Lora Perkins

Historically, the landscape of the Northern Great Plains had abundant native grasses and wildflowers. Currently, our landscape is depauperate of native plants, especially wildflowers. The lack of native plants on the landscape has negative impacts on wildlife, insects, soil health, cultural values and aesthetics. Our landscape is degraded due to the presence and abundance of invasive species, habitat loss and fragmentation, chemical deposition and saline/sodic soils. This new reality requires a more thorough understanding of restoration and production than currently exists for native plants in the Northern Great Plains.

Therefore, my research focuses on:

1. Management and restoration to increase native plants in our grasslands and wetlands.
2. Production and propagation of native plants to support restoration and management.
3. Including native plants in professional and private landscaping.

Restoration ecology, plant ecology, seed ecology, rangeland ecology

• RANG 205 Introduction to Range Management
• RANG 400 Range judging team - URME
• EES 425/525 Disturbance and Restoration Ecology
• EES 430/530 Biological Invasions
• ABS 475 Senior Capstone

• Society for Range Management
• Ecological Society of America
• Society for Ecological Restoration

• Editor-in-chief, Native Plants Journal (2024-present)
• Contributing editor at Restoration Ecology (2016-2024)
• Associate editor at Biological Invasions (2016-2024)
• Associate editor at Rangeland Ecology and Management (2018-2022)