Research | Seton Bachle

Seton Bachle, PhD

Plant Ecophysiologist

I utilize a combination of field and laboratory measurements and a variety of quantitative approaches to link processes from the micro-anatomical features in plants to ecosystem structure and function at the community and regional scale. For example, my research incorporates leaf-level gas exchange (photosynthetic rates), water potential (water use), non-structural carbohydrates (carbon utilization), isotope analyses, and anatomical traits via light and confocal microscopy. My postoctoral work has focused on the ability of fire to impact plant regeneration (made possible by bud banks!) - water movement in wetland plants - and carbohydrate usage and hormone variability in response to dormancy.

Cattle Grazing and Climate Variability

Have you ever wondered what the impacts of altered grassland drivers are influencing the physiological and microanatomical responses of dominant tallgrass prairie species!? This project utilizes three locations: Konza Prairie Biological Station , Flint Hills Prairie Preserve (Kansas), and the Platte River Prairie Preserve (Nebraska). Read about it in Oecologia [Chris Helzer's Photo made the cover!]

Evolutionary histories dictate drought response

I soon hope to make the results of a robust assessment of physiological and anatomical traits from multiple grass lineages in response to and following recovery from soil drying (via a dry-down) public! stay tuned - it turns out that little things (microanatomy) make a BIG difference!

Meristems vs Fire

I'm currently collecting native forbs in the northern mixed-grass prairie and eastern sagebrush steppe prairie to understand how the belowground meristematic tissues (bud banks) respond to varying levels of fire intensity! This work is just getting underway, but I'm sure there will be pictures to come!

Konza DroughtNet

For the past 5 years I have been studying how the impacts of extreme drought are influencing the physiological and microanatomical responses of Andropogon gerardii + the productivity and species composition of the Tallgrass prairie (using Konza Prairie LTER as my study site). Data collected is to represent Konza + droughtNET - a network of experimental drought manipulation experiments

Prairie Fire

Fire is one of the dominant drivers of tallgrass prairie. As such, fire has direct impacts on grassland species both above and belowground. I am exploring the impact of such responses at a a cellular and community level.

Grassland Variability

Grasslands are by nature: variable. Whether it be the climate, resource availability, or plant and animal populations. My area of research falls heavily on the how species respond to climate variablity; specifically: Andropogon gerardii (Big Bluestem). I use A. gerardii because it is a dominant grassland species that spans most of the U.S, however there is a lack of data concerning physiological and morphological traits. The precipitation map on the left is plotting the data/projects that have collected such data, the shades of blue display the precipitation amounts across the Great Plains Region. Andropogon gerardii spans this region, and beyond! Much of my research focuses on determining how such a species has the ability to contain such trait variability to allow for this wide distribution.

The analysis of trait variability can be found in plant function traits. Plant Functional Traits (PFTs) are traits that lend insight to a species' carbon and water use strategy both above and below-ground. These investments are innate characteristics of a species, and may give rise to drought/temperature resistance/resilience.

Research in Media

Konza Prairie Biological Station has been my main research location; but I'm also using Nature Conservancy locations (in Kansas and Nebraska) as well as locations throughout the Great Plains.

To learn more about specific articles and events, click on the link below