Kelly Heilman
Graduate Student
McLachlan Lab
University of Notre Dame
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
• Were savannas and forests alternative
stable states in the past?
• What environmental drivers control
structure and function of ecosystems at
the Prairie-Forest Boundary?
Modern FIA Tree Density
Modern
Pre-settlement PLS Tree Density
Pre-settlement
Savanna
Forest
• What environmental drivers control
structure and function of ecosystems at
the Prairie-Forest Boundary?
• How stable are Midwestern forests &
savannas? How resilient are they to
environmental changes?
Ring Width Index
• Tree ring growth
• Climate sensitivity
• Stable isotopes
Precipitation