Faculty/Staff Directory
Gary Greer
Email
greerg@gvsu.edu
Title
Professor
Office Address
3319 Kindschi Hall of Science
Office Phone
616-331-2813
Areas of Expertise
Plant Ecology: Epiphytes, Ferns, Invasives
Professional Societies
American Fern Society; Associate Editor, American Fern Journal.
International Association of Pteridologists
Luquillo Long Term Ecological Research Station, Puerto Rico; Research Associate.
Land Conservancy of West Michigan, Stewardship Committee member
Courses Taught at GVSU
BIO 105 Environmental Science
BIO 109 Plants in the World
BIO 121 General Biology II
BIO 303 Plants & Fungi
BIO 338 Environmental Ethics
BIO 403 Plant Structure and Function
BIO 433 Plant Ecology
BIO 495 Evolutionary Biology
BIO 580 Advanced Population Ecology
Research Interests
My research interests span a wide range of topics in plant ecology all centered on evolutionary process; listed below. I encourage you to contact me if you are an undergraduate student or a prospective graduate student with shared interests.
- Factors influencing the structure of epiphytic communities;
- Pteridophyte (seedless vascular plant) biology, ecology & evolution;
- Invasive species ecology (principally that of Ailanthus altissima (“Tree-of-Heaven”)).
My current projects include:
- Factors influencing species distribution and community structure in lower-trunk epiphytic communities at mid-elevation rainforest in Puerto Rico.
- Can Ailanthus altissima coerce neighboring legumes to feed it? (Does the legume-nodule stimulating compound(s) produced by Ailanthus altissima result in an increase in available soil nitrogen?)
- Seeking Evidence of Post-Invasion Evolution in “Tree-of-Heaven”: Patterns in growth and plasticity of production of phytotoxins by Ailanthus altissima across a U.S. east-west continental transect.
- A model of phytohormonal controls of development of leptosporangiate fern gametophytes.
Education
Ph.D. - Ohio University, 1997
M.A. - Humboldt State University, 1991
B.A. - University of Northern Colorado, 1987
Select Publications
Greer, G. K., M. A. Dietrich, and J. M. Lincoln. Ailanthus altissima Stimulates Legume Nodulation in Trifolium pratense via Root Exudates: A Novel Mechanism Facilitating Invasion? International Journal of Plant Sciences, 177:400-8.
Greer, G., Dietrich, M., DeVol, J., & Rebert, A. 2012. The effects of exogenous cytokinin on the morphology and gender of Osmunda regalis gametophytes. American Fern Journal, 102(1): 32-46.
Hollingsworth, S., Greer, G., & Andres, E. 2012. Pheromonal Interactions Among Gametophytes of Osmundastrum cinnamomea and the Origins of Antheridiogen Systems in Leptosporangiate Ferns. International Journal of Plant Sciences, 173:382-390.
Aldrich, P., J. S. Briguglio, S. N. Kapadia, M. U. Morker, A. Rawal, P. Kalra, C. D. Huebner, and G. K. Greer. 2010. Genetic Structure of the Invasive Tree Ailanthus altissima in Eastern United States Cities. Journal of Botany 2010:1-9.
Recent Presentations
(Last 5 years) – asterisked presentations by my students.
*Biener, MJ. Epiphytic Fern Distribution. April 13, 2016. Student Scholars Day Poster Presentation, GVSU.
*Kane, W., J. Toogood, and G. Greer. March 22, 2014. Trunk Position as a Function of Anatomical Scaling in Epiphytic Ferns. Annual meeting of the Michigan Academy of Science Arts and Letters.
Greer, G., July 30, 2013. A Working Model of the Physiological Controls of Leptposporangiate Fern Gametophyte Development. Symposium: Frontiers in Gametophyte Biology, American Fern Society section, BOTANY 2013, New Orleans. Invited.
*Schmidt, T. and Greer, G., July 30, 2013. Patterns in Pteridophyte Community Reassembly in Secondary Forests of Puerto Rico. American Fern Society section, BOTANY 2013, New Orleans.
*Schmidt, T. and Greer, G., July 30, 2013. A Maxent Approach to Model Pteridophyte Community Reestablishment in Secondary Forests of Puerto Rico. Conservation Biology section, BOTANY 2013, New Orleans.
*Kupisz, N. and G. Greer. May 29, 2013. Comparison of Understory Biodiversity between Ailanthus altissima versus Native Tree Canopies in Two Disparate Forests. Invasive Biology section, BOTANY 2013, New Orleans. Poster.
Greer, G., May 30, 2013. Pteridophyte Diversity and Ecology in Puerto Rico. Presentation to Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Station, El Verde, Puerto Rico. Invited.
Greer, G., Winther, J. L., Evans, T., Toogood, J. June 6, 2012. Community Assembly of Lower-Trunk Epiphytes At Mid-Elevation in El Yunque National Forest. Annual Meeting of Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Station, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Invited.
Greer, G., Schmidt, T., Menon, S. June 6, 2012. Predictive Modeling of Pteridophyte Community Reestablishment in Secondary Forests. Annual Meeting of Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Station, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Invited.