Pamela Kittelson

My work is driven by a simple curiosity in the processes and cycles that make life on this planet so unique. I love learning and teaching people about all organisms, not just humans. For example, I am fascinated by how plants convert light, gas and water into sugars, and how elements like nitrogen are cycled naturally. As far as we know, Earth is the only planet where different forms of life have transformed chemical elements for billions of years.

While humans are an amazing species, many of our interactions with other living beings have a large and negative impact. My research focuses on how habitat fragmentation affects plant populations, specifically how variability might change when population sizes are reduced by human activities. Habitat loss, along with climate change, are pressing issues facing the conservation of biodiversity. My research documents changes to genetic diversity, plant traits and functional responses when habitat is lost.  My students and I have found that small islands of habitat can erode genetic variability over time, which can mean that a population is less able to make a living or respond to change. When populations lose variability they also may lose connective threads to the continuum of life.  My lab also is interested in best practices associated with restoration ecology, and how we might encourage biodiversity to recover and resume natural cycles.  Our published work can help land managers understand patterns of plant diversity as well as potentially define strategies for maintaining that diversity.  We work in grasslands such as California, Montana and Minnesota prairies.

Overall, I take great joy in sharing my love of biology with students in the classes I teach and the research I do. I contribute to general biology, plant physiology, ecology and evolution courses.  Over the years, I have labeled myself as an evolutionary ecologist, a botanist, a population ecologist and a physiological ecologist.  These variable idenities, all are correct and yet incomplete.  I most enjoy opportunities for experiential education, where we muck about in the field, observe patterns, learn from one another and collect interesting data.  Please see my homepage: http://homepages.gac.edu/~pkittels/

Courses Taught