Gary N. Ervin
Plant Ecology Lab​ ~ Aquatic Botany, Invasive Species, Wetland Ecology​
Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University
Current students working in my lab​
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Samuel Schmid
Ph.D. student
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Sam came to Mississippi State in Fall of 2021 from Minnesota. Sam is investigating control of the invasive aquatic plant alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) via integration of chemical and biological methods. Sam has an interest in many aspects of alligator weed ecology, including: herbivore-host dynamics, interspecific competition, and life history variation between native and invasive genotypes.
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During his Master's degree work at Minnesota State University, Mankato, Sam studied the biotic and abiotic factors that predict the distribution and composition of aquatic macrophyte communities in Sibley Co., MN.
Jacob Hockensmith
Master's student
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Jacob started work in the lab in Fall 2021. He has an interest in wetlands and invasive species. Jacob has been working on invasive plant eradication since First Grade, when he began annual garlic mustard removal work at a local park.
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Jacob graduated Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Chemistry in 2021. While at Slippery Rock, he helped conduct research comparing herbicide responses of diploid and triploid flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus), under the guidance of Dr. Cory Shoemaker, an Ervin lab alum.