosystem function of tropical forests, vital information needed for forest management and restoration. One major theme deals with understanding the mechanisms by which invasive species vary in their resource use traits and alter native-dominated ecosystems. I'm presently conducting most of this work in lowland wet forests in Hawai`i, which are limited in extent and heavily influenced by non-native species. In one project my collaborators and I created removal plots and we are examining changes in abiotic resources and plant species composition. In another project, we are examining how changes in nutrient availability may affect interactions between non-native tree species, invertebrates, and frogs. Other research themes include carbon sequestration during secondary succession and foliar accumulation of nitrogen and phosphorus after fertilization. My research has a strong field component and involves integration of natural history, community structure, and ecosystem dynamics.

See my personal website (link above) for more a more detailed list of publications and research topics.

Selected Publications:

Recent Publications:

Cordell, S., R. Ostertag, B. Rowe, L. Sweinhart, L. Vasquez-Radonic, J. Michaud, T.C. Cole, and J.R. Schulten. 2009. Evaluating barriers to native seedling establishment in an invaded Hawaiian lowland wet forest. Biological Conservation, doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2009.07.033

Ostertag, R., S. Cordell, J. Michaud, T.C. Cole, J.R. Schulten, K.M. Publico, and J.H. Enoka. 2009. Ecosystem and restoration consequences of invasive woody species removal in Hawaiian lowland wet forest. Ecosystems 12: 503-515.

Marin-Spiotta, E., W. L. Silver, C.W. Swanston, and R. Ostertag. 2009. Soil carbon gain and loss during 80 years of reforestation of tropical pastures. Global Change Biology 15: 1584-1597.

Ostertag, R., E. Marin-Spiotta, W. L. Silver, and J.R. Schulten. 2008. Litterfall and decomposition in relation to soil carbon pools along a secondary forest chronosequence in Puerto Rico. Ecosystems 11: 701-714.

Ostertag, R., C.P. Giardina, and S. Cordell. 2008. Understory colonization of Eucalyptus plantations in Hawaii in relation to light and nutrient Levels. Restoration Ecology 16: 475-485.

Marin-Spiotta, E., D.F. Cusack, R. Ostertag, and W. L. Silver. 2008. Trends in above and belowground carbon with forest regrowth after agricultural abandonment in the Neotropics. Pages 22-72 in R.W. Myster, editor. Post-Agricultural Succession in the Neotropics. Springer, New York.

Zimmerman, N., R.F. Hughes, S. Cordell, P. Hart, H.K. Chang, D. Perez, R.K. Like, and R. Ostertag. 2008. Patterns of primary succession of native and introduced plants in lowland wet forests in Eastern Hawaii. Biotropica 40: 277-284.

Carlson, K.M., G.P. Asner, R. Flint Hughes, R. Ostertag, and R.E. Martin. 2007. Hyperspectral remote sensing of canopy biodiversity in Hawaiian lowland rainforests. Ecosystems 10: 536-549.

Marin-Spiotta, E., R. Ostertag, and W.L. Silver. 2007. Long-term patterns in reforestation of tropical pastures: plant community composition and aboveground biomass accumulation. Ecological Applications 17:828-839.