Dr. Wyatt Cross
Assistant Professor
Department of Ecology
310 Lewis Hall
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT 59717
Tel: (406) 994-2473
Fax: (406) 994-3190
Research in my laboratory is devoted to understanding patterns and processes in freshwater ecosystems. In particular, we’re interested in the linkages between food web dynamics and ecosystem ecology, with an emphasis on both basic and applied questions. We use tools from bioenergetic (e.g., growth, secondary production) and stoichiometric (i.e., content and recycling of essential elements [C:N:P]) frameworks to link species to whole-ecosystem material fluxes, and to examine effects of altered carbon and nutrient regimes on freshwater ecosystem structure and function.
I currently teach Freshwater Ecology, Aquatic Field Ecology, Organismal Biology, and Emerging Topics in Ecology.
Graduate Students
James R. Junker, MS candidate
Undergraduate Scholars
Ryan McClure
Ryan came to us in the fall of 2008, during his first semester at MSU. Ryan is interested in all things biological/chemical, and has a strong interest in freshwater ecology. Ryan is currently on sabbatical for 2009-2010, but we hope he’ll come back and join us.
Jim joined the lab in the summer of 2008, after spending a year in Alaska and Notre Dame working with Gary Lamberti’s group (effects of forestry practices on salmon-derived nutrient dynamics). Jim has broad interests in stream food webs and ecosystem ecology, and is focusing his Masters research on the importance of willow recovery for stream food webs in Yellowstone’s Northern Range.
Katie Kleehammer
Katie started working with us in summer 2009, and is involved with most of the current research projects in the lab. Katie finished her undergraduate degree in Illinois, and is taking additional classes to gear up for graduate school in in ecology and environmental sciences. She has recently become our phosphorus analysis guru and throws a mean pizza dough.
Leslie Piper, MS candidate (co-advised with Brian McGlynn)
Leslie came to MSU in the summer of 2009, after completing a BS in Environmental Sciences at the University of Virginia. Her MS research, co-advised with Dr. Brian McGlynn (LRES dept.), is aimed at understanding the effects of ski resort development and nutrient-rich runoff in Big Sky, MT on nitrogen fluxes and stream food webs in the West Fork watershed.
