Christopher D. Heckel
- Dow Science Building 208
- [email protected]
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— Alexander Von HumboldtWhen a person possessed of an active mind explores Nature, or ponders in imagination the broad range of organic creation, no single one among the manifold impressions that occur to him has so deep and powerful an effect as that of the ubiquitous abundance of life.
Faculty Information
Additional Faculty Information for Christopher D. Heckel
Education
B.S. in Biology, Hillsdale College
M.S. in Biology, Georgia Southern University
Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution, University of Pittsburgh
Selected Publications
Deer Indirectly Alter the Reproductive Strategy and Operational Sex Ratio of an Unpalatable Forest Perennial.
In The American Naturalist, 195, 1, (2020): 56-69.
Life History Trait Divergence among Populations of a Non-Palatable Species Reveals Strong Non-Trophic Indirect Effects of an Abundant Herbivore.
In Oikos, 126, 4, (2017): 604-613.
Nonconsumptive Effects of a Generalist Ungulate Herbivore Drive Decline of Unpalatable Forest Herbs.
In Ecology, 91, 2, (2010): 319-326.
Life History and Reproductive Biology of the Endangered Trillium Reliquum.
In Plant Ecology, 189, (2007): 49-57.
Memberships
American Society of Naturalists
Evolutionary Demography Society
Michigan Botanical Society
Courses Taught
BIO 101 Core Principles in Biology
BIO 201 Evolution and Biological Diversity
BIO 305 Botany
BIO 306 Plant Physiology
BIO 307 Plant Ecology
BIO 315 Michigan Flora
Biography
I joined the Biology Department in 2019 with my primary teaching and research interests focused in the plant sciences. I am broadly interested in understanding how anthropogenic disturbances, like overabundant herbivores, invasive species, and climate change, influence plant population dynamics and how those factors may further affect life history trait evolution. My past research has utilized comparative field surveys, experimental field manipulations, common gardens, and mathematical modelling techniques to discover the surprising negative effects of non-trophic indirect effects of overabundant deer on unpalatable forest herbs. My current research at Hillsdale College continues to focus on population dynamics and life history evolution of perennial forest herbs.
As a scientist, I love learning about the natural world: what are its parts, how do they interact, how do they work? In the classroom, I want to inspire and cultivate a similar curiosity about the natural world, as well as foster a love of inquiry, in my students. The quality of inquiry improves when students begin to see the natural world in greater detail. In my classes, I work to help students develop their observational skills through careful study and practice. When a student is prepared and a skilled observer, observations of the unexpected can be the genesis of new questions.